Services

Methadone & Suboxone in Statesboro, GA

Methadone Medication

Methadone is a rigorously well-tested Medication that is safe and efficacious for the treatment of narcotic withdrawal and dependence. For more than 50 years this synthetic narcotic has been used to treat opioid addiction. Opioids release an excess of dopamine in the body and causes users to feel the need of an opioid continuously occupying the opioid receptor in the brain. Methadone occupies this receptor and is the stabilizing factor that permits addicts on Methadone to change their behavior and to discontinue the use of opioids. Reliance Treatment Center of Statesboro provides professionally supervised Opiate Addiction maintenance with the use of Methadone. Methadone is not the treatment; Methadone is used only as a tool in the patient’s recovery process.  Taken orally daily, methadone suppresses narcotic withdrawal for between 24 and 36 hours. Because methadone is effective in eliminating withdrawal symptoms, it is used in detoxifying opiate addicts. It is, however, only effective in cases of addiction to opioids, morphine, and other opioid drugs. It has not been determined to be an effective treatment for other drugs of abuse such as Methamphetamine and Cocaine. Methadone reduces the cravings associated with opiate use and blocks the high from opiates, but it does not provide the euphoric rush. Consequently, Methadone patients do not experience the extreme highs and lows that result from the waxing and waning of opiates in blood levels. Ultimately, the patient remains physically dependent on the opioid, but is freed from the uncontrolled, compulsive, and disruptive behavior seen in opiates addicts. Withdrawal from methadone is much slower than that from opiates. As a result, it is possible to maintain an addict on Methadone without harsh side effects. Many methadone maintenance treatment patients require continuous treatment, sometimes over a period of years.

Methadone maintenance treatment provides the opioid addict with individualized health care and medically prescribed Methadone to relieve withdrawal symptoms, reduces the opiate craving, and brings about a biochemical balance in the body. Important elements in opioid treatment include comprehensive social and rehabilitation services.

Like any controlled substance, there is a risk of abuse. When used as prescribed and under a physician’s care, research and clinical studies suggest that long-term MMT is medically safe (COMPA, 1997). When methadone is taken under medical supervision, long-term maintenance causes no adverse effects to the heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, bones, blood, brain, or other vital body organs. Methadone produces no serious side effects, although some patients experience minor symptoms such as constipation, water retention, drowsiness, skin rash, excessive sweating, and changes in libido. Once methadone dosage is adjusted and stabilized or tolerance increases, these symptoms usually subside.

Methadone is a legal medication produced by licensed and approved pharmaceutical companies using quality control standards. Under a physician’s supervision, it is administered orally on a daily basis with strict program conditions and guidelines. Methadone does not impair cognitive functions. It has no adverse effects on mental capability, intelligence, or employability. It is not sedating or intoxicating, nor does it interfere with ordinary activities such as driving a car or operating machinery. Patients are able to feel pain and experience emotional reactions. Most importantly, methadone relieves the craving associated with opiate addiction. For methadone patients, typical street doses of opioids are ineffective at producing euphoria, making the use of opioids less desirable.

Methadone FAQ

Methadone is a synthetic (man-made) opioid that was first synthesized in the late 1930s. Among its various uses, methadone blocks the receptors in the brain that are affected by addictive opiates such as morphine and heroin – which means that, when taken as part of an approved and medically supervised program, methadone enables addicted individuals to end their dependence upon these drugs without experiencing painful (and often dangerous) withdrawal symptoms.

The U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) describes methadone as “a rigorously well-tested medication that is safe and efficacious for the treatment of narcotic withdrawal and dependence.”

If you are taking methadone as part of an approved program (under the supervision of a qualified healthcare provider), research indicates that you are not putting yourself at risk for any significant long-term health risks.

Methadone works by blocking the receptors in the brain that are affected by dangerous opioids such as morphine and heroin. Methadone reduces the drug cravings that often lead to relapse in recovering opiate addicts without creating the disorienting euphoria that results from abusing morphine, heroin and related substances. Thus, methadone patients are able to function in society without being hampered by drug cravings, withdrawal symptoms or the incapacitating effects of opiate abuse.

Methadone’s effects last between 24 and 36 hours, meaning that one daily dose is usually required to receive the maximum benefit from this medication.

Yes, it is. According to research conducted by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), weekly heroin use decreased by 69 percent among outpatient methadone maintenance patients.

The ONDCP reports that a 1994 California study “found that rates of illegal drug use, criminal activity, and hospitalization were lower for [methadone maintenance] patients than for addicts in any other type of drug treatment program.”

Decades of research have revealed no serious side effects associated with the medically supervised use of methadone.

When they first begin taking methadone, some people have experienced effects such as constipation, water retention, drowsiness, skin rash, excessive sweating, and changes in libido – but in the vast majority of cases, these symptoms have subsided once the proper dosage has been determined and the patients have developed a tolerance to the medication.

Not at all. Individuals who participate in a medically supervised methadone maintenance program are not “swapping addictions” – they are exchanging a debilitating addiction for an approved course of treatment that frees them from the chains of chemical dependency.

Methadone will not result in a positive test for commonly abused opiates such as morphine or heroin. The only way for a company or other organization to detect methadone is to test for it specifically – which is not a common practice.

Also, it is important to remember that people who are participating in approved methadone maintenance programs are not abusing an illegal drug – they are taking legal medication with the approval and supervision of a qualified healthcare provider. Methadone patients are covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) – which means that methadone use cannot be used to deny employment.

Yes. Methadone’s effects do not include intoxication or other forms of disorientation, and there are no laws preventing methadone patients from operating motor vehicles or other forms of machinery.

Yes, you will. One of the many benefits of methadone maintenance programs is that methadone can safely be taken for a long period of time. But safe withdrawal from methadone is definitely possible – though, as with any type of long-term medication regimen, ending methadone use must be done slowly, carefully and with the support and supervision of your healthcare provider.

NO. When taken as prescribed, long-term administration of methadone causes no adverse effects to the heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, blood, bones, brain, or other vital body organs. Side effects such as constipation, water retention, drowsiness, skin rash, excessive sweating and reported change in sexual drive may or may not occur in the initial stages of treatment. These symptoms generally subside or disappear as methadone dosage is adjusted and stabilized, or when simple medical interventions are initiated.

NO. Methadone is not a substitute for opioids or any other short-acting opioid, and does not affect individuals in the same way. Methadone does not create a pleasurable or euphoric feeling; rather it relieves physiological opioid craving and is generally chosen by opioid-dependent individuals. Opioid addiction can be compared to other chronic diseases like diabetes. Methadone for the Opiate-addicted person is like insulin for the diabetic. Addiction doesn’t go away on its own, and only gets worse without proper treatment.

NO. Methadone has no adverse effects on intelligence, mental capability, or employability. Methadone treated patients are comparable to non-patients in reaction time, in ability to learn, focus, and make complex judgments. Methadone treated patients do well in a wide array of vocational endeavors, including professional positions, service occupations, and skilled, technical and support jobs. One recent study tested methadone patient’s cognition, perceptual and motor functioning, reaction time, and attentional function, as well as performance of automobile driving behavior. It was concluded, confirming pervious findings, that methadone does not impair functional capacity.

In order to be admitted to a clinic providing Medication Assisted Treatment, the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment/SAMHSA standards require:

  • A minimum of one year of addiction to opioids as well as current evidence of opioid addiction. Special circumstances apply to opioid dependent pregnant women, who may be admitted without demonstration of the one-year minimum.
  • Applicant must also be over 18 years of age.
  • If the applicant is under 18, (s)he must have parental consent and demonstrate at least two prior treatment episodes in either drug free treatment or short-term tapering.

Medication Assisted Treatment is the most regulated substance abuse treatment alternative in the United States. Federal and state regulatory agencies monitor Medication Assisted Treatment programs through on-site program reviews. At the Federal level, regulatory oversight has been moved from the Food and Drug Administration to the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, which requires programs to receive accreditation, a common requirement amongst health care providers. Programs also receive licenses from the DEA and the state in which they operate.

For more information about methadone maintenance – and to learn about treatment centers near you – call 912-489-7827 or complete our confidential online contact form.

Suboxone®

Similar to methadone, Suboxone® (buprenorphine) functions by diminishing intense cravings related to addiction and alleviating the discomfort caused by withdrawal symptoms. Suboxone operates on the same brain receptors that addictive drugs target, but it does not induce a euphoric high. Our comprehensive Suboxone Maintenance Program encompasses medical intervention and long-term treatment for individuals grappling with opioid dependence. 

Schedule an Appointment in Statesboro

If you or someone you care about is grappling with opioid dependence in Georgia, don’t give up hope. Reach out to Reliance Treatment Center of Statesboro without delay to arrange an appointment. Our team is wholly devoted to delivering extensive and cost-effective outpatient opioid treatment services, with insurance coverage available. We empathize with the difficulties you’re encountering and pledge our unwavering support as you embark on the path to recovery. Please don’t hesitate to contact us at (912) 489-7827 or submit an appointment request using our secure online form. In the majority of instances, patients can begin treatment the following day.