Posted by DianeD on May 8, 2001, at 0:11:48
In reply to Re: Methadone - AndrewB and all interested, posted by H. Vincent MacGruder on May 7, 2001, at 9:32:55
> Several of your arguments are true, however, several are incorrect. Specifically:
> > 1. It doesn't incapacitate you. There is no "High".
> This is just false. Methadone is a full mu-agonist and has effects essentially the same as those of morphine.Wrong. I've taking liquid morphine and sustained release morphine and methadone and heroin and many other opiates. Methadone is NOTHING, nothing at all like Morphine or other
opiates. Morphine knocks you out! Makes you weak. Turns you into a drooling idiot. Morphine is dangerous. A little too much and poof your gone. Not so with methadone.>The myth that it doesn't produce a high derives from its use in maintenance of heroin addicts. The reason it doesn't produce a high in this case is simply that the dose is titrated exactly to
the limits of the subject's tolerance.Wrong. Clinics start you off at 40mg no matter what you claim your habit to be. I've been on methadone twice. The 1st time I had a huge habit. They put me on 40mg. Second time I had
a tinny $25 day habit. They put me on 40mg. They titrated nothing. Most clinics have a 100mg limit. Within that limit you can go where ever you want.After so many days/weeks you are clean of heroin anyway so there is no difference twik the pain patient and the methadone maintenance client. So their reaction to methadone will be the
same.>If you wanted to produce an effect, you would have to give a higher dose, and that dose would produce all of the typical morphine-like effects.
Wrong. I've gone from 40mg to 60mg to 80 in as many days (3) and didn't get high. And again methadone is nothing like morphine.
>If an average, opioid-naive individual takes 10 to 20 mg of methadone, that person will be knocked on his or her ass for two days.
That I can't speak to. I don't think they'd be knocked on their ass for two days tho, but I've never taken it while clean so I can't say for absolute. And even I wouldn't take 20mg from the
get. I'd start at 10mg. Better safe than sorry.
> > 3. Once right dose is reached you can be maintained on that dosage indefinitely. You don't need more, more, MORE! like all other pain meds.
> False. Methadone produces tolerance just like all other full agonists. This is *not* true for use in pain, depression, or anything else.Wrong. I was on 80mg of methadone for 6yrs. And if there is anybody who's gonna want more, more, more whether they need it or not it's a junky. I didn't need more. I can't speak from
personal experience, to methadone tolerance with regard to pain, depression, or anything else. BUT I've read on a few boards where pain patience are maintained on a consistent dose
for yrs. No tolerance. No increase in dosages. No problems. That is one of it's great draws.
> > 5. Does not impair ones mental or physical faculties.
> Again, false, for all of the above reasons. Methadone's effects are pretty much interchangeable with morphine's, although the time course (pharmacokinetics) are very different.Wrong again. I was never impaired in any way shape or fashion. I was on 80mg of methadone for 6yrs. And I worked as a union linoleum, soft tile and hardwood (on the sly) floor
covering installer. Using all manner of tools in all price range of homes and businesses. No complaints. No one had a clue I was "under the influence". Except that I was suddenly full of
life and working. Methadone gave me physical and mental STRENGTH! It didn't make me weak, clumsy or tired like morphine. Heroin didn't make me weak, clumsy or tired either,
after the rush. But ya might as well throw me in the closet with morphine. Morphine is good for emergency situations or where the patients is bed ridden. That's about it. If you want relief
and the ability to live your life fully functioning, get methadone."Methadone is preferred for chronic pain, Dr. Balazy says because of its potency and because methadone doesn't dull the mind as do some other narcotics. "
How you can keep comparing methadone with morphine is beyond me. THEY ARE NOT interchangeable ! Have you ever taken morphine and methadone? We're talking apples to
oranges here.
> It really should be obvious that methadone does all of these things. I mean, it isn't a Schedule II drug for no reason at all.Methadone is a Schedule II because of fear, ignorance and prejudice. The three REGRESSIVES.
I gave you all the references in that report. I didn't make these things up. I speak from my own years of experience as well and the experience of others, be they patients or professionals.
I am 16 yrs clean of heroin. 8 yrs clean of methadone (not by choice)
poster:DianeD
thread:17065
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010507/msgs/62034.html