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How to Tell if a Loved one is Abusing Methadone

Introduction

Methadone is a long-acting opioid that serves two medical purposes. The first one is that it relieves pain, and secondly, it helps individuals overcome addiction problems to other opioids. It is less addictive than opioids like OxyCotin and fentanyl, and it is a common drug within medication-assisted treatment programs in any top methadone clinic in Louisville, KY.

  • The benefits of methadone in the treatment of opioid addiction usually are:
  • The withdrawal process in people going through detox for critical opioid dependence is safer
  • It relieves drug cravings and withdrawal symptoms
  • It prevents the euphoric impacts of short-acting opioids.

Although it has a lower abuse risk and its effectiveness in treating addiction, methadone is still capable of being abused when drug use is not monitored. Methadone, like other prescription opioids, can cause dependence and has addiction risk. If you suspect someone close to you is abusing methadone, it’s important to know the signs to help them get the help they need from methadone clinics in Louisville, Kentucky. or contact a Kentucky suboxone doctor near you. Read on to learn more.

Signs of Methadone Abuse

Methadone comes in several forms that include liquid, wafer, and pill. It’s used alongside support groups and counseling for individuals struggling with addiction to opioids.
Although methadone is not nearly as powerful as short-acting opioids, methadone still has effects mirroring those of more addictive opioids, for example, sedation. However, methadone is less likely to produce the “high” or euphoria associated with opioid misuse. Even if a patient experiences a high, it is a mild one.
People at heightened risk of methadone addiction are those that have stopped treatment, those who don’t want to seek help for opioid abuse, or those using it outside an opioid treatment regime.
Common signs of a person abusing methadone include the following:

  • Taking doses more frequently or higher than those prescribed by the doctor
  • Changes in appetite or weight with no obvious likely cause
  • Avoiding individual counseling sessions or support groups
  • Having difficulty concentrating on work or tasks
  • Snorting, injecting, or smoking methadone
  • Preoccupation to get more methadone
  • Difficulty falling or staying asleep at night

Methadone is much slower in how it works compared to the more potent opioids like heroin. Also, it has milder side effects. While this undoubtedly helps in the treatment, it also makes it harder to detect when someone abuses methadone.
However, individuals that take methadone within a MAT program are not at a high risk of suffering major side effects of the drug use. But if one abuses the drug, it can lead to significant side effects. Below are physical symptoms of methadone abuse:

  • Clammy skin
  • Constipation
  • Sweating
  • Dry mouth
  • Poor reflexes
  • Irregular menstruation or sexual dysfunction
  • Weakness
  • Low breathing rate
  • Unusual sluggishness

If someone experiences more intense methadone side effects than normal, it might mean that their dose needs readjusting. It could also indicate that they aren’t taking the medication as directed.

Knowing if a loved one is addicted to Methadone

Although they are different things, drug addiction and abuse occur together. This holds particularly for opioids, which tend to become psychologically addictive and cause physical dependence within just weeks of use. In 2017 there were 1,160 opioid related deaths in the state of Kentucky. To counter this epidemic, fortunately, there are centers where one can avail addiction treatment with suboxone in Kentucky.

Compared to other opioids, methadone works slower and causes milder side effects to the body. The use of methadone to ease withdrawal symptoms makes it important for dealing with severe dependence. This useful purpose notwithstanding, methadone can still be addictive when abused. One of the most obvious signs of addiction to methadone is an inability to discontinue the use of the drug. Another one is when an individual experiences methadone cravings.

Here are more methadone addiction signs:

  • High drug tolerance
  • Stockpiling doses
  • Inability to control drug use
  • Behaving defensively or aggressively when asked about methadone abuse
  • Experiencing withdrawal symptoms
  • Hiding or lying about methadone use extent

A person can be unrecognizable from whom they were before because of addiction. It can cause them to change the mood, behavior, and also ability to realize they have a problem. It can be painful and disconcerting to see a person you care about change because of addiction. However, you don’t have to shoulder this burden alone.

Getting Help for Someone Abusing Methadone

When someone close to you is struggling with methadone abuse and addiction, you should try to get help for them. Fortunately, many methadone clinics in Louisville, KY, offer a myriad of treatment options to help them overcome this problem. Although methadone is often used within treatment programs for addiction to opiates, several ways exist on how to overcome opioid problems without methadone.
One of the most effective treatment options for opioid abuse is medication-assisted treatment or MAT. This treatment method can be customized to exclude methadone but instead use other effective and safer medications.
An inpatient rehab program provides the most supportive facility to start a methadone abuse treatment. Here, patients are sure to detox from drug use safely and stabilize their lives. Inpatient rehab is found in a good methadone clinic in Louisville, KY, and can give patients a strong support base to recover from methadone abuse.
Some of the treatment services offered in an inpatient rehab program for opiates abuse are:

  • Behavioral counseling
  • Round-the-clock supervision and support
  • Group therapy
  • Relapse prevention
  • Couples or family counseling
  • Aftercare services

Conclusion

Individuals in a methadone clinic in Louisville, KY, have the attention of an entire team of specialists that can foster a long-term treatment regimen for care by assessing each patient’s needs. After the inpatient bit is completed, they will recommend ways to continue treatment even when they are at home. In the end, they will help patients to transition into their normal, daily routine.
Although the goal of methadone treatment is to help individuals overcome other opioid addiction problems, the drug is not immune to being abused by people. This article has revealed some of the most obvious signs of a person abusing methadone.

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