Apart from price discounts do you buy methadone online? Without knowing the risks. There are many Illegal or unethical online pharmacies that sometimes sell outdated, counterfeit medications or substitutes without any prescription. We cannot be sure whether these types of pharmacies are not fake or genuine. Sometimes, medicines are sold online without prescription may be copied or false, have not any active ingredients, and may even carry some harmful ingredients, It’s not regarding how the medicine is sold, but about how the controlling bodies have to react.
Methadone is a strong drug with potentially fatal consequences and deaths due to methadone ingestion in adults & children are regularly increasing in numbers. Methadone is Schedule II controlled medication. Necessary for the Patient to take it in under the supervision of health professionals.
Everyone should not take methadone because it belongs to a group of OTC drugs they have very strong and their effects can be harsh even death. So consult your doctor if you have: heart disease, electrolyte imbalance, gall bladder-related issues, thyroid problems, head injury, etc.
What is Methadone?
Methadone is a recommended medicine. It is used to fix OUD (Opioid Use Disorder). Also, help people to reduce or quit their use of heroin or other opiates. When it is used as prescribed, it is a safe and effective drug. But it may be a habit-forming drug that does not take in a large amount for a longer period. It should be used under the supervision of health professionals. It allows people to get back from their addiction and reclaim active and meaningful lives.
It is available only for certified pharmacies with prescriptions. Methadone was developed in Germany from 1937 to 1939, approved for use in the United States in 1947, and has been used in the treatment of addiction since the 1960s. Methadone interacts with receptors in the brain and brings responses, from feelings of pain relief to pleasure.
How does Methadone work?
Methadone works by swapping how the brain and nervous system react to pain like other opioid drugs & heroin. It remains in the body for a long time – generally 1-3 days – it helps to stop the euphoric effects of other opiate drug abuse and less painful effects of withdrawal from these drugs. Because it is a long-acting drug, make to ease symptoms in people addicted to other opioid drugs or heroin for 1-2 days, it can make up quickly in the body and continue in the blood for a long time.
It comes in form of pill, liquid, and wafer forms and is offered to be taken once a day. The person feels relief from a dose of it that lasts about 4-8 hours. According to Opioid Treatment Programs 2012, it is impressive in greater doses, especially for heroin users.
Methadone Safety Guidance
Methadone can be a habit-forming drug, so it is used the same as prescribed. Especially for patients who are allowed to take it at home and aren’t need to take it under supervision. Methadone dosage is designed differently for the individual patient according to their condition and addiction level and is not to be shared with others.
Other drugs may interact with it and cause harsh effects. Even after the effects of it got weakened, active ingredients continue in the body for a longer time period. Taking too much methadone can cause an unintentional overdose. The following points can help to get better treatment results:
- Do not take more than prescribed always follow the prescription.
- Do not take alcohol or other substance while taking methadone.
- Be careful while doing that kind of activity that needs more alertness like driving or operating heavy machinery.
- If anyone takes an overdose on methadone call immediately on 911.
- Keep away from children from accidentally taking methadone.
- Keep it at room temperature and away from direct sunlight.
- Dispose of expired methadone by flushing it.
What effects can methadone cause?
Some side effects must be taken seriously, a few of them may indicate an emergency. Patients must stop taking it and contact health professionals immediately. Get emergency medical help if you have to feel signs of an allergic reaction to methadone like difficult breathing, hives, or swelling & they are very bad or do not go away.
Some side effects are common like:
- Redness or Swelling
- Severe Constipation
- Dizziness
- Drowsiness
- Vomiting
- Nausea
- Dry mouth
- Headache
- Blurred vision
- Difficulty in sleeping
- Difficulty urinating
- Lack of coordination
- Runny nose
- Yawning
- Loss of appetite
Some side effects can be serious like:
- Hives
- Itching
- Difficulty in breathing, slow breathing
- Hash
- Decreased sexual desire
- Seizures
- Extreme drowsiness
- Irregular heart rate
Overdose Effects
If anyone takes a large amount of methadone, the following signs & symptoms may be experienced. Talk with your health professional immediately or call for emergency medical help.
- Slow breathing, coma due to accumulation of the drug
- Acute constipation or inability to pass urine
- Feel allergic reaction, with swelling on face, lips, tongue, and throat
- an intense red rash with itching or hives
- Feeling tightness in the chest
- Collapse
Withdrawal Effects
Methadone withdrawal grows very slowly and is less harsh than withdrawal from heroin. Withdrawal effects are very similar to those listed under dose-related effects. Most of these effects will start within 1-3 days and will peak around the sixth day but they can last longer. Though less severe, withdrawal effects from methadone are alike to withdrawal effects from other opioid drugs. They include:
- Watery eyes
- Runny nose
- Fever or chills
- Sweating
- Tremors or shaking
- Muscle aches
- Anxiety or irritability
- Depression
- Restlessness
- Insomnia
For more details- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methadone
Conclusion
Methadone works to cure pain by changing the receptors of the brain and nervous system’s response to pain. It is also used to cure drug addiction or addiction to heroin by causing similar effects and preventing withdrawal effects in people who have suddenly stopped using it. But it is a powerful drug for relieving pain in patients at end of life. It provides great superior control of neuropathic pain in comparison to other opioids, and patients generally feel greatly improved control of non-neuropathic pain.