...Running head: METHADONE AND DEPENDENCY The Effects of Methadone Treatment on Opiate and Heroin Dependency Since the early times, opiates, heroin, and other drugs have been used in providing analgesia as well as substitutes to reach a place of euphoria. Originally, as Yurgelum-Todd et al (2009) has noted, derived from the opium poppy, heroin has been used as an alternative to morphine in dealing with addiction (Yurgelum-Todd, p. 175, 2009). Unfortunately, over the years it has consistently become prevalent that heroin has more negative aspects than anything; heroin is highly addictive, resulting in consequences such as overdoses, infections, violence and crime, deficits in memory, learning, and attention. The need to relieve pain by use of heroin and other drugs, though, results in opioid dependence, estimated to affect more than one million persons in North America alone (Oviedo-Joekes, p. 778, 2009). To relieve opiate dependence, researchers experimented with an opiate-agonist called methadone; the standard opioid-susbstitution treatment, to help reduce withdrawals and other negative consequences surrounding the use of drugs like heroin by producing a phenomenon called the “blocking-dose”, which blocks opiate receptors (Oviedo-Joekes, p. 778, 2009). Methadone was, in fact, the “first opiate agonist used in the pharmacotherapy of heroin addiction. Methadone is the best studied drug, but also the most controversial”(Maremmani, p. 7, 2008)....
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...Running head: Knocking on Death’s Door Knocking on Death’s Door: Methadone for Palliative Care Wendy M. Walker NURS 407 February 23, 2015 Abstract “Terminally ill.” “Six months to live.” “Hospice and Palliative Care.” These are just a few of the phrases that will completely turn a person’s life upside down. Effective and appropriate symptom management at the end of a hospice patient’s journey is vital. Health care professionals have a duty to provide ethical and compassionate care to patients. Ensuring that they spend their last days on earth comfortable and free of symptoms is not only the decent thing to do, but it also is very rewarding to a health care professional. With the correct combination of appropriate medications, a hospice patient can pass away peacefully, in the privacy of their own home, surrounded by loved ones. Knocking on Death’s Door: Methadone for Palliative Care Patients on hospice care often experience pain from their terminal diagnosis, as well as a plethora of other symptoms limiting the peace and comfort they deserve during their final months, weeks, days, or hours. Hospice diagnoses include but aren’t limited to; cancer, end stage cardiac disease, COPD, Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, ALS, end stage renal disease, and cirrhosis of the liver. Passing away at home can be a beautiful, peaceful, and spiritual experience for the patient and family as long as symptoms are under control and the patient is comfortable. ...
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...First and foremost, it is important to define addiction. According to the Wisconsin Department of Children and Family, “addiction begins when an individual makes a conscious decision to choose to use alcohol or drugs that interfere with normal brain functioning. Continuous use has long-term effects on brain metabolism and activity, because the brain goes thru long term changes targeting specific parts of the brain like judgement and planning, making it impossible to stop using drugs. As a result of the changes in the brain, drugs then create a chronic disease, addiction, treated by medication, therapy, and preferably abstinence (WDCF, 2015).” For example, addiction to heroin in the United States has been increasing. According to Drugabuse’s...
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...Heroin Addiction and Treatment Abstract This paper offers a brief explanation of the history of heroin. Describing the origins of heroin, who discovered it and describe the detrimental effects heroin has on an individual. There are several treatment options available for heroin addicts and this paper will look at a few of the ones that have shown the most success. Heroin Addiction and Treatment Introduction: A Brief History of Heroin Heroin comes from the opium poppy. This plant has been used by a number of various civilizations going back to include ancient civilizations. Opium, heroin, and morphine are derived from the poppy. Opium had been used by Drs. in the United States for many years prior to the Civil War. When morphine was discovered Drs. switched to using morphine instead of opium for pain, mainly because the hypodermic needle had been invented and morphine could be injected and pain could be better controlled. Heroin was derived from a chemical process discovered by Felix Hoffman in 1874. Heroin was initially distributed as a pain killer, and cough suppressant by Bayer Company in 1898. Drs. initially thought that heroin could replace morphine because they thought heroin did not possess the addictive qualities of morphine. In fact Drs. used heroin to get their patient’s off morphine. They thought...
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...Heroin Addiction Psyc 305 B-03 June 15, 2015 Abstract: This paper will serve to provide information about heroin addiction in our society. Heroin addiction is an epidemic problem in the United States and is growing every year. Factors such as genetics and environmental factors will be discussed as they relate to heroin addicts. Trends with prescription pain medication and their effects on heroin use will be discussed. This paper will also highlight the prevalence of heroin in the United States. Heroin affects different groups of people in all walks of life. Treatment for heroin will be discussed in the latter portion of this paper. This will highlight different options to fit specific needs. Addiction: a physical dependency on a substance (Doweiko, 2015), a chronic brain disease that causes compulsive substance use despite harmful consequences, (Addiction, 2015). There is no universally accepted way to define addiction. It seems that it is easier to qualify behavior as an addiction than it is to define the word itself. For the purpose of this paper we will use the four general categories of the DSM-5 to help identify and understand heroin addiction. This paper will serve to provide information about heroin addiction’s possible causes, prevalence and treatment. What causes heroin addiction? The causes of heroin addiction are not clear. As with most drugs it is thought that the user is trying to feel better or self-medicate...
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...IHR 1 Methadone: The Introduction of Harm Reduction IHR 2 As I began thinking about what topic covers a multitude of citizens and is a significant issue and problem that affects the justice system here in the United States, almost automatically I was drawn to my deep passion for recovery based solutions to drug and alcohol addictions. I have found my experiences in recovery, to repeatedly be surrounded with the pain of those whom have suffered and are still suffering from effects of their addiction(s). Many addictions have grown out of the same medications that when used properly, provided the relief sought to provide pain maintenance and therefore relief of such pain. I firmly believe that without some form of spiritual maintenance, recovery- both physical and mentally- is an endless merry go-round of medical doctors and drug dealers. As a recovering addict/alcoholic myself, my daily walk exposes me to the ever increasing ideology, of not only addicts, but the public at large, to the thought process of finding relief for every day undesirable thought and undesirable actions (according to some), to be the quick fix, which historically has been called the “magic pill” or “magical elixir” cure. In the near future, I plan to be a recovery counselor and placement specialist. I hope to be able to provide some experience based direction, on the path of recovery, to those whom still suffer. I felt the need to understand not only the options being provided for said addictions...
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...Comparison of Methadone and Suboxone in Opioid Treatment Program Julien Nougarou Upper Iowa University Abstract Addiction to opioids is a common problem throughout the world. Maintenance treatments such as Methadone and Suboxone are effective in lessening the desire to consume illicit drugs, but they are not perfect options for drug treatment as each has negative effects, too. In this paper, both the positive and negative effects of the drugs Methadone and Suboxone will be determined and evaluated in order to better ascertain the better treatment. It was concluded that the effectiveness of each treatment can only be determined on a case-by-case basis, as the factors of success are often dependent on the patient receiving the treatment. There are various criticisms for both modes of treatment, but no other means of treating opioid addiction have yet to be found. There are improvements that could be made for both treatments, but regardless of improvements each mode of treatment is risky as there is no miracle cure for opioid addiction. Introduction In 1864, The New York State Inebriate Asylum, the first in the country, opened in Binghamton, NY. It was the first of a growing network of inebriate asylums that treated alcoholism and addiction to drugs such as opium, morphine, cocaine, chloral, ether, and chloroform. Today, when talking about opioid addiction and dependency treatments, two controversial but efficient treatments stand out from the lot: Methadone and Suboxone...
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...Assignment 2 Heroin is one of the worlds most dangerous drugs, and is also one of the world's oldest. According to the World Health Organization, an estimated 69,000 people die from an opioid overdose each year. (Information Sheet on Opioid Overdose). Heroin is just one of the many opioid forms labeled as analgesics. An analgesic relieves pain and is also called a “pain-killer”. Opioids are created from the plant “papaver somniferum”, better known as the opium poppy. The earliest records of this plant date back thousands of years ago to a Sumerian tablet which called the plant the “flower of joy.” The opium poppy is the root source of all opioids, the seed pod is the source of the naturally occurring opium. To extract the opium cuts are made to the green poppy seeds, which will ooze out a latex that is collected and dried to produce the raw opium. This latex is used to produce opioids such as morphine and codeine. Throughout history opium has seen its many uses. The drug came to its most prominence in the 1700’s, when the Dutch introduced the practice of smoking opium in a tobacco pipe to the Chinese. Up until this point opium had been used largely for its medical use as an analgesic. By 1729 the Chinese government had outlawed the sale of opium, fearing the weakening of the national vitality. Additionally the Chinese government had forbade the import of opium from India where the plant was largely cultivated. However the British East India Company encouraged the cultivation...
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...Heroin Samantha Garza COM/172 02/29/2012 William Pinney Heroin “She was in a coma. She suffered brain damage and was paralyzed from the neck down; her one-time heroin use left her needing around-the-clock care.” (Bubala 2011, pgs. 1-2). This is an example of what Heroin can do to a young adult who tried the drug for the first time. Although Heroin may be a satisfying new experimental drug to young adults, Heroin is an addictive drug that destroys the human body, and can kill chronic users. The topics to be discussed in this essay are: What is Heroin, the bad effects Heroin has on the body, and what Heroin can lead to. What is Heroin? According to The Partnership (2011), “Heroin is a depressant that affects the brains pleasure systems and interferes with the brains ability to perceive pain” (Pg. 1). Research has shown that Heroin is an addictive drug imitated from the drug called Morphine. The Partnership (2011) indicates that Heroin is created from the Opium Poppy plant. The way Heroin is created is by the seeds from the Opium Poppy, which are crushed until it forms the powder substance. This powder substance is known to be called Morphine. According to Stop Heroin (2008-2012) the Opium Poppy plant are grown in numerous places. Here are just a few examples of where the Opium is grown, Southern America, Afghanistan, China, and Eastern Europe. Heroin is a powdery substance that will look white, brown, or black depending on what it is mixed with...
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...Baltimore: A Community in Crisis Since the 19th century, the illicit drug, heroin, has been a part of American society. When heroin was first discovered it was thought to be a wonder drug because of the euphoric feeling a person is said to feel after using it. However, once the debilitating effects of this highly addictive drug was realized the anti-drug law, the Harrison Narcotics Act, was enacted that restricted its use to medicinal purposes only. In 1920, heroin was banned altogether through the Dangerous Drug Act (Habal, 2011). Heroin for the most part was thought to have gone underground until the Vietnam War. In 1971, two congressmen returned from visiting U. S. servicemen serving in Vietnam with an alarming revelation that “15 percent of U.S. servicemen in Vietnam… were actively addicted to heroin” (Spiegel, 2012, para. 3). The idea that American servicemen were addicted to such a horrible drug disgusted much of the American public. “It was thought to be the most addictive substance ever produced, a narcotic so powerful that once addiction claimed you, it was nearly impossible to escape” (Spiegel, 2012, para. 4). President Richard Nixon took swift action by creating, The Special Action Office of Drug Abuse Prevention which concentrated primarily on prevention and rehabilitation. In the late 70s and early 80s the use of heroin reached its peak when it seemed to take a backseat to the reappearance of cocaine and the subsequent crack epidemic that overwhelmed much...
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...Effective Method to Treat Opioid Addiction Jason Yarborough SOC 490 Dr. C. T. Rowley September 16, 2012 A Combined Approach: Seeking an Effective Method to Treat Opioid Addiction Background Addiction treatment approaches can take many forms. From Alcoholics Anonymous meetings to long term inpatient rehabilitation programs, there are many different choices available to those struggling with addiction. Understanding the nature of each type of addiction and determining the best course of treatment for the individual is important to ensure success. For opioid addiction, maintenance based programs, though controversial, show high rates of treatment retention, reduction in criminality, gainful employment, and improvement in health; offering an alternative to those who have not had success in abstinence based programs. Addiction is a challenging and complicated health issue. It affects people physically as well as mentally and socially, impacting nearly every aspect of life. Families can be torn apart. The effects of addiction can cause a person to lose employment and fall into poverty. Health issues such as HIV and hepatitis can affect addicts who share needles, or engage in prostitution to obtain drugs. The greatest consequence of addiction is death. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention states, “Drug overdose death rates in the United States have more than tripled since 1990 and have never been higher.” The negative consequences of addiction are many. This highlights...
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...Critique of the Research Article: Methadone/Buprenorphine and Better Maternal/ Perinatal Outcomes: A Meta-analysis Winston-Salem State University A Critique of the Research Article: Methadone/Buprenorphine and Better Maternal/ Perinatal Outcomes: A Meta-analysis Abstract The purpose of this research article is to discuss lower risk drugs such as Methadone and Buprenorphine given to Heroin addicted pregnant patients to create better neonatal and maternal outcomes. This research articles discusses the gold standard of treatment for better neonatal and maternal outcomes. Keywords: heroin, neonatal, maternal, outcomes, methadone, buprenorphine, gold standard treatment A Critique of the Research Article: Methadone/Buprenorphine and Better Maternal/ Perinatal Outcomes: A Meta-analysis Methadone is a synthetic opioid. It is used medically as an analgesic and a maintenance anti-addictive and reductive preparation for use by patients with opioid dependency. It was developed in Germany in 1937. Methadone was introduced into the United States in 1947 by Eli Lilly and Company. The principal effects of methadone maintenance are to relieve narcotic craving, suppress the abstinence syndrome, and block the euphoric effects associated with opiates. When used correctly, Methadone maintenance has been found to be medically safe and non-sedating. It is also indicated for pregnant women addicted to opiates. (doi:http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/methadone) The theoretical study was...
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...• Methadone – An opioid, methadone reduces withdrawal symptoms and is used as a replacement drug for heroin during detoxification. It is also used during detox for other opiate drugs. • Naltrexone (Naltrexone hydrochloride) - Naltrexone is a pure opioid antagonist. It works by blocking the effects of opioids. • Antabuse (disulfiram) – Is used in cases of chronic alcohol abuse. Antabuse disrupts an enzyme that works with metabolizing alcohol. It is used to keep alcoholics from drinking by creating unpleasant side-effects such as nausea, vomiting, cramping, and more. How does detox trigger relapse without treatment? The intense cravings and urges that are associated with addiction are not addressed through the detoxification process. Especially in cases of heroin or other opiate use, effects lasts for months after detox. The changes that have taken place in the brain hamper the feeling of normalcy for the addict. Therefore, without treatment the recovering addict is at a disadvantage when attempting to fight the lasting effects of...
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...extremely big difference between Suboxone (Buprenorphine) and heroin, or any other full agonist opioid for that matter. Hydrocodone (Vicodin,Lortab), Hydromorphone (Dilaudid), OxyContin, Oxymorphone (Opana), and diacetylmorphine (heroin) are all full agonist opioids, which means that they bind to the endogenous opioid receptors, especially the mu-receptor, with high affinity (binding strength) and high efficacy (strength of drug) and therefore the more a person takes of these opioids the more pain relief they receive, the more respiratory depression they experience, and so on. This is evident in that if an individual abuses these drugs, their tolerance increases, which requires a higher dosage of the drug to reach that same "baseline". Suboxone on the other hand is a partial agonist,...
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...Pharmacology of Methadone Unknown BIO-275 Pharmacology and Medical Treatment August 19, 2013 METHADONE Pharmacology and Medical Treatment states that there are two types of pain medication prescription and nonprescription. Most nonprescription drugs are over the counter drugs: such as acetaminophen, this drug relieves fever and headaches, Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs treat muscles and bone. There are some drugs that are nonprescription and prescription medication such as Celecoxib (Celebrex). Celebrex (Celebrex) are in the Cox-2 inhibitor drugs. Many over the counter drugs come in both nonprescription and prescription. Drugs also come in many forms: capsules before the capsules were tampered with in the early 1980. Now these drugs are in caplet or tablet form. Drugs come in the form of ointments, creams, powder and liquid form. The most powerful prescription drugs come in the opiate category. One such drug is Methadone a class 2 drug used as a pain medication to reduce severe pain and it also helps recovering drug addicts from addition to heroin. This drug is prescribed for patients who need pain medication around the clock and it also comes in different forms: such as a tablet or a dispersible that is dissolved in water, and last in liquid form. Methadone as a high potential to be abused and patients may use this drug for recreational use. Methadone preforms by changing the brain and nervous system to pain. This drug is for the treatment of severe neuropathic...
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