Methadone For The Treatment Of Opioid Addiction

Methadone is one of the Medication for Addiction Treatment (MAT) choices available through SAMHSA-certified Opioid Treatment Programs (OTP). Methadone, when used for OUD treatment, lowers death rates and improves functioning as compared to persons who do not receive any treatment. It also aids them in avoiding the use of illegal narcotics. Despite its effectiveness, methadone has a higher risk of overdose than other OUD treatments like as buprenorphine or naltrexone. During the initial phase, there is the greatest risk of overdosing on methadone.

Methadone relieves pain by altering the way your brain and nerve system respond to it. It takes longer for it to take action than other strong painkillers like morphine. If you're in a lot of pain due to an injury, surgery, or long-term sickness, your doctor may prescribe methadone.

It also stops medications like codeine, heroin, hydrocodone, morphine, and oxycodone from giving you a high. It can provide a comparable sensation while also preventing withdrawal symptoms and cravings. This is referred to as replacement therapy.

It's usually only a small portion of your overall treatment approach. It's not a panacea for addiction.

Methadone is a complete agonist at opioid receptors in the brain, and it is the most well-known and clinically established treatment for opioid addiction. It decreases opiate withdrawal and cravings, as well as the risk of overdose, and improves a variety of other health and social consequences. Only the oral formulation of methadone is approved for the treatment of opioid use disorder, and it can only be administered in Opioid Treatment Programs (OTPs) that have received certification from the Drug Enforcement Administration, SAMHSA, and the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services.

The OASAS Provider Directory can help you find addiction treatment providers in your area, including Opioid Treatment Programs. To further narrow your search, you can use the searchable directory to filter by county, area, city, zip code, and vicinity.

When searching for a methadone or buprenorphine program using the OASAS Provider and Program Directory, make sure you:

• Under Program Type, choose Treatment Programs.

• From the Search by drop down option, choose Opioid Treatment Program.

• Limit your search by location and/or proximity.