Category Archives: Methadone Safety

Buprenorphine and Liver Health

Posted on December 2, 2014 | Comments Off on Buprenorphine and Liver Health

methadone-safe-for-liverJana Burson is a North Carolina physician who specializes in the treatment of opioid addiction using medications like buprenorphine and methadone. Dr. Burson is a passionate caregiver and patient advocate with considerable experience in the field of addiction treatment. She maintains an informative blog on the topic of opioid addiction treatment and recently posted her comments and observations on a revealing 2012 study.

The 2012 study by Saxon et al is reported in her blog to have followed more than 700 patients over 24 weeks who were receiving either methadone or buprenorphine (the active ingredient in Suboxone). These patients were checked for specific red flag elevations that would suggest emerging liver damage or liver inflammation. None of the patients receiving methadone or buprenorphine had significant abberations in liver functioning. This led the researchers to conclude that neither medication causes liver damage.

A 2014 follow-up study by Soyka and others (published in the American Journal on Addictions) found the same results in their research of 181 patients on Suboxone (buprenorphine + naloxone).

Studies like these help to dispel misinformation around opioid treatment medications and their safety. Dr. Burson expressed that it was once routine to order liver function tests for patients on buprenorphine therapy, but that this is likely unnecessary given the more recent research validating methadone and buprenorphine’s safety in regard to liver functioning.

There are addiction-related illnesses, like Hepatitis C, that can have highly detrimental effects on the liver. According to Dr. Burson, the Soyka study also showed that buprenorphine was not harmful even in patients diagnosed with Hepatitis C.

Thorough research studies like these are important in further legitimizing the benefits & established safety profile of opioid treatment medications. Having access to safe medications helps hundreds of thousands of people find effective treatment for chronic opioid addiction.

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Posted in Addiction Treatment, Buprenorphine, Methadone, Methadone Benefits, Methadone Clinics, Methadone Safety, Suboxone

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Pregnancy and Opioid Treatment

Posted on September 12, 2014 | Comments Off on Pregnancy and Opioid Treatment

pregnancyWhen a woman is pregnant and addicted to opioids, she faces extraordinary stress and very often a wave of judgment from those around her that is emotionally painful and difficult to deal with. The criticism of others is understandable since no one wants to see an unborn baby placed at risk through the mother’s drug use. But this cauldron of angry emotion and public condemnation often overwhelms a pregnant mother, who may already feel guilty, and it pushes her further into isolation and inaction. This isolation only places the mother and unborn baby at greater risk of overdose and possible miscarriage.

Fact: It has been thoroughly researched and the findings conclusive that pregnant opioid-addicted women have a much better chance of carrying their baby to term and having a healthy baby when the mother is receiving medication-assisted treatment. Every day, addicted mothers receiving methadone or buprenorphine give birth to healthy babies that thrive and develop normally.

Methadone and buprenorphine (Subutex) are very different medications compared to heroin and painkillers like oxycodone. Heroin and painkillers manufactured for break-through pain act quickly, but also dissipate quickly. For those with an opioid addiction, this momentary relief from opioid withdrawal does not last long and they are back out there again desperately trying to find more heroin to avoid becoming sick.

With methadone or buprenorphine, mothers are medically stable and able to avoid debilitating cycles of withdrawal as well as the dangerous drug-seeking behaviors and lifestyle that put them and the baby at risk. A woman is already in a state of increased vulnerability when pregnant. If lonely, isolated and forced to go to the street to find dope or pills, she will find herself in dangerous situations and exposed to a drug culture that values money over human life.

This harsh reality is what some women face as they struggle to survive while carrying an unborn child. If in treatment at a methadone clinic or under the supervision of a caring physician who utilizes buprenorphine, the pregnant woman can start the process of personal recovery. She can avoid becoming sick from opioid withdrawal and avoid taking grave risks just to avoid that withdrawal. She can receive emotional support and medical assistance to maximize her health and that of the unborn baby. She can better prepare herself to be a good mom once the baby is born.

There are those who may indignantly exclaim “But the baby will be born addicted”. The reality is that it is much safer for a baby to be born to a mother receiving methadone or buprenorphine than for the baby to be repeatedly exposed to adulterated street heroin and combinations of drugs riddled with unknown contaminants. Think about that. Technically, the baby may be born with some physical dependency, but this is successfully managed all the time by medical professionals across the country. Buprenorphine has been found to have a milder withdrawal syndrome and is utilized successfully in helping infants comfortably detox. Methadone is successfully used for this purpose as well.

It is important to also make a distinction between “addiction” and “dependency”. They are not the same. “Addiction” encompasses the persistent craving for opiates, the mental preoccupation with securing them, and the inappropriate behaviors and lifestyle aberration that develop as people lose control over their ability to choose. “Dependency” can occur with anyone who has been using an opioid for a sustained period of time. Someone who has become “dependent” can readily taper off of the medication and will not be necessarily driven to obsess over drugs or desperately seek them. A baby who is born temporarily dependent on methadone or buprenorphine can be successfully tapered off of the medication. Obviously, a baby does not meet the definition of “addicted” so to use that term is technically inaccurate and misleads the public.

Finally, methadone and buprenorphine are safer for the baby. It’s ultimately about helping that unborn baby to develop normally in the womb and to be born alive, healthy, and with maximum opportunity for a good life. Chances are that the mother will indeed be that baby’s primary caretaker for a long time. It is much better that she be introduced to recovery and various avenues of support through methadone or buprenorphine treatment than to be left on her own with no support, little guidance, and struggling to find dope on a daily basis.

 

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Posted in Buprenorphine, Heroin, Methadone, Methadone Babies, Methadone Clinics, Methadone Maintenance, Methadone Safety, Methadone Success, Methadone Treatment, Suboxone, Suboxone Physicians

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Methadone and Other Medications

Posted on August 13, 2014 | Comments Off on Methadone and Other Medications

doc66Methadone is FDA-approved for pain management and the treatment of opioid addiction. Methadone is a relatively safe and highly effective medication when used exactly as prescribed. It is currently in use in the United States and around the world following years of conclusive research on methadone’s efficacy and safety.

It is important for patients receiving methadone to know that it can interact with other central nervous system depressants like alcohol and benzodiazepines such as xanax, klonopin, valium, and librium as well as similarly acting non-benzodiazepine agents like ambien (a popular sleep aid). When methadone is mixed with these other medications, there is an increased risk of sedation and loss of consciousness. In extreme cases, individuals mixing methadone and other CNS depressants have gone into respiratory failure.

For those who have chosen to receive methadone in an opioid treatment program, they will discover that a proper dose of methadone not only eliminates opiate withdrawal & cravings, but will also block the euphoric effects of any other opiates. This is typically a positive side effect in that it discourages illicit opiate use or supplementing with street drugs like heroin. Since methadone binds so well to the brain’s opiate receptor sites, any other opiates that are ingested have no means of creating a euphoria or a high since the body’s opiate receptors are occupied by methadone. This removes the incentive to misuse other opiates and can facilitate the process of recovery. I was ordered by his neuropathologist to treat panic attacks. I began to drink them in half, and then I kiss the pill for the night. I drank a tablet of hours at 8 pm – after half an hour I sleep with a child). The effect is very classy: nothing is interesting, nothing is needed, there is no emotion – everything a person needs is just morally tired.) She accepted Klonopin for about four months. The effect was. Somehow I just did not care about panic attacks). They did not care anymore.

There are instances in which a patient’s physician has prescribed a benzodiazepine for anxiety management while also prescribing methadone. Such decisions should always be accompanied by a thorough discussion with one’s doctor of the potential risks & complications. There are other, safer alternatives for treating anxiety such as Buspar and cognitive therapy. These other options should be considered when a patient is already receiving methadone. In addiction treatment, the use of benzodiazepines for anxiety is typically monitored carefully through increased random urinalysis testing and medication counts.

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Posted in Benzodiazepine, Buprenorphine, Drug Safety, Heroin, Methadone, Methadone Blog, Methadone Clinics, Methadone Maintenance, Methadone Safety, Prescription Drugs, Suboxone

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Methadone Dosage Increases

Posted on November 24, 2013 | Comments Off on Methadone Dosage Increases

methadone-increaseWhen a new client joins a methadone program, they go through a process called induction. Induction is the initial delivery of a methadone dose and the subsequent increases in dosage over the next 1 to 2 months as the medical team help get the client stabilized & comfortable on a dose of methadone that effectively eliminates their painful opioid withdrawal symptoms.

Induction is historically a high risk span of time since there is an increased risk of accidental overdose with methadone. It is extremely rare that overdose occurs during induction especially if clients are abstaining from other illicit substances during the induction process.

Therein lies the dilemma. Some clients become impatient with the process of methadone induction and will supplement their methadone dose with other unapproved opiates or benzodiazepines. This is dangerous and actually undermines the benefit of what methadone can achieve for the patient.

To help the treatment team determine the level of methadone increase to provide a patient, they use the Clinical Opiate Withdrawal Scale, or COW Scale. This is a withdrawal assessment tool that helps the clinical or medical team determine the prevalence and severity of opioid withdrawal symptoms. The scale produces a score based on the client’s reported symptoms and the team’s observation of withdrawal symptoms. The higher the COW scale score, the more severe the symptomology and thus a greater justification for allowing a higher dosage increase.

Some clinics are known to take clients up 10 mg at a time. Many physicians consider this high risk and too rapid of an increase. Note that methadone is a slow acting, long lasting opioid agonist with a much longer half life than heroin and most other prescription opioids. What this means is that methadone stays in the system much longer and builds cumulatively over time. So the actual effect of a dosage increase is not immediately felt and may take 1-3 days before the full effect of that dosage increase is realized.

With an impatient client, they may receive a dosage increase but not feel the immediate relief they were hoping for. Consequently, they may use additional unapproved opiates that then mix with the methadone increase that is still being absorbed into their system. This puts the client at risk of overdose.

Many clinics use 5 mg increases every few days while some clinics adjust each requested increase in accordance with the COW Scale score. For example, a client may receive several 5 mg increases because they have moderately severe withdrawal symptoms, but then receive a 3 mg increase days later and possibly a 2 mg increase days after that as the symptom severity begins to diminish. This more cautious approach reduces the risk of overdose while still addressing the client’s unresolved physical discomfort.

A well-managed methadone induction is tailored to the individual client’s needs, and the client’s safety is always the chief concern. Methadone dosage increases are provided only to alleviate measurable physical withdrawal symptoms or closely associated anxiety, restlessness, or psychological distress from withdrawal.

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Posted in Medication Assisted Treatment, Methadone, Methadone Benefits, Methadone Blog, Methadone Overdose, Methadone Safety, Methadone Treatment, Opiate Withdrawal

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Methadone Programs and Prohibited Medications

Posted on November 15, 2013 | Comments Off on Methadone Programs and Prohibited Medications

rx-medication-abuseMany clients in methadone programs have co-occurring disorders like depression, anxiety, or adult attention deficit disorder (ADD). Historically, clinics have attempted to treat psychiatric symptoms with established, FDA-approved psychotropic medications which have proven useful across many settings in managing symptoms.

In the past decade, it became very apparent that benzodiazepines (commonly prescribed to treat anxiety) had become a popular alternative drug of abuse for individuals with an opioid addiction. “Benzos” are a particularly dangerous medication when used in conjunction with methadone, and the combination of these two contributed to a number of overdose deaths in recent years.

For this reason, many safety-oriented, reputable methadone clinics (and independent physicians) either discontinued or noticeably restricted their use of benzodiazepine medications with patients on methadone. Common benzodiazepines include prescription meds like klonopin, valium, xanax, and ativan. As an alternative to these high risk medications, non-addictive options like Buspar are utilized to help clients better manage their anxiety symptoms as well as cognitive therapies for teaching stress reduction and anxiety management skills.

Stimulant therapy is the use of stimulant-based medications to aid adults struggling with attention deficit disorder. Popular medications in this class include adderall, ritalin, and concerta. Unfortunately, these medicines are also widely abused and often illegally sold by patients thus forcing treatment providers to reconsider the use of these medications in their programs.

Positively, there are several medications which can help ADD and which have a low abuse potential. Some psychotropic medications can also be used off label to help reduce attention deficit problems. Off label means the drug was not designed specifically to treat a symptom, but has been found to have a beneficial effect on reducing that symptom.

In the end, methadone programs must employ the safest protocols to insure that clients receive treatment that genuinely helps them and will not place them at risk. There are instances in which benzodiazepines and stimulant therapies are appropriate and in the best interest of the client. However, medical and clinical staff must utilize a careful sense of discretion and evaluate the merits of a particular high risk medication against its potential for harm.

Clients can help this process by being open, honest, and direct with their treatment staff. Clients should report to management any person who is known to sell prescription medications to other clients. While this type of behavior typically occurs among a minority, it can have an extremely negative impact on other clients and the clinic itself.

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Posted in Benzodiazepine, Drug Rehab Programs, Drug Treatment, Methadone, Methadone Clinics, Methadone Safety, Methadone Treatment, Stimulant Therapy

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