Why Don’t We Talk About the Deaths from Methadone?

According to the CDC’s 2014 report on opioid overdose, methadone overdose accounted for a whopping 22.9% of opioid-related deaths in 2014. More disturbing than this is the fact that methadone deaths dropped from 2007 when there were 5,518 deaths.

In 2014, 3,400 people died of methadone overdose. The risk is due to the fact that methadone remains in the system even after the pain-relieving effects of it have worn off, thus making the possibility of an overdose higher. The fact that methadone continues to be prescribed is crazy.

Methadone is one of the hardest drugs to come off of and most drug rehabilitation centers won’t take someone off methadone. The withdrawals are an intense opiate withdrawal that can continue for a month or longer. Most people who come off it, need medical attention at a medical facility.

Methadone is also damaging to the teeth. It causes the mouth to create less saliva increases bacteria growth and promotes tooth decay. The other big problem with methadone is that while it does increase someone’s tolerance (how much of an opiate they must take to get high), it does not eliminate opiate use.

Individuals can still become intoxicated on opiates though they may need to take more and more to get high which in turn increases the possibility of overdose. We should really question this as a method of addiction management.

If you have a friend or family member who has trouble with opioid addiction or who is having difficulty getting off methadone, call us at today. Find out how to handle the underlying issues of addiction, so an opiate addict does not need to live on replacement drug: 877-959-0075 .