Methadone

Methadone, also known as Dolophine, is a synthetic opiate which was first developed in 1937 as a pain reliever that would hopefully be both easier to use during surgery and less addictive than morphine. Like morphine and heroin, methadone works on the opioid receptors in the brain and produces many of the same effects.

Methadone is used medically to treat chronic pain because its beneficial effects have a longer duration than other pain killers, and it is much less expensive. In 2004, a month’s supply of methadone cost 1/6th as much as a similar amount of Demerol. Methadone can be taken in several forms, including pills and capsules, and can be addictive when a prescription is abused by taking the medication too frequently, in larger doses, or for a longer period of time.

Methadone has also been used as a treatment for heroin addiction. Since the effects of methadone last longer than heroin, it is often prescribed to help wean addicts off of heroin. Unfortunately, because it is an opiate drug, it leaves many addicted to methadone instead.