How is methadone used to treat addiction to opioid prescription painkillers or heroin?
In Methadone Maintenance Treatment (MMT), a form of medication-assisted treatment based on opioid-replacement therapy, methadone, is used to block the euphoria or “high” associated with other opioids—diminishing the effects of withdrawal and giving patients an opportunity to change their behavior and stop using heroin or prescription painkillers. Methadone has been used to treat narcotic withdrawal and addiction for more than 30 years. A synthetic narcotic, methadone is itself an opioid—as is buprenorphine.