Is Methadone Treatment in Rehab Obsolete?
For opiate addicts, such as those addicted to heroin, opium or synthetic opiates such as hydrocodone, methadone has allowed them to cease use of the addictive substance without painful withdrawal symptoms while they are in rehab. Once a person in rehab has been on methadone for awhile, treatment protocols vary. Some rehabs taper a person off methadone and some will keep a person on maintenance treatment, meaning that the person may be on methadone for the rest of their lives. In recent years, some opiate addiction rehabs are campaigning for a change in methadone treatment guidelines, stating that this indefinite maintenance with methadone is the best idea. One study from 2000 found that 80% of those who quit methadone treatment relapse within three years. Some practitioners may consider this a reason to keep opiate addicts on methadone indefinitely but some see a different logic. “If a person’s only choice is addiction to an opiate or taking methadone prescribed by a doctor, then metha
