Methadone maintenance is a form of treatment for individuals in Almo who are dependent on heroin or prescription pain killers. This form of treatment has been in existence for a very long time, and the general idea is that individuals are no longer involved in the drug using behavior that was brought on by their addiction due to the methadone they are taking satiates cravings and prevents withdrawal symptoms. Similar to heroin, methadone is a full opioid agonist and stimulates the same neural receptors in the brain as heroin and other powerful pain killers. This is what makes methadone so powerful as a replacement for heroin and other prescription opioids.
Patients enrolled in methadone maintenance must take it daily to avoid withdrawal from the methadone itself. This may be logistically and financially difficult, but some people feel it is a better option than a heroin addiction. However, those beginning methadone maintenance therapy need to realize that methadone detox is known to be way more difficult than even heroin detoxification and withdrawal. Once on a certain dosage of methadone, there are many detox facilities that will not take methadone maintenance clients since detoxification can be so difficult and relapse rates are considerably high.