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Methadone
German scientists synthesized methadone during World War II
because of a shortage of morphine. Although chemically unlike
morphine or heroin, methadone produces many of the same effects.
Introduced into the United States in 1947 as an analgesic
(Dolophinel), it is primarily used today for the treatment of
narcotic addiction. It is available in oral solutions, tablets,
and injectable Schedule II formulations, and is almost as
effective when administered orally as it is by injection.
Methadone's effects can last up to 24 hours, thereby permitting
once-a-day oral administration in heroin detoxification and
maintenance programs. High-dose methadone can block the effects
of heroin, thereby discouraging the continued use of heroin by
addicts under treatment with methadone. Chronic administration
of methadone results in the development of tolerance and
dependence. The withdrawal syndrome develops more slowly and is
less severe but more prolonged than that associated with heroin
withdrawal. Ironically, methadone used to control narcotic
addiction is frequently encountered on the illicit market and
has been associated with a number of overdose deaths.
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