150- 200 words
Opponents of methadone as a maintenance therapy in the treatment of opioid addiction argue that patients are simply substituting one drug for another. Research supports the efficacy of methadone maintenance in retaining patients in treatment and suppressing illicit opioid use.
Suppose you were counseling a client considering Methadone Maintenance Therapy (MMT), a program your site provides. Discuss the pros and cons of methadone, both pharmacologically and behaviorally, in terms that help facilitate an informed decision for your client.
Opiate drugs act on a variety of receptors, called opiate receptors. Acute actions of opiate drugs cause relief of pain by acting as agonists at opiate receptor subtypes. At and above pain-relieving doses, the opiate drugs induce euphoria, which is the main reinforcing property of the opiates. In sufficient doses, opiates induce a very intense but brief euphoria sometimes called a “rush,” followed by a profound sense of tranquility, which may last several hours and is followed in turn by drowsiness (“nodding”), mood swings, mental clouding, apathy, and slowed motor movements. In overdose, these same agents act as depressants of respiration and can also induce coma. The green particles represent endorphines and the little green guy inside the axon terminal is synthesizing the endorphines.
Taken from p. 530 of Stahl, S.M. (2000). Essential Psychopharmacology: Neuroscientific Basis and Practical Applications (2nd ed.). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
References
Text: Hancock, Stephanie, and William McKim (2018) Drugs and Behavior: An Introduction toBehavioral Pharmacology 8th ed.
