Do you think methadone is safe for staying off heroin or other narcotics? I have a friend who has been on it for a long time, has never gone back to using street drugs and has been successful in staying off all other drugs.

Methadone is a synthetic narcotic that has been used for more than 30 years as a treatment for heroin addiction. It works by "preempting" the effects of heroin, blocking its euphoric qualities while eliminating withdrawal symptoms and relieving the craving for the drug.

Methadone works only for those addicted to heroin or other opiates.

Long-term use of methadone has proved more effective than short-term use. (Once they complete a short course of methadone, addicts tend to go back to heroin.) Although your friend is now addicted to methadone, long-term use of this drug is relatively safe, with no serious or long-term adverse side effects to the heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, bones, blood, brain or other vital organs.

However, in 2006, the FDA warned that serious, potentially fatal side effects can occur when methadone is taken too often, in doses that are too high or with certain other medications or supplements. Among those side effects: difficult breathing; extreme drowsiness; fast, slow, pounding or irregular heartbeat; faintness; severe dizziness; and confusion. These dangers tend to occur among patients new to methadone treatment.

Taken in the correct doses, as instructed, the side effects of methadone are relatively minor and don't occur in everyone. They include constipation, water retention, skin rash and changes in libido. The symptoms usually disappear once the dosage is adjusted and stabilized or tolerance for the drug increases.

drweil.com