Methadone is also known as Dolophine.  Mehadone is a misunderstood, underprescribed, medication for chronic pain.  Even doctors do not understand its potential for improving chronic pain sufferers lives.  Methadone is a narcotic pain reliever for medium to severe pain.  It is also used in the treatment of heroin (opiate dependence: Vicodin, Percocet, Morphine, etc) addiction.

Methadone was invented/ discovered by I.G. Farbendustrie at Hoechst-am Main, Germany.  Lacking any resemblance to any known compounds its analgesic (pain relieving) actions were not expected.  In spite of the morphine shortage, methadone was not used until after World War 2.

Warning:  As compared to other opiates in which the withdrawal period is a week to ten days, heavy methadone users can expect to not recover up to 5 or 6 weeks.

Oral methadone is very different than the IV methadone.  Oral methadone is partially stored in the liver for later use.  IV methadone acts more like heroin.  One of the positive effects of oral methadone is that unlike taking morphine where the morphine user is very uninterested in life and very passive, just basically waiting for their next dose.  Methadone users are more engaged in living their life.  without the waiting or craving.

Methadone is not prescribed by your typical physician because of the stigma attached to methadone as a detox medication.  If you would like to read input from a pain management physician about the prescribing of methadone in most states you must go to a pain clinic or a methadone maintenance clinic to be prescribed methadone.  All physicians can prescribe methadone for pain.

Methadone is not like morphine when it comes to chemical makeup.  Though it is an agonist opiate Methadone is more like propoxyphene (darvon/ Darvocet).

Methadone is a long acting pain reliever that is why it is such a good medicated for chronic pain sufferers and for helping the addicts get through life without having to spend their miserable existence trying to keep a steady supply of heroin around or nearby, just to physically get through the day.