Methadone chemical structure
Find information on thousands of medical conditions and prescription drugs.

Methadone

Methadone is a synthetic opioid analgesic synthesized in 1937 by German scientists Max Bockmühl and Gustav Ehrhart at IG Farben (Hoechst-Am-Main) who were searching for an analgesic that would be easier to use during surgery and also have low addiction potential. Methadone is a Schedule II drug under the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs. more...

Home
Diseases
Medicines
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
Macrodantin
Maprotiline
Marcaine
Marezine
Marijuana
Marinol
Marplan
Matulane
Maxair
Maxalt
Maxolon
MDMA
Measurin
Mebendazole
Mebendazole
Meclofenoxate
Medrol
Mefenamic acid
Mefloquine
Melagatran
Melarsoprol
Meloxicam
Melphalan
Memantine
Metadate
Metamfetamine
Metamizole sodium
Metandienone
Metaxalone
Metenolone
Metformin
Methadone
Methamphetamine
Methaqualone
Metharbital
Methcathinone
Methenamine
Methionine
Methocarbamol
Methohexital
Methotrexate
Methotrexate
Methoxsalen
Methylcellulose
Methyldopa
Methylergometrine
Methylin
Methylphenidate
Methylphenobarbital
Methylprednisolone
Methyltestosterone
Methysergide
Metiamide
Metoclopramide
Metohexal
Metoprolol
Metrogel
Metronidazole
Metyrapone
Mobic
Moclobemide
Modafinil
Modicon
Monopril
Montelukast
Motrin
Moxidectin
Moxifloxacin
Moxonidine
MS Contin
Mucinex
Mucomyst
Mupirocin
Mupirocin
Muse
Mycitracin
Mycostatin
Myfortic
Mykacet
Mykinac
Myleran
Mylotarg
Mysoline
Phentermine
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z

On September 11, 1941 Bockmühl and Ehrhart filed an application for a patent for a synthetic substance they called Hoechst 10820 or polamidon and whose structure had no relation to morphine or the opioid alkaloids (Bockmühl and Ehrhart, 1949). Although chemically unlike morphine or heroin, methadone also acts on the opioid receptors and thus produces many of the same effects. Chemically, methadone is the simplest of the opioids.

Methadone was introduced into the United States in 1947 by Eli Lilly and Company as an analgesic (They gave it the trade name Dolophine® which is now registered to Roxane Laboratories). Since then, it has been best known for its use in treating narcotic addiction, though it is also used in managing chronic pain due to its long duration of action and very low cost. In late 2004, the cost of a one month supply of methadone is 20 USD, as compared to an equivalent analgesic amount of Demerol at 120 USD. The old name Dolophine comes from the German Dolphium. The name derives from the Latin "dolor" (pain).

Methadone (as Dolophine) was first manufactured in the USA by Mallinckrodt pharmaceuticals, a St. Louis-based subsidiary of the Tyco International corporation. Mallinckrodt held the patent up until the early 1990s. Today a number of pharmaceutical companies produce and distribute methadone. However, the major producer remains Mallinckrodt. Mallinckrodt sells bulk methadone to most of the producers of generic preparations and also distributes its own brand name product in the form of tablets, dispersable tablets and oral concentrate under the name "Methadose" in the United States. Generally, one will only hear "dolophine" used by older addicts who used the product in the 1960's and 1970's. Medical professionals who believe that dolophine is the generic name for methadone, when actually it is the reverse, may also use the old brand name.

Methadone has a slow metabolism and very high lipid solubility making it longer lasting than morphine-based drugs. Methadone has a typical half life of 24-48 hours, permitting the administration only once a day in heroin detoxification and maintenance programs. The most common mode of delivery at a Methadone clinic is in an oral solution. Methadone is almost as effective when administered orally as by injection. Just like heroin, tolerance and dependence frequently develop. Current research in this area shows methadone has a unique affinity for the NMDA brain receptor. Some researchers propose that NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartic acid) may regulate psychic dependence and tolerance by exhibiting opioid antagonist-like activity. Withdrawal symptoms are generally less acutely severe than those of morphine and heroin at equivalent doses, but are significantly more prolonged. Considered generally effective in management of heroin addiction and harm reduction (reduction of HIV rates, etc...). At proper dosing, it reduces the appetite for heroin. However, some heroin addicts feel that it is actually harder to quit methadone than heroin itself. Treatment at a methadone maintenance clinic is intended to be for an indefinite duration, as the treatment is not curative.

Read more at Wikipedia.org


[List your site here Free!]


Heroin $4.90 Methadone Treatment for Opioid Dependence (Johns Hopkins Paperback) $20.40
The Treatment of Opioid Dependence $25.15 Nevermind the Methadone $3.75
Methadone Metronome $5.97 Fairies, Witches And Figurines $12.97

Predicting methadone maintenance treatment outcomes using the addiction severity index and the MMPI-2 content scales
We studied the ability of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 Content Scales (Negative Treatment Indicators [TRT] and Cynicism [CYN]) and ...
A psychometric study of the prevalence of DSM-IV personality disorders among office-based methadone maintenance patients
Using the DSM-IV criteria for personality disorders, prevalence rates for these disorders were evaluated among methadone maintenance patients, with a ...
Central sleep apnea in stable methadone maintenance treatment patients
Study objectives: Methadone, a long-acting [micro]-opioid agonist, is an effective treatment for heroin addiction. Our previous data show that 6 of 10 methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) patients
Ventilatory responses to hypoxia and hypercapnia in stable methadone maintenance treatment patients
Rationale: Methadone is a long-acting [mu]-opioid and is an effective treatment for heroin addiction. Opioids depress respiration, and patients receiving ...
Methadone treatment for pain states
Methadone is a synthetic opioid with potent analgesic effects. Although it is associated commonly with the treatment of opioid addiction, it may be prescribed by licensed family physicians for anal
Improving treatment engagement and outcomes for cocaine-using methadone patients
A task-based behavioral contingency--the "treatment reinforcement plan" (TRP)--was implemented with cocaine-using methadone patients to increase treatment ...
Accounting for HIV risk among men on methadone
This study explores accounts and reasons for engaging in HIV risk-taking behaviors reported by heterosexual men in methadone treatment programs in the ...
Verbal methadone
"Nuance" is a word that crept into vogue about a decade ago. Since then it has flourished, like "ambiguity" and "dichotomy" ...

Home Contact Resources Exchange Links ebay