Methadone Folklore: Beliefs about Side Effects and Their Impact on Treatment

Abstract

In the Tri-State Ethnographic Project (TRISEP) we found many of the same side effects ascribed to methadone as reported in the clinical literature: constipation, body aches and bone problems, sweating, sexual problems, weight changes, stomach distress, drowsiness and insomnia. Clinical evidence suggests that many reported symptoms may be related to dosage acclimation, interaction of methadone with other drugs, detoxification effects or problems undiagnosed during addiction. Clients of methadone maintenance treatment programs have explanations of the side effects of methadone that arise from the needs of clients to understand and control their physical condition, and from experiences which they bring from the addict world where self-management of medication is the norm. Information shared among clients about how to interpret and manage side effects produces client home remedies, including innocuous regimens such as vitamins or exercise, as well as harmful practices such as the use of cocaine or sedatives a...