Methadone is one of the oldest drugs used in the world for heroin treatment. In the US, it has been around for about three decades. It is the drug of choice for heroin addiction treatment in New Jersey. Even though newer substances like buprenorphine have been approved by the FDA for heroin treatment and have made their presence felt for heroin treatment in New Jersey, methadone still occupies its own place.
This is how methadone acts. Methadone itself is an opiate like heroin is. When the person is put onto a treatment of methadone, the person is usually provided one methadone pill a day. When taken, the methadone pill will act in the same areas of the brain as heroin. This helps the brain to reduce the temptation for heroin. As long as the person is taking methadone, he or she will not feel the craving for heroin.
However, the treatment program in New Jersey involving methadone is not all that simple. Since methadone is an opiate itself, there are all chances that the person will be addicted to methadone in place of heroin. For this reason, the program must be very carefully modulated. It is necessary that the person is kept under medical attention because methadone is habit forming. If the patient steps up the dosage on his or her own, it will become very difficult to take them out of a methadone addiction which can cause a withdrawal of its own. Also, methadone can fatally react with some other medications. Care is needed to control the methadone treatment for heroin addiction. A heroin rehab program in New Jersey keeps that as the focal point of the treatment.