It is an alarming situation where doctors are prescribing Methadone as a pain killing drug for treatment of pain, resulting in nearly one third of the deaths due to administering painkilling drugs. If the question is asked whether Methadone for back pain relief is risky, it can be unanimously suggested that it can turn into a killer instead of a pain killer. The reasons forwarded by doctors define that Methadone has little to do in relieving acute pain as it is involved in extended release of opioids. The benefits of Methadone have not been established and are suggested not to be prescribed for mild or acute pain according to this news report.

Methadone For Back Pain Relief?

Methadone is associated with abnormalities in heart rhythm, potentially leading to death. (photo by ignis)

Nearly a third of the deaths caused by prescription painkillers in the U.S. involve methadone and doctors are prescribing the drug too often to treat pain, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control.

About 5,000 people died from methadone overdoses in 2009, far more than oxycodone, hydrocodone and other more widely prescribed prescription painkillers. Only 2 percent of prescription painkillers are for methadone.

 

“Methadone is riskier than other prescription painkillers,” said Thomas Frieden, MD, PhD, director of the CDC. “And we don’t think it has a role in the treatment of acute pain.”

 

Frieden didn’t stop there. The CDC report warns that there is little evidence that methadone or any opioid should be used to treat pain.

 

“Methadone and other, extended-release opioids should not be used for mild pain, acute pain, “breakthrough” pain, or on an as-needed basis. For chronic noncancer pain, methadone should not be considered a drug of first choice. This is especially true for conditions for which the benefits of opioids have not been demonstrated, such as headache and low back pain,” Frieden said.

 

According to the FDA, the most common diagnoses associated with methadone were back pain, arthritis and headache. Over four million methadone prescriptions were written for pain in 2009. Nearly a third were for patients who had not taken an opioid in the previous month.

 

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Doctors have frequently prescribed this drug for the treatment for mild and acute pain, but have yielded alarming results. Methadone for back pain relief is not recommended as this drug can cause death instead of bringing relief for pain. The doubt of whether Methadone had been prescribed for pain and is effective is good enough reason to stop its use. This drug should not be prescribed for non-cancer related pain as it has an extended release of opioids, which is harmful for those who do not need it.  Taking the same drug that is used to treat drug dependency is perhaps not easy to explain to friends and family, especially where there is risk of mortality associated with it.

This video clip is a testimonial of a 28 year old named Christopher Miller from Orlando Florida. He shares his experiences about Drug detox, addiction treatment, rapid detox, opiates, methadone and oxycontin.

 This is a short documentary about a loophole in the law making Florida the easiest place to acquire prescription medicine.

 
For more information about natural pain relievers vs drugs for back pain relief – grab your free copy of The 7 Day Back Pain Cure. It is available for free by clicking the get instant access button below.