Methadone Toxicity and Overdose Deaths

Methadone Toxicity Deaths 

           Methadone is a synthetic opioid used for analgesia and in opiate replacement programs, also called methadone clinics.  Methadone is a central nervous system depressant.  Methadone toxicity occurs when the load of methadone in a person’s system, is so great that it slows down the respiratory drive—the drive to breathe.  

           Thousands of patients die each year in every state from methadone toxicity, because methadone can have a long half life.  This means that the time it takes for a patient to eliminate half of the methadone from his body may be as long as 100 hours.  If a person has a slow metabolism of methadone, and takes several days to eliminate just half of it, then repeated dosing on a daily basis can lead to a toxic, or poisonous buildup. 

 For more information about the proper starting dose of methadone, go to www.methadonelaw.com or www.overdoselaw.com and click on “Contact Us.”  We can provide this information free of charge, or consult with you about the proper starting dose, or whether the dose your family member received was likely the cause of death from a legal standpoint.