Methadone Treatment and Physical Complaints: A Clinical Analysis

Abstract

In this study 102 male patients on the Harlem Hospital Methadone Maintenance Treatment Program were asked about physical complaints which they attributed to taking methadone. The most common complaints were sweating, constipation, drowsiness, sexual problems, and aches in bones and joints. There were no statistically significant differences between new patients and long-term patients, but long-term patients appear more likely to be bothered by sweating than new patients, and constipation occurs most frequently during the initial stages of treatment. Complaints were found, in general, to be minor and did not constitute a barrier to patient retention in treatment.