LAAM
From Drug Rehab Wiki
Levo-alpha-acetylmethadol, or LAAM, is a man-made opioid drug intended to treat patients who are suffering from addiction to other opioids, such as heroin. Like methadone and Suboxone, LAAM works by blocking the same neuroreceptors used by heroin and other illicit opioids, while producing minimal feelings of euphoria or cravings. By blocking the receptors, addicts will stop using illicit drugs as they very quickly realize that using them will not get them high.
LAAM was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the early 1990’s and has been shown to relieve pain and depress respiration; it also results in patient sedation. It is most closely associated with methadone, another opioid-based addiction treatment medication that is given intravenously, once a day, at an approved clinic. In the US, LAAM is considered to be Schedule II Controlled Substance because it is highly addictive and prone to misuse. If someone takes LAAM for a prolonged period of time, the chances are good that tolerance or dependence, or both, will result.
LAAM is typically given to patients who do not respond well to other opioid addiction medications, such as methadone or Suboxone. However, LAAM lasts in the body much longer than methadone and, thus, can be given several times a week (as opposed to methadone, which must be given daily). Because the FDA currently prohibits LAAM from being prescribed to take at home, patients who are on a LAAM addiction treatment protocol must still visit a treatment facility whenever the next dose is required; Suboxone, on the other hand, can be prescribed by certain primary care physicians to be taken at home. Because it is an opioid in and of itself, using LAAM while drinking alcohol or taking other medications such as antidepressants or benzodiazepines can be dangerous and lead to drowsiness, lack of consciousness and, in severe cases, death.
The practice of using drugs in order to treat addiction to other drugs, also known as maintenance or substitution drug therapy, has been around for almost fifty years and was largely the result of the skyrocketing prevalence of heroin addiction during that period. Because heroin is typically injected using needles that can be shared among a group of users, the need for heroin addiction treatment came to a crisis point at the onset of the HIV and hepatitis B epidemics.
Although many addiction professionals feel that methadone-type treatment modalities help alleviate drug-related crime, disease, and homelessness, there are other professionals who oppose using one addictive drug in place of another.
Because it is an opioid, LAAM is extremely addictive. In addition to the tolerance and dependence that can result from repeated use, ingestion of LAAM has been known to produce flu-like side effects, intestinal upset, dry mouth, and a host of mental issues including depression, anxiety and bizarre dreams.
Because addiction to opioids, such as heroin, is an ongoing battle and has a high chance of relapse, using the maintenance or substitution method may not be the best course of treatment for some opiate addicts. However, attempting to stop taking the substances without proper supervision by a medical professional can lead to painful withdrawal, unmanageable anxiety or even death. Although mainstream opiate detoxification programs have been largely administered over a prolonged period of time, more and more facilities are offering rapid opiate detoxification programs that are somehow able to control withdrawal symptoms at a manageable level.
