Methadone's Bizarre History: Part I

Is it true that methadone's original name was "Adolphine"? (Named after the Austrian guy with the Charlie Chaplin mustache?)
Methadone Maintenance Therapy (MMT) has saved countless lives of people with Opioid Use Disorder. Few people know the fascinating history behind MMT, which begins in the fires of WWII.
In the first part of my four part series on the history of MMT, I explain methadone's origins as a failed fascist painkiller. And yes, we even talk about "Adolphine"!
How much do you actually know about methadone? How deep does the rabbit hole go? Join me and find out!
KZbin is my hobby but medicine is my job. When I'm not editing KZbin videos, I run a clinic which provides medical treatment for people with substance use disorder called North Tampa Executive Health.
If you or someone you love is suffering from problematic drug or alcohol use or addiction and is seeking treatment, contact us today.
northtampaexecutivehealth.com/
We are here to help.
North Tampa Executive Health Clinic is directed by Dr. Jack McGeachy. He provides confidential and comfortable addiction treatments and therapy for opioid and alcohol use disorder. Rather than a rehab or detox, meaning that each patient is cared for one-on-one by a medical doctor, in contrast to other treatment programs. Book your in office appointment in the Tampa office or via video conferencing today.

[@chrismancini5645]

Methadone has made my life alot better thankful for legalized treatments.

[@bomshankar4414]

Méthadone save my life.i was heavily addicted to héroïne in South East Asia, when i started treatment i took 180mgs .Now, i'm taking 40mgs/day and i never took héroïne again.

[@tjames6427]

I got my life back because of methadone! im very grateful for it. I tapered one mg week for three weeks and then leveled out for two weeks and then start the cycle again. I was stabilized at 70 mg but that was due being on fentanyl for 3 years it could be different for you. I've got myself down to 10mg and will be off soon.

[@DavidOwen-kv1ws]

Well done mate

[@KnewEyes1990]

I am 64 days off methadone today, this was very interesting to hear!

[@JackMcG_MD]

Congratulations! I hope you're doing well. Methadone is a great medicine, but I understand why someone would not want to take it forever.

[@intuitivefugitive8852]

Please give me your secret.. I’m scared I’m on 132 and don’t know where to turn

[@KnewEyes1990]

@intuitivefugitive8852 yes i was on 135ml highest.. start by getting your doctor to taper you down slow 1ml a week is how it's done most of the time, it will seem like it's taking forever but it will definitely be worth it.. you could even try 2mls a week while your up in the high doses and then once you start to notice that getting hard going down to 1ml a week.... its not impossible I remember thinking it was and thought I would be on it forever. I felt hopeless but if in the end you truly want off you will find a way no matter what... just make sure when your ready to stop completely that nothing will make you use no matter how bad you feel physically or mentally that you got it in your head you are done cause it can get really intense... I dropped from 135ml which was my highest dose down to 30mls and went cold turkey from there which wasn't the best choice because I did suffer big time I should have tapered right down to 1ml... I'm 78 days off today so no matter what you can do it. I was on it 6 years so where there is a will there is a way. But just start tapering and then once that gets difficult slow down the taper a bit and take breaks from tapering if you need to ❤️

[@ellen9925]

​@@intuitivefugitive8852I was on for 10+ years and my last dose was July 4, 2023. Get down to as low of a dose as you can. This may take some time but you can surely do it. It has not been easy but I'm not looking back

[@jzblue345]

lower the dose slowly. 1-2 mgs per week. Once you start feeling symptoms stop decreasing for 2 weeks. Then on the third week go down 1 mg. Repeat until your symptoms are mild enough to handle.

[@deant6361]

I’ve been on methadone over 30 years and I really don’t like it but had no choice. But I’m slowly reducing to get off this stuff. I reduced once before and was surprised that I was able to get off it as long as I went slow. But turned out I wasn’t quite ready and had to go back on the stuff. But hopefully this time will get it right !

[@acidbath3226]

a lot easier if you have cbd broad spectrum extract and something like gabapentin

[@bradjackson5207]

We need more educated doctor's, like yourself. Bravo !!!!!!

[@JackMcG_MD]

Thank you. I really enjoy the history of medicine, which is why I make these videos even though they don't perform nearly as well as others.

[@jzblue345]

I'm addicted to methadone and not even trying to get off.

[@JackMcG_MD]

Addicted or dependent? Addiction implies that the drug is causing problems in your life. If someone is receiving methadone through a treatment program and the medication is improving their life (at least compared to your life using other opioids), then they're not "addicted," just physically dependent.

[@bradjackson5207]

Wow, I truly appreciate the fact that you asked that question... Addicted or dependent.... Because I have been depending on methadone to make my life more tolerable for the last 14 years. Thank you Doctor !!!!!

[@fredgfysmith6171]

​@@bradjackson5207dude I was on it since 2012. I just got off 10 weeks ago. It really wasn't that bad. I was surprised how easy it was, still sucked but easy at the same time.

[@corysstories2757]

​@@bradjackson5207Yeeessssss!!!!!! Addiction and physical dependence are 2 different things.

[@Wodensdsy]

I was on Methadone for 2 years. For me it got me stupid high all day long for the first 3-4 months. Then it just made me feel sick when I couldn’t get it due to some issue with the clinic in the morning. I eventually went back to heroin. It was much easier to get then methadone bc the closest clinic was 40 min away. I have now been on Subutex for 4 years and I’m hoping to get off with Sublocade once I have insurance. I suggest switching to Subutex my man.

[@implying6915]

I appreciate you for giving a neutral view on german history and the great drugs that years of german research finally yielded

[@JackMcG_MD]

The Nazis were bad guys for sure, but the molecule itself is blameless. There's a lot to be said about IG Farben's use of prisoners for testing, but it's not all that relevant to the history of methadone. IG Farben performed very little testing with the drug and quickly discarded it as non-viable. This story of drug development is similar to the Nazi atom bomb project. The Germans had a big head-start on research but failed to appreciate what they had and ultimately squandered it. It's important to address the facts because you still hear people today disparaging methadone as a "Nazi drug" which is far from the truth. Even if the Nazi's had used methadone more extensively, that shouldn't distract from the fact that it's a useful medication.

[@nickadz5490]

Beautifully made little documentary. Be looking for part2

[@phillipkalaveras1725]

It would make more sense and be healthier if they maintained you with Heroin to keep you off Methadone.

[@JackMcG_MD]

Believe it or not, diacetylmorphine (heroin) maintenance programs exist! None are in the US, however; Congress would have to reschedule heroin as a class II substance if we wanted to create such programs here. Even in the countries with these programs, they are usually reserved for patients who already tried methadone maintenance without success.

[@intuitivefugitive8852]

Which country do I have to move to, let me guess Switzerland 🇨🇭

[@JackMcG_MD]

@@intuitivefugitive8852 It appears that the UK, Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Luxemburg, Denmark, and Canada offer HAT. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8149259/

[@kkrollingskkrollings3173]

In British Columbia Canada such programs exist. They currently have decriminalized drugs in BC and have save supply program for opiate addicts whom mainly use fentanyl. Some patients get medical grade heroin most get diliuid 8s dilly’s.

[@matovicmmilan]

​@@kkrollingskkrollings3173 That's great for the people who struggle with opioid addiction there because I think it's not hard to understand that not every patient will respond to methadone and buprenorphine.

[@brucecaldwell6701]

One problem that doctors have with prescribing methadone and suboxone, or any opioid for that matter, is that the DEA is their lord and master.

[@snapdragon6601]

It actually is possible to make morphine in the laboratory without requiring a source of raw opium, however, it wasn't discovered until 1952. In addition, this total synthesis took a total of 31 steps and only produced 0.06% overall yield. It simply wasn't economically viable. Even today, opium poppies grown to provide the pharmacutical industry with morphine and codeine, as well as thebane for use as a starting materials for several semi-synthetic pharmaceuticals such as oxycodone.

[@JackMcG_MD]

I was a chemistry major before medical school and I love this topic (sadly, there are few people who enjoy debating organic chemistry). That type of total synthesis (ie the total synthesis of morphine using no biologically derived molecules) are not done for practical reasons, but rather to prove that we can. It's the purest form of synthetic organic chemistry--science for its own sake. It's like climbing Mount Everest or sending human beings to the Moon. It also demonstrates how crafty evolution is; it takes us 31 steps, but a flower can do it with some air, dirt, water, and sun.

[@snapdragon6601]

@@JackMcG_MD Absolutely 👍

[@RNFORLAW]

Methadone was and still is a lifesaver for me. If have to take it for life I am OK with that. Everyone is different. In addition docs at clinics need to tell patients about OIC and proper meds to prevent fecal impactions....that is the worst and OTC stuff does not work for most pts. w/ opioid induced constipation.

[@KOAnonymously]

I was having really bad bladder retention issues when I was at 165 mgs I’m down to 73 now and doing a lot better. Still have the tummy issues though. It’s really important to drink at least a gallon of water a day on Methadone that helps a lot of the issues that come with it.

[@jackiehurvey695]

I was surprised to discover that prune juice works well

[@user-rw2pu7fv3i]

love this presentation! Lookingforwardstomeeting"nexttime"inPart 2

[@cet6237]

This was very interesting and educational. Tyvm!

[@jsail5508]

Methadone is the best synthetic opioid.. hands down.

[@JackMcG_MD]

It is an interesting one. It's so fascinating how relatively simple molecules can interact with our complicated brain receptors and cause such powerful changes in mental status and physiology.

[@theway9828]

@@JackMcG_MDit’s a form of magic. Chemistry is a form of sorcery.

[@JackMcG_MD]

You're talking my language. I love chemistry and it was my undergrad major. It literally teaches you how to be a wizard. I am just really bad at practical laboratory science and low-key hate it. I also figured out that the majority of chem Phd's either do post-doc forever or end up bouncing from job to job after their pharma employer shuts down the R&D department because the latest drug only made $800 million in profit instead of $1 billion. To be successful as a chemist, you have to be a rockstar--either publish some ground breaking new mechanism in a high impact journal to make tenure or patent a small molecule that ends up becoming a blockbuster treatment. (One of my profs did the later, created a widely used medical assay, sold it to a medical device maker, and was set for life; he only taught because he wanted something to do. His business partner retired to Haiwaii in his 30's.) Meanwhile, so long as you can get a seat in a US medical school and avoid making any stupid decisions, you are practically guaranteed to be a successful medical doctor. I liked medicine as much as I did chemistry, if not more, so the choice was easy. That said, I've had enough school for this lifetime.@@theway9828

[@brannonmcclure6970]

Thanks Doctor! You have a great show here concerning these things.

[@jamesferguson5780]

Thanks for the info

[@nickydaviesnsdpharms3084]

Wikipedia states Dolphine is one of the brand names for Methadone.

[@nesshh3968]

Going to clinic tommrow

[@trippplecup1563]

Is there a part two??

[@Megaritz]

Great video! Any ETA on Part 2?

[@JackMcG_MD]

I actually filmed the rest of the series already but dropped the project as it seemed to have a pretty middling performance. It takes a lot of time to edit the videos and I want to make sure I use that time to deliver content my audience wants to see. For some reason, the views have picked up (sleeper hit?), so I am reinvesting effort in the project. I want to refilm the remaining parts to a higher level of quality before I release them. I have learned so much in the interval that looking at my old footage is painful. I anticipate releasing a quality video by the end of January.

[@tylerstitzer7137]

PART 2! PART 2! Big fan of your videos. Great work, doctor. Your precipitated withdrawal videos should be required watching for anyone inducting on Suboxone these days.

[@skiman5289]

Methadone is so hard to get off would not recommend it if someone really wants to be off all opiates its just very hard to get off i am almost off suboxone down to a 1/8mg a day

[@theway9828]

Try sublocade injection. No withdrawals.

[@skiman5289]

@theway9828 I would if they didn't want me to stabilize at 8mgs for a year before they will give me the shot I would rather do it like this be done with it sooner. Appreciate the suggestion but I tried

[@OGbobbyKUSH]

Suboxone didn’t work for me, at all.

[@skiman5289]

@OGbobbyKUSH I hope you are doing alright. It took me a little bit but I am on day 4 off suboxone. I had trouble but I am doing it this time

[@LALATheClown]

Wow, The History of this is Crazy. Germans Really Had the best Scientists. I Love History and crazy facts about the past. helps me understand how we got here today with medical Science. Thank You.

[@briangale404]

Interesting history

[@JackMcG_MD]

It gets even more interesting! Look forward to parts 2-4 coming out soon.

[@JustinAdamsMD]

So we also got Demerol from them? Pethidine aka meperidine brand name Demerol.

[@TheMansfieldlad]

If you're happy on it fine but both methadone and subutex stole my soul. I'm currently coming off subutex because of the anhedonia it's causing, I'm just existing. Day 3 on zero mg. Jumped from 3, tried tapering but it doesn't suit me as it's just drawing it out

[@michaelWRLD24]

I’m on 200mg and Unfortunately I always feel judged despite my dose keeps me stable & away from illicit substances

[@kevinevans8505]

Yup, me too !

[@PaleVillian]

Where’s part 2?

[@MrEsEeFe]

Did he say methadone was the best teatment for opiate withdrawl/addiction??if so i question his credibility because there is buprenorphine which is much better then methadone as well as Kratom which is a natural option..maybe i heard hom wrong?

[@Fasteddie-op6sd]

Kratom is bad for your intestines and liver.. IBOGAIN... try that!!! One time use.. no withdrawal or cravings ever agian

[@JackMcG_MD]

I'm an adovocate for MOUD, medication for opioid use disorder. MOUD includes methadone and buprenorphine. MOUD is the best treatment available currently; it has the best evidence for clinical outcomes. When we compare methadone and buprenorphine, methadone actually performs slightly better than buprenorphine. Read the science and you'll see. Some people will do better with methadone and others buprenorphine. They have upsides and downsides. Which one is best for an individual depends on their circumstances. It sounds like you perhaps had good experiences with buprenorphine and I think that's great. I don't work at a methadone clinic, so I can't prescribe methadone for addiction treatment. I personally treat patients with buprenorphine and think it can work as well as methadone, if proper support is provided as part of treatment. Addiction treatment is a deeply personal subject and therefore people have strong opinions on the matter. Trust me, I know from experience. I've been called a quack for advocating for buprenorphine too!

[@OGbobbyKUSH]

Kratom? Really? If your doctor is “prescribing” you Kratom he is not a real physician 😂 Suboxone or buprenorphine never worked/helped, EVER! But everyone is different.

[@hughiedavies6069]

People need to realise that methadone is far worse than opiates or heroin to get off, yet people say they love it, methadone is far more difficult to withdraw from than heroin

[@nicholassar5105]

Where is part 2?

[@JackMcG_MD]

It is coming soon; probably about four weeks. I rewrote the scripts because I wasn't happy with the quality.

[@acidbath3226]

they invented methadone because they wanted the soldiers to be done with the meth

[@theway9828]

Dad joke

[@AlexGrg07]

part 2 plz

[@user-gc4gm9sg6k]

Me too I go 2 days a month in Pa I will be a lifer because it has changed my life especially 2 days a month 😊😊❤❤

[@jonathannighs]

Where's part 2?

[@nikkib473]

❤

[@user-xc3jk4gw6l]

What the difference between methadone and polamidon ?

[@jhhyuu_DaveIsNoProfessor]

So is a Nitrile like a hollow cyanide ? Then a Morphine Nucleus(amine) is placed with it, so now we have Methadone ??

[@JackMcG_MD]

Nitrile is what's called a functional group in organic chemistry. Nitrile groups are essentially cyanide molecules attached to a larger structure. They are common in industrial chemistry because you can use them to perform many important reactions to change one chemical into another. In the synthesis of meperidine presented in the video, the nitrile group helps you by making it easier for the carbon next to it to lose its hydrogen atoms. When the hydrogen leaves, it gives the carbon an extra electron. The extra electron makes the carbon more attractive to another carbon atom bound to a chloride atom on the other chemical in the reaction (the chloride pulls away its electrons, making it relatively positive). The two carbons will form a bond which breaks the bond between the chloride and carbon; the chloride leaves with the hydrogen, making hydrochloric acid as a byproduct. (This is a simplified explanation of the reaction that you would be taught in intro to Organic Chemistry. It gets far stranger and less comprehensible the more you learn! The real mechanism can only be understood as a really complicated math equation describing the behavior of electron densities and I tapped out with my chemistry BS before getting to this level.) The advantage of using nitrile to make this happen is that you can convert the nitrile into a carboxylic acid in a separate step, which is how you end up with demerol at the end.

[@JackMcG_MD]

Not sure in the context of this synthesis. @@jhhyuu_DaveIsNoProfessor

[@jhhyuu_DaveIsNoProfessor]

@@JackMcG_MD sorry that comment came out weird bcuz of auto type...I found out it works like an old chemo drug .,which uses alkylation as main mechanism. I've seen the iupac name involves "Dimethylamino " I was guessing it's an akylamine-opioid. It stops new receptors being made BUT THAT ACTUALLY LETS THE CURRENT ONES LAST LONGER T BCUZ NO NEW ONES ARE PUSHING ANY OUT....U see what I'm saying ? I read this but I'm looking for source. (SORRY CONFUSION)

[@bijouxdoum6199]

​​​@@JackMcG_MDMethadone advocate, and patient here. Is it True the myth that natural drugs made from plants are healthier to take than synthetic ones? EDIT: That is such a vague question: would the body metabolize the natural opium safer than a synthetic drug like methadone? Both still metabolize in the liver and absorbed in the intestines and promote constipation. "Drink water"

[@cherubs5177]

Will a person put on weight after coming off of methadone?

[@1v1chromevook]

Ive been on methadone for ten years i want off so bad i wish i could go to a nice rehad i only have state insurance

[@shawnclauson8478]

So what are suboxone

[@JackMcG_MD]

You're so lucky that you get to learn about Suboxone for the first time. It's a medication for the treatment of Opioid Addiction. Active ingredient buprenorphine. This video explains how it works: kzbin.info/www/bejne/r5m1iJtoiqyqrZI

[@jvdr9058]

Mr. A H lol....!

[@JackMcG_MD]

KZbin does not like historical content. It's silly, but if the video gets flagged as discussing "sensitive political topics" it is impossible to appeal that ruling. You also cannot use the "D-word" or "S-word" (heaven forbid!); thanks Logan Paul!

[@ferguson8143]

I take methadone with my oxys as a enhancement to the oxys

[@jimmymaracas6442]

Winning

[@user-gt9gf4cf1v]

Odd, the literature says that methadone creates a tolerance to other opioids. Even people on Meth report that buying street drugs is a waist of money if on MMT. In other words one nullifies the other because they both compete and attach to the same receptor sites. But if your dose of Oxy I guess it’s possible. There is such intense State and Fed legal restrictions, taboo and myth that even professionals are confused and afraid about prescribing MMT! Even going full into harm reduction is a cultural taboo because of AA’s worship of abstenince.

[@thomasalford9349]

Been on Methadone 25yrs have taken a few Hydrocodone to no relief.doesn't work for me!!

[@ferguson8143]

I do it for the high only like if i take one 30 oxy and one methadone its like i just took two oxys as in high wise feeling​@thomasalford9349

[@ferguson8143]

Same with when i eat 10 percs and a methadone its like i took 20 percs ​@@thomasalford9349

[@Nick-sq8fb]

Lol me too bro

[@nicholassar5105]

The fact you can’t even say the name and have to say “AH” instead really irks me.

[@JackMcG_MD]

The thumbnail is even Charlie Chaplin! As a channel that talks about addiction and drugs, I'm already on KZbin's naughty list. Didn't want to risk this video getting age-restricted (believe it or not, I had a similar Short nerfed like that).

[@johnrajtar9829]

I agree. This fascist censorship shows that if there is any powerful , life changing information out there , you can be sure that our masters . . . Will suppress the information until they decide how they will manipulate the truth to control us .

[@nowar9220]

There are morphine synthesis from scratch, I think there's 3 or 4 but they are like 12 -25 steps lol Wayy too much trouble for industry when it can be cultivated and converted within a 2 steps.. You are correct but technically incorrect, sorry for being a douche 😂

[@gray1333]

Monday morning, it was all i hoped it would be.....

[@atziryfuentes1403]

1 ❤😊❤❤❤😊❤

[@trizzdogg]

This guys looks tell me dont trust him lol

[@LauraKayne-zt8dk]

When's number 2

[@JackMcG_MD]

Believe it or not, I recorded all four parts but have yet to edit the other three. I lost heart after this video didn't perform as well as I expected. I may actually record new footage, as my video creation process has changed substantially since then.

[@marcirathbone8998]

Aww man I found this video intriguing as I'm depedent on methadone as well, but it has kept the cravings away and I've been off all other drugs for 2 years now... But I've tried coming off and it was so hard that I went back to it unfortunately.