Opiates can be ingested orally, smoked, or snorted, although many opiate users intravenous inject these types of drugs which will give the strongest, quickest pleasure.
Opiate addicted individuals need higher and higher amounts of opiates in order to prevent withdrawal symptoms and to maintain their feelings of euphoria.
Most states require that a doctor document any methadone which is being dispensed for pain but not for the treatment of drug addiction, and all physicians with appropriate Drug Enforcement Agency registration may prescribe methadone for pain control.
Withdrawal symptoms can start within 6 to 12 hours of stopping Vicodin. These symptoms may grow stronger and then gradually subside over a period of several weeks.