Drug Detox: Methadone Facts

Question: Can drug detox cause a stutter?

(Posted by: caseofyou2003 on 2006-11-09 08:15:47)

A beloved family member is finally coming out of a long drug addiction. Things are going well and we are optimistic for the first time in a long time, but he seems to have developed a stutter. He has no history of this. Can the detox his body is going through be causing it, or has he just destroyed too many brain cells?

Posted by: huggywell on 2006-11-09, 08:19:31

The drugs and the stress of detox probably mucked up the neural pathways in his brain. Speech therapy may help him.

Posted by: neoswhite_rabbit on 2006-11-09, 08:20:58

It may be possible because his body is used to functioning with the drug in his system for so long that with out it certain body funcitons lag. He may be able to over come his stutter, it may just be nerves. But more than likely it is from long term drug usesage.

Posted by: bmac on 2006-11-09, 08:21:18

Probably nerves. Remember...this person has been numbing every emotion they have ever had with drugs. It's pretty scary when you go to face the world with NOTHING. They have to get used to it. Hopefully, they will continue in their recovery by attending Narcotics Anonymous. If they don't, they WILL start using again. They can't do it alone. They need help for other recovering addicts.

Posted by: Renal on 2006-11-09, 08:32:58

It depends on the drug. There's not a lot of evidence around, there is some suggestion that methadone, particularly when mixed with alcohol can cause a dysphasia (blackwell-synergy.com/ doi/ abs/ 10.1111/ j.1360-0443.1977.tb03963.x?journalCode= add)