Author: James Anderson

Methadone: Purpose, Uses, Side Effects, and Risks

These withdrawal symptoms can be very severe, proving to be major obstacles for individuals attempting to overcome drug use. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that every day in the United States, more than 46 people die from an overdose involving a prescription painkiller. A potentially fatal overdose is one of the major risk factors of methadone abuse. As a long-acting opioid, methadone can remain active in the bloodstream for a day or two. Methadone also has pain-relieving properties, but the analgesic effects wear off after about four hours to eight hours.

For healthcare professionals

Methadone is available in the form of a tablet, oral solution or liquid form for injection. Methadone is generally safe when taken for a short period and as prescribed by a doctor. But even when prescribed by a doctor, methadone use can occasionally cause life-threatening adverse effects.

Opioid Overdose Reversal Medications

  1. However, the increased availability of methadone has resulted in the misuse and abuse of this drug in recent years.
  2. Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances.
  3. Methadone may also commonly be abused because of its euphoric effects at high doses.
  4. As a long-acting opioid, methadone can remain active in the bloodstream for a day or two.
  5. By law, only a SAMHSA-certified Opioid Treatment Program (OTP) can dispense methadone for the treatment of Opioid Use Disorder.
  6. There are a number of long-term side effects of methadone abuse that should be considered in assessing the full impact.

Taken daily, it is available in liquid, powder and diskettes forms. Our Recovery Advocates are ready to answer your questions about addiction treatment and help you start your recovery. Motivational enhancement therapy also can involve increasing the individual’s motivation to engage in treatment to overcome drug use. Contingency management involves the use of positive reinforcement in the form of gift vouchers or other rewards in exchange for abstinence from drug use. Along with its needed effects, methadone may cause some unwanted effects.

Methadone Withdrawal Symptoms

QT interval prolongation and serious arrhythmias (torsades de pointes) have been observed during treatment with methadone. Additionally, staff can verify any insurance benefits, or you can verify your insurance benefits online. Plus, if you’re not ready to talk, you can sign up to receive insights via text. Your doctor will keep this in mind when deciding on a treatment plan. If your doctor prescribes tablets that are “dispersible,” dissolve all or part of the tablet in liquid (usually water or citrus-flavored drinks) and drink it all. Take the first step toward recovery today by speaking with an admissions navigator or by verifying your insurance benefits online.

Switching from One Form of Medication to Another

Experts say people who take methadone to treat an addiction should use it for at least a year while they work on recovery. When it’s time to stop, your doctor will help you do so slowly to prevent withdrawal. Patients and practitioners are encouraged to report all side effects online to MEDWatch, FDA’s medical product safety reporting program for health care professionals, patients, and consumers or by calling FDA-1088. If you are taking methadone to treat opioid addiction, skip the missed dose and take the next dose the next day as scheduled. Use of methadone with other medications such as benzodiazepines or substances such as alcohol can potentiate the adverse effects of methadone. Methadone is more easily available relative to heroin or oxycodone and may be used as a substitute for these drugs.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy involves the identification of thoughts and behaviors that lead to drug use and learning coping strategies to resist drug use. The prescribing information for oral methadone solution, published by the U.S. The FDA explains that this condition is most often reported in people who take large doses of methadone every day for pain, but it can also occur in those who use methadone during opioid addiction maintenance treatment. In cases of misuse, methadone detox protocols are similar to that of other opioids. That is, detox involves medications and practices to ensure patient safety and to ease withdrawal symptoms.

Methadone is a Schedule II narcotic under the Controlled Substances Act. That means it has a high potential for misuse that could lead to serious psychological or physical dependence. It’s not legal to use methadone unless a doctor prescribes it for you. For most people who take methadone as a way to recover from opioid addiction, the long-term health benefits outweigh the risk of possible side effects.

“What is the treatment need versus the diversion risk for opioid use disorder treatment? Some physical symptoms, such as altered sense of perception, lightheadedness and sedation, are the reasons why people abuse methadone. While the high may not be as powerful as with other opioids, it can still lead to feelings that some may find appealing. Your providers will give you the dose that should work best for you.

Methadone changes the way your brain and nervous system respond to pain so that you feel relief. Its effects are slower than those of other strong painkillers like morphine. Your doctor may prescribe methadone if you’re in a lot of pain from an injury, surgery, or long-term illness. Even though it’s safer than some other narcotics, your doctor should keep a close watch while you take methadone.

Medications for Substance Use Disorders

Store it at room temperature and away from excess heat and moisture (not in the bathroom). You must immediately dispose of any methadone that is outdated or no longer needed through a medicine take-back program. If you do not have a take-back program nearby or one that you can access promptly, flush any methadone tablets or solution that are outdated or no longer needed down the toilet. Talk to your pharmacist about the proper disposal of your medication. If you have been addicted to an opiate (narcotic drug such as heroin), and you are taking methadone to help you stop taking or continue not taking the drug, you must enroll in a treatment program. The treatment program must be approved by the state and federal governments and must treat patients according to specific federal laws.

This medicine can cause some serious health issues

A specialized addiction treatment program is the optimal way to manage opioid addiction. Medical detox programs will set up a controlled taper that will lower the dosage of methadone slowly over time to avoid cravings and withdrawal symptoms. Methadone can be used during opioid detox, or it can be substituted with buprenorphine, another long-acting opioid that is only a partial agonist and, therefore, has a lower potential for misuse. While taking methadone, you should talk to your doctor about having a rescue medication called naloxone readily available (e.g., home, office).