Author: James Anderson

Tapering Long-Term Opioid Therapy

Methadone is often used to help treat opioid dependence, but it can also cause withdrawal symptoms. If you’re ready to learn more, American Addiction Centers (AAC) can help. AAC’s Rhode Island-based treatment facility, AdCare RI, offers methadone for patients when appropriate. Relapse rates among people with opioid use disorders are very high. Research shows that roughly three in four people who complete opioid detoxification relapse within two to three years.

Reversing an Opioid Overdose

Naltrexone binds to the opioid receptors and acts like a blockade, preventing other opioids from binding to those same receptors. This means that even if you relapse and use an opioid, you won’t get high (but you can overdose). Knowing that using an opioid won’t get you high should discourage you from impulsively relapsing. A combination of talk therapy and medication management is often more effective at treating opioid use disorders than medication alone. If you are currently using methadone or other opioids, it is best to continue with methadone until the end of your pregnancy. Methadone is proven safe and effective for use during pregnancy.

Lifestyle

The symptoms will likely be at their worst during the first week. These include low energy levels, anxiety, trouble sleeping, and depression. In homeostasis, hormones, neurotransmitters, and processes in your body are all working together to keep a state of balance.

While methadone can be useful in treating opioid use disorders, it’s also very difficult to stop using once you start. People who have gone through methadone withdrawal often describe it as extremely unpleasant, and it may even be worse than other opioids like heroin. However, people that go through treatment with methadone can get off the medication safely with the help of a tapering process. Learn more about methadone withdrawal and how to get off methadone safely.

If you have discomfort after suddenly stopping methadone or decreasing your dose, you may be experiencing withdrawal. Even though it can be habit-forming, when used correctly, it can help you overcome more intense drug dependencies. Many people find support at local 12-step meetings, such as Narcotics Anonymous.

Help for methadone withdrawal

This fat-soluble drug slows gastric emptying, which means you experience the effects of methadone over a longer period of time compared with other opioids. When it comes to methadone, however, you’ll still get the pain relief, but with less euphoric-type reward triggers in the brain. This is because more consistent drug levels act on the mu receptors than short-acting drugs like morphine, oxycodone, and heroin. The best way to avoid methadone withdrawal is to try to take the medication exactly as prescribed.

1. The faster methadone is metabolized, the sooner withdrawal starts.
2. Symptoms of methadone withdrawal, also sometimes referred to as methadone detox, typically start to appear approximately hours after you last took the drug.
3. Methadone is proven safe and effective for use during pregnancy.
4. If a person then starts taking methadone again in the amounts they used to before, the body will no longer be able to metabolize it as quickly, and a toxic overdose can result.

What is methadone withdrawal?

Environmental aspects, including stability of home life and stress levels, can influence the healing process. The more stressed a person is, the more intense withdrawal is liable to be and the greater the odds for relapse. Many factors can influence the detox timeline and affect the intensity of withdrawal symptoms, how long they persist, and if there will be any other complications. Withdrawal is highly individual, and no two people will experience it in the same way.

What are the symptoms of methadone withdrawal?

Therefore, some people discuss remaining on methadone treatment but at lower doses, if tolerated. Once a person becomes stable at a lower dose, another attempt at tapering can be discussed with your doctor. It’s also used to treat addiction to opioid drugs, such as heroin. It’s often a very helpful and effective treatment for those who need it for this purpose.

During a methadone taper, the goal is to keep these side effects to a minimum to reduce the potential for relapse. A relapse, or a return to methadone or opioid use, after detox or a period of abstinence, can greatly elevate the risk for a life-threatening overdose. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warns that close to 50 people die every day in the United States from an overdose involving a prescription opioid drug. Withdrawal is extremely uncomfortable, and the risk of returning to other opiates is high. For this reason, some people discuss staying on methadone treatment at lower doses if they can.

Taking steps toward recovery is admirable and will improve your long-term health. While withdrawal from any addictive substance may be difficult, the long-term benefits far outweigh the risks. While methadone withdrawal itself is not considered life threatening, if left untreated, some symptoms may cause serious health issues. You can also experience withdrawal symptoms if you’re taking a substance that may interact with methadone, such as buprenorphine or naloxone. Symptoms of methadone withdrawal may be less severe and take longer to set in than withdrawal symptoms of other opioids.