Methadone medicine used to treat heroin dependence
This is particularly important for patients who take methadone at home and are not required to take medication under direct supervision at an OTP. It also blocks the high from drugs like codeine, heroin, hydrocodone, morphine, and oxycodone. It can give a similar feeling and keep you from having withdrawal symptoms and cravings.
Take-Home Medication
It’s important to be honest with your doctor about your methadone use.
- If you experience pain during your treatment, your doctor may increase your dose or may prescribe an additional medication to control your pain.
- Opioid withdrawal symptoms may occur in newborn infants of women who were taking methadone during pregnancy.
- Patients who responded well to methadone in the past should be considered for this treatment.
- Your symptoms may return within a few minutes after you receive naloxone.
- The ceiling effect helps to prevent someone from taking too much Suboxone.
Serum Levels
The bioavailability and elimination half-life of methadone are subject to substantial interindividual variability. Adverse effects include sedation, hypoventilation, constipation and miosis, methadone withdrawal in addition to tolerance, dependence and withdrawal difficulties. The withdrawal period can be much more prolonged than with other opioids, spanning anywhere from two weeks to several months.
Methadone – Brand name: Physeptone
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have a take-back program nearby or one that you can access promptly, flush any methadone tablets or solution that are outdated or no longer needed down the toilet.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. The use of drinks that contain alcohol can increase your risk of sedation, slowed breathing, coma (being unconscious for a long time), and death from methadone. If you have an addiction to another opioid, your doctor may give you methadone to prevent you from having severe withdrawal symptoms. Methadone oral tablet is used to manage moderate to severe pain.
Route of administration
Do not suddenly stop taking your medication because you may develop a severe reaction. Your care team will tell you how much medication to take. If your care team wants you to stop the medication, the dose will be slowly lowered over time to avoid any side effects. There are restrictions on dispensing methadone for detoxification or maintenance programs.
Methadone Maintenance Therapy
Methadone is only rarely used to treat severe pain when other treatments do not work or cannot be tolerated. Your doctor may recommend different pain-relief medicines in different circumstances. If you have been prescribed methadone and have concerns or are experiencing side effects, speak with your doctor about other ways you can manage your pain. Naloxone is a medicine that can temporarily reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. The Australian Government is offering this medication free of charge and without a prescription to people who may experience, or witness, an opioid overdose. You may have been prescribed methadone to treat heroin or opioid dependency.
- The most important principle is to individualize dose induction based on careful assessment of the patient’s response to the medication.
- Do not try to overcome the effects of the medication by taking large amounts of opioids.
- This information is being provided as a community outreach effort of the American Association of Psychiatric Pharmacists.
- Even though it’s safer than some other narcotics, your doctor should keep a close watch while you take methadone.
- Methadone is a medication approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat OUD as well as for pain management.
If the medication upsets your stomach, take it with food or milk. There are other drugs available to treat your condition. Talk to your doctor about other drug options that may work for you. Don’t swallow the dispersible tablet before it has been dissolved in a liquid. You should mix it with 3 to 4 ounces (90 to 120 milliliters) of water or citrus fruit juice before you take it. You or your pharmacy will have to contact your doctor for a new prescription if you need this medication refilled.