Methadone withdrawal: Symptoms, treatment, and more

A person’s metabolism is also going to play a role in how long it takes methadone to process out of the body. The faster methadone is metabolized, methadone withdrawal the sooner withdrawal starts. The length of withdrawal depends on how long you had been taking the drug and how much you were taking.

Methadone Use During Pregnancy

During medical detox, any co-occurring mental illnesses or medical disorders can be addressed on an as-needed basis. Ultimately, a medical detox program can help to lower the intensity of withdrawal symptoms and provide around-the-clock support, making a successful detox much more likely. A slow methadone taper can take several weeks, lowering the dosage once a week or so. A more rapid methadone taper can lower the dosage by 10 percent every day for a week or two, depending on the starting dose.

What if I miss my dose?

Infant withdrawal usually begins a few days after birth but may begin two to four weeks after birth. Methadone can be addictive, so it must be used exactly as prescribed. This is particularly important for patients who are allowed to take methadone at home and aren’t required to take medication under supervision at an OTP. Methadone medication is specifically tailored for the individual patient (as doses are often adjusted and readjusted) and is never to be shared with or given to others.

Case study: The Hong Kong Methadone Maintenance Program

The most likely reason to take methadone is to manage an opioid use disorder. If you were taking the drug as a part of an opioid treatment program or to manage opioid cravings and withdrawal symptoms you should make sure you’re ready to quit before proceeding. Coming off of methadone will likely cause uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms and powerful opioid cravings. It’s important to make sure you’re prepared to manage the process of withdrawal without relapsing back into active opioid addiction.

Related/similar drugs

• The best way to avoid methadone withdrawal is to try to take the medication exactly as prescribed.
• Follow the directions on your prescription label and read all medication guides or instruction sheets.
• Taking steps toward recovery is admirable and will improve your long-term health.
• Because methadone is long-acting, methadone withdrawal symptoms may take up to 30 hours to appear.5 Typically, the first symptoms feel like an extreme version of the flu.
• If the patient is showing signs of overdose, continue to monitor the patient at fifteen minute intervals.

If you are dependent on methadone, you may get physical or psychological symptoms if you miss a dose, or when your dose is reduced too quickly. Weaning off heroin and methadone completely, as part of a detox programme, normally takes at least 12 weeks. When you are ready to do this, your key worker will help you do this reduce your dose of methadone gradually. If you take too much methadone you could be at risk of overdose. Too much methadone may make you very sleepy, and can slow down or stop your breathing.

From Mayo Clinic to your inbox

Each professional plays a particular role in patients’ treatment plans, and serves as support to the patient as they navigate recovery. Medication-assisted treatment has become an important factor in treating those with opioid use disorders, so they can attain recovery and achieve a higher quality of life. Since the mid-1960s, methadone has been an effective treatment for opioid addiction, and has since been widely available for this purpose. As of 2020, there were 1,698 facilities that provided methadone in the U.S. Opioid withdrawal isn’t life-threatening, but it can make you feel very sick.

Social Support

Since some of the methadone’s activity wears off faster than the drug itself, it can also seem like the drug isn’t working as desired, encouraging a person to take additional doses. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) publishes that nearly 2.5 million Americans reported abusing methadone at least once in their lifetime as of a 2012 national survey. Tapering is preferable to quitting methadone abruptly because quitting cold turkey is painful. People who are accustomed to taking high doses of methadone experience worse withdrawal symptoms than people who usually take small doses. Withdrawal ends when the brain relearns to function without opioids.

ethadone maintenance treatment

I, _____________________, have read (or have been read) the patient information sheet about methadone maintenance treatment. I have been offered the chance to ask questions about this treatment and am satisfi ed that I have the knowledge to make an informed decision about this treatment option. Indonesia established a pilot methadone maintenance program in prison in 2005. The program was started as part of Indonesia’s comprehensive HIV prevention strategy for prisons. Get additional information on opioid addiction treatment options.

Methadone Withdrawal Symptoms