Methadone May Cause Side Effects Tell Your Doctor If Any Of These Symptoms Are Severe Or Do Not Go Away:
- headache
- difficulty breathing or swallowing
- extreme drowsiness
- agitation, hallucinations , fever, sweating, confusion, fast heartbeat, shivering, severe muscle stiffness or twitching, loss of coordination, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea
- nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, weakness, or dizziness
- inability to get or keep an erection
- irregular menstruation
Methadone may cause other side effects. Call your doctor if you have any unusual problems while you are taking this medication.
Voluntary Cessation Of Treatment
Patients who wish to stop MMT should see their prescribing doctor to discuss their treatment options. The doctor should establish why the patient wants to stop MMT. Reasons for wanting to stop MMT may include:
- Belief that methadone is not appropriate in their case
- Belief that they no longer need treatment
- To avoid problems associated with MMT e.g. side-effects, harassment from others to divert dose
- To be drug-free prior to release from the closed setting.
Each of these reasons is legitimate, but the doctor should ensure the patient is aware of the benefits of MMT and has made an informed decision to cease treatment. In particular, patients who wish to cease MMT just before release should be informed of the increased risk of relapse and drug overdose in the weeks following release from a closed setting.
If a patient chooses to discontinue treatment, their treatment plan should be revised so that they will start receiving lower doses of methadone over a period of time. The patient should be told that this will happen.
Recommended dose reduction schedule:
- Reduce by 10mg per week until a dose of 40mg per day is reached.
- From then, reduce by 5mg per week until a zero dose is reached.
- Dose reductions should occur once a week or less often.
A patient may begin to reduce his or her dose and later decide that they would prefer to remain in MMT. There should be procedures in place for these patients, and recently discharged patients, to be re-admitted to MMT on request.
Dosage For Heroin Addiction
Doses vary from person to person. Your starting dose is based on:
- the amount of heroin you are using
- whether you are using other drugs or alcohol
- a urine sample
- your physical and mental health
- whether you have had treatment for drug addiction before
You will usually start on 10mg to 30mg, taken once a day. This can be increased slowly, until your withdrawal symptoms are under control and your cravings stop.
Many people then take a regular dose of between 60mg and 120mg a day. However your dose may be different. Always follow your treatment plan.
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Understanding How Fentanyl Works
Fentanyl is a little different than other opioids because of its potency. Because it is synthetic, it can be up to 100 times more potent than morphine.
Normally, it is used to treat patients that have severe pain after surgery. However, when people abuse fentanyl, it can become a serious danger to their health.
Methadone will eliminate your cravings for fentanyl so youre less likely to relapse.
Typically, fentanyl is injected, swallowed, snorted, or taken as a tablet. Regardless of how it is consumed, it will still have the same effects on the body.
Once fentanyl enters the body, it begins to mess with your brains chemistry. It will bind to opioid receptors located in the parts of the brain that control emotions and pain. This is what causes the drugs euphoric and relaxing effects.
However, this area of the brain also controls important body functions, such as breathing. If you take too much fentanyl, it can cause you to stop breathing.
Other hazardous effects of fentanyl include:
- Drowsiness
- Addiction
- Death
If youre addicted to fentanyl and feel like youre trapped, please give us a call at Who Answers?. We want to help you get off this drug once and for all.
What Is Drug Dependence
Drug dependence is when the way your body works changes because you have taken a drug for a long time. These changes cause you to have withdrawal symptoms when you stop using the drug. Withdrawal symptoms can be mild or severe, and may include:
- Sweating
- Insomnia
- Fatigue
If you have been taking a prescription opioid for a long time, work with your doctor. They can help you avoid withdrawal symptoms by gradually lowering your dose over time until you no longer need the medicine.
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How Is Methadone Taken
Methadone is taken orally and is diluted with orange juice. When you first start the program, you will be asked to drink your medication at the pharmacy daily.
As you stabilize your dose, and your treatment program, you may be eligible for some carries, or take home doses.
Carries should be refrigerated. It is your responsibility to store them safely to make sure the medication is not taken by anyone else, especially a child, or a non-opiate dependent person, for whom it may be lethal.
What Are The Signs Of Someone Abusing Methadone
Methadone is available in the form of a pill, liquid, or wafer and is primarily used alongside counseling and support groups for people overcoming addictions to other narcotics.
Although less powerful than short-acting opioids, methadone can still produce effects that mirror those of the more addictive opioids, such as sedation. The effect is it less likely to produce is euphoria or the high associated with opioid abuse. If people do experience a high, it is likely to be mild.
Those at greatest risk for developing a problem with methadone are people who are either taking it outside of an opioid treatment program, have stopped treatment, or have never sought help for opioid abuse.
If you are concerned that someone you know is abusing methadone, common signs of methadone abuse include:
- taking higher doses or taking doses more frequently than prescribed
- avoiding going to support groups or individual counseling sessions
- changes in weight or appetite
- preoccupation with getting more methadone
- snorting, smoking or injecting methadone
- difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep during the night
- having trouble concentrating on tasks or work
Compared to more potent opiates such as heroin, methadone works much slower and tends to have milder effects. Although this can be helpful for treatment, it can also make it more difficult to detect that a person is abusing methadone.
Physical symptoms that can indicate methadone abuse include:
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Why Is Methadone Abused
Methadone can be prescribed for pain management or to treat opioid use disorder . The drug helps reduce opioid withdrawal symptoms for 24 to 36 hours, which is why it is dosed once daily for opioid addiction. Although it may be effective in reducing withdrawal symptoms, methadone has the potential to become addictive if it is taken in ways other than prescribed.
When used as directed, methadone does not typically create the same euphoric effects as other opioids. However, taking more than the prescribed dose can cause a high to occur, which is why some people abuse the drug.
FAQs
Psychological symptoms of addiction or dependence may include:
- Confusion
- Agitation
- Mood disorders, including depression, persistent depressive disorder and increased anxiety
Men and women may also struggle with increased sexual dysfunction and related side effects. These can include erectile dysfunction, disturbances in menses and irregular reproduction.
In addition, methadone can have long-term effects on both the brain and the body. For example, it can cause intense mood swings and changes in behavior since methadone affects neurotransmitters in the brain.
Continue reading at Methadone Abuse: Signs, Symptoms, & Side Effects
How Do You Get Help For Someone Who Is Abusing Methadone
There are several treatment options that can be effective in helping people overcome < a href=https://vertavahealth.com/methadone/> methadone abuse< /a> and addiction. Although methadone is commonly used within treatment plans for addiction to other opioids, there are also ways to overcome an opioid problem without methadone.
Medication-assisted treatment is considered the most effective method of treatment for opioid abuse and can be personalized to exclude the use of methadone in favor of other safe and effective medications.
The most supportive environment to begin treatment for methadone abuse is an inpatient rehab program where patients can safely detox from their drug use and find stable ground. Inpatient rehab can offer a strong support system for patients and lay a more confident foundation for a steadier path towards recovery.
Treatment services within an inpatient program for opioid abuse may include:
- medication-assisted treatment
- relapse prevention
- aftercare services
Within a rehab program, patients are treated by a full team of specialists who can develop a long-term treatment plan for care by assessing each patients needs. This can offer recommendations for how patients may continue treatment on an outpatient basis as they transition back into a normal, daily routine.
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Insurance And Harm Reduction
Despite the clinic lines, despite the increased potential for overdose, and despite users knowing how horrible the withdrawal process is, some people who experience chronic pain are somewhat stuck with only having the option of methadone. This is because lawmakers and insurance companies have valued methadone as a cheaper and more manageable alternative to opioid painkillers such as Vicodin and Percocet.
So many people with chronic pain have no other option than to turn to methadone.
Just like with any other medication-assisted therapy for the addiction of painkillers, the dangers are high, but the results are high as well. In a harm reduction context, while methadone has been shown to be addictive, it has also helped millions to stop using heroin.
However, is the decrease in heroin simply because they are addicted to something else? Are we focusing on the lesser of two evils?
Timeline And Symptoms Of Withdrawal
Symptoms of methadone withdrawal, also sometimes referred to as methadone detox, typically start to appear approximately 24-36 hours after you last took the drug. The detox process is supervised by a physician. The duration of the process varies from person to person, but may last anywhere from 2-3 weeks up to 6 months.
You may be having withdrawal if within the first 30 hours that you stop taking methadone, you experience:
- tiredness
- depression
- drug cravings
The symptoms will likely be at their worst during the first week. Some symptoms can last even longer than a week. These include low energy levels, anxiety, trouble sleeping, and depression.
Withdrawal can cause much discomfort, and the risk of returning to the use of other opiates can increase. 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.
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How Is Methadone Used
If you need methadone for pain, your doctor will write a prescription for it. For an addiction, youll get it from a special treatment program. You can find programs through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Association treatment locator or by calling 1-800-662-HELP .
Methadone comes in tablet, powder, and liquid forms. You have to have a prescription to get it. Your providers will give you the dose that should work best for you. They also might change your dose during treatment. Tell your doctor how you feel when you use it. Dont stop taking methadone without talking to them.
Follow the dosage instructions exactly. If your doctor prescribes tablets that are dispersible, dissolve all or part of the tablet in liquid and drink it all.
Experts say people who take methadone to treat an addiction should use it for at least a year while they work on recovery. When its time to stop, your doctor will help you do so slowly to prevent withdrawal.
Some people take methadone illegally, without a prescription. Most of them inject it, which can expose them to diseases like HIV and hepatitis C.
Continued
With short-term use, you may notice side effects like:
- Restlessness
Methadone Abuse: The Pathway To Addiction
Many people end up using Methadone as a way to self-medicate when they have chronic pain. They may take the drug for longer than recommended by their doctor, or they may increase their dosages. Some people have even found ways to obtain Methadone illegally on the street. All of these are excellent examples of Methadone abuse, which can lead to addiction in a relatively short period of time. Consider these facts:
- Increasing your dose of Methadone is the only way to experience a euphoric high
- Increasing your dose of Methadone is likely to lead to serious side effects
- Physical dependency is very easy to achieve when you take Methadone
- Almost one-third of all prescription drug overdose deaths involve Methadone every year
- Almost all Methadone-related deaths are the result of an addiction
Overdosing on Methadone is so easy because the drug remains active in the body for up to sixty hours. If youâve overdosed, youâre likely to experience:
- Respiratory distress
- A blue tint on your extremities
- Feelings of being disoriented
You may also go into a coma.
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Methadone Rehab & Detox Treatment Centers
Medical detox can take place in standalone detox centers, hospitals, or inpatient rehabilitation facilities as part of a larger program to treat opioid addiction. During a medical detox, people undergoing withdrawal will be supervised by healthcare professionals and may be given medications to address specific symptoms, if necessary.
While medical detox can help a person safely and comfortably complete withdrawal, it does little to address the underlying issues that have contributed to the development of compulsive substance misuse and addiction. For these reasons, detox should ideally be followed by comprehensive addiction treatment that involves behavioral therapy and complementary forms of treatment, such as 12-step meetings. This mix of treatment approaches is aimed at changing maladaptive behaviors and helping to establish social support systems and better methods of coping with stress.
Realizing Youre Addicted: Methadone Withdrawal
Itâs possible that you didnât realize that you were becoming addicted to Methadone, and it happened to you very quickly. Now that you know youâre addicted, and you realize that there are other alternatives available to you for the treatment you need, you want to stop taking it. Itâs important for you to understand that Methadone is a very potent drug. It should never be stopped abruptly, and doing so can lead to serious Methadone withdrawal symptoms that include:
- An increased heart rate
- A chronic headache
- An upset stomach with nausea and vomiting
The safest way to stop taking Methadone is to talk with a professional about how you should proceed. They will likely recommend a tapered regimen at first, and then youâll go through a period of holistic drug detox, which will help your body rid itself of any toxins that can still cause withdrawal.
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Can Opioid Addiction Be Prevented Or Avoided
Many people are able to use opioids safely without becoming addicted to them. But their potential for addiction is high. This is especially true if you use them for long-term pain management.
In general, you are more likely to avoid addiction if you can use opioid drugs no longer than a week. Research shows that using them for more than a month can make you dependent on them.
How To Get Prescribed Methadone
Methadone is a long-lasting opioid most notably associated with the treatments of opioid addictions, but, is also an effective medication for the purposes of treating chronic and around-the-clock pain. Prescribing practices for methadone vary accordingly and it serves its purposes well when prescribed and used appropriately. However, methadone works differently than any other opioid and has its own synthetic structure. For these purposes and more, methadone dispensing continues to remain under more stringent federal regulations than any other opioid drug.
We can help you find treatment. Call toll free anytime.
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Can You Get An Addiction To Methadone
According to the National Library of Medicine, yes you can get an addiction to methadone. It acts on the brain in ways similar to opiates. This is why it is an effective painkiller and opiate addiction treatment. In order to understand how people become addicted to methadone it is important to understand what doctors use it for, how it works, its side effects, and the signs of addiction.
How To Get Prescribed Methadone For Opiate Addiction
In this article, Im going to teach you how to get prescribed methadone for opiate addiction. And trust me, I dont think youll find a more educational and helpful article on this subject on the internet.
Why?
Well, my history with methadone is quiteumrounded.
Theres no way to be sure, but I do believe I might be the only person in history to have a certain set of three events happen to them, which all involved methadone.
These are the three methadone events that happened to me:
1. First, I overdosed on a large amount of methadone and Valium and was one-minute away from death when an EMT saved my life with a naloxone shot.
2. After spending a week in the hospital being administered opiates by the nurses, I was released to go home, and then I used 40 mg of prescribed methadone daily for seven days to quit opiates for good.
3. After getting clean using methadone, I went on to become an Intake Counselor at a methadone clinic, where I helped hundreds of people sign up for methadone treatment for opiate addiction.
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What Is Methadone Used For
Since the 1970s in the US, methadone clinics and methadone maintenance have been promoted as ways for people who struggle with heroin addiction to avoid the worst withdrawal symptoms while preventing relapse. Today, methadone is still used under close medical supervision to help people suffering from opioid addiction to ease through the withdrawal process.
However, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2009, methadone contributed to one in three prescription painkiller deaths. As stated above, doctors sometimes prescribe this long-acting drug to treat chronic pain from multiple sclerosis, cancer, or injuries. Legitimate use via a prescription can turn into abuse as tolerance develops. Once abuse starts, addiction can quickly take hold.
