Methadone Withdrawal Symptoms, Timeline & Treatment

However, patients should not go into the Methadone detox process expecting to switch to another maintenance medication. Like many medications, methadone and buprenorphine do produce dependence. When a person suddenly stops taking their medication abruptly, they may experience withdrawal symptoms. However, these effects are milder than those produced by dependence on other opioid drugs and can be managed by slowly reducing the medication dose rather than stopping it abruptly. Medical detox may be recommended for individuals at risk of severe withdrawal symptoms or complications. In a medical detox setting, you will be monitored by healthcare professionals who can provide medications and supportive care to manage symptoms and ensure your safety.

The following information describes dosages that are commonly used or recommended. However, be sure to take the dosage your doctor prescribes for you. Your doctor will determine the best dosage to suit your needs. Using too much of this medicine may cause infertility (unable to have children). Talk with your doctor before using this medicine if you plan to have children.

These may be symptoms of a serious condition called serotonin syndrome. Your risk may be higher if you also take certain other medicines that affect serotonin levels in your body. To prevent this, your doctor may direct you to take laxatives, drink a lot of fluids, or increase the amount of fiber in your diet. Be sure to follow the directions carefully, because continuing constipation can lead to more serious problems.

Treatment & Support

While withdrawal symptoms are similar for both methadone and other opioids, methadone withdrawal tends to be less intense with a less rapid onset. However, methadone stays in the body longer because it is a long-acting medication, so withdrawal symptoms may last longer. If you’ve been taking prescription methadone for pain or as a part of MAT treatment for opioid use, you can taper off of your medication in consultation with your doctor.

Patients who responded well to methadone in the past should be considered for this treatment. Develop a plan to reattempt induction or follow a different course of treatment as appropriate. If someone you know has attempted suicide, call 911 or the local emergency number right away.

• Verify your insurance today – treatment could be more affordable than you think.
• If your symptoms are severe, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room right away.
• Whether you are struggling with addiction, mental health or both, our expert team is here to guide you every step of the way.
• Common physical signs of withdrawal include generalized body aches, muscle cramping, excessive sweating, and gastrointestinal symptoms like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
• Most importantly, we’ll highlight evidence-based treatments such as medication-assisted treatment (MAT), counseling, and supportive care that can make withdrawal safer and more tolerable.
• Without medication, these opioid receptors are there to bind with your body’s natural feel-good chemicals, known as endorphins.

Mental Health Resources

While it can be an invaluable tool in treating opioid addiction, it also carries the risk of dependence and withdrawal. For those grappling with methadone misuse, the prospect of detox and withdrawal can be daunting, fraught with both physical and psychological challenges. Read on to learn more about the intricacies of methadone withdrawal, exploring the symptoms, timeline, and practical strategies for managing this complex process. Even though methadone withdrawal is usually not life-threatening, you should never attempt to overcome it on your own. Doing so could lead to a relapse, which could cause an overdose if you try to use the same dose as when you had a tolerance to methadone.

Methadone may interact with other medications

First, the withdrawal process varies between patients based on their bodies and how much they were taking. Second, the patient must be carefully weaned off of the drug under the supervision of a doctor enabling easy detox from Methadone. Without the supervision of a doctor, the patient can go cold turkey, leading to severe complications like heart and blood pressure difficulties and even lead to overdose and death. Methadone, sold under the brand name Dolophine, is a prescription drug and works as an opioid agonist.

Detox from methadone is a challenging process, but it’s a critical step toward achieving long-term recovery and breaking free from dependence on opioids. The withdrawal symptoms, while uncomfortable, are temporary, and with the right support and treatment, they can be managed effectively. Whether you’re tapering off methadone under medical supervision or seeking treatment through a detox program, knowing what to expect can help you prepare for the journey ahead. Remember, recovery is possible, and taking the first step toward detox is an important move toward a healthier, more fulfilling life. Concurrent misuse of alcohol or benzodiazepines with methadone (or buprenorphine) increases respiratory depression risk. Use of alcohol and benzodiazepines (illicit and prescription) is common in patients with OUD.

Unlike alcohol or benzodiazepine withdrawal, opioid withdrawal isn’t usually life-threatening, but it can be intensely uncomfortable both physically and emotionally. Think of the worst flu you’ve ever had, paired with overwhelming anxiety and restlessness. Muscle aches, sweating, nausea, goosebumps, insomnia, and intense drug cravings often converge, making every hour feel longer than the last. This distress is one of the biggest reasons people return to using opioids. In addition to behavioral strategies, a physician may prescribe specific medications to target the most disruptive withdrawal symptoms.

Interactions that can make your drugs less effective

For example, someone who needs to maintain a daily routine can choose outpatient care and still get essential support in a home environment. They can contact their local drug and alcohol rehabilitation facilities for detailed information on the programs. It will aid in recovery and help an individual to improve their health by getting off the drug for good.

• Users can mitigate their risk by seeking medical help with managing the side effects of Methadone withdrawal.
• The symptoms will arise within 30 hours of your last dose and last for up to 10 days.
• Other side effects include hallucinations, confusion, seizures, drowsiness, sleep changes, and headache.
• Your doctor may prescribe methadone if you need relief from chronic (long-term) pain, or if no other pain medications have made a difference.
• Methadone also comes in an intravenous (IV) form, which is only given by a healthcare provider.
• Even those who navigate home detox may find themselves in a fragile mental state, more vulnerable to relapse triggers and less engaged in subsequent rehabilitation efforts.
• Your flu-like symptoms may continue during this time, but you may also have trouble focusing, sleeping, and controlling mood swings.

These include your methadone dosage, consumption method, and metabolic rate. If you’re experiencing methadone withdrawal, your healthcare team may reevaluate your taper schedule. You may need to slightly increase the dose again to relieve intense withdrawal symptoms. After 24 to 30 hours of stopping the use of this medicine, the withdrawal symptoms begin to show, and they can last from 2 weeks to 6 months. This time can be affected by the duration and dosage of drug use and interactions with other drugs. Individual factors such as age, metabolic rate, and others can also contribute to this time.

Babies born to women who take methadone might go into withdrawal. But most of them have fewer health problems than infants whose mothers used heroin or other opioids. When it came to the United States, doctors used it to treat people with extreme pain. Today, you might also get it as part of a treatment program for an addiction to heroin or narcotic painkillers. While methadone abuse— taking it more frequently than prescribed—greatly increases the risk of developing a Twelve-step program methadone addiction, anyone can become addicted to it.