Methadone

Overview of Methadone Medicine

Methadone is a generic variant, and it is available in various brand names which include Dolophine, Methadose, Methadose Sugar-Free, Diskets, and other brands. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved this drug for the treatment of pain in 1947, and since the 1970s it has been used primarily to treat opioid addiction. The confusion between the two uses of methadone is treating pain and also treating opiate addiction or dependence. You can buy methadone online or at any nearby pharmacies.

It is also used to treat detoxification and opioid use disorder (OUD). OUD can cause various other health complications, that can be treated with a variety of medicines like Subutex, Suboxone, and including Methadone. Using these medicines with the doctor’s consultation can help to get better results.

How does Methadone drug work?

Methadone is an opioid analgesic medicine, which is used to treat and manage several types of pain. Sometimes, pain occurs due to cancer, post and pre-surgery, and various other pains. This pain relief drug belongs to the opioid (narcotic analgesics) drug class.

This drug is fully opioid agonist activity at the mu-opioid receptor and belongs to the category of a Schedule II Controlled Substance Act. It is used to treat people with a confirmed diagnosis of opioid use disorder (OUD). It also works as an agonist of kappa and sigma opioid receptors in the central nervous systems of the brain.

Dosage Form and Strength:

The Methadone medicine dosage form and strength should be directed by doctors prescription-only. The appropriate dosage formulations of this medication will depend on the individual’s health condition.

Methadone drug is available in several forms such as an oral tablet, injectable solution, dispersible tablet, oral solution, and oral concentrate solution. Some dosage forms with the strengths of this medication are given below:

1. Oral tablet

• Methadone 5 mg
• Methadone 10 mg

2. Injectable solution

• Methadone 10 mg/ml

3. Dispersible tablet

• Methadone 40 mg

4. Oral solution

• Methadone 5 mg/5 ml
• Methadone 10 mg/5 ml

5. Oral concentrate solution

• Methadone 10 mg/ml

Dosage Information:

• Opioid-naive patients are suggested to take 2.5 mg orally, every 8 to 12 hours so that the dose is not increased more often than every 3 to 5 days.
• Methadone oral tablets or solution is taken by mouth.
• The injection of this drug is given as an intravenous, intramuscular or subcutaneous injection.
• Before taking the oral liquid solution of this medicine, it is measured with the measuring device, not with a kitchen spoon.
• This medicine is taken regularly with or without food.

Uses of Methadone Medication

Here is the list of uses of Methadone drug.

1. Methadone is an opioid analgesic drug that is used for the treatment of acute to severe pain. Especially in cases where any other opioids have been useless or not well resulted.

2. It also treats dependence and addiction to opioid medicine, and it helps individuals to reduce addiction of heroin or other opioids. This treatment is called Methadone Maintenance Treatment (MMT).

3. This medication helps to relieve cravings and withdrawal effects, it’s making it easier for patients to engage in therapy and rehabilitation.

4. In a few cases, this drug is used for the management of short-term detoxification that helps people with safety withdraw from opioids.

Side Effects of Methadone:

Like all drugs, it can cause common and serious adverse effects in a few patients. Some common and severe side effects are listed below:

Common side effects of this medicine can include:

• Dizziness
• Drowsiness
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Constipation
• Tiredness
• Headache
• Increased Sweating
• Pain or swelling at the site of injection
• Severe side effects of this drug can include:
• Hives
• Difficulty breathing

  Swelling in the face, lips or throat,

• Trouble in breathing
• Blue-colored lips
• Difficult to wake up
• Severe constipation
• Light-headedness
• Changes in heartbeats
• Chest pain
• Loss of appetite
• Worsening tiredness
• Agitation
• Hallucinations
• Fever
• Muscle stiffness or twitching
• Loss of coordination
• Diarrhea

Precautions:

• Patients should not stop using this medicine suddenly. First, tell a doctor before stopping the medicine.
• Never crush or chew a tablet, as it may create dangerous effects or death.
• Methadone carries various risks of factors such as dependence, overdose, and side effects. If individuals experience any of these risk factors or any side effects after taking this medicine, then ask their personal doctor for immediate medical consultation.
• Women should not use this opioid medicine during pregnancy, as it can cause dangerous effects in the newborn baby.