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10
Methadone
• Methadone also acts on the same part of the brain as opioid
medications or drugs and helps to stabilize them to reduce the
desire to use opioids and to prevent withdrawal symptoms.
• Methadone can be safely started before the patient starts to
experience withdrawal symptoms.
• The clinician will work closely with the patient to find the
right dose that reduces cravings without causing the patient to
feel drowsy or sedated.
• Methadone comes as a liquid, or as a powder or tablet that is
dissolved in liquid before it is taken. It is typically taken once
per day (this may be different for patients who are pregnant or
who are being treated for pain).
• Only specialized Opioid Treatment Programs are allowed to
treat patients with methadone.
• At the beginning of treatment the patients will typically need
to go to the clinic every day to take their daily dose.
• People who are in stable recovery may be provided a supply of
medication to take at home.
• The administration of methadone should be monitored
because unsupervised administration can lead to misuse and
diversion.
• Many patients will need to continue taking methadone for
an extended period of time. Stopping methadone can put the
patient at risk for relapse and overdose. This should only be
done slowly with careful monitoring by the clinician.
• Treatment with methadone has been shown to reduce the
patient's risk for opioid overdose death.
