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In case of methadone withdrawal symptoms are generally slightly less severe than those of morphine or heroin at equivalent doses but are significantly more prolonged. Methadone withdrawal symptoms can last for several weeks or more. At high maintenance doses, sudden cessation of therapy can result in withdrawal symptoms described as “the worst withdrawal imaginable,” lasting from weeks to months.

Physical symptoms include: lightheadedness, tearing, runny nose, yawning, sneezing, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, sweating, chills, tremors, tachycardia, aches and pains, often in the joints and/or legs, elevated pain sensitivity, elevated blood pressure, etc.

Cognitive symptoms include: suicidal ideation, susceptibility to cravings, depression, adrenal exhaustion, adrenal fatigue, spontaneous orgasm, prolonged insomnia, delirium, auditory hallucinations, visual hallucinations, increased perception of odors (olfaction), real or imagined, marked decrease in sex drive, agitation, anxiety, panic disorder, paranoia, delusions, etc.

There is a trend in the management of opiate addiction towards the reduction of a patient’s methadone dosage to a point where they can be switched to buprenorphine or another opiate with an easier withdrawal profile. Methadone’s long half-life and minimal side-effect profile makes it ideal for maintenance, but is not considered to be a desirable opiate to withdraw from when attempting to become completely opiate-free.

However, when detoxing at a recommended rate (typically 1-2 mgs per week), withdrawal is either minimal or nonexistent, as the patient’s body has time to adjust to each reduction in dose.

MMT (Methadone Maintenance Treatment), a form of opiate replacement therapy, reduces and/or eliminates the use of illicit opiates, the criminality associated with opiate use, and allows patients to improve their health and social productivity. In addition, enrollment in methadone maintenance has the potential to reduce the transmission of infectious diseases associated with opiate injection, such as hepatitis and HIV.

The principal effects of methadone maintenance are to relieve narcotic craving, suppress the abstinence syndrome, and block the euphoric effects associated with opiates. Methadone maintenance has been found to be medically safe and non-sedating. It is also indicated for pregnant women addicted to opiates.

We strongly recommend to everyone reading this article to use methadone only with doctor’s prescription and under medical control, however, if you or someone close to you have problems with methadone addiction, we suggest you to visit DrugRehabServices.com.