Methadone Side Effects, Uses, Purposes, Health Risks & Drug Addiction Treatment Options

By We Level Up FL Treatment Center | Editor Yamilla Francese | Clinically Reviewed By Lauren Barry, LMFT, MCAP, QS, Director of Quality Assurance | Editorial Policy | Research Policy | Last Updated: March 29, 2023

What are the side effects of methadone?

Methadone side effects may be habit-forming. Take methadone exactly as directed. Do not take a larger dose; take it more often, or take it for a longer period or in a different way than your doctor prescribes. While taking methadone, discuss with your healthcare provider your pain treatment goals, length of methadone treatment, and other ways to manage your pain.

Methadone for Pain Management & Treatment of Opiate Dependence Statistics

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), effective treatment for opioid use disorder includes medication-assisted treatment (MAT) which combines behavioral therapy and medications. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved medications for use in treating opioid use disorder including methadone, buprenorphine (buprenorphine with naloxone), and naltrexone. Naltrexone is an opioid antagonist, methadone is an opioid agonist and buprenorphine is a partial opioid agonist. MAT has been found to reduce morbidity and mortality, decrease overdose deaths, reduce transmission of infectious disease, increase treatment retention, improve social functioning, and reduce criminal activity. [4]

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Some methadone side effects are more serious. Call the doctor if you have the following:

• Trouble breathing
• Fainting or lightheadedness
• Rash or hives
• Swollen tongue, lips, throat, or face
• Rapid heartbeat or chest pain
• Confusion or hallucinations
• A hoarse voice
• Trouble swallowing
• Seizures
• Severe drowsiness
• Unusual menstrual periods

Methadone Side Effects Requiring Immediate Medical Attention

Methadone overdose happens when a person intentionally or accidentally takes more than the recommended or average amount of this medicine. This can be on purpose or by accident. Make sure to let your doctors know about any medications you’re taking.

Even though the methadone side effects are different from those of other opioids, such as heroin, your body can still get used to it. This means you might need more methadone to feel the same effects. This is called tolerance, and it can happen with any other opioids. [4]

Your body can also become dependent on this drug and other opioids. Your brain relies on the pain relief they bring, and you have withdrawal symptoms if you stop taking them suddenly. Some people may take methadone with other opioid painkillers, such as oxycodone. High doses or combining methadone with other drugs or painkillers can raise someone’s risk of overdose. These painkillers include oxycontin, hydrocodone (Vicodin), and morphine.

Symptoms of Methadone Overdose

• Vomiting
• Convulsions
• Slow, shallow breathing, known as respiratory depression
• Clammy or bluish skin
• Blue-tinted lips and fingertips
• Extreme fatigue to the point of being unable to stay awake
• Stupor
• Coma
• Death

Combining methadone with other illegal or prescription drugs can also lead to serious heart problems. These heart problems range from arrhythmia to heart attacks.

Methadone Withdrawal Timeline and Symptoms

Symptoms of methadone withdrawal, also sometimes referred to as methadone detox, typically begin to appear roughly 24-36 hours after you last used the drug. A physician supervises the detox process.  The duration of the process differs 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 might struggle with the following:

• Tiredness
• Anxiety
• Restlessness
• Sweating
• Watery Eyes
• Runny Nose
• Yawning
• Trouble Sleeping

At first, symptoms of methadone withdrawal may seem like the flu.  But unlike with the flu, withdrawal symptoms can persist severely for several days.  Specific symptoms may peak after about three days. These include:

• Muscle Aches and Pains
• Goosebumps
• Severe Nausea
• Vomiting
• Cramps
• Diarrhea
• Depression
• Drug Cravings

The symptoms will likely be at their worst throughout the first week.  However, some symptoms can last even longer than a week.  These include low energy levels, anxiety, difficulty sleeping, and depression.

Medical Methadone Detox

Medical detox in a treatment facility can aid in detoxing or tapering methadone. The physicians in the treatment facility will monitor your symptoms and vitals during the process.  They can also prescribe non-narcotic medication to relieve signs that may manifest due to the detox. As part of medical detox, clients are engaged in clinical treatment to start addressing their addiction’s underlying issues.

On-Going Care and Support

Because of the withdrawal process and the possible presence of PAWs (Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome)  with methadone detox, someone must engage in continued care beyond the initial detox process. They should engage in residential treatment after detox to get proper support through this process. This clinical care can help when someone feels triggered or wants to use the drug again and provide the means and resources to explore the addiction and underlying issues.

Whether you’ve been on methadone for a long or short time, it is possible to come off it with the proper support and medical assistance.  Although the methadone side effects and post-acute withdrawal process can sound daunting, scary, or challenging, it can effectively and safely detox from methadone with the proper support.

Quitting Cold Turkey

Many people try to ride out methadone withdrawal on their own.  Though opioid withdrawal may not be life-threatening in most cases, it can be excruciating.  It can also lead to cravings and a return to drug use if left untreated.  One of the most significant risks of trying to stop using methadone cold turkey is relapse. [1]

In addition, other health complications may occur in connection with withdrawal sickness that may necessitate immediate medical attention, including:

• Dehydration and electrolyte imbalance from vomiting and diarrhea.
• Aspiration from breathing stomach contents into the lungs can cause lung infection.

The lack of medical care to manage withdrawal effects and methadone side effects and the strong possibility of relapse due to the distress make cold turkey an unwise detox method. A schedule for decreasing methadone dosing will be best determined and potentially regulated by your treating physician.

Notwithstanding how someone becomes dependent on methadone side effects, the most secure way to quit is to slowly lessen the dose over time—a process known as tapering.  A taper can help prevent severe withdrawal symptoms and decrease the risk of potential withdrawal-associated medical problems. Weaning or tapering should only occur under the supervision of a medical professional, who can assess withdrawal progress and best help the individual regulate doses.

Most Popular Methadone Side Effects FAQs

Methadone Detox Methods for Safe Methadone Withdrawal

Methadone, when prescribed for opiate addiction, is eventually tapered down after a lengthened time.  It is known in the opiate family for having the most prolonged detox, which also makes the typical taper a lengthy period, sometimes extending for over a year.

We Level Up FL Treatment Center believes in making our clients substance-free as soon as possible so they can return to their everyday lives. Although most methadone detox plans include a long-drawn-out taper, We Level Up Detox Facilities aims to speed up this process and give the individual a fair chance at a life in recovery.

If you or someone you know is struggling with methadone side effects or abuse, help is just a phone call away.  So call us now here at We Level Up FL. We are here to help you.

Alumni Coordinator, Nicole Baxter’s Methadone Addiction Recovery Journey With Support From Daughter Video

Nicole Baxter’s Addiction Recovery Story and Testimonial Video

“I’m here with the Nicole Baxter, one of our alumni coordinators.

What does your bottom look like?

My bottom was like a spiritual bottom. I was I wanted to die every day. I was putting a lot of drugs in my system every day, trying to make the pain go away. And it wasn’t going away anymore. So I was using for no reason anymore, because when I first started using, that’s what that was for, was to make it all go away. And it was still there. So it was like a spiritual bottom for me. I felt dead inside, and I was looking for a way out. So I prayed really hard that night, and my brother a few days later called me.

How long were you in treatment for?

A long time. I went to detox for almost a month because I was on methadone when I came down here, so my detox was painful when I finally came.

Knowing that I was away from them was hard to deal with because it was like a reality check. It was the hardest part of getting sober.

It was my biggest excuse prior to coming to not like that was my excuse. Like, I can’t go to treatment, I can’t be away my kids, but, like, I wasn’t a mom anyway, so I was getting high every day, you know? And I struggled with telling my daughter the truth about where I was. She thought that I had just comedown here to visit her uncle.

It wasn’t until I was in, like, IOP one afternoon, my therapist had me go outside and make a phone call, and I told her that I had come down for detox. And in my head, I thought that she was gonna hate me. But it was the best conversation ever. All she said to me was, Mummy, I just want you to get better. I’m just happy that you’re getting better.

What is your life like today? In sobriety, in recovery?

I’m happy, sober happier than I was high. And I thought that I’d never be happy sober. I didn’t think it was possible.

What do you do for your recovery every day? I have sponsees that I talk to on a daily basis, so I give back what I was given, which is what I think keeps me sober at most. I go to meetings, I work in treatment. So I’m like hands on with clients all daylong, people that are right where I was. So I try my best to use my story to help them get to a better place.

Oh, yeah.”

Does Addiction Rehab Work?

Longer stays in treatment frequently result in better outcomes, however success can vary from person to person. Detox alone is rarely beneficial for long-term recovery. Does treatment work? Attending treatment increases a person’s chances of long-term recovery compared to not attending.