Methadone is used to end addiction to substances like heroin, but it is also addictive and can cause withdrawal symptoms such as nausea, cramps, sweating, and insomnia. Tapering the dosage is recommended to avoid severe symptoms, and staying on methadone is an option for some. Cold turkey withdrawal is not recommended without medical assistance.
Methadone is a commonly associated drug used to help end addiction to substances such as heroin. It can also be used in some circumstances for pain relief. The ironic part of using methadone as a substitute for heroin is that it is also addictive, and methadone withdrawal symptoms can include nausea, stomach cramps, muscle cramps, profuse sweating, insomnia, mood swings, and shaking. These tend to be longer-lasting than symptoms associated with stopping heroin or opioids such as morphine, and at routine high doses, cold turkey methadone withdrawal could mean people remain symptomatic for several weeks or several months .
It is very clear that long-term use of this drug will cause methadone withdrawal if it is stopped, and some people become dependent on methadone for life to avoid it. There are ways to cut methadone, but they should be done under the care of a doctor or at a treatment center.
Tapering means gradually reducing the dosage. Those who depend on methadone are likely to have the worst reactions if they stop taking it. What a doctor or treatment center would do instead is start lowering the dosage incrementally, noting how the person reacts as the dose decreases.
Whenever a person feels comfortable enough with a reduced dose, the dose is reduced again and eventually the doses may be stopped. This does not mean that a person will avoid methadone withdrawal. They can experience it to some extent whenever the dose is reduced and on stopping. However, in most cases the symptoms are less severe and medications may be prescribed to treat the troublesome withdrawal symptoms.
It is possible to try a cold turkey approach to stopping methadone, but this can make methadone withdrawal very severe and very long-lasting. There are also side effects not mentioned above that can occur when doses have been extremely high. These can include suicide, panic, agitation, depression, hallucinations and arrhythmias. Due to the potential risks to the person of withdrawing from very large doses, it is not recommended to do so without medical assistance and hospitalization may be required so that a person has adequate medical care during the most difficult times.
However, in the interest of preventing methadone withdrawal, especially accompanied by severe symptoms, the tapering method is much preferable and considered a better alternative for many people. It’s not likely to be a comfortable experience for anyone, but people’s symptom score is dramatically reduced with tapering. There is another way to avoid withdrawal, and that is to stay on methadone. Some people continue to request it and it is considered medically acceptable to continue using it at the prescribed doses, in many circumstances.
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