What makes methadone work better

Taking these is especially risky when you first start opioid agonist therapy. Using other drugs while taking opioid agonist treatment can also cause your dose of methadone to wear off more quickly, meaning you could experience withdrawal.

All opioids have a risk of overdose. The risk is higher with methadone than with buprenorphine. The risk is especially high when you start treatment, and when you stop taking opioids methadone or other opioids for a while and then start again.

Mixing opioids with other drugs also increases the risk of overdose. If you or someone you know uses opioids, it is a good idea to have a free naloxone kit. Naloxone is a medication that can temporarily reverse the effects of an opioid overdose and allow time for medical help to arrive.

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With liquid methadone, swallow the medicine in one go. You can have a drink of water afterwards if you like. You will usually start on 10mg to 30mg, taken once a day. This can be increased slowly, until your withdrawal symptoms are under control and your cravings stop. Many people then take a regular dose of between 60mg and mg a day. However your dose may be different.

Always follow your treatment plan. You will get your first prescription or script from your GP, or a prescriber at your drug treatment service.

This may be a nurse, doctor or a prescribing pharmacist. They will ask you to choose a pharmacy to take your prescriptions to. You can pick a pharmacy near your home or work. You may be given your medicine to take home, instead of having supervised doses at a pharmacy. It's important to store your methadone safely. Your key worker will discuss storage options with you and can offer advice. When you start your treatment, and until your dose is stabilised, a key worker or pharmacist will usually supervise you as you take methadone.

This can take up to 3 months. When you have stabilised on methadone, it may be possible to take some of your doses at home. This can take up to 12 weeks. In this case, skip the missed dose and take your next one at the usual time. Do not take a double dose to make up for a forgotten dose. Tell your key worker or your doctor that you missed a dose. They may ask you to return the leftover liquid.

If you cannot get to your pharmacy or drug treatment centre until the next day, they may not be able to give you any methadone. They may need to speak to your prescriber first. Always check your treatment plan. It is important to take the right dose, according to your treatment plan and prescription. If you take too much methadone you could be at risk of overdose.

Too much methadone may make you very sleepy, and can slow down or stop your breathing. This can be life-threatening.

Follow the instructions you have been given. Naloxone is a medicine that is sometimes used to reverse a methadone overdose. This is because you will run out of methadone before you get your next supply. Like all medicines, methadone can cause side effects. However, many people have no side effects or only minor ones. You are more likely to get side effects if you are on a high dose of methadone.

Talk to your doctor, pharmacist or key worker if the side effects bother you or do not go away:. In rare cases, it's possible to have a serious allergic reaction anaphylaxis to methadone. These are not all the side effects of methadone. For a full list, see the leaflet inside your medicines packet. Some of these side effects usually improve with time, as you get used to methadone.

If recreational drugs are part of your life, getting help can really improve the outlook for you and your baby. You can take methadone when you are pregnant, to help you stop taking heroin and having withdrawals.

You will have a special care plan and will also need extra monitoring from your doctor, midwife or key worker.

If you become pregnant while taking methadone, speak to your doctor or prescriber. You may need to have more appointments. This is to make sure that the dose you take is right for you. Sometimes your dose may need to be adjusted as your pregnancy progresses. If you take methadone at the end of pregnancy, your baby may be born dependent on methadone. Your midwife will check your baby for any withdrawal symptoms.

They can be treated in hospital if they need it. Talk to your doctor, midwife or health visitor if you want to breastfeed while taking methadone. If your baby is healthy and you are stable on methadone, you will usually be able to breastfeed while continuing your treatment. It may also help reduce withdrawal symptoms in your baby. Small amounts of methadone pass into breast milk. This has been linked to breathing problems and drowsiness in a few breastfed babies.

Breastfeeding will also benefit you and your baby. Your midwife, or health visitor, together with your prescriber can advise you how to wean your baby gradually. Tell your midwife, health visitor or doctor immediately if you notice your baby is not feeding as well as usual, seems unusually sleepy or has difficulty breathing, or if you have any other concerns about your baby. Some medicines and methadone can affect each other and increase the risk of side effects or overdose.

Do not take morphine, buprenorphine, codeine or any other opioids while taking methadone. It's usually ok to take methadone with paracetamol , ibuprofen or aspirin. Do not take methadone with painkillers that contain codeine. You will be more likely to get side effects and increase the risk of overdose. Painkillers that contain codeine include co-codamol codeine and paracetamol , Nurofen Plus codeine and ibuprofen , co-codaprin codeine and aspirin and Solpadeine codeine, paracetamol, ibuprofen and caffeine.

Some migraine treatments and cough syrups also contain codeine. Always check the ingredients on the packaging. Speak to a pharmacist or a doctor if you need any advice about pain relief while taking methadone. There may be a problem taking St John's wort with methadone. It can stop the methadone from reducing your withdrawal symptoms properly.

It's not possible to say whether other herbal medicines and supplements are safe to take with methadone. They're not tested in the same way as pharmacy and prescription medicines. They're generally not tested for the effect they have on other medicines. Methadone is one component of a comprehensive treatment plan, which includes counseling and other behavioral health therapies to provide patients with a whole-person approach.

Methadone, a long-acting opioid agonist, reduces opioid craving and withdrawal and blunts or blocks the effects of opioids. Patients taking methadone to treat OUD must receive the medication under the supervision of a practitioner. After a period of stability based on progress and proven, consistent compliance with the medication dosage , patients may be allowed to take methadone at home between program visits.

The length of time a person receives methadone treatment varies. Some patients may require long-term maintenance. Patients must work with their MAT practitioner to gradually reduce their methadone dosage to prevent withdrawal.

Methadone is safe and effective, when taken as prescribed. Methadone medication is specifically tailored for the individual patient and doses are often adjusted and readjusted and is never to be shared with or given to others.

This is particularly important for patients who take methadone at home and are not required to take medication under direct supervision at an OTP. Patients should share their complete health history with health providers to ensure the safe use of the medication. Other medications may interact with methadone and cause heart conditions.

Unintentional overdose is possible if patients do not take methadone as prescribed. Side effects should be taken seriously, as some of them may indicate an emergency. Patients should stop taking methadone and contact a doctor or emergency services right away.

Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding can safely take methadone. Comprehensive methadone maintenance treatment should include prenatal care to reduce the risks of complications during pregnancy and at birth. Undergoing methadone maintenance treatment while pregnant does not cause birth defects. Pregnant woman who experience withdrawal may be at risk of miscarriage or premature birth, as withdrawal can cause the uterus to contract.