Methadone Maintenance Treatment for Opioid Addiction

Methadone Maintenance Treatment for Opioid Addiction

• Mandy Sandhu
• 22 Oct 2024

Opioid use disorders (OUD) and opioid-related deaths have been rising in Canada since 2016. Since then, 30,000 Canadians have died from opioid overdoses. It’s a chronic health issue that affects many all across the country.

However, there are plenty of programs and medical options for people with substance abuse disorders to take advantage of. Our goal at Freedom From Addiction is to provide professional, empathetic care to anyone who needs help getting healthy.

We know withdrawal is uncomfortable, frightening, and intimidating. When done alone, it’s difficult to manage and often unsuccessful. Our help makes our patients more comfortable and gives them the support they need. This includes medical detox to manage withdrawal symptoms better. We use a medication-assisted treatment (MAT) using Methadone.

What is Methadone? 

Methadone is an opioid agonist used as a medication to treat opioid use disorder. It’s a controlled medication, so only health practitioners can prescribe it to those who need it. It’s usually taken with supervision as part of a medically assisted withdrawal treatment program.

How Does Methadone Work?

Doctors may prescribe methadone when a person has a confirmed opioid use disorder. It acts on opioid receptors to alleviate opioid withdrawal symptoms and cravings, helping the patient recover. People who receive methadone dose prescriptions are less likely to engage in criminal activity to satisfy a craving. 

Methadone is taken daily in liquid, powder, or disc form to block the effects of opioids. It has a grounding effect on patients without giving them a high or euphoria. This ensures patients can manage withdrawal while reclaiming their lives. 

It’s a longer-lasting opioid compared to short-acting opioids, such as heroin, oxycodone, or fentanyl. It overpowers and outlasts more harmful drugs already in a person’s system. Methadone dosing for addiction lasts 24 to 36 hours, therefore it’s normally used once a day as opposed to other opioids, which are used three to four times a day to satisfy a person’s cravings.

Methadone dosing for addiction varies per person and is adjusted throughout that person’s recovery. Doses should never be shared with others and should be respected if a person is allowed to take them home without supervision.

What is Methadone Maintenance Treatment? 

Methadone helps manage physical withdrawal symptoms. A methadone maintenance treatment uses methadone to help patients manage physical withdrawal symptoms of opioid dependence. It’s where people access monitored medical detox, counselling, group therapy, specialized treatment programs, and more. 

For higher success, specialized treatment clinics pair methadone treatment for addiction with comprehensive support and proven psychotherapy modalities. This well-rounded approach treats not only drug cravings but also the mental, emotional, and social toll of substance abuse on a person.

Image source: Unsplash

The Benefits of Methadone Treatment for Addiction and Withdrawal Symptoms 

Due to its ability to block the discomforts of withdrawal and allow a person to focus on rebuilding a healthy, productive, and enjoyable life, it’s widely agreed that methadone maintenance treatment is highly beneficial. These are the benefits of methadone treatment for addiction:

• Reduced use of other opioids and substances (cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, meth, etc.)
• Reduced risk of criminal activity
• Lower mortality rates
• Lower rates of risky injection-related behaviour
• Reduced transmission of HIV and STDs
• Improved physical, social, and mental health
• Better quality of life
• Pain relief
• Better outcomes for pregnancy
• Reduced time incarcerated
• Improved recovery

Potential Side Effects of Methadone Treatment 

On the other hand, it’s important to address the potential side effects of methadone maintenance treatment. Patients and medical practitioners can then make informed decisions, such as using a different MAT if a person isn’t responding well to methadone dosing for addiction.

Common Methadone side effects:

• Constipation
• Drowsiness
• Restlessness
• Nausea or vomiting
• Slow breathing
• Itchy skin
• Heavy sweating
• Sexual problems

Serious Methadone side effects:

• Difficulty breathing or shallow breathing
• Lightheadedness or faint
• Hives or a rash
• Swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat
• Chest pain
• Fast or pounding heartbeat
• Hallucinations or confusion

Methadone Maintenance Treatment vs Other Treatments 

At Freedom From Addiction, our experienced team uses methadone treatment for addiction, as well as suboxone (a mixture of buprenorphine and naloxone). However, there are other medically-assisted treatment options.

Naltrexone 

Naltrexone is an option for treating opioid use disorder (OUD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD). For AUD, it’s available in pill form and intramuscular injectable. For OUD, only the injectable is used. The pill is taken daily, while the injectable is taken once a month. Naltrexone isn’t an opioid like methadone, and it’s not addictive. It does, however, block withdrawal symptoms like methadone.

Buprenorphine 

This is another opioid medication to treat OUD. It can take many forms: a daily, sublingual tablet or film (suboxone), or a monthly injection with an extended-release administered by a medical professional. Patients who use buprenorphine have a better chance of finding the right dosage and transitioning to at-home care. 

Like methadone, it will reduce cravings without the high. Compared to other options, buprenorphine also has a lower risk of overdose, fewer side effects, and fewer interactions with other medications.

Slow-Release Oral Morphine (SROM) 

For patients unresponsive to a dose of methadone or buprenorphine, they may take a daily, slow-release morphine tablet. This must be taken with medical supervision. This generally isn’t a first choice since crushing, chewing, or dissolving the tablets can lead to a fatal dose of morphine. It must be carefully administered for acceptable release into the system.

Injectable Opioid Agonist Treatment 

Injectable opioid agonist treatment (iOAT) is often known as Diamorphine/Diacetylmorphine, or Hydromorphone (Dilaudid®). This is also a secondary option when taking methadone, and buprenorphine isn’t working as intended. Usually, patients try the slow-release oral morphine before this option.

Like all options, an injectable opioid treatment prevents withdrawal symptoms and helps patients manage cravings. It helps reduce overdoses and infections, but requires multiple supervised self-injections in a medical setting.

Once it has taken effect and stabilized the patient, it’s best to try reverting to another, previous option. It’s a high-intensity treatment with daily injections, so switching to another MAT would be in the patient’s best interest.

Image source: Canva

Methadone Maintenance Treatment at Freedom From Addiction 

Methadone treatment for addictions is the first, most common option for people recovering from opioid use disorders. It’s efficient, well-researched, widely available, and beneficial. When withdrawal, recovery, and relapse prevention can be so challenging, we provide medical detox to make the process easier with higher chances of success.

Methadone maintenance treatment is only available through a medical practitioner, and it’s most effective when paired with supporting programs to relearn healthy behaviours. Help someone you love or yourself, and contact us today for immediate access to support.