Methadone is a synthetic opioid with long-lasting effects and gradual release. As an opiate narcotic, it is often misused, which can inevitably lead to methadone addiction. When a person suddenly stops taking this psychoactive substance, they experience what is known as methadone withdrawal. The key question we will address in this blog is: how long does a methadone withdrawal crisis last?
Beyond that, the use of methadone raises many other questions and concerns. How does methadone work? What are the consequences or side effects of using it? What is the link between methadone and heroin? Ultimately, addicts who recognise their problem often ask: how can I stop using methadone?
Learn everything you need to know about methadone, its effects, withdrawal symptoms, and the methadone crisis in the sections below.
How long does a methadone crisis last and what is methadone?
To understand how a methadone crisis occurs and how long it lasts, it is essential first to understand what methadone actually is.
As previously mentioned, methadone is a synthetic drug that belongs to the class of opioid drugs. More specifically, it is a synthetic narcotic analgesic from the diphenylpropylamine group. Chemically, methadone is a hydrochloride. Despite its high addictive potential, it is legally prescribed by doctors as a painkiller for individuals suffering from moderate to severe chronic pain. Common street names for methadone include M, meth, Metaxa, heptos, and others.
On the other hand, methadone is also used in substitution therapy for opioid withdrawal. More specifically, it is often prescribed as part of medical treatment to help heroin addicts detox from this highly dangerous drug. In addition, methadone may be used in the treatment of addiction to other psychoactive substances, such as Vicodin or OxyContin.
Methadone tablets are the most common form in which this substance is produced, meaning it is primarily taken orally. However, methadone is also available in a pale-yellow or green liquid form, as well as in powder form. In some cases, it is abused by injection or snorting. Compared to oral use, injecting methadone leads to a faster onset of effects and increases the risk of intoxication (overdose).
Methadone is considered a safer and more controlled alternative to other opioid narcotics, as it has medically justified, legitimate, and legal uses. However, due to its effects on opioid (morphine) receptors in the brain, methadone is often misused. This can lead to serious health risks and dangerous side effects.
One of the biggest risks of excessive methadone use is developing both physical and psychological dependence on the drug.
Methadone: A Necessary Evil? The Rising Problem of Methadone Abuse and Addiction
Methadone, as we have seen, is an opioid agonist, meaning it binds to the same opioid receptors as other opiates but with a weaker effect. In general, 1 milligram of methadone can substitute for the effect of 4 milligrams of morphine.
Despite this, methadone is still an opiate with a high potential for addiction. This means that anyone using it remains at risk of abuse and dependence, even when following medical instructions.
Although methadone can help manage the symptoms of heroin withdrawal, it does not cure heroin or any other opiate addiction.
Moreover, using methadone tablets as substitution therapy can be highly risky, as patients do not eliminate one addiction but simply replace it with another. One consequence of this is the methadone crisis. Before examining how long this crisis has lasted, let’s first understand why methadone abuse has become increasingly widespread in recent years.
When methadone is used as a treatment to relieve heroin or opiate withdrawal symptoms, it is administered strictly under medical supervision. The patient attends an addiction treatment clinic, where they are prescribed an appropriate dose of methadone.
However, due to the high cost of many painkillers and the widespread availability and relatively low price of methadone, doctors have been prescribing it as a long-acting painkiller for chronic pain over the past twenty years. As a result, more people have been exposed to methadone than ever before, including individuals who had never previously used any opiate medication.
The increased availability of methadone, combined with its addictive potential, has led to a rise in the number of people becoming dependent on it.
Methadone and Heroin – The Inseparable Link Between the Two Drugs
When it comes to methadone and heroin, the question arises – what is the link between these two similar yet distinct psychoactive substances?
Both methadone and heroin are opiates, or opioid drugs, with methadone producing a weaker narcotic effect than heroin. However, their deeper and more significant connection lies in the treatment of heroin addiction. While methadone does not cure heroin addiction, substitution therapy with methadone helps manage the symptoms of heroin withdrawal.
Methadone is used in the detoxification process for heroin addicts to help them manage the unpleasant, often excruciating physical and psychological symptoms of heroin withdrawal. In drug rehabilitation centres, and under strict medical supervision, methadone is frequently used as a key component of heroin withdrawal therapy.
People who use methadone to overcome heroin addiction are at greater risk of abuse because they already have a history of opiate addiction!
Methadone’s effects are similar to those of heroin, but they are less pronounced, as methadone is administered in precisely controlled, smaller doses during substitution therapy. As a result, in the detoxification process, methadone’s effects are not as intense and do not carry the same devastating, destructive power as heroin.
The danger in methadone substitution therapy lies precisely in this: patients undergoing treatment for heroin addiction can often become addicted to its institutional substitute – methadone. In this way, methadone becomes a “necessary but dangerous evil,” or a “less harmful” alternative to heroin. Due to the similarities between the two, methadone has become an integral part of anti-heroin therapy, despite the risks it presents.
This can be likened to the saying we often use in everyday language: choosing the lesser of two evils. However, the lesser evil is still evil. When abused, taken in excessive amounts, or used uncontrollably, methadone reveals its full destructive potential.
How long does a methadone crisis last and how does methadone work?
The way methadone works is key to understanding how long a methadone crisis lasts! In other words, to determine the symptoms and duration of a methadone crisis, it’s important to first understand the initial effects methadone has on the brain.
We’ve already seen that methadone works on the brain by binding to the same opioid receptors as other opiates, such as heroin, morphine, or OxyContin. This makes methadone an opioid agonist. Methadone is a long-acting psychoactive substance, meaning it remains in the body for an extended period – typically one to three days. The long-term goal of methadone is to block the euphoric effects of heroin or other opiate use, as well as to alleviate chronic pain. This is precisely why heroin or other opiates cannot produce euphoria after using methadone.
At first glance, this might seem like a good treatment, but let’s reiterate – methadone is also an opioid by its chemical composition, which can cause addiction, and cannot serve as the sole method for treating drug addiction!
Given methadone’s long-lasting effects, it can quickly accumulate in a person’s body and remain in the bloodstream for an extended period, which can be detected in a drug test. Patients prescribed methadone often adjust their dosage independently, which is highly risky, as the potency of a single dose makes it easy to overdose on methadone.
Using methadone without medical supervision is dangerous and addictive with very serious consequences!
Methadone only superficially mimics the substance it was designed to replace – morphine. By activating opioid receptors in the brain, methadone provides pain relief. However, unlike morphine, its effect is milder and more gradual. Methadone is released and absorbed slowly by the body, alleviating pain while preventing the euphoric “high” typically associated with morphine.
The elimination half-life of methadone – the time it takes for its concentration in the blood plasma to reduce by half – varies between 8 and 59 hours, depending on the dose taken. However, the analgesic effects of methadone (its pain-relieving properties) last for up to 8 hours.
What are the side effects of methadone?
It’s important to emphasise once again that, although methadone has a weaker effect than heroin, it is still a narcotic that carries a risk of addiction. When misused, it can lead to significant health consequences. So, the question arises – what are the side effects of methadone?
When a person takes methadone in any form, they risk experiencing a range of dangerous side effects. These effects, which can be both short-term and long-term, have a negative psychological and physical impact on the user.
Short-term methadone side effects
Even if methadone is used only once or for a very short period, a person may experience a range of unpleasant physical side effects. These include:
- Drowsiness
- Dry mouth
- Dizziness
- Urinary retention
- Gastrointestinal issues
- Reduced body temperature
- Sexual dysfunction and impotence
- Muscle weakness
- Nausea and vomiting
- Low blood pressure
- Confusion and fatigue
In addition to the above, a person may experience more serious short-term methadone side effects, including:
- Irregular heartbeat and shortness of breath
- Respiratory depression
- Dizziness
- Tremors
- Blurred vision
- Pale and clammy skin
- Unsteady gait
- Fainting
- Seizures
- Coma
- Anaphylactic reactions
- Death due to overdose
There are also serious short-term psychological side effects of methadone use, including:
- Hallucinations
- Insomnia
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Paranoia
- Delusions
- Suicidal thoughts
- Impaired concentration
- Reduced reaction time and attention span
When methadone is abused over a long period, continuously and chronically, it can lead to long-term side effects. Anyone who uses methadone, whether legally (with a doctor’s prescription) or not, can become dependent on it. Methadone addiction is one of the most common, yet also one of the riskiest, long-term consequences of methadone abuse.
Addiction to methadone can occur through illicit use of this psychoactive substance (i.e., without a doctor’s prescription) or through improper and excessive use. In the latter case, this refers to situations where methadone is taken in higher doses than prescribed or combined with other addictive substances.
The longer and more frequently a person takes methadone, the greater the risk of developing addiction and other long-term adverse effects of this synthetic opioid.
In addition to addiction, some other long-term side effects of methadone use include:
- Nerve, liver, and brain damage
- Disruption of the menstrual cycle in women
- Decreased libido
- Irritability and frequent mood swings
- Difficulty focusing and concentrating
- Cardiovascular problems
- Respiratory issues
- Increased involvement in socially risky situations and criminal behaviour
- Neglect of personal well-being, others, and daily tasks and responsibilities
How long does a methadone crisis last and how do you recognize a methadone addict?
Methadone addiction can transform healthy, happy individuals into depressed and desperate ones. That’s why it is crucial to recognise a methadone addict early, in the initial stages of addiction. This is essential, as understanding how to get off methadone requires first being able to identify the signs and symptoms of addiction to this substance.
A red flag is often when someone’s behaviour changes dramatically, especially in relation to the initial or increased dose of methadone. Here are some key signs of methadone addiction:
- Increased tolerance: When a person develops a tolerance to methadone, it means they require higher doses at more frequent intervals to achieve the desired effect. This is one of the first and clearest signs of physical dependence.
- Methadone withdrawal crisis: When a person suddenly stops using methadone, they experience a range of unpleasant and painful withdrawal symptoms. These symptoms can vary but may include insomnia, cramps, and depression, which we will discuss further later.
- Intense craving for methadone: A strong urge or desire for methadone is a clear indicator of psychological dependence.
- Prioritising methadone: When a person consistently chooses methadone over their hobbies, interests, family, work, or social obligations, it may be a sign of methadone addiction.
Methadone Crisis - Symptoms
When taken in large doses, methadone can cause severe psychological and physical dependence. If methadone is frequently abused in short intervals, tolerance to the drug can develop.
When a person’s body can no longer function normally without methadone, it means they have developed a physical dependence on this opioid. If the person suddenly stops consuming it, or attempts to quit “cold turkey,” they will experience a series of very unpleasant withdrawal symptoms, known as the methadone crisis.
The methadone crisis occurs because the body has to relearn how to function without methadone in the system. As the body tries to re-establish metabolic balance, withdrawal symptoms emerge.
Due to the painful symptoms of the methadone crisis, most people are unable to quit methadone on their own. Therefore, it is essential to undergo a medically supervised and reliable methadone detoxification process.
The duration of the methadone crisis and its symptoms can vary from person to person. The severity of withdrawal symptoms depends on the length of time the person has been using methadone, the dosage, frequency of use, method of administration, as well as the individual’s overall health, genetics, and other factors.
Signs of the Methadone Crisis
Generally speaking, the symptoms of a methadone crisis are similar to those caused by a heroin or other opioid withdrawal. However, the methadone crisis differs from these other withdrawal processes, and individuals particularly struggle with methadone withdrawal due to the fact that this opioid remains in the body for a longer period.
The symptoms of methadone withdrawal are typically moderate and often resemble flu-like symptoms, including:
- Chills and fever
- Anxiety
- Nausea and vomiting
- Muscle pain
- Sweating
- Rapid heartbeat
- Stomach cramps
- Irritability
- Paranoia
- Diarrhoea
- Intense cravings for methadone
- Insomnia
- Hallucinations
- Depression
Individuals with a more severe methadone addiction will experience more intense withdrawal symptoms. If a person is dependent on multiple substances, including methadone, the methadone crisis can be longer and more intense. Attempting to quit methadone without professional help can result in more severe symptoms, which is why, as mentioned, a medically supervised methadone detoxification process is necessary.
How long does a methadone crisis last?
The first symptoms of a methadone crisis typically appear within 24 hours after the last dose is taken. However, it can take between 15 and 60 hours for methadone to be fully eliminated from the addict’s body. Due to the long-lasting effects of methadone, some individuals may not experience the initial signs of a methadone crisis until several days after stopping.
The question of how long a methadone crisis lasts does not have a definitive, one-size-fits-all answer. However, the experiences of many users suggest that the symptoms of a methadone crisis typically last between three and six weeks on average. For those with a more serious or chronic methadone addiction, this process can be significantly longer.
The first 7 to 10 days are usually the most intense and challenging for the individual, although this peak period may extend beyond ten days in some cases. Methadone remains in the body for a much longer time compared to other narcotics, and in certain situations, the peak of withdrawal may not occur until seven days after the last dose.
During this time, physical symptoms, often resembling flu-like illness, appear alongside distressing psychological symptoms such as anxiety and depression. Over the following weeks, the symptoms of a methadone crisis begin to gradually subside.
Methadone Crisis by Day
Day 1-2
Symptoms of a methadone crisis typically do not begin until at least 30 hours after the last dose of methadone, although this period can be longer depending on the dose taken. During the first two days, the individual may experience symptoms such as chills, fever, rapid heartbeat, and muscle aches.
Days 3-8
During this phase, cravings for methadone will be intense. The person may experience anxiety, body aches, nausea, insomnia, and irritability. Flu-like physical symptoms will persist, and because methadone stays in the body for an extended period, it often takes between 3 and 8 days for symptoms to peak. Additional symptoms such as depression, vomiting, and stomach cramps will also begin to emerge.
Days 9-15
After the peak of the methadone crisis, symptoms will begin to gradually subside during this period. However, some symptoms may persist, such as irritability, diarrhea, and physical discomfort. The person may still experience strong cravings for methadone, and depression can occur. This depression may become severe and clinically significant, making it difficult for the individual to experience pleasure or motivation.
Days 15+
Symptoms of a methadone crisis, such as low energy, anxiety, sleep disturbances, and drug cravings, usually last for two to three weeks after the last dose. Once the methadone crisis is over and symptoms have completely disappeared, many former methadone users will experience what is known as post-acute withdrawal syndrome. These symptoms can last for several months, and in some cases, up to two years. Among them are irritability, anxiety, depression, an inability to experience pleasure, difficulty sleeping, and poor concentration.
How to Get Off Methadone? Detox as a Solution!
Methadone, like any other opiate, can be extremely challenging to quit. As we’ve seen, withdrawing from methadone can cause severe symptoms that are difficult to manage independently and “cold turkey.” This raises the important question – how can one safely get off methadone?
The answer is painless and safe methadone detoxification at MedTim clinic!
Our modern addiction treatment hospital is a specialised centre for drug detoxification and the treatment of all forms of substance use disorders and addiction! At MedTim Clinic, we have award-winning doctors with a global reputation and decades of experience in treating all types of addiction. Thanks to the use of modern and reliable treatment methods, a personalised approach, and a hospital equipped to the latest international standards, we guarantee every patient the highest level of medical care and attention.
We will help your loved one overcome methadone abuse and addiction in just 10 to 14 days, depending on the treatment and the severity of the condition!
What sets us apart is that we offer a completely painless and safe methadone detoxification, supervised by highly qualified and expert medical staff. This means that, through detoxification as part of the treatment for methadone use disorders, the patient will not experience any painful or unpleasant withdrawal symptoms! Thanks to our medically-approved process for clearing the body of methadone traces, we prevent relapse or recurrence due to physical withdrawal.
The detoxification process at MedTim Clinic helps the addict’s body eliminate the toxic substances of methadone more quickly. Detoxification from methadone at our hospital is the initial phase of treatment for methadone addiction!
UROD Procedure, Treatment for Psychological Addiction, and Drug Blockers
In addition to standard detoxification, our clinic offers patients ultra-fast opioid detoxification from methadone – the UROD procedure. This procedure is a modern, painless, safe, and accelerated method of detoxification that cleanses opioid receptors and normalises brain neurotransmitter levels. General anaesthesia is used to help the patient undergo the detox process without discomfort or pain.
As part of the treatment for methadone addiction, in addition to detoxification and appropriate pharmacotherapy, the patient undergoes psychological procedures with psychologists, psychiatrists, and psychotherapists to treat the psychological dependency. These procedures include psychotherapeutic work alongside pharmacotherapy, which helps to create a conditioned reflex of aversion towards methadone.
At the end of the treatment, every patient who has undergone detoxification and verification that their body is free from methadone will receive a drug blocker – Naltrexone liquid implant. The effect of the injection lasts for 30 days, after which the patient should receive the same dose for the next 30 days. We recommend that the patient continues receiving the drug blocker for the following year, as it provides a strong physical and mental block against potential methadone crises that could lead to relapse.
We know how to help you get off methadone in a painless and safe way. All you need to do is trust us, and we will give your loved one the hope of a better and happier life!
