Methadone Withdrawal Symptoms
Methadone withdrawal symptoms can be tough. In addition to providing 24-hour medical supervision, our team at Diamond House Detox offers emotional and mental support programs to ease symptoms and encourage abstinence. After the initial medical detox, our guests enter formal substance abuse rehabilitation programs, which include counseling, rehab, social support meetings and other forms of post-detox recovery.
Methadone is usually prescribed to help individuals overcome opioid addiction. In some cases, people can become addicted to methadone in the place of the previous drug. According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 3,194 people in the United States passed away from a methadone overdose in 2017 alone. Methadone is usually prescribed to help ease the withdrawal symptoms of other substances, including heroin and painkillers. Unfortunately, even people that are legally prescribed methadone can experience withdrawal symptoms when they try to stop using it. These, in turn, can lead to addiction.
Although withdrawal symptoms associated with methadone are not as severe as what’s seen with other opioids, like heroin, recovery can still be nuanced and uncomfortable. Withdrawal symptoms may take 2-4 days to develop and ease over ten days. At first, symptoms may feel similar to having the flu. Methadone withdrawal can peak around three days and can include cravings, depression, diarrhea, cramps, nausea and vomiting.
The longer the use, the longer the tapering process will be for methadone detox. Tapering refers to the process of the body being weaned off of a drug to ensure a healthier, more successful withdrawal. Often, withdrawal symptoms start to decline after the tenth day during the acute methadone withdrawal stage. Finally, in the post-acute withdrawal stage, most symptoms are emotional and can include anxiety, depression, irritability, fatigue and difficulty concentrating. Withdrawal symptoms for methadone may consist of:
- Depression
- Yawning
- Increased tearing or watery eyes
- Sweating
- Irritability
- Restlessness or anxiety
- Insomnia
- Runny nose
- Shivering or trembling
- nausea or vomiting
- Abdominal cramps
- Diarrhea
- Muscle aches or joint pain