How good is Methadone for treating chronic pain?!
Question: How good is Methadone for treating chronic pain!?
Answers:
Methadone is probably the best medication for chronic pain, which has no cure!. It is stable, and allows the patient to function without significant loss if mental acuity seen with other pain medications!. If you were on a 25 mcg/hr Fentanyl patch then the methadone dose would be around 2!.5 to 5 mg per day!. However, it does take about 3 days for the medication to reach complete steady state!. I have taken over patients weighing 120lbs with methadone doses as high as 510 mg per day and they were able to work at their job full time!.
This being said, due to the long elimination time for the methadone, which makes it so stable for pain control; it is a difficult medication to stop, as the withdrawal period is longer than any other opiate!.
The average methadone patient will have at least 21 days of some amount of withdrawal symptoms!. When trying to stop the medication it is decreased at 10% of the total daily dose once per month until at a low enough level to stop the medication!.
When I put a patient on this medication it is provided to them in a pill minder format so they can be sure they are following the schedule!. They are also given instructions for how to manage missed doses!.
No form of chronic narcotic medication is any safer, and while they all cause physiologic dependence, this medication has a lower incidence of psychological addiction!.
If I have a patient who needs the medication for a short period of time this is not the first choice!. But it is a frequent choice for those who will likely be on pain medication for long term!. Additionally, while other pain medication therapies can cost as much as $800 to $1200 per month, most methadone patients can be managed for $30 to $60 per month!. I have several patients who do not have medication coverage, and cannot afford $800 for one medication and $600 for the break through medication every month and are happy to be on the methadone!.
There are many reasons to pick methadone, and it is a good option which is excellent for pain control in the right patient!.
This all being said, before I started working with pain patients, I was on methadone with trans-mucosal fentanyl for break through pain for 5 years following an injury I sustained while on active duty with the Army!.
Once I found a better way to control the pain without any medication, I withdrew from the methadone!. It was a month which was quite difficult, but I was able to do this at home, and I also researched and found methods to decrease the effects of the withdrawal (also with supplementation and no medication)!.
Discuss your options with your physician, but methadone may be your best option depending on your circumstances!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
This being said, due to the long elimination time for the methadone, which makes it so stable for pain control; it is a difficult medication to stop, as the withdrawal period is longer than any other opiate!.
The average methadone patient will have at least 21 days of some amount of withdrawal symptoms!. When trying to stop the medication it is decreased at 10% of the total daily dose once per month until at a low enough level to stop the medication!.
When I put a patient on this medication it is provided to them in a pill minder format so they can be sure they are following the schedule!. They are also given instructions for how to manage missed doses!.
No form of chronic narcotic medication is any safer, and while they all cause physiologic dependence, this medication has a lower incidence of psychological addiction!.
If I have a patient who needs the medication for a short period of time this is not the first choice!. But it is a frequent choice for those who will likely be on pain medication for long term!. Additionally, while other pain medication therapies can cost as much as $800 to $1200 per month, most methadone patients can be managed for $30 to $60 per month!. I have several patients who do not have medication coverage, and cannot afford $800 for one medication and $600 for the break through medication every month and are happy to be on the methadone!.
There are many reasons to pick methadone, and it is a good option which is excellent for pain control in the right patient!.
This all being said, before I started working with pain patients, I was on methadone with trans-mucosal fentanyl for break through pain for 5 years following an injury I sustained while on active duty with the Army!.
Once I found a better way to control the pain without any medication, I withdrew from the methadone!. It was a month which was quite difficult, but I was able to do this at home, and I also researched and found methods to decrease the effects of the withdrawal (also with supplementation and no medication)!.
Discuss your options with your physician, but methadone may be your best option depending on your circumstances!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
I took this drug for just over 2 years, so listen carefully because you are getting information directly from an intelligent lab rat!. It is an excellent source of medication for chronic pain relief!. It is a very consistent relief if taken as prescribed to a tee!. Meaning that if you take it regimented, it will provide the most consistent day to day pain relief without clouding your mind like other types of opioid drugs such as Oxycontin, hydrocodone, oxycodone etc!.!.!. Doses are increased at a much lower rate than the above aforementioned drugs!. However, (here's the however part) for one it isn't effective for everyone, but nor is any other drug!. If your thinking of taking it then there will be a trial period to make sure it's the drug for you!. Also it's for CHRONIC PAIN ONLY, If there is any hope for recovery in the future then do not take this drug period!. In addition, it can be very lethal, because it doesn't get you high (when I say that, I mean that it does for the first month but after that it really doesn't have that effect) so therefore it is possible to forget that you took your dose then take another dose later!. I did this once, I was working on my computer one minute and the next thing I remember I was waking up in an ambulance with a tube down my throat and six people screaming GARY WAKE UP!! My parents had stoped by and noticed my screen door was open but nobody answered, they found me slumped over, blue and not breating!. The doctor said my dad's mouth to mouth resistation saved my life!. Now, back to why it's only for cronic pain, chronic pain means that it is permanant!. I'm talking about non-cureable and progressive pain!. The reason I mention this is because after taking this drug for 2 years I was cured by surgery!. However I was physically addicted to the drug!. Withdraws from Methadone is the worst in the word, (it makes heroine look like detox from Flintstone Chewables)!. Usually it requires a slow drop in doses over several months!. I quit cold turkey and was basically sick fro 2 months before I felt remotely well!. I have been told my some medical professionals that the way I quit was a medical miracle!.
Bottom line is if you don't have a progressive illness with cronic pain then don't take Methadone!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
Bottom line is if you don't have a progressive illness with cronic pain then don't take Methadone!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
I am 51 years old, female and I took methadone for 10 years for chronic pain!. At the end I took 360 mgs a day with other opiates for breakthrough!. It made my body pretty much numb!. Eventually it made my mind numb also!. I could go into the 50 or so surgeries I have had or the compression fracture in my back or any of the assorted medical history but lets just say my pain became unlivable!. It was such a relief to be not hurting that I let it sneak up on me and became a living veggie!. I take full responsibility but I think you need a mental as well as a medical doc!. Docs are very arrogant and do not always consider all of your best interests!. I ended up in rehab cold turkey Let me tell you that was one of the hardest physical things I have even done!. For the first 3 days it was great!.!.!.then the methadone was all out of my system and the next 5 days were indescribable!.!.!.I was pasty-faced and angry!. I have had withdrawl like symptoms for the past 3 yeears!. I was told before I went to addict camp it wouldn't be cold turkey but they lied!. Anyway!.!.!.I believe methadone is a good pain medication but be sure to put safety measures into place before you start it because even if you plan to stay on it for life you still need help managing the drug and it's side effects!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
I'm not sure, but next time you go to the pharmacy to take it, ask the pharmacist there!. If he is unwilling to help, talk to your doctor!.Www@Answer-Health@Com