Methadone
Detox at Home

Methadone is often used to treat substance abuse disorders. However, methadone is an extremely addictive drug. People who have used methadone recreationally or to combat an addiction to another substance may experience methadone withdrawal when they stop using it. Methadone detox can be accomplished in a safe, healthy manner with our home detox program.

What is Methadone?

Methadone is a schedule II-controlled substance has been used for more than 50 years to help people recover from opioid use disorder. Like heroin and OxyContin, methadone is an opioid.

Methadone is addictive. Is it worth it to trade one addiction for another? To understand the effects of methadone, you need to recognize how these chemicals function in the body.

Opioids bond to certain receptors in the brain. When individuals take these drugs recreationally, they often use enough to produce a euphoric feeling in the brain. That’s the high that triggers the central nervous system’s reward pathways and keeps people coming back for more.

When methadone attaches to the opioid receptors, it delivers similar effects as those drugs. Just like heroin, methadone can be abused.

If it’s prescribed for detox, though, this substance shouldn’t produce a high. It allows the body to get used to the lack of opioids in the system. Because it triggers the same receptors as illicit narcotics, methadone helps prevent the withdrawal symptoms that occur when people quit using opioids.

Methadone also blocks some of the effects of other opioids. When you’re taking methadone to wean off of other narcotics, you won’t experience the same type of high if you relapse and use the drugs from which you’re trying to detox.

This drug is often used as part of a medication-assisted treatment program that’s designed to help you get clean if you have been using other narcotics. It lasts longer than other opioids, which means that it can be an effective part of an outpatient program.

Because methadone reduces drug cravings and withdrawal symptoms, using it during the initial part of a treatment program can help individuals stay in treatment for longer. But if you become addicted to methadone, you’ll need to detox from it at some point too.

What is at Home Methadone Detox?

Methadone detox is a treatment program that eliminates the opioid from your system. You may need to undergo this type of program if you have become addicted to methadone for whatever reason. Detox allows you to get clean while minimizing methadone withdrawal symptoms and cravings.

One of the primary reasons that people relapse is that they become dependent on the drugs. Even if you’re using methadone to detox from another substance, your body will become used to feeling the drug in the system. When you stop using the methadone, you could experience methadone withdrawal symptoms, which include:

• Fatigue
• Anxiety
• Sweating
• Restlessness
• Irritability
• Yawning
• Insomnia
• Runny eyes and nose

How does at home detox help with Methadone withdrawal?

The symptoms above usually present themselves within 30 hours after taking your last dose of methadone. You may feel like you have the flu. During this time, you might not want to get out of bed or take care of your daily obligations.

You need to rest and take care of yourself. If you undergo a home detox treatment, you can stay in your comfortable, familiar surroundings as you get the support that you need.

For most people, symptoms worsen after approximately three days. From three to seven days into detox, you may experience more severe methadone withdrawal symptoms, such as:

• Vomiting and diarrhea
• Severe nausea
• Goosebumps and chills
• Cramps and muscle aches
• Depression
• Drug cravings

If you try to detox from methadone on your own, you might feel hopeless. Without emotional, physical and mental support, you might slide back into your addiction. An at home detox program gives you the sustenance that you need and relieves some of the methadone withdrawal symptoms.

When you work with an experienced addiction professional, you can come up with a plan that reduces methadone withdrawal symptoms and gives you the best chance for recovery. Sometimes, gradually tapering the dose is the best course of action. If you stop using methadone cold turkey, your care provider can treat any distressing or dangerous withdrawal symptoms so that you have the best chances of getting through this challenging first step.

If you’ve been avoiding detox because you’re not sure that you can handle methadone withdrawal, please reach out to us. It’s our mission to put you on the path to recovery as effectively and compassionately as possible.