Description About Methadone

This medication is used to treat addiction to narcotic drugs (such as heroin) as part of an approved treatment program. Methadone belongs to a class of drugs known as narcotic (opiate) analgesics. It helps prevent withdrawal symptoms caused by stopping other narcotic drugs.

Methadone Binds to opiate receptors in the CNS. Alters the perception of and response to painful stimuli, while producing generalized CNS depression. Therapeutic Effects: Decrease in severity of pain. Suppression of withdrawal symptoms during detoxification and maintenance from heroin and other opioids.

INDICATIONS AND USAGE

1. For the treatment of moderate to severe pain not responsive to non-narcotic analgesics.

2. For detoxification treatment of opioid addiction (heroin or other morphine-like drugs).

3. For maintenance treatment of opioid addiction (heroin or other morphine-like drugs), in conjunction with

appropriate social and medical services.

Acute Pain – Maintenance patients on a stable dose of methadone who experience physical trauma, postoperative

pain or other acute pain cannot be expected to derive analgesia from their existing dose of methadone. Such patients

should be administered analgesics, including opioids, in doses that would otherwise be indicated for nonmethadone-treated

patients with similar painful conditions. Due to the opioid tolerance induced by methadone, when

opioids are required for management of acute pain in methadone patients, somewhat higher and/or more frequent

doses will often be required than would be the case for non-tolerant patients.