Should I Taper My Own Methadone Dosage?

It is not safe to taper your own methadone dosage without the help and supervision of a doctor. Methadone is an addictive opioid, and an individual should never make changes to their dosage amount––either to increase or reduce it––without a doctor’s help and permission. If you need to find a methadone clinic in your area, call MethadoneCenters.com at 800-994-1867Who Answers? today.

The Regulation of Methadone Treatment

No one should taper off their own methadone dosage without discussing it with their doctor and following their physician’s plan for tapering. This is one of the many reasons why methadone is so highly regulated. According to the National Institute of Justice, methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) “is one of the most monitored and regulated medical treatments in the country,” and those who receive the drug as a pain management medication are monitored closely as well.

By tapering your methadone dosage with a doctor’s guidance, you avoid any potentially negative consequences.

This regulation is done in order to avoid the drug being diverted to the black market and to avoid addiction for those being treated with it. Tapering off one’s dosage without a doctor’s permission means that you are going against your treatment regimen, which could lead to one of these dangerous scenarios, as well as many others.

Methadone Tapering and Relapse

According to the US Department of Veteran Affairs, “Tapering is generally not life threatening for patients without significant co-occurring conditions, but it can be quite uncomfortable.” If you are unprepared for this discomfort, dangerous side effects can occur. Many people return to drug abuse when experiencing these effects because they do not realize how uncomfortable they will be, which can often lead to overdose and many other issues.

Talking to Your Doctor

When your doctor is able to help you taper your dosage amount, they will usually be able to gauge how much of a taper you can handle at a time. In addition, if you feel the process is going too quickly, you can talk to your physician and have it slowed down. You will be much less likely to experience dangerous side effects as a result.

Physicians who treat patients on methadone maintenance or those who take methadone as a pain management drug need to be especially careful in making sure their patients are safe and receiving the effects they need at any given time. It is important to put this in the hands of your doctor instead of trying to take it into your own.

Why You Need to Stick to Your Methadone Dosage

Methadone is a long acting synthetic opiate that serves 3 general pharmacological purposes in medicine. It has a demonstrated success …

Tapering Methadone in MMT

You can decide to stay on methadone indefinitely or taper off the amount of the drug you are being treated with until you are completely off of it. Either way, it depends on your needs and the treatment regimen you decide on with your doctor. But it is important to never make a change to your methadone dosage without discussing it with your physician first and following their plan exactly.

Call 800-994-1867Who Answers? today to find out more about methadone maintenance or to find a treatment facility in your area. We can help you find the program you need to recover from opioid abuse.