Opioids Can you take normal methadone tablets sublingually?

[ivorymoon]

I've heard you can put a normal methadone tablet under your tongue and it'll kick in faster that way. That there won't be as long of a half life had you taken it orally but it kicks in much faster and it has a high bioavailability taken the sublingual ROA

^^^^^^^^^
Now, this is what I've heard. Any truth to it?

 

[KS78]

"When the oral cavity was buffered to pH 8.5, methadone absorption was increased to 75%. Thus, an alkaline pH microenvironment that favors the unionized fraction of opioids increased sublingual drug absorption. "
"These results indicate that although the sublingual absorption and apparent sublingual bioavailability of morphine are poor, the sublingual absorption of methadone, fentanyl, and buprenorphine under controlled conditions is relatively high. "
Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2458208

"This opioid may be also administered by intranasal or sublingual routes45. In a pilot study, significant breakthrough pain relief was obtained 5 minutes after sublingual methadone administration."
Source: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1806-00132015000100060

In these studies, they don't state if they are using Sublingual Methadone or just regular oral Methadone tablets but there's a lot of information about Sublingual Route working very efficiently and rapidly for breakthrough pain.

 

[axe battler]

I get the liquid but the half dozen times I've had the pleasure of getting tablets, I would always take them at least partially sublingually. Never experimented with pH, but I always felt they hit harder and a lot faster. I'd swap myliquid for tabs in a ? beat

 

[negrogesic]

Maybe. I used to get only the tablets when i was on methadone (380mg/day) but the dose was so high that I never even thought of sublingual administration. If your tolerance is low enough it might work.

 

[ivorymoon]

Thank you all SO much. I was asking for my mother cause they're cutting her down even though she really needs it for pain relief so I'm glad there's a good chance she'll get more of a benefit from taking it sublingually. Thank you again! ?