Opioids Duration of Methadone's Analgesic Effect? (Pain Management)

[muie]

1. How long do the analgesic properties of methadone last if someone were taking it for pain management?

(I have heard no longer than about 8hrs...if that is the case what happens to the patient during the remaing time the methadone is active?)

2. Would the long half life of methadone be useful to anyone using it for pain?

(I can see it bennefiting the drug addict who needs to be stable as long as possible but what if out of the 24hr-36hrs which is only the half life only 6-8hrs are for pain relief, then its not such a superior opioid for pain).

Thanks a bunch!

 

[Cane2theLeft]

Its typically dosed BID or TID for chronic pain but you have to carefully titrate to the proper dose to prevent dangerous accumulation which there were many cases of a few years ago when insurance companies were encouraging doctors to switch patients from OxyContin to methadone due to cost and stigma.

 

[X0MB1E]

I had been on Fentanyl patches for 8 months. I could no longer afford my script and switched to methadone. I still do too much at the beginning of the month and have to taper down at the end of the month. The longer half-life is enough to keep you from getting sick even in low dosage. I like the absence of pain from 4MMC and M1 and I can skip several days of using my methadone. Xanax and methadone makes the misery of coming down from the M1 less painfull.