How Is Methadone Treatment Administered?
The dosage of methadone for most people will start at 10–30 mg daily, but this may be higher depending on the history of opioid use.
Methadone doses should not be increased faster than every 2–3 days and by no more than 10 mg daily.
Methadone is increased with the following goals in mind: allow the patient to conduct daily living activities without intoxication, without excessive sedation, without experiencing withdrawal symptoms and without feeling cravings for opiates.
Related Topic: Methadone Detox
Once the patient achieves a stable dose, they are said to be in a stabilization phase. During stabilization, the same daily dose should be administered at the same time every day. The dose should only be changed if the person starts to experience euphoria or withdrawal symptoms.
The average methadone dose can range widely from 10–100 mg daily based on a person’s gender, genetics, size and other drug interactions. Therefore, the safest method to determine an effective dose is to start low and titrate up every few days to a goal dose. The first dose of methadone is between 10–30 mg daily and should never be more than 40 mg, even for people with a heavy history of opioid abuse. Methadone dosages can be taken in different ways, including: