(RS)-methadone
Sign in to saveMethadone, sold under the brand names Dolophine and Methadose among others, is a potent synthetic opioid used medically to treat chronic pain and opioid use disorder. Prescribed for daily use, the medicine relieves cravings and opioid withdrawal symptoms. Withdrawal management using methadone can be accomplished in less than a month, or it may be done gradually over a longer period of time, or simply maintained for the rest of the patient's life. While a single dose has a rapid effect, maximum effect can take up to five days of use. After long-term use, in people with normal liver function, ef
AI overview
Methadone is a powerful synthetic opioid medication used to treat chronic pain and help people overcome opioid addiction by reducing cravings and withdrawal symptoms. It's typically taken daily and can be used for short-term withdrawal management or as a long-term maintenance treatment, though it takes up to five days of use to reach its full effectiveness.
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Key facts
- Drug.Verifiedfields
- changed
- Drug.Watchedfields
- changed
- Drug.verifiedrevid
- 420419989
- Drug.image
- Methadone enantiomers labelled.svg
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- 350
- Drug.caption
- Skeletal formula of methadone's enantiomers. (S) corresponds to the D-enantiomer, and (R) corresponds to the L-enantiomer.
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- Dextromethadone ball-and-stick model from xtal 1958.png
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- 175
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- Ball-and-stick model of the less active dextromethadone.
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- Levomethadone-xtal-1974-ball-and-stick.png
Article
30 sectionsContents
- Medical uses
- Opioid addiction
- Pain
- Adverse effects
- Withdrawal symptoms
- Physical symptoms
- Cognitive symptoms
- Black box warning
- Overdose
- Tolerance and dependence
- Driving
- Mortality
- Pharmacology
- Mechanism of action
- Metabolism
- Route of administration
- Chemistry
- Detection in biological fluids
- Conformation
- History
- Society and culture
- Brand names
- Economics
- Regulation
- United States and Canada
- Methadone clinics
- Other countries
- Veterinary use
- References
- External links
Methadone, sold under the brand names Dolophine and Methadose among others, is a potent synthetic opioid used medically to treat chronic pain and opioid use disorder. Prescribed for daily use, the medicine relieves cravings and opioid withdrawal symptoms. Withdrawal management using methadone can be accomplished in less than a month, or it may be done gradually over a longer period of time, or simply maintained for the rest of the patient's life. While a single dose has a rapid effect, maximum effect can take up to five days of use. After long-term use, in people with normal liver function, effects last 8 to 36 hours. Methadone is usually taken by mouth and rarely by injection into a muscle or vein.
Side effects are similar to those of other opioids. These frequently include dizziness, sleepiness, nausea, vomiting, and sweating. Serious risks include opioid abuse and respiratory depression. Abnormal heart rhythms may also occur due to a prolonged QT interval. The number of deaths in the United States involving methadone poisoning declined from 4,418 in 2011 to 3,300 in 2015. Risks are greater with higher doses. Methadone is made by chemical synthesis and acts on opioid receptors.
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1937 in biology1937 in GermanyAddiction medicineAddiction psychiatryBenzhydryl compoundsCYP2D6 inhibitorsDimethylamino compoundsDrugboxes which contain changes to verified fieldsDrugboxes which contain changes to watched fieldsDrug rehabilitationDrugs developed by Eli Lilly and CompanyDrugs with non-standard legal status