Does methadone work as a pain killer and how effective is it.?
Those who think that methadone is only prescribed for addicts are very incorrect. Methadone can be used for pain management. I go to a pain management doctor and have met several patients who are prescribed methadone due to being on other pain meds for years and their bodies becoming tolerant to those meds (hydrocodone,oxycodone,morphine). Methadone has a strong 1/2 life and can last for up to 36 hours, depending on dosage and individual. Some patients are started on 5mg or 10mg. Check with your doctor. Just an FYI- I have been through withdrawals from standard pain meds and they lasted about 3-4 days. Withdrawals from methadone were horrible and lasted 3 weeks, no kidding. For that reason alone, I would suggest you be certain that other meds don’t work for you before starting methadone. Be well.
