Methadone for Chronic Pain User Reviews (Page 4)

• Ali...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 3, 2016

"Long story short: I have chronic, debilitating pain as a result of degenerative disc disease. I am currently taking 80 mg/day of methadone, 20 mg every six hours. Much of the time, I take less. Up until the end of December, I was taking morphine ER, 200 mg/day, with 15 mg immediate-release morphine for breakthrough pain. Unfortunately, my Rx drug plan (and every other I checked) has stopped paying for extended-release morphine as a result of the exorbitant cost. Not being wealthy, I had to switch to methadone. Now the fatigue is ruining my life. I'll have to hope for an alternative. Methadone does work on the pain, but the fatigue is just too much."

• Fus...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• March 1, 2015

"Have had 5 major cervical surgeries. Fused C2-T1 posteriorly and C2-C5 anteriorly. Lots of nerve damage and resulting pain. Many years on Oxy's and Fentanyl. Several years ago, I started Methadone Tx. Worked up to 120 mg/day in divided doses with Dilaudid for breakthrough. It's an excellent pain med and cheap if you have to pay for it. But after OBAMACARE destroyed my insurance (4X), no pain management doctor will even talk to me. I'm currently having to wean myself off these meds as the pain returns. These docs only have to cover pre-existing conditions if they accept you as a patient. So if you lose yours and nobody will talk to you, you're in a leaking boat without a paddle! It's not easy to stop, that I promise you... Go very slow if you must!"

• jen...
• June 25, 2013

"I began taking methadone almost four years ago when I found out I was pregnant with my second child. I was addicted to opiate pain meds prescribed to me for my Crohn's disease. I continued methadone treatment for two years when I thought I could be okay and no longer need it. After about seven months and becoming very sick from my Crohn's, I decided to go back on methadone. Since then, I have not had any problems at all that have been associated with my Crohn's. I think until I actually realized that methadone was the one medication that was keeping my Crohn's under control, I had been on almost every medication prescribed for inflammatory bowel disease. I never felt good on any of them, and the side effects are horrible from most of them. Methadone has saved my life."

• Rel...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 21, 2018

"I'm a 22-year-old male, and I suffer from testicular neuralgia, which is a debilitating condition that results in testicular, scrotal, pelvic, and groin pain. It was from a severe sports injury back in 2014. It's a constant stabbing sensation that I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. I tried almost every long-acting pain medication (OxyContin, MS Contin, Fentanyl, Tramadol ER, etc.) with no relief. My doctor finally let me try methadone 10 mg three times a day, and it's done WONDERS! My pain is finally relieved and controlled. It works great alongside my breakthrough Oxycodone medication. I feel like I can finally live again! Wonderful medication!"

• Anonymous
• October 29, 2013

"I'm a diabetic with neuropathy. My endocrinologist put me on methadone to combat the extremely severe burning sensation associated with neuropathy about 5 years ago, and... HOLY TOLEDO! Methadone won the war! That med is so effective I often forget I have diabetes. I take four 10 mg tabs daily, and it has nearly ended the painful part of diabetes."

• Wil...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• July 24, 2019

"Methadone is one of the best oral medications for chronic pain. The medication naturally lasts 24 hours, which eliminates the need for a time-released form and is more effective than meds like morphine or oxycodone. But methadone is for those who already have a high tolerance for opioids, and it can be deadly for those who don't."

• Unw...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• February 26, 2025

"Was run over by a drunk driver at 17, spent 5 weeks with left leg in a trapeze. I have dealt with chronic pain for 49 years but had a good 28-year career as VP in telecom before I ruptured my first disk and it successively got worse since 1994. My first chronic pain doctor allowed me to try everything before he finally offered methadone, and I immediately settled on that for the past 25 years. I was taking 40 mg for 20 years, and the past 5 years I cut myself back to 20 mg/day before it became a CDC mandate. I was fortunate to be on every 3-month visits for urine tests and call in when I wanted a refill for 25 years. But, after the CDC has scared every doctor in the country and made it miserable for all pain patients, my doctor has now required monthly visits. However, I've found that consuming a combination of good foods that are anti-inflammatory, red wine, taking creatine monohydrate supplements (which make your muscles bigger), and getting exercise may have reduced my pain to finally get off the methadone."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• September 22, 2012

"I have been using it for chronic back pain and for cancer. It has helped me a great deal, mine was prescribed by my doctor at the hospice in England, so I was not out of pocket. The medicine works wonders, really helping my pain."

• Ivo...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 8, 2015

"Really helpful for chronic back and neck pain. Also really helpful for neuropathy pain. Makes it a bit harder to think. But I was taken off it cold turkey after a doctor switch. The withdrawals; I was on a low dose, were really bad. Hot flashes and restless leg were prominent for a couple of weeks. Iron supplements helped the restless leg syndrome a lot. Don't know why methadone caused it. Because of the withdrawal and the dulled thinking, I would hesitate to use this drug again, but I do miss its helpfulness for pain."

• Joe...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• April 8, 2014

"I took methadone for 2 years and finally had to give it up. Yes, it was effective against the pain, but I'd gained 40 pounds, very lethargic for 3-4 hours after the dose, developed uncontrollable jerking of my extremities, difficulty urinating (I am talking hours being unable to urinate), break out in sweats after taking the medicine, constipation, severe nausea, and occasional vomiting with taking the medicine. It didn't matter if I had eaten or not, and finally confusion for weeks when first starting. Yes, my doctor was aware of this all along the way and would have kept me on it, but I couldn't take it anymore. Now, back to more conventional treatment options. I had so hoped the methadone would be the long-term answer to my pain, and it DID help, BUT."

• D1S...
• August 21, 2020

"I have found methadone to be by far the best solution to long-term chronic pain management. I was prescribed everything under the moon for my pain, and the problem with all of that is your tolerance keeps growing. Do not let anyone tell you that methadone is not a long-acting pain reliever because, in fact, it is the longest one out there, in my opinion. If you truly wish to maintain a somewhat healthy lifestyle and control your pain while being able to function, methadone can control your pain and eliminate the constant cravings associated with most opiate painkillers. It takes a moment to introduce the methadone to your system, a week or two tops. Once it was in my system, I literally used to wake up, get ready for work, and get halfway there or so until I remembered I forgot my prescription. I literally continued traveling to work, worked all day, and had an okay day. Anyone who is heavily medicated knows that this would never happen with any other medication."

• DJa...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• April 9, 2018

"I have been on this medication for 15 years. I started off taking Percocet for 5 years and had to increase the medication to where I was taking almost 10 10mg Percocets a day, and that started not helping. My doctor asked if I wanted to try another med, I told him yes. Well, he gave Methadone 10mg tablets 4 times a day. It changed my life and took away a lot of the pain. Now, I am not saying it took it all away, but it made it to where I could live a productive life and go to work every day. In the 15 years I have been taking the methadone, I only had a very small increase, instead of 4 times a day, I take it 5 times a day. For me, it has been a lifesaver, and I am thankful every day the doctor switched me to this medication. Had it not worked so well for me, I probably would be up to 40 Percocets, if not more, a day. The methadone does not give you a high, and for me, no other effects other than to reduce my pain level about 80%, and I am fine with that."

• Lb1...
• January 26, 2013

"I have taken methadone for a year and a half now, it's the only thing I can take, and it actually works for more than a couple of hours. I have had to increase my dose due to it wearing off too fast, other than that, it saved my life!"

• Ted...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• January 15, 2020

"I agree with all of the positive methadone reviews. I suffer from chronic pain due to injuries suffered during surgery. First, I took oxycodone, then fentanyl. Then my neighbor told me about methadone. I got my life back. I take 25 mg/day. Sometimes I feel drowsy. Only downside— I went to the pain clinic where they tried to take it away. I found I was dependent—had to go back. Much better than withdrawal effects produced by other pain meds."

• ach...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• December 18, 2015

"I have been on methadone for nearly 13 years to manage chronic pain. I have been on 90 mg daily for approximately the last 3 years. I started at 100 mg, but after 10 years, I had an auto accident and quickly discovered that since my dose was so high and my tolerance was great, almost every other pain med the E.R. tried didn't work!! I was in the most agonizing pain I had ever felt! No sympathy from the nurses, to them, I 'had enough med. on board to kill a horse!' Which was only maddening to me because 'I' was the one in extreme agony! It's taking a long time, but I definitely decided then that I needed to lower my dose as much as I could slowly and safely. I am still working on that. Three years and only down 1 10 mg pill is discouraging!!"

• Pis...
• January 31, 2018

"I'm saddened that I cannot get a higher dose of methadone with the new limits. Addicts can get what they need, but not pain patients. It's sweeping the country, and doctors' hands are being tied. I go to a hospital in Boston, and a doctor lost his license for going above 30 mg for one of his patients. I can't go to a methadone clinic because if they find out you are there for pain, they will cut you off cold turkey, and I don't think I could handle that with the amount of pain I am in. The methadone brings my pain down to a 5, which is great, but I would love to get down to a 2 or 3. Has anyone experienced this with the new requirements? They will only prescribe opiates that are equivalent to 120 mg of morphine, which is bogus. I'm thinking of writing letters to my senators and to other politicians because the pain patients are left to suffer. I could not get out of bed for 6 months because of the pain."

• Anonymous
• December 7, 2015

"I have dealt with chronic back issues for 10 years now. I rode professional rodeo for 14 years, riding bulls, my body literally took a beating. I have always been in construction as a trade. 15 years ago, I started my own business as a GC. I fell 20 feet off of the ladder, injuring my neck and back on top of already having back problems. I've been on every pain medicine you could imagine with no results until I started taking methadone. I take 80 mg/day. I currently am in between doctors and slowly trying to wean myself off until I can get in somewhere to get back on my meds, however, this is very difficult I'm finding."

• Ano...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 12, 2024

"I’ve been prescribed 15x4mg Dilaudid/daily (60mg IM/daily) for roughly 3 years. I had overtaken them this last prescription and had run out 2 days early. I thought it wouldn’t be so bad. Within 24 hours, I had the worst flu-type symptoms I’ve ever experienced. Within 36 hours, I couldn’t even muster the willpower to change my clothing. Despite being in an extreme physical and mental deficit, I reached out to a clinic. Within 30-45 min, I had been urine tested, spoke with 2 nurses, a doctor, and was given a day's RX of methadone to tide me over. I went from 60mg Dilaudid to 20mg of methadone. I wouldn’t say I was at 100%, but an hour after taking it [methadone], the miserable withdrawal subsided and I finally slept without symptoms keeping me up all night."

• Sue...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• April 10, 2018

"I was prescribed methadone for arthritis 15 years ago (no insurance). I started with 10 mg, 4 times a day. It worked well with no problems. I did have problems with some brands giving me nightmares and terrible night sweats, but it did stop the pain. I recently lost my PCP and was forced to find a new doctor. It seems most doctors now will not take a new patient who is on methadone, so I am trying to wean myself off before my first appointment. I have been working on this since Dec. 2017. It has not been easy, I am now taking half of a 5 mg every other day. It seems to be working pretty well. Don't be fooled by being on a low dose, the withdrawal is still very bad at times. Arms that won't stay still, legs that make you get out of bed at 2 or 3 a.m. I can't give up. I was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer almost three years ago, even my oncologist won't give me methadone."

• tbi...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• September 15, 2018

"I was put on the methadone 10 mg 4x a day in place of short-term Vicodin 6-7 times a day, which hadn't been helping. I can now function and do more on the methadone. I suffered from a very bad back injury in 1973, but the final straw was I injured my neck in 12/2004, which took 2 surgeries, C4-T2, and now with a bigger problem. I still stayed on the 10 mg a day, but for really bad days, I had Percocet when needed. But now, with the crackdown on opioids, they stopped the Percocet about a year ago, and now they want to cut my methadone in half. I'm afraid because sometimes the pain is so bad I can't do anything. I am not a sit-down person, I always find something to do around the house. I have never used drugs, alcohol, or anything else other than what my Kaiser doctor put me on. I hope they don't cut my methadone, it's the only thing that has helped me."

• Den...
• February 25, 2018

"Methadone has been a lifesaver! I have been on oxycodone, OxyContin, Opana, MS Contin, and two years ago I was on a 100 mcg fentanyl patch every 2 days. I still hurt constantly and could hardly get around, so my rheumatologist decided to try me on methadone, and it is the best decision I’ve ever made. I take 40 mg a day and have a life now. Also, no side effects."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 10 years or more
• June 26, 2014

Methadone "The absolute best formula, with NMDA receptor antagonist properties for pain such as severe chronic pain management, for a severe case of RSD/CRPS. My dose was 3 1/2 diskettes twice daily. Dissolve in water. My RSD/CRPS was going into remission thanks to the proper dosing. My feeling is they took away the diskettes to recapitalize by doing away with this tablet and charging more for 5 - 10 mg tablets."

• pet...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• November 21, 2016

"I have been on 50 mg methadone oral liquid for 4 years, and it does nothing at all for pain. I was on morphine sulfate 10 mg for 3 years and was taking 30 mg a day after 2 years. My doctor died in a plane crash, and I was taken off morphine and suffered the worst 8 days of my life. No one can explain just how bad withdrawals can be unless you have been through them. Horrible. I was placed on methadone because I was coming off morphine. This medication does nothing for pain. I have lost testosterone, I can't work, I have to go to a drug store every day to dose. I have put on weight. I feel like crap, lazy, and tired. I have come down to 35 mg, but the thought of the withdrawals worries me. It's a long sickness to get off this rubbish. Hate it, bad."

• xrt...
• August 30, 2015

"I have had the same experiences as many others - chronic pain. I have tried all prescription pain relief, which has led to dependency. This has been helped by methadone. However, it surprises me that this page reads like an endorsement for the drug. Methadone is still a drug and a highly addictive one, at that. I have read people saying 100 mg/day and 10 years of use. Methadone can be effective, but it is not an ideal substitution for other drugs. There is a bad stigma attached because it can be dangerous. I hope that no one chooses to self-medicate after reading these comments, and I most definitely don't want kids to get the impression that it is safe to take in such high dosages or at all without a prescribing physician. Good luck to everyone."

• RLS...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• August 5, 2019

"I have had severe Restless Leg Syndrome most of my life; at its worst, it affects my wrists, elbows, and ankles as well as my legs. I have been taking 5 mg of methadone daily (along with Mirapex) for about 5 years. It takes away the pain I suffered with for years. It is a lifesaver for me; I don't notice any side effects. I don't like to have to take it because of the stigma attached to it, and I wouldn't take it if something else worked. I was previously taking Levorphanol, which also worked, but it was apparently taken off the market."