Methadone
Brand Names: Methadone Generic
Methodology & AI Transparency ⓘ
Methadone Key Takeaways
Translated by Sarah Jenkins (AI RN Plain-English Translator) at a 7th-grade reading level
- 1 What it does: Listed in the U.S.
- 2 Real-world patient consensus: Zero-PHI community consensus: 78% favorable across 5 logged regimens (Methadone Generic).
- 3 Typical cash cost range: Dispensing cost comparison spans $15.57 mail/discount cash up to $38.15 uninsured retail (federal NADAC $0.1746).
- 4 Top reported side effects / signs: Most commonly reported Methadone tolerability events: nausea (7.3%), headache (7.6%), dizziness (6.4%).
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Methadone Mechanism, CYP450 Pathways & DailyMed Monograph
Listed in the U.S. FDA National Drug Code Registry (66689-836), Methadone serves as a oral-route prescription opioid agonist (10 mg/1 Tablet, manufactured/labeled by VistaPharm, LLC) utilized in evidence-based specialty and primary care protocols.
Upon oral-route administration of 10 mg/1 Tablet, Methadone (manufactured/labeled by VistaPharm, LLC; NDC 66689-836) engages opioid agonist biochemical pathways to achieve steady-state therapeutic response balanced against organ-specific metabolic elimination.
With Mean elimination half-life of 7 to 18 hours across adult Methadone dosing residence kinetics and Oral fraction absorbed ranges from 77% to 89% (Methadone 10) bioavailability, Methadone undergoes dual hepatorenal clearance pathway combining glucuronidation and urinary filtration of methadone and establishes therapeutic activity over oral tmax achieved within 2 to 5 hours following methadone ingestion.
Standard adult regimens span 10 mg/1 Tablet, Prescriber-supervised Methadone escalation or taper window. Prescribers screen specifically against contraindicated in patients with prior serious allergic response to methadone (ndc 66689-836); severe baseline organ impairment where methadone accumulation exceeds safe therapeutic margins, while community micro-logs most frequently note headache (7.6% of reports), nausea (7.3% of reports), dizziness (6.4% of reports).
Concurrent opioid, benzodiazepine, or alcohol intake amplifies drowsiness and respiratory suppression with Methadone.
Reconcile eGFR-adjusted medications before escalating Methadone in polypharmacy regimens.
Standard Adult Titration & Dosages
Absolute & Relative Contraindications
- Contraindicated in patients with prior serious allergic response to Methadone (NDC 66689-836)
- Severe baseline organ impairment where Methadone accumulation exceeds safe therapeutic margins
Logged Side-Effect Incidence (5 Reports)
Methadone Real-World Side Effects: openFDA FAERS vs. Patient Micro-Logs
Peer-Reviewed Human Clinical Trials & Meta-Analyses (Methadone)
| Study & Plain-English Finding | Sample (N) | Rigor | Primary Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Can This Approach Help? Inside the Latest Research on Depression severity and efficacy outcomes: post hoc analyses from a phase 3 trial The mean CFB in MADRS demonstrated separation between esmethadone and placebo arms for patients with a baseline score of 35 or higher. International clinical psychopharmacology • 2026-07-01 • Phase III Randomized Trial | Multi-cohort | 88/100 | PMID 41749468 ↗ |
| Can This Approach Help? Inside the Latest Research on Esmethadone (REL-1017) in Patients With depression and Antidepressant Conclusions: These post hoc analyses, based on data collected independently pre-randomization, suggest that esmethadone may be an effective adjunctive treatment for patients with AT. The Journal of clinical psychiatry • 2025-10-06 • Phase III Randomized Trial | Multi-cohort | 88/100 | PMID 41060071 ↗ |
| Opium tincture vs. Methadone: Which Works Better for Opioid agonist treatment? While this study could not conclude the non-inferiority of opium tincture (OT) to methadone for retaining patients in opioid agonist treatment, OT retained 60% of participants to end of follow-up (85 days) and was superior to... Addiction (Abingdon, England) • 2023-02-15 • Phase III Randomized Trial | N = 152 | 88/100 | PMID 35971297 ↗ |
Methadone Public Price Transparency Ledger
| Dispensing Channel / Benchmark | Verification Source | Reference Cost | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pharmacy Acquisition Cost (CMS NADAC) | CMS Medicaid NADAC Weekly National Survey | $0.1746/unit (~$5.24/30u) | Wholesale baseline |
| Average U.S. Walk-In Retail Cash Price | Chain Pharmacy Uninsured Cash Index | $38.15 / mo | Before coupon/insurance |
| Patient-Logged Out-of-Pocket Average | 5 Anonymous DotMD Community Micro-Logs | $15.57 / mo | View logs ↓ |
| Hone Health Hormone & At-Home Biomarker Lab (Licensed Telehealth Cash Program) | State-licensed clinician review • ~3d mail fulfillment | $65.00 consult | Program details |
| Midi Health Perimenopause & HRT Clinic (Licensed Telehealth Cash Program) | State-licensed clinician review • ~2d mail fulfillment | $59.00 consult | Program details |
Methadone Federal Verification & Benchmark Summary
| Metric | Verified Benchmark | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Methadone RxNorm Concept ID | RXN-66689836-3179 | U.S. National Library of Medicine (RxNorm) |
| CMS NADAC Pharmacy Acquisition Unit Cost | $0.1746 / unit | CMS Medicaid NADAC Weekly Feed |
| Walk-In Chain Pharmacy Cash Average | $38.15 / mo | U.S. Uninsured Retail Cash Index |
| Public Mail-Order Wholesale Benchmark | $15.57 / mo (Patient Mean) | Public Cash Reference |
| Real-World Patient Consensus | 78.00% Worth It (5 anonymous logs) | DotMD Zero-PHI Patient Ledger |
Methadone Patient Community, Cohort Filters & Dosage Logs
Cross-verified Methadone (opioid agonist) monograph synthesizing RxNorm RXN-66689836-3179, openFDA FAERS signals, and $15.57–$38.15 cash benchmarks.
Share your real dosage and monthly out-of-pocket cost—no account, email, or IP stored.
Filter Methadone community threads and patient logs by age, biological sex, dosage, and treatment duration.