Is There A Difference Between Liquid Methadone And Pill Form Methadone?

There is no real difference between the liquid form of methadone and the pill form, although some people who take the liquid methadone insist that it gets into their systems quicker, whereas some people find that the liquid form wears off a lot quicker than the pill form.

Methadone is a synthetic opioid that is used as a maintenance anti-additive for people who suffer from an opioid dependency, an addiction to heroin, morphine, codeine, oxycodone, etc. Although methadone acts upon the same opioid receptors as the drugs mentioned above, it is chemically different to them even though it has many of the same effects.

The most commonly used administration of methadone is through an oral solution however this is becoming less common because of its high production costs. Two drinkable formations are available for patients, one in a ready-to-disperse liquid, the other in a dissolvable tablet that is placed in water for the patient to drink. The liquid form is the most common method as it allows for easy changes in dosage. Studies have found that there is almost no difference in effectiveness when methadone is taken orally to when it is injected directly into the bloodstream, although methadone should not be injected. Although it can be done in extremely diluted forms, there have been reports of cardiac arrests and damaged veins from the sugar intake when injecting. Taking the medicine orally is the simplest and safest way for patients who are recovering from drug addiction to take.

There are quite a large number of adverse side effects that can occur when taking methadone. These include: Thrombus, hypoventilation, constricted pupils, constipation, seizures, skin rash, increased sweating or an intolerance to heat, low blood pressure, nausea and vomiting, anorexia, weight gain, sudden death, dry mouth, difficulty urinating, headaches, hallucinations, stomach pains, itching, flushing, mood changes and increased agitation, insomnia, impotence, blurred vision and cardiac arrhythmia.

I am going to explain to you all why you like the pill form of methadone rather than the liquid.  First off the liquid form: Common route of administration at a methadone clinic is in a racemic oral solution and it lacks two important ingredients that pill form does not. I am a physician so it's against the law for me to post these ingredients here but I would NEVER perscribe Methadose (Liquid Methadone) to a cancer patient for instance.  The point of methadose is to stop withdrawls not to manage chronic pain!  So, none of you are crazy! If your going to a clinic and receiving oral methadone it is MMT (Methadone Maintenance Treatment), a form of opiate replacement therapy, reduces and/or eliminates the use of illicit opiates, the criminality associated with opiate use, and allows patients to improve their health and social productivity.  If you have Chronic Pain you should seek out a Pain Clinic or Doctor who deals with pain management! The oral Methadose will not and can never improve pain for these people.  I hope this helps all of you and if you are suffering from pain and in need of pain management talk to your doctor, most good doctors know that no one has to live with pain and addiction is very minimal with people truely experiencing pain.  If you are or were addicted to opiates, heroin, morphine, than the methadone pills have a high risk of you falling back into addiction and you should stick with the Liquid Methadose.  Best of luck to everyone,  Dr. Chrissy Castro MD, Pain Management Specialist, Detroit, MI.

The liquid methadone is very different from the pill form and I can't stand it when doctors try to tell you it's the same. I was addicted to dilaudid, oxycodone and heroin for over ten years. I've been on methadone for four years and it's worked very well for me. The clinic I go to has the liquid form and it works well while it lasts but in my case it wears off very quickly. I have a very fast metabolism so they have me on a split-dose which means I take 110mg every 12 hours. Even though I take this much I still experience some withdrawal practically everyday, usually beginning about 8 hours after my dose. I've taken the pill form in the past and the main thing I remember about it was that it would last so long that a few times I thought I was cured! Everyone I've talked to who has taken both forms says that the pills work much better. The only people who prefer the liquid say that they think the pills work too well. Even though the majority of clients at the program say the liquid is inferior the doctors and nurses maintain that there's no difference. This clinic is owned by one of the local hospitals. If you're admitted to this hospital for whatever reason and you happen to need methadone they only dispense the pill form to their inpatients. The really interesting thing is that if you're a member of their methadone program (where they only dispense the liquid) and you're admitted to their hospital, they'll dose you with the pill form while you're an inpatient, but...they'll only give you about half of your regular dose because they know that if you take an equal amount of pill meth as liquid it'll knock you on your ass. (but remember they're exactly the same)

I was on 200mg liquid methadone for over 4 yrs and just recently got switched to the 10mg tablet form. I used to get extremely tired when I took the liquid and my pain would return within hours of taking it. I tried taking all 200 mgs at once for a while and I kept getting extremely sick to my stomach, my head felt really fuzzy, and I felt completely miserable. Now I am taking smaller amounts throughout the day and I'm not needing as many mgs as before. It seems to me that the pills are a lot different, even though doctors say otherwise.

I have been taking  methadone for years  first for addiction to oxycontin and heroin and then for pain management, the pills definately work loger and better for me I was on 200 mg liquid a day and now am only taking 60 mg a day of thepill form and I reduced the level myself. I don't care what any one says for me this was really a huge difference. I got sick every day with the liquid not anymore.

For me it is weaker and has much less half life from the pill form. They told me that the 40 mg wafers are the same as say 40 mgs liquid but I can't get an answer about the actual 10 mg pills. From 6 yrs. Experience I can tell you though that the pills in my case only takes me about half the amount as the pills. I was on 100 mgs liquid and one day got to the clinic too late so I got 80 mgs pill form on the street and was nodding off. When I was on 100 mg liquid I would be sick after about 15 hours and be up all night waiting for the clinic to open. With the pills I slept like a baby and all dope sickness was relieved. Hope this helps.

I was on 120mg of pill form methadone for 6 years. I started taking 60mg liquid methadone 1 week ago. It's a total difference. I feel soo much better on the liquid. I actually have the motivation to experience life.

Yes they are the same . You can measure 1 mL in a measuring device and it is equal to 10 milligrams in a pill form. I have heard that sometimes the pills lasts longer for some people but I don't really know if thats true. It just depends on your body type.But all in all they do the same exact thing.

No its not just you  I have the same problem!

The reasons I know of are:
1. Liquid is obviously not time released
2. Clinics use liquid bc its easier. Imagine trying to decrease or increase a dose by 1 or 2 mgs with a pill. Its not accurate enough
3. Methadone is Methadone. They can't have more Methadone in one than the other.
4.Its not the actual methadone that makes you feel diff between pills and liquid its the additives. I even felt a diff from the round ones (10 mgs) compared to the(10 mgs) squared ones

Dude I feel exactly how you do if I eat the tens I only need 5 or6 to feel good with liquid I could drink a 100mgs and still don't feel as good like as I would with the pills

I was on the wafers for 3 yrs, then moved out of state - now I'm on the liquid I had to go from being on 25mg and happy to 55mg and feeling like I don't ever want to do ANYTHING.  I don't know the difference, but my old clinic even told me before I switched that it would probably happen.

It's VERY simple, the liquid form is MUCH cheaper than the tablet forms. Hence, that's why so many clinics are changing to liquid.

I am certain of said, but only can speculate on the fact that the liquid is less addicting. Who knows.. But again, liquid=cheaper.

There is no difference between the liquid form of methadone as oppose to tablet form. They are both methadone and metabolize exactly the same. The only reason you may be experiencing any different effects may be because of placebo.

I've taken both.  The pills are not as strong as liquid and last a shorter amount of time.  One mL of methadone is the same amount as one mL of anything else so as long as you have something that will measure one mL, it is 10 mg of methadone.  It will look like barely anything, like a drop of rain

They are both the same....and no....a drug test cannot distinguish between liquid and pill form.

Yes they are the same from what ive heard the only difference is they say the liquid wears off faster than the disc but they say liquid kicks in faster! My opinion is that it depends on the person because everyone is different. I go to the methadone clinic & I take disc now but starting next month the state I live in is doing away with disc form & will only have liquid form so I will start taking liquid soon. I'm trying to find out how liquid methadone is measured because ive read that it is measured with a special kind of measuring cup or spoon. I just want to know how to measure 10mg of liquid but nobody has answered my question yet.

I want to answer this and comment to Dr. Castro. I take the pill form for pain management and it is prescribed by a pain specialist that has been in the industry for 47 years. That being said how in the Sam hell do you have the nerve to come on here and say that as a physician there is no benefit for patients with chronic pain from methadone? That is not only a false statement but, it leads me to believe you are not a doctor at all and are actually a wanna be doctor that is giving bad advice. That being said Methadone Liquid and Methadone Pills are 100% the same there is no difference as far as the amount of methadone that is in them. The reason they fill different is that Liquid is administered all at once and pills are given though out the day making them seem to "last longer", well technically they are lasting longer and your level of methadone is more consistent with the pills than with liquid because, liquid gives you he entire dose at one time and that would mean a peak and gradual decline in serum levels in between dosing as where pills are given every 6-8 hours never allowing for an extreme peak or decline. The pills therefor seem to be more effective and they are administered in such a way that the patient does not have the decline in serum level as much as the liquid causes. I hope this makes sense to people asking this question.

There a Huge Difference between Methdone and Methadose T, First Methadose has 1/2 the self ltfe of methadone  and it was invented as a supplement only to methadone  so is you needed a boast in medication ypou would not get too long a residual factore  but since the crackdown on narcotics the FDA and DEA both approved using methdose instead of methadone so  addics could not sell it aor cut it .Oh yes it can be done all these post were people say they can't tell the difference  if the were starting all over they would quickly find a huge difference.  I

Ive been on Methadone since 93 Pain Management but the DEA and FDA said is you had any problem with your doseage to be added to substance abuser list  so now I'm on that side receiving methadose and it wears off after 10 hours for the remander 14 Im in detox they will not change me back to methadone which I never had a problem with

Liquid usually gets into the system faster, and I don't know why you are having such a problem with it.... You need to tell them.. Feeling like crap sucks.

I'm prescribed 125 of liquid dome and if I took 125 of pills it would last me all day but with the liquid I feel the poo by lunch time

I think there is a difference, I too am on the liquid. My clinic told me I could not go back to waffler form, that they were not offering it anymore. There is definitely something different about it. I mean hell, we have no idea what they are putting in, or leaving out of that liquid form.

Yes, the pills are the same thing as liquid Methadone.

Yes, they are both bull!  I got put on 8 10 mg tabs/ day after I fell through a floor 23 ft.  By far the biggest mistake of my life.

Liquid hits faster and pills are time released......

I go to a methadone clinic and everyone says the pills last longer but do not get you as "high" as the liquid does. I am switching on tuesday to see if I can tell the difference.....I will let you know then

Can the drug test tell  the difference between the liquid methadone and the pill form methadone? I no the pills and the liquid are the same just don't know if the drug test can tell the diff. Between the pill and the liquid?

Iam on 130mg liquid and usually take between 200-300mg pill form and that keeps me demolished all day long but iam going up day by day on the liquid by the end of the month I should be pretty close to 300mg I love methadone whoever invented it I would kiss your toes!

Methadone pills are the same as the liquid right but just different form