Does Methadone Make You Tired?

How Taking Methadone Affects Your Sleep and Fatigue Levels

If you are exploring treatment in the battle against opioid use disorder, you may find yourself asking a popular question – does methadone make you tired? The usefulness of methadone treatment is well-known, but there are side effects that you need to understand before getting started.

This page will take a closer look at how methadone treatment works and what the experience is like for individuals trying to break a drug addiction.

It’s never easy to move past any type of drug dependence, particularly for methadone and LAAM, but you are taking the right steps by learning more about this topic and exploring your options to find a path to lasting recovery.

Keep reading to learn more, and if you are looking for a MAT alternative to methadone, Purpose Healing Center would be proud to serve you on this journey.

We offer many different evidence-based treatments and therapies for our clients, and every treatment plan is customized to the needs of the person themselves.

A Closer Look at the Nature of Methadone Treatment

Methadone is a synthetic opioid that is used to treat opioid use disorder. When someone attempts to quit using opioids, the withdrawal symptoms can be overwhelming. This is why it is so difficult for people to quit, and why so many people turn back to using the drugs that they are hoping to escape.

Using methadone treatment helps by cutting down on these withdrawal symptoms. Since it binds to the same receptors in the brain as drugs like heroin or prescription painkillers, methadone can stabilize brain chemistry and avoid the dramatic highs and lows that come with illegal drug use.

When used properly as advised by a medical professional, methadone can be highly effective. It does, however, come with some of its own side effects. One of those is increased daytime sleepiness.

Many people who use methadone as a treatment for opioid use disorder are surprised to find how tired they feel, especially early on in the process.

While this form of medication-assisted treatment is undeniably valuable for some people seeking recovery from opioid addiction, this fatigue is one among several reasons that Purpose offers alternatives to methadone in the form of other MAT medications like Suboxone.

Why Does Methadone Cause Tiredness?

Most opioids activate the central nervous system. Methadone is just the opposite. This synthetic opioid is a depressant for the central nervous system, which means it slows down brain activity and bodily functions. This can give it a calming effect overall, unlike other opioids.

If you are moving away from a drug like heroin and going into methadone treatment, you’ll likely experience a calming stability. This change will likely be welcome, but your energy levels can be reduced rather significantly.

A few of the variables that contribute to your experience with fatigue on methadone include the following.

Dosage

As you might expect, the higher the dose of methadone, the more likely you are to experience fatigue. With more opioid receptors attaching to the drug, the effect will be stronger – particularly at the start.

Working with a trusted provider will help you get the methadone treatment dosage just right, and it can be adjusted as necessary moving forward.

Tolerance

Over time, your body will adjust to the methadone dose, and the impact on your energy levels will likely become lower.

At the start, however, you won’t have a tolerance built up for the effects of methadone, so you will go through a period where you are very tired. Methadone maintenance treatment tends to become easier to manage as time passes and your symptoms relax.

Interaction with Other Medications

If you are on other medications as part of your treatment plan, those may also contribute to feelings of fatigue.

For example, if your medication assisted treatment includes not only methadone but also drugs that are used to target anxiety and depression, the sedating effect may be compounded.

Disrupted Sleep

Ironically, while you are feeling tired on methadone, you might struggle with poor sleep quality. It’s often the case that subjective sleep quality is reported to be lower by people who are on methadone, and sleep disturbances are common.

If you find yourself struggling with sleep deprivation while also experiencing the reduced alertness and cognitive function that comes with methadone, the combination may leave you feeling tired all the time.

Watch for Signs of Long-Term Fatigue from Methadone Treatment

Going into methadone treatment, you can expect to feel tired for a while. Weight gain on methadone is another commonly reported side effect. Neither is a surprising outcome, and isn’t really anything to worry about for the most part. We should mention that, while rare, sleep disordered breathing is something to watch out for, as conditions similar to apnea can occur with some methadone maintenance treatment clients.

As you move through the process, sleep problems should improve and that upgraded sleep efficiency will leave you feeling more rested.

Also, your body is going to get used to the impacts of the drug, and it won’t wear you down in the same way.

However, it’s important to monitor your energy levels to make sure they keep gradually getting better over time. If you aren’t bouncing back as the weeks or months pass, and you still feel exhausted all the time, there might be something else at play that needs to be addressed by your medical team.

Methadone Fatigue and Your Recovery Journey

As mentioned above, methadone maintained patients should expect to experience some fatigue. In some cases, this is a price worth paying, considering the benefits of using methadone to help cut down on the strong desire to use illicit opioids.

With that said, there are some risks associated with being fatigued while in recovery, so you should be aware of these issues.

For one thing, being particularly tired could make it difficult to keep up with school or work responsibilities. If possible, taking a short time off at the start of your methadone treatment process would be a smart strategy.

You may also find that it’s hard to stay motivated while feeling tired and worn out from the methadone. In this case, it’s helpful to have a partner, or team, on your side to keep you focused on the long-term vision of recovery.

These are just a few of the reasons to choose Purpose for MAT support that involves Buprenorphine, as Suboxone does not cause fatigue to the extent that methadone tends to. Our MAT offerings also come alongside robust treatment programs (whether inpatient or outpatient) that support our clients to improved outcomes.

Strategies to Combat Methadone-Related Fatigue

Knowing ahead of time that you are likely to be tired when you start on methadone treatment will allow you to plan in advance and figure out how you are going to get through this challenging time.

Whether it’s the natural fatigue that comes from the use of this drug, or the sleep disorders that are associated with it, you can take steps to balance out your energy and keep moving forward.

Focus on Nutrition

This is an important point. Another thing that might happen when using methadone for reducing withdrawal symptoms is that your appetite could drop. So, you’ll be feeling tired and not wanting to eat much – and in the end, your energy levels will be incredibly low.

Focusing on great nutritional habits can go a long way toward moderating these symptoms. Eating plenty of protein, fresh vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats will help support your body during the recovery process.

A diet that would be deemed as healthy for anyone else at any stage of life is going to serve you well during this phase, as well.

Exercise Regularly

It might seem a bit counterintuitive to exercise when you are already feeling tired. However, physical activity – even moderate activity like walking or stretching – can give you a boost in both energy level and mood. Also, exercise is helpful in reducing opioid cravings and will help your body ramp up the natural production of dopamine.

You don’t have to be training for a marathon to get benefits from exercise. Start small and gradually build up your physical exertion week after week. You may find that physical activity feels great and is exactly what your body needs during this time.

Limit Caffeine and Other Stimulants

You’ll naturally be drawn to the idea of using caffeine or other stimulant to boost your energy level while feeling tired from the use of methadone. Do your best to resist that course of action. Using caffeine can give you a temporary boost, but it will be followed shortly thereafter by a crash.

Also, if you use caffeine later in the day and into the evening, you may make your sleep problems worse. It’s best to focus on consuming healthy foods and plenty of water while also making sure you get regular exercise.

Start Receiving Effective MAT Treatment at Purpose Healing

The best time to address your opioid addiction is right away. Substance abuse only gets worse over time without treatment. Whether you are facing a heroin addiction or any other type of substance abuse challenge, the Purpose Healing Center team is here to join the fight with you today.

While we don’t offer methadone treatment, we do provide Suboxone and other medication assisted treatment options to serve our clients effectively.

Call us directly right now to get started. We will discuss your situation and create a treatment plan with your long-term well being in mind. We understand that the call for help can be a difficult one to make, but this could well prove to be a pivotal moment in your life.

Please reach out confidentially and get started with MAT support at Purpose as soon as today!