If you have moderate-to-severe pain or want help for addiction to heroin or other
morphine-like drugs, a healthcare provider may prescribe
methadone hydrochloride (Diskets
®, Dolophine
®, Methadose
®) 5 mg tablets. However, there is no "standard" dose that is recommended for all situations. Your dosage will depend on factors such as whether the methadone is for pain or addiction, how you respond to it, and other medical conditions you may have.
5 mg tablets of methadone are the lowest strength available in the tablet form and are typically taken one to three times daily. If the medication bothers your stomach, try taking it with food. For methadone to work properly, it must be taken as prescribed. Do not increase your dose without your doctor's approval, and do not suddenly stop taking it, especially if you have taken it regularly for more than several weeks, as withdrawal may occur.
(Click Methadone Dosage for more information on using 5 mg methadone tablets for treating pain or addiction. This article also offers tips on when and how to take this drug and discusses additional factors that may affect your dosage.)
