In this article, I’m going to answer the question Does methadone give you energy? Methadone has the unique ability to give certain individuals massive amounts of energy. How can it do this? I’m going to teach you why some people get energy from methadone, and why methadone makes others simply feel normal.
While working as a counselor at a methadone clinic, I had many patients ask me: “does methadone give you energy?”
My answer was always the same: “If you’re lucky!”
Does Methadone Give You Energy?
Yes. Methadone does, in fact, give some people energy. However, it by no means gives everyone energy. I’ll explain this soon. First, I believe it’s important to share my personal experience with methadone energy.
My Experience with Methadone Energy
Several years ago I used methadone to manage opiate withdrawal symptoms. I had been abusing opiates for a few years, and could no longer afford them. That’s when I went to my doctor who prescribed me methadone tablets.
It was a miracle drug.
Not only was it considerably cheaper than oxy and heroin, but it also gave me ENERGY! Lot’s of energy. What I also noticed was how well it mixed with caffeine. My morning ritual consisted of taking 40 mg of methadone first thing after waking, then drinking a cup of coffee afterward.
Now don’t get me wrong. Methadone by itself was enough to give me a ton of energy. Mixing it with caffeine, however, supercharged me and gave me massive amounts of methadone energy.
After my morning ritual, I would feel energized and ready to take on the day. Methadone energy made me actually enjoy life again!
My Clinical Observations of Methadone Energy
While working at the methadone clinic, I talked to many patients who told me how methadone would give them energy. Their experiences were similar to my story.
They would take methadone and have energy, confidence, and happiness throughout the day. Other patients simply stated that methadone made them feel “normal.” It intrigued me why some people gained energy, while others did not.
Why Does Methadone Give You Energy?
Answering this question is actually quite difficult. Luckily, I’ve been researching opiate addiction for a long time and believe I have the answer.
It has to do with biochemistry.
I’ll share a story to paint a picture of what I’m talking about.
When I was 22 years of age, a friend of mine got beat up while working as a doorman at a local bar. His shoulder was injured, and the doctor prescribed him Vicodin to ease the pain. One day Morgan and I were hanging out together, and he offered me one of his Vicodin. I had never tried any prescription pills before, but I decided to give it a shot.
He took one as well, and off we went. About an hour later, my friend was passed out in his chair. This didn’t surprise me since Vicodin contains hydrocodone (opiate drug), and opiates are central nervous system (CNS) depressants.
What did surprise me, however, was that I had an opposite reaction. Not only was I awake, but I had more energy, confidence, happiness, and enthusiasm for life than ever before!
I had so much energy I felt like going to do some fun stuff. Unfortunately, my friend was passed out. So I had to wait for him to wake up before I could go use this artificial energy I had received. That was just the first of many experiences with energy from opiates.
Over the years I’ve met many people that pass out if they take a pain pill.
Rarely do these individuals become addicted.
I’ve also met a superabundance of people that get energy from opioids. In my clinical experience, I’ve found that these individuals are much more prone to developing an opioid addiction.
The Biochemistry of Methadone Energy
Why do methadone and other opioids give some people energy, when CNS depressants are supposed to make you drowsy? I believe there are two reasons why this can happen.
The first reason is an obvious one.
Let’s say a girl named Kelly is physiologically dependent on opioids due to abusing heroin for a year. Kelly’s dealer gets busted and goes to jail, leaving her with no way to get heroin. On the third day of heroin withdrawal, she has no energy and is laying in bed going crazy.
Luckily, her friend Jason comes over with a few methadone tablets for her.
After taking the medication, Kelly feels an immediate relief of withdrawal symptoms. Not only that, but she starts to get a ton of energy and takes Jason out to breakfast. Later they go hang out at the beach for the day.
This is an obvious form of methadone energy. Taking an opioid when you’re in withdrawal can give you energy. Most people know this. The second type of methadone energy is much different.
Remember when I took that Vicodin and became super energized?
I wasn’t going through opioid withdrawal.
In fact, I had never even taken an opioid before. Years later I took an 8 mg tablet of Suboxone for recreational use.
I hadn’t used an opioid for many months and had no addiction at that point in my life.
I received an unbelievable amount of energy from it.
I had seemingly unlimited energy, confidence, and happiness. What’s more, I gave a friend of mine about 1 mg of Suboxone, which was an eighth of what I took. He ended up getting super tired and couldn’t stop vomiting!
So why do methadone, Suboxone, and other opioids have different effects on different people?
I believe the main reason people have different reactions to drugs is due to their biochemistry. Let’s go deeper into this phenomenon.
Endorphins
Endorphins are neurotransmitters that act as chemical messengers. They are our bodies natural painkillers. When a person is deficient in endorphins, they can be very sensitive to physical and emotional pain. This sensitivity can lead to energy being depleted from over-stressing. This person is much more likely to get energy from methadone or other opioids than someone who has plenty of endorphins.
A large number of artificial endorphins from methadone enable an endorphin-deficient individual to relax. This frees up the energy that they’ve been wasting stressing out. It makes this energy immediately available to them.
I believe this is the essential reason some people get energy from methadone, though I’m sure it also has to do with many other biochemical factors. Let me give you another example of drugs having an opposite effect on an individual.
Case Study
I’m sure you’ve probably heard of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Symptoms include difficulty focusing, hyperactivity, and trouble controlling behavior. Logic would tell us that prescribing a calming medication would help someone who is hyperactive.
This is not the case, however.
The main medication prescribed for ADHD is Adderall.
Adderall is a mixture of four different amphetamine salts. SPEED! That’s right…..people with ADHD hyperactivity are given a powerful stimulant to calm them down. A classic example of a drug producing the opposite effect in someone who is biochemically imbalanced.
There are many other cases as well, but this is the most common. So now you see why it’s possible to have an opioid, which is a CNS depressant, actually give you energy.
Conclusion
Methadone can produce massive amounts of energy in individuals with certain biochemical imbalances. There is no way to know who will get methadone energy, and who will not. Also, it’s important to remember that individuals who get energy from methadone might have a very difficult time coming off the medication.
After being used to so much energy, coming off methadone can be a huge shock to the body.
Luckily, there are natural ways you can prevent this from happening by taking certain supplements, exercising, and eating a proper endorphin-building diet.
If you have any comments or questions on the topic of Does methadone give you energy, please post them in the comment box below.
Opioids (my doc) and even alcohol give me masses of energy to the point where I come off like a “tweaker” when I’m high? But when I occasionally do meth it couch locks tf out of me!? Shit’s weird man I’m weird…who knows man?…who knows!??
I normally never read long articles but i did this one..i have wondered for years y im diffrent..how i could take even tramadole or suboxone or oxy and a boost of happy enteric person i became and sex even my sex drive was amazing..so different than others but also came a seriously bad addition. I have ADHD and speeders all my friends liked to be i turned to downers bc they made me far from down. Im on methadone now ive tried vivitrol shot but didnt last long i had lower back pain and unexpectedly had surgery major it was with major pain and all the pills id eat so fast so i went to methadone omg life saving..helps my additive side and helps my pain. Im goung to share this info with my councillor it help me understand mote than the dr has n years..
How bout you all suck it up and just go through the process? No gave me a taper to quit drinking (which by the way is one of 2 drugs (opiates), that can kill you when withdrawing). I hate having these people taper in my sober house and bitch about how hard things are. Just excuses to maintain some sort of unatural high.
Thanks Matt! This information was extremely helpful to me and to many others I imagine. 😀 Thanks so much!
My pleasure Jenna!!!
We’ve had several acquaintances OD here in Louisiana over the past several months, I’ve been in mmt for 12 years n I’ve seen a huge increase in new patients at our clinic . I have friends who truly have legit pain n have had to cut back on their meds one friend of mine is taking cbd oil she’s on oxy n fentnal patches n has leftover meds now instead of running out I asked our mmt doc if I could try the cbd oil for my diabetes he said no bcas he can’t tell if it’s cbd or weed although the one I wanted to try was thc free so something to think about for pain sufferers I’ve been reading good reviews on it . I used to get that buzz n energy from opiats but methadone never did that for me basically it just allows me to get up n function without withdraws . Yes I think it’s sad the good suffer for the bad n I’m so glad we haven’t had our methadone cut
Hello Matt,
Great explanation, i have been on opiates for chronic pain for almost 15 years im only 43. In 96 i had mva that left me all but dead. Severely damaged my right side of my face, went through 10 surgeries last one in 2011 at Boston general all made the pain worse. But thus last one really fucked me up! The doc I’ve had for the last 7 yrs has been my biggest advocate, i live in Maine, the laws passed here are the cruelest ive ever seen for legitimate pain patients. To be put in the same category as heroin addicts, and the poor bastards that were cut off abruptly by careless docs who had no where to turn (still don’t) are dropping like flies, either taking drugs they know nothing about off the streets, overdosing as a result. But many are taking their own lives!!
Now this doc ive had has become overwhelmed with people seeking subs and or methadone. I have not, i have at one point been up as high as 6 oxycontin 80’s and 12 oxycodone 30’s a day, won my kids back from dhs, was working part time bought a trailer home vehicle, i was never doing so well as during this time, then the new laws took it all away. The law changed and i weaned off half and that was still the case up till a month ago. Now i haven’t gotten that euphoric energy from opiates for 8 years, they certainly help with my pain. Aside from being constipated it was like Tylenol to me.
Last week she told me she will be weaning me down further for no other reason than i missed two appointments. One cause my oldest kid with autism had an iep at school, and cause my doc appointments are always a month to 2 months out sometimes it conflicts, the other was a transportation issue. Anyway my question is all this week I’ve felt like shit, hot, cold, not sleeping and not in withdrawals cause im still taking 8 30’s a day with 40 mg methadone that took place of 160 mg of oxycontin im in more pain with rediculas energy so i cant even relax to help symptoms chill out. I went a week with just the methadone in the past was in so much pain i was ready to call it. But im a single dad with 2 boys 7 and 10. Im on permanent disability like thats not hard enough. What how should i address this with my doc? Im in NO WAY SUICIDAL!!!! But the pain is just too much without large doses of the only pain killer that has been effective. Oxycodone!!! I get
so angry reading things on the subject cause first i think its all bullshit, chronic pain is real, the medication works and people who need them are being crucified by people who have no fuckin clue what real pain is nor what one will do if they cant get relief. All over somebody’s bullshit crusade filled with half facts, absolutely no legitimate long term affect studies as to what the effective time table is before they are no longer effective!! Im a freak about reading up on this subject cause it directly affects me and my little family. Theres is little to no patient testimonies as to how well they work after 10 years 20 years hell 5 years. Nothing not one!! Well im one and im saying it loud as i can all the people who have done this to people like me should be locked up!! What they are doing is no different that waterboarding, it is torturing Americans millions of them. People put out articles about educating the public and docs and patients. I got news for all those idiots. We are adults, we can be drafted for war, drink till we drop killing millions a year 3 times that of pain patients, the biggest reason people are dying is heroin, and a large percentage of them never even knew what it was or where to get it let alone wanted to be in that position. But these laws are more responcible for the rise in deaths cause it put millions in a desperate situation. They need to back the fuck off and things will work themselves out. Squeeze a hand full of sand you will loose almost all you try to hold, cup your hand and you loose a lot less. Same concept.
Hi Adam,
I totally get it. I’ve heard from many people via my blog or email list saying who the updated CDC opioid prescribing guidelines have caused them so much hell. The truth is that many people get great relief long-term for pain with opioids, and unfortunately, in an effort to reduce addiction and overdose, people like you have to suffer needlessly. I share your same viewpoint that our entire drug system and recovery system here in the U.S. is about as bad as it could be. And chronic pain patients are suffering so much due to the new guidelines for chronic pain treatment. I’ve seen a lot of people turn to heroin when their meds get cut. It’s horrible.
If your doctor continues to lower your dose you could always go to a methadone clinic and get on a higher dosage of that. Technically they are not for pain management, but I know of patients that went to the clinic for pain but they just said it was for opiate addiction and they were given treatment like everyone else. It’s more lenient on upping your dose at a clinic than with a doctor because technically the clinic is for opioid dependence treatment and not pain. Not sure how close you are to a clinic, but if your doctor doesn’t give you enough opioids to feel pain relief and so little that you go through withdrawal, then there are other options. Again, sorry you’re in this awful situation. It’s not fair at all to you.
Spot freaking on Matt! You are hands down the best resource I have ever came across when it comes to navigating through the Opiate
guantlet.gauntlet
Thanks Travis! Glad you’re enjoying this resource, and I thank you sincerely for your kind feedback! Take care. 🙂