Methadone is synthetic opioid produced and marketed by a number of pharmaceutical companies under various trade or brand names depending on the country in which it is used and it’s indicated purpose. The racemic mixture of methadone hydrochloride is the only form of methadone available in the United States and most other countries making it useful in treating severe pain conditions as well as for detox and maintenance treatment of opioid addictions.
Most Commonly Known Methadone Names
Methadone is a commonly used opiate to treat opioid addiction.
Methadone, Methadose, and Dolophine are the most commonly known names of methadone in the United States and available in pills, tablets, liquids for oral solutions, injections, and powders for prescription compounding. Methadone is a DEA Schedule II controlled substance and one of the only two agonist medications approved for treatments of opioid addiction under the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 42, Sec 8., the other being the partial agonist medication, buprenorphine.
As a pain medication, methadone should be reserved for severe pain in carefully selected and closely monitored patients, with slowly titrating doses due to the risks of life-threatening cardiac and respiratory changes and death.
Methadone is available in 5mg, 10 mg, and 40 mg dosages and equivalents that allow for the slow dosage increments because it builds up in bodily tissues and can stay in the body for up to 59 hours. Drinkable forms of methadone include ready-to-dispense liquid, and “Disket” which is a 40mg tablet that can be easily partitioned into 10mg quarters and designed to dissolve quickly in a fashion similar to Alka-Seltzer.
Methadone 40mg Disket
As of January 1, 2008, manufacturers of 40 mg methadone dispersible diskets, known as “Biscuits” or “Wafers” on the street, were restricted for distribution and use in hospitals and those facilities authorized for detoxification and maintenance treatment of opioid addiction and no longer approved for use in pain management. They had become highly popular in some areas of the country for their immediate and easy absorption producing powerful effects for high-tolerance opioid users, but, causing an epidemic rise in overdose occurrences.
Other Methadone Names
Methadone was originally formulated and used in Germany during WWII as a replacement for the country’s morphine shortages. Its names include Hoescht, Polamidon, and Amidone (still in use today) and the derogatory term, “adolphine”. Although urban legends may claim that the methadone brand, Dolophine, was named after Adolph Hitler, more likely, it was so called as a combination of the Latin word, dolor (pain) and the French word, fin, (end).
A great deal of other trade names for methadone may have come and gone, but, some still exist including Symoron, Physeptone,, Heptadon, Dolmid, Allidone, Anadon, and more.
Street Names for Methadone
Street names for methadone may change according to the methadone form or brand and the country or subculture in which it is used. Common street names include:
- Fizzies
- Chocolate chip cookies
- Wafers
- Biscuits
- Jungle Juice
- Done
- Dolls
- Green Machine
- Dose
- Juice
