Yes, you will be able to drive a car and participate in your other daily activities while you are on methadone maintenance treatment (MMT). Call 800-442-6158 Who Answers? now if you are suffering from opioid addiction and need help to find a rehab center that will cater to your needs.
Methadone Maintenance and Driving
You should be capable of driving when taking methadone as directed by your doctor.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, “Properly prescribed, methadone is not intoxicating or sedating and does not interfere with ordinary activities like driving a car.” This is true of patients in MMT who are taking the medication as a treatment for opioid dependence. When taken in this case, methadone does not cause the side effects it causes when abused, and patients will not be impaired while on it.
Most methadone clinics are outpatient-based, which allows individuals to receive their medication daily and then to live their lives by going to work, attending school, and seeing their family and friends. Because methadone maintenance is not meant to interfere with one’s daily life––and because most patients need to drive themselves to and from their clinic––the drug is meant to be taken safely, even by one who is driving.
However…
When one first starts treatment with methadone, it can take some time for the doctor and the patient to find a dosage that works. Hence, early on in treatment, patients may need to avoid driving, just until the proper dosage is found and the individual is stabilized on their medication. This usually doesn’t last a very long time, but it is important to be aware of this early exception to the rule.
What Should I Do When I Can’t Drive?
If you decide not to drive while beginning your methadone maintenance, there are several ways you can ensure you will be able to get to the clinic and to the other places you need to go safely.
- Ask a friend or family member to drive you to and from the clinic for at least the first week or so of your treatment. They will likely be happy to help you because you are getting help and they will want you to recover safely. And, according to the NIDA, when family members and friends get involved in a patient’s recovery program, it can actually strengthen and extend the benefits of treatment.
- Use a transportation app or taxi service to get where you need to go.
- Stay with someone who lives close to your methadone clinic. Then you will be able to walk to the facility for at least the first few days, and you will not be alone during one of the most vulnerable points in your recovery.
There are many ways you can maneuver around the issue of driving early on in your treatment, but generally, this will not last long, and you will be able to go back to driving even while on methadone.
Seeking Treatment for Opioid Addiction
Let us help you find the best treatment option for your needs. Call 800-442-6158 Who Answers? now to find safe, reliable rehab centers that will offer the care you require for your individualized recovery program.
