Methadone is NOT Used in Abortion Procedures
Methadone is a medication for treating opioid use disorder (OUD) and has no role whatsoever in abortion procedures. The confusion likely stems from the similar-sounding name "methadione" in your question, but methadone is an opioid agonist used exclusively for addiction treatment and pain management, not for pregnancy termination.
What Methadone Actually Does
Methadone is a full mu-opioid receptor agonist used specifically for:
- Treatment of opioid use disorder in pregnancy - It is the standard of care alongside buprenorphine for pregnant persons with OUD 1
- Maintenance therapy - Must be administered daily at federally accredited opioid treatment programs under direct observation 1
- Chronic pain management - Continued perioperatively in patients on chronic opioid therapy 2
Medications Actually Used in Abortion
The evidence-based medications for medical abortion are completely different 3:
- Mifepristone - An antiprogestin that blocks progesterone receptors
- Misoprostol - A prostaglandin that causes uterine contractions
- Methotrexate - An antimetabolite (less commonly used)
Pain Management During Abortion
When opioids are studied for abortion-related pain, the research shows they are largely ineffective:
- Hydrocodone-acetaminophen does not decrease pain during first-trimester surgical abortion and may increase postoperative nausea 4
- Oxycodone does not reduce maximum pain experienced during medical abortion up to 10 weeks gestation 5
- Standard pain management relies on NSAIDs (ibuprofen 800mg) rather than opioids 4, 5
Critical Distinction: Methadone in Pregnancy
If a pregnant person with OUD is considering abortion, methadone therapy should be continued throughout any procedure:
- Women should remain on their daily maintenance dose during labor, delivery, or any surgical procedure to prevent acute withdrawal 1
- Methadone continuation is associated with reduced pregnancy complications, higher birth weights, and improved prenatal care adherence when pregnancy is continued 1
- Perioperative guidelines recommend continuing methadone on the morning of surgery and the night before to avoid withdrawal 2
The bottom line: Methadone treats addiction, not pregnancy. It plays no role in abortion procedures themselves.