Refractory Bipolar Patient Treated With Oral Methadone: Does Methadone Act As Mood Stabilizer?

Methadone is routinely used in the context of a Methadone Maintenance Treatment Programme (MMTP). There are some reports of methadone's effects in improving the condition of patients with affective disorders. The present paper reports the case of a refractory bipolar patient who was responsive to methadone syrup. The patient had previously received routine treatment for bipolar disorder without any obvious improvement in his symptoms. After methadone administration he made dramatic improvements, and was able to return to normal life. In this report we give a description of the patient and review the studies in the literature that are pertinent to this case.