Methadone Side Effects

[mike]

I don't know how many of you watched the 20-20 program on Methadone, but I found it quite interesting. It called attention to several cases where patients prescribed this drug died. Their dosage was not high but their systems were apparenly not able to tolerate this drug. The most common system of a problem was that they began snoring loudly while sleeping and then could not be woken up the next morning.

Most of us know that any drug can cause severe reactions in a percent of the population, so the question is always to weigh the benefits against the possible side effects.

My doctor prescribed Methadone to me a few weeks ago and when I took it I noticed I began sweating a lot, my blood pressure began to climb, and I had a lot of trouble sleeping. I stop taking the drug right away and reported the incidence to my doctor who agreed that I should stop. I mention this to emphasis that all of us have to take any adverse systems of a drug seriously and make sure that our doctors have a list of all of the drugs we are presently taking.

If this is the wrong place for this thread, please move it to a more appropriate location.

[Le Todd]

After I ordered the natural herb Kava Kava for my anxiety, I was apprehensive when reading too much can cause liver damage. But so do many other drugs if taken in large doses. I may still try it and just stick to the lowest recommended.

If a drug works for you, go with it. Don't depend on someone else's reaction to define your own.

[SCI-Nurse]

This is good information as Methadone is often used for chronic neuropathic pain. People with SCI also have a higher risk for sleep apnea, which can be made worse by the use of narcotics and sleep medications. If you are snoring, you should be evaluated for sleep apnea, regardless if you are taking Methadone or not.

(KLD)

[awakenow]

Appreciate this info mike. Having a new insurance adjustor, in cost-cutting mode (making changes), I have a feeling that will be her next area of meddling. Methadone is supposed to be cheap, relatively speaking.

One of the reasons I'm afraid to try it is that because of the strength of the drug, getting the dosage right can be tricky. (...& not only do I snore, but have allergies & asthma)

Thanks again for posting this -- now I'll do some research & bring it with to the new pain mgt. clinic!

[Broknwing]

If a drug works for you, go with it. Don't depend on someone else's reaction to define your own.

Whereas I typically would agree with this Todd....You obviously didn't see the 20/20 report regarding Methadone...This is a MAJOR concern and it needs to be brought to attention. Quite a number of people have DIED due to inadvertant Methadone overdose or adverse reactions to Methadone. I appreciate Mike posting about it b/c I hadn't seen the entire report, but my mom did...My mom was prescribed Methadone and she had a bad reaction to it, she had to go back to the dr a week later to get a diff medication. After seeing that report, we learned that my mom may not have been properly educated on HOW to begin taking the Methadone(she may have been told & not remembered however)...

It seems that Methadone is NOT as "harmless" as it is promoted to be...Our eyes were really opened about it...

[alan]

No medication is harmless.

[mike]

No medication is harmless, however it would be neat if doctors would always aquaint their patients with potential side effects so that they know when they are having a life threatening problem. I have noted myself that doctors are sometimes in such a hurry to write a script that they forget to really adequately describe the drug or it's side effects.

[rdf]

Anna Nicole's son died from overdosing on three meds, one was methadone.

[Le Todd]

Isn't it odd how the media picks up a story and goes with it? For years, we heard about every school shooting and now we don't. Since Columbine there have been over 130 school shootings in America according to Oprah's report on it. For years, people have died from Methadone and now it's suddenly got the attention and will be exhausted by the media as the next scare. The media is just fear-mongering at times. They also put more effort into seeing the baby of Tom Cruise than finding out the validity of WMDs. RRR!