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Methadone and EKG's

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Posted 7/16/2009 5:35 AM (GMT 0)

 

 

Ok, For the past few months my Pain Dr. has asked me to get an EKG because I take Methadone.  She says it has something to do with Long QT Syndrome: Long QT syndrome (LQTS) is a heart rhythm disorder that can potentially cause fast, chaotic heartbeats.  There are 50 medications that can cause this and Methadone is evidentally one of them.

 

If I had this syndrome I would have to stop the Methadone immediatley...But, I don't have it.  yeah smilewinkgrin

 

If you take Methadone and your Dr. has not mentioned this to you then maybe you should mention it to them.  It can cause sudden death.  That is a bummer. nono

 

So, talk to your Dr. if you take Methadone.  It might be important....Luckily my EKG was great!!!

 

Me.

 

PS...  Everyone have a great day...

Posted 7/17/2009 12:01 AM (GMT 0)

lotsa dotsa,

I don't know how common it is but I know that I am not the only one that takes Methadone that has had their Dr. tell them to get the EKG.  From what I read, there are about 50 medications that can cause this heart problem and unfortunatley Methadone is one of them.  So, I don't know what meds she would have put me on, and thank goodness I don't have to find out.  I'm with you honey....I would feel like I was dying if they took me off of it.  I did try to change a couple of months ago.  I had just found out that I was Diabetic and was feeling like the methadone wasn't working as well as it had in the past.  So I asked my doc to try me on something else.  He put me on Morphine.  The one thing he did wrong was give me the same amount....mg. for mg. of the Morphine.  I was taking 120 mg. of methadone a day and he told me to take 60 mg. 2 times a day.  That did not work.  I went through withdrawls immediatley.  He upped it to 120 mg. twice a day and that still wasn't enough.  I had read that you needed to take 3 times the amount of Morphine for it to be the same amount of methadone.  Anyway, I went back on the methadone within the week.  That was horrible!!!!!

I have been taking methadone for almost 5 years and I don't know what I could take that would help as much....How long have you been on it?  What is the reason?

Me.

Posted 7/18/2009 11:06 PM (GMT 0)

Hey again, I just replied to your post about methadone and anesthesia...Then I saw this one...Thanks for asking, my son is back home and doing well.  We go to therapy a couple of times a month and see the shrink for meds.  He is a different kid.  His dad doesnt help much.  Heck, he only sees him maybe 2 times a year now.  Not enough, and it's causing trouble between them.  It's like history repeating itself...my parents divorced when I was 14, then dad left and didn't want anything to do with me because he still loved my mom. Then he remarried, had 2 kids, and couldn't be bothered.  He had a NEW family and didn't want to deal with the old broken one... His other kids make him proud, I just disappoint.  I am just like him and he can't stand it.  He had spinal stenosis and had surgery when I was like 3...He has diabetes like me, he has high blood pressure like me. and he's an alcoholic...not like me.

I was so scared when I was writing about what happened with my pain meds...I didn't want people to judge me or feel sorry for me.  Luckily, here we all understand.  I know that sometimes my pain is soooo bad that I have to take a few extra pills just to make it through the day...and sometimes I take hardly any...I am so glad that my story touched you. And I am glad that you found us.  We are here for you, no matter what time it is someone is usually here.

I wish I didn't have to come to a forum like this...But I do...

My Pain Dr. has been injecting Supartz in my knee for the past 2 weeks....She told me on Thursday that I should consider seeing the Psycotherapist at their office as soon as he takes my insurance...Might be a good idea.

Tell me more about your situation...You can get my email on my profile...

Me.

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