Methadone question

Good afternoon Gogito!



I don't take the methadone med, but have visited with several that do, and they shared that it would be their last choice. Not because of the effectiveness, but because of the problems getting started on it, and then again getting off of it. I hear several, that say it can be extreemly difficult to get off of if needed.



My Dr has mentioned it several time now, along with the possibility of a pump, and at one time I was scheduled for the trial, but cancled at the last minute. However, it is now a possibility again, if I can not get this Fentanyl to grab hold.



I will see if Pete has some time to stop by and visit with you on it. I'm not in anyway knocking the med, as I hear very good results as far as pain reduction with it's use. I'm sure there are others who are on this, and will have some good information on it.



Have a great afternoon,



SE

Hi Cogito,

I am currently on methadone I take 5mg three times a day. At first getting my dosing correct, it took sometime I was very out of it at first. The Dr. had me on a dose double what I am on now.

Last summer I had some serious health issues and nearly died and while I was on life support they (Dr's) noticed that my Q-T interval was long. The Dr. quickly cut my methadone from 30 mg a day to 15mg a day.

My last appointment with a Professor/MD at the Military Medical School said my Q-T interval is now normal. If you think or plan to start Methadone make sure your Dr keeps a close eye on your Q-T interval.

As far as to working for me it's really made a difference for me pain wise. I was taking about 6 dilaudid a day for break through pain as well as my OxyContin. I now only take 2 to 3 dilaudid pills per week now for break through pain. With the methadone I can manage my back pain fairly easily.

If you have anymore questions, I will keep checking the thread and will try to help anyway I can.

Take care,
Barbara

I am aware of the Q-T interval issue, which is something that concerns me since I have supraventricular tacycardia. When I last saw my PM and discussed methadone, he indicated that if we did go with it, I would have to first see my cardiologist, and have periodic EKGs

I've tried Dilaudid and found that it had no effect. Opana ER is a possibility, but I'm guessing that I'll be no better off with it than Oxycontin.

As for the day -- I was in a lot of pain earlier today and decided to take 7.5mg of oxycodone around 1pm. That was the first BT med I've taken since a small dose on Tuesday. I was guessing that with enough time in between BT doses, I could tolerate it.

Fortunately, no headache today. I am conjecturing that a steady state from an ER is something I can get used to (so it seems from the years on Ultram ER), but I can't take BT meds more than a few times a week without nasty headaches.

So, I might need a powerful enough ER so that I need BT meds very rarely, but the ER can't leave me groggy or unable to focus. Maybe I'll get use to the oxycontin -- it still seems the best shot, unless there is a non-opioid agonist out there that will really help with the pain but not make me drowsy.

Thanks Pete.

Your experience with Methadone follows what I've read elsewhere.

I see my PM in about a week and wanted to look into Methadone ahead of time.
He switched me to oxycontin in June and though it helps a lot with the pain, I've been too cloudy to work most days, and had a terrible headache when I took 7.5mg of oxycodone for BT.

Fortunately, though, I've not had a headache since Wed, and after a few days without any BT meds, I took one again without a problem. So, I may stick with the oxy instead, depending upon how the upcoming week unfolds.

Thanks for getting back to me!

Thanks RJ,

Your distinct reaction is the sort of counterexample I was looking for. I don't know how methadone will affect me, but at least some opioids have woken me up more than made me sleepy -- that at least was the case when I first started using them.

If I get any more headaches from the oxycontin, I may then try methadone.

I use the butran patch and it helps me for many of my condiitons as well as headaches. Now if I get a horrible breakthrough migraine I also take a treximet and a valium. Good Luck and I hope you feel better.

         ...just wanted to make a note here on the statement by Lasardo, and Methadone staying in your system forever, and test may come up positive for it.

     I thought it was odd, so I did quite a bit of research on this, and no where did I find that Methadone would stay in your system for life. Everyone is different, and it takes different times to clear ones system. I see anything from 3 days to 5 weeks, and again everyone is different.

   If it is a worry for employment, then ask your Dr. or Pharmacy. I absolutely do not believe once taken, and later on in life if you stop, it is there for life, and may still test positive for it. We need to be careful making blanket statements out of the norm, and it would be better, if one would provide a credible source for such information.

     SE

        ...this is one of the many side effects that I see reported, but often subside after a while. I also see headaches as one of the side effects reported as well. If your PM/ PCD believes this is the treatment for you, then it may be worth a try to help with chronic pain, but from the reports I see on it...again, it would be my last choice...and would rather entertain a pump instead. (IMHO)..which may not be worth much! LOL

    I do think it is good to discuss these med's here like this, as it provides a good source of personal experience and information to members,...and we must realize that we have many visitors looking in each day. If you go to the index of members and visitors, we can see who is looking at what, and I see many visitors watching and reading our post. This is why I believe it is important that we post as accurate information as we can. Even if visitors research other sites, they are often interested in hands on personal experience.

      Thank you to all of you that contribute to post like this. Good Stuff!   

      SE