Does methadone cause weight gain and/or slow down metabolism?

TooLongGone · Newbie Joined: 25 Apr 2007 Posts: 2

My sister has taken methadone for about 4 years now and she has gained about 35 pounds during this time. When she starting seeing the weight gain she had only been on the medication for about 6 months. She began to exercise about 45 minutes each day but continued to gain weight. Now it is 35lbs. later and she is trying very hard to lose the weight. She increased the exercise to one hour each day and is on a low calorie diet. After 2 months of this she has only lost 5 pounds. In the past, before this medicine she could lose weight fairly easily. Is the methadone she takes what caused the weight gain (she takes a fairly high dose) and/or preventing her from being able to lose the weight? This medicine is important to her. She has severe pain and can't take other narcotics because she had to take so much of the others that she became addicted and began to abuse them. I would like to know because she is very unhappy with the way she looks due to all the weight gain. Has anyone else experienced this and if so are there any avenues she could take to help the situation with the weight?

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I would have to say it definately causes weight gain. I have been on methadone for a little over a year now, and have gained 25 pounds. I went on methadone for the same reasons. I was using too much of the other narcotics for pain control, and my doctor thought I should try methadone. The problem is, methadone is extremely addictive and as much as I would like to stop taking it for many reasons including the weight gain, I can not seem to get off of it. I do not eat any more than I used to and I am still gaining weight. My guess is it slows the metabolism considerably, but that is just a guess. I am not a doctor. Good luck.

fluffypurrcat · Newbie Joined: 28 Mar 2007 Posts: 5 Location: EUREKA,CA

Hi, I can relate to your sister for the gain in weight after taking Methadone and also to the pain she is in. How much Methadone is she taking, what dose? I have severe back pain that I took Lortab for many years but got to a point the dose did nothing anymore. I was taking 90 mg a day, which several drs. told me was a high dose.
I went from a comfortable 154, I am five feet 8 to almost 183 pds. I couldn't lose the weight no matter what I did, I also came down with Hypothryoidism about the same time I hurt my back, bulging disks, degenerative disk disease, facet block disease, etc. and then had a hysterectomy whiich made losing weight even more difficult.
I exercised and ate very little, still seemed to gain weight, and I was not going to give up Methadone, the only pain killer that worked for my back.
I have slowly decreased the amount of Methadone I take, over a period of about 6 months to about 50-60 mg a day. I have gone back on Atkins diet, and I am vegetarian and have slowly over a period of 3 months lost about 15 pds. I am now at 164 and plan to keep on the diet and exercise till I get down to about 150. I just had a bunonectomy and can't walk without pain.
Has your sister tryed decreasing her Methadone? even a small decrease of 10 mg or 5 mg a month for several months helps. She needs to do it with the help of a physican of course. I would never do it on my own, and going through withdrawls is terrible. I figure I will be on Methadone the rest of my life, unless I have back surgery and the pain gets better. With Methadone, the pain is tolerable and I can do my daily activiities. I wish her well, and can only advise increase in activity and decrease in food and working with pain management in helping with decrese in Methadone. I do think it decreses the metabolisim as I was allways thin untill my 40s and weighed as little as 114 and 154 was my heaviest ever, and I am now 53 years old. I think with the help you are giving your sister, she will be able to find the strength to try to wean the amount of Methadone she is taking and mayby find a diet that helps, with me it is the amount of carbs that I have to cut down on, not sugar or fats. Not that I am a big sugar eater either. My dr. pointed out a good thing at the last dr. visti. That if I ever got into a bad accident, car for example, that with the high dose of Methadone that I take, there is not too many other drugs they would be able to give me to take care of the pain, Morphine, etc. I understood that. It is funny that with the bunionectomy I just had, the Methadone that I take for my back, does absolutly nothing for my foot pain!!Made sense to me. good luck.

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I was working as a Registered Nurse and one of my patients fell out of his wheelchair ending up flat on his back. It was lunchtime, so the only person I could find was the girl I was going to lunch with. We picked him up and put him back.That said, I ended up in excruciating pain due to a herniated disc which happened when the pt. was in mid air.Somehow I didn't drop him and make matters even worse. Anyway , this happened when I was 39yrs. old. After many surgeries, I live my life in constant pain, I've gained a huge amt. of weight, which I blame on the methadone 40mg. every 6 hrs. That's 160mg. per day. I don't know how to explain it, but it's a different type of fat than when I gained weight before, like from pregnancies.If anyone else has this problem and their self esteem is just about gone. I'd love to hear your story.
(the lifting accident happened 15yrs. ago, The trips to Drs. never stop.)

butterfly4me · Newbie Joined: 24 Jun 2007 Posts: 1

i was in a terrible car accident in 2001. I basicly broke my whole left side. My car was t-boned. After the accident i was put on alot of pain killers for quite some time. I needed surgery, but my insurance expired as soon as I was air lifted to a trama cener. Iwas on very strong pain pills for years, not being able to function without them physically or mentaly. A friend suggested methadone. I was desperate, so tired of the pain and being hooked on the high of the pills so tried it . Once I started taking them it didn't taka long for the weight gain. I started out at 126 lbs now after 2 years I weigh 189 lbs. I've never been this big and I've had 4 children. I'm so depressed. I"ve tried every diet pill on the market to no avail. I now have hypothyroidism . I know I did the right thing getting on the methadone, because I would be dead by now with the pain pills. So I thank God every day for life, but it's been one hell of a price to pay!

RissaBelle · Newbie Joined: 11 Dec 2007 Posts: 1

I totally understand what you mean by a "different kind of weight". I have been on methadone for 8 months and I have gained a shocking 25 lbs. I feel like the weight I have gained is really tight and heavy feeling. It is all in my thighs, legs and butt and he just feels like really dense and hard almost. My doctor is being really difficult regarding the weight gain; she thinks I should be happy as a clam because I am not popping 30 hydros a day anymore, but to tell you the truth; I'd rather be popping pills and be skinny again then be depressed and miserable because none of my clothes fit and I'm imbarrassed to go out! I have successfully lost 155 lbs 5 years ago and I have been doing all the same things I did back then and the weight won't go away. It fluctuates like water weight as well. 5 lb difference on some days! I had read somewhere about a pill you can take while on methadone to prevent the sweet cravings; but can't find more info on it? Does anyone know about it?
Fat but Clean in Idaho!

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I have been on a methadone program for seven years and began to put on weight rapidly after about six months. I grew from 60 kilograms to over one hundred, almost doubling my weight. Over the years I have asked various Dr.s why this was occuring and what could I do with very little sympathy or advice in return. I felt as if it was just happend without me having changed anything in my lifestyle or behavior reguarding food. Finally after much research I feel have some understanding about why it is so easy to put on weight on methadone and how to get it off. Firstly, 70% of people on a methadone program said they had experienced weight gain as a syptom*. (*on line, 'facts and fiction reguarding methadone use')
Firstly fluid retention, that 'different feeling fat' is dence fluid over fat. My doctor described it as being filled up like a balloon with water. What to do? Well fluid tablets drain water from your body pretty fast, but taken regularly cause liver damage. Not an option. The only really realiable thing to to is cut salt out of your diet, that includes diet soda that is full of sodium and anything else, and at the same time it is drink lots of water. You'll want to anyway, that terrible thurst and dry mouth being symptoms. All this water will help with the constipation too which also makes you fat and sluggish. My mistake was drinking lots of caffinated diet soda as well as juice and cordial. Heaps of sodium and thousands of empty kilojules before I even ate anything. I just didn't like water that much. I do now! Number two is an increased appitite. Well that's not fair! I really believed I was hardly eating a thing, but when I worked it out on paper I found I'd been starving myself, depressed and nausiated in the morning, and then bingeing on chocolate and cakes and stuff at night. I was consuming a huge number of killojules. Now I eat fruit, veg, cerial, and yoguirt. Also a few treats. I write everything I eat down in a diary so that I have to account for myself. I am looseing almost a kilo in weight each week. Thirdly, I get up and walk a brisk 45minutes each morning. I go to the pharmacist to get my dose! I chose one that was further away for that very purpose and believe me, it keeps me motivated! This is not a miracle cure, but there is no magic pill. I should know, I spend a long time looking for one, and just got fatter looking!

christina777 · Newbie Joined: 04 Mar 2008 Posts: 1

I have been on a methadone program to control my opiate addiction for about 2 years now and have gained about 45 pounds!!! Before starting the program I was taking about 30 percocets or vicodin a day. I also did oxy and heroin. My weight was always between 95 and 110 pounds, which I know was too thin. At first I was glad to gain weight, my family and friends always told me how much healthier I looked. But now I weigh about 150 pounds. I am so depressed about the way I look, none of my clothes fit. I try to eat healthy and exercise, by the methadone makes it very difficult to loose weight. I know if I quit taking it I would be right back to using again, which is the last thing I want. If anyone out there on methadone has had success loosing weight please share your story!!
Thanks:)

Guest · Guest

I have been Methadone for a drug addiction, for 18 months I have gained 60-70 pounds, and iam disgusted with it. Mt self esteem is dropping, I am active, i walk alot, i eat fruit, everything multi-grain, i eat little amounts throughout the day, never Lots. I noticed the weight after a few months, bcuz my tests were coming up positive for Opiates (oxycontin) they continued to incresae me dose. I'am at a very high dose i feel, it is a split dose as well. 390 mg a day. I have talked with the dr's and they say it's not common, to gain weight. And when people do, it's bcuz of lifestyle changes, like always on the grind for dope and money always going to dope. Than to NO more grinding and able to eat more cuz theres more money to do that. This is not my situation, food has never been a problem to get. What is the problem is every single thing I eat goes straight to my ASS or thigh or Tummy. I'am nearly 250 pounds. Methadone has helped me, although i still use 20 30 mg, for my back pain occassionally, I dont abuse it like i did before. But now i'am extremly at an unhealthy weight. And I hate it, I have talked to my dr last week and were going to reduce mg slowly, and hope that helps.. It's really Comforting to know that I am not alone with this problem. Thanks for evryone posting so i can read, and if anyone has suggestions please w/b

Guest · Guest

I've been taking methadone for 4 years now and was 119 lbs. when I began taking it and am now 105 bs. so maybe the weight gain depends on each individual metabolism?

Does methadone cause weight gain and/or slow down metabolism?

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