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

Yeah it figures you sign on here as an "guest" because you're too chicken sht to log in and write such a rude rant. I am on methadone for pain until I can get in implant in my spine that Ihope will stop my pain and then I can try to wean off. But why should you give a c**p if anyone says they are addicted to Opiates? Move on! It's a legitimate addiction whether you, Mr or Ms Nobody, thinks so or not. I HAVE gained wgt from Methadone and I cant AFFORD anything else for my pain since I have no insurance. My weight gain is NOT from eating, I work out 2 hrs a day and teach aerobics yet 1-2 mos after starting methadone, I was diagnosed w severe edema and also gained a lumpier fat than I ever had even with working out MORE. I also wasn't skinnier before from not eating. My eating habits are the same pre and post methadone. I guarantee it's like that for all of these other people as well.

I just wanted to thank everyone for sharing. It has helped me out a ton. I have been on Methadone for 15 months, but not because of addiction. I was diagnosed with a disease called Gastroparesis. Basically, my stomach is paralyzed. It takes me about 14 days to digest a simple meal. This disease also comes with intense pain, hence the Methadone. Doctors had tried perscribing every pain medication to me, and nothing worked at all, until Methadone. It is a miracle-worker! I really wouldn't know if it caused constipation or not (even though I am told it does) because nothing moves through my insides anyway! Lol. I go into the E.R. to have my stomach pumped weekly, and I basically vomit after every meal. You would think with all of that going on, I would be skinny like an annorexic or bullemic, but I am NOT. Before Methadone, I was 92lbs (I'm a 5'3" female, 26 years old) and now, 15 months later, I am at 196! That's OVER a 100lb weight gain! People don't even recognize me anymore! I would give anything to be off the Methadone, but unfortunately for my case, it literally isn't an option. So... thanks to everyone who has posted here. It helps so much to know that we aren't alone!! :-) And ANY suggestions for weight-loss at all, are always welcome!

Hi guys and girls!
Its just my opinion (because the clinics want you to believe that its anything other than the Methadone causing it) but I am a true believer that methadone will put the weight on you. When I first started, I weighed 120 lbs. The same that I have always weighed my whole life. Although the clinic kept telling me that it was because I wasn't using anymore, I knew better. The weight was more like an all over bloat, at first. Like water retention, except everywhere. And I've never eaten any more than 1 meal a day and a snack. After about 4 months, I was up to 165 lbs!! It happened so quick I hardly realized it. Then they started offering the Suboxone. After 8 months of being on the Suboxone, I am now almost back to my original weight at 127 lbs.

Big difference! I just hope I can make it off the sub now because in that aspect, I may have been better off on the Methadone. Good luck to all of you.

YES IT CAUSES WEIGHT GAIN BC YOU ARE ACTUALLY EATING FOOD instead of vomiting it up or not eating at all bxc u are sniffin or shooting DRUGS.

:-( i have been on methadone 4 about 2yrs now, and just cant lose the weight i have put on. i never had this problem b4 with any other pain medication. please help me with this 4 im at my wits end with this i was 128 now im 176 help me

I have been on methadone for over 20 months now. it did save my life for sure i was an iv user. i would never stopped using had I not got n methadone. Yes I was prescribed Oxy's for over 10 years and never star ted abusing them till I started to snort them. within 4 months my script was gone and I was buying off the streets and then that was never enough so I had to do what some do to get the ultimate high and shoot it. my husband used before I met him and watching him use my prescription and buying really did open the door for me to stop using and start abusing, but that is just how it is. I am not pointing fingers, it may had happened on its on had he not. Either way I was always small before I used and stayed small the entire time i used too. Then i get on methadone and I start blowing up. So ver time I tried not eating as much but it just slowed down the weight gain and made me stay at an even weight but no losing weight has come yet. I never have dieted so I dont have the will power to do it successfully. I really want to i dnt like being bigger, i feel uncomfortable, I dont like it at all. But I am also on a split dose and and it is very high. the more i have gone up the more weight i gain no matter how little i eat or not. S how can they say it is not from the methadone and it is my body healing? from what i was never this size before and never had weight problems I could eat and eat. and even when i used I would eat all the time, right after i did a line or shot up i got hungry just like i had always been my entire life. So what do i do? I just need to know how to eat right and then to know when enough is enough and learn to eat the right things and I cant even do that .... help??

To RissaBelle:

The supplement you are thinking of is Vitadone. Google it for more information.

If you look at the ingredients they are basically expensive multi-vitamines. A better choice is Centrum which are much cheaper. Don't fall for the gimics they try to sell you at methadone clinics.

Good Luck

Thanks for your input,Ive been hooked on pain pills since1994.Then became a Heroin addict in 2000. Was on saboxone in2001(pilot program)where they paid me.Unfortunately the others were mostly dealers.After being homelessin2007 I startedmethadone Ive been clean for a year and 3months.the only problem is Ive gained 55lbs.I cant stop sweating I work outside 40-70hrs.per week.Any serious responses to losing weight?Ive been stabalized on 80mg.Before I was up to120mg but I had NO SEX DRIVE.Now I have min. sex drive but if I keep gaining weight I wont be able to find my penis...Sincerely,johnsbelly

Yeah I have all those same symptom, too. The weight gain, no sex drive, and also extreme hyperhydrosis (sweating). I am going to ask my doc to switch me from Methadone to Diluadid. Which I was taking prior to the Methadone.

Good Luck to you johnsbelly!

I've been on methadone for 4 months. In that short period of time, I went from 100 lbs. to 120 lbs. That is a huge difference on my small frame. Plus, I am a paraplegic in a wheelchair and have been for 18 years. I have maintained 100 lbs. since my injury and NO other medications have caused weight gain and I have been on NUMEROUS other pain medications due to spinal column issues including chronic pain - due to my spinal cord injury. Also, I have never been as weak as I am now. I can hardly transfer myself. Partially because I'm much heavier, but also because my muscles are weak. I'm very shaking and unstable. I wasn't sure why until I read all these other comments and searched for weight gain and muscle weakness. The searches came back with HYPERTHYROIDISM and a cause of that disease was methadone! And that's how I ended up here. Saved myself a dr's visit - weaned myself off of methadone and I'm on my way back to what's normal for me! In other words, if you are experiencing weight gain and muscle weakness - wean yourself off methadone and find yourself another route!

I have been on methadone now for about 3 months and have gained almost 35 pounds. I was addicted to heroin for many many years and methadone is really working for me. Since being on the methdone program here in VA I have not used any heroin and have not had a physical craving for any drugs. My dose was 80 miligrams for several weeks and it is now 76. I am going to drop down 2 miligrams a month for the time being. My body is adjusting well to the difference thus far I am just VERY UNHAPPY WITH ALL THIS WEIGHT THAT I HAVE GAINED. People I know call me fatty, blimpie, etc., but for real I don't look fattttttttt, I just look bigger that I ever have been. I just feel fat and unhealthy. I can't even bend down to tie my dagon shoes. That's a shame. :-(

I, too, am on Methadone due to a pain/addiction. I was 130-135 - now 2 years later, I am at 180. I hate it. I am on a split dose as the only pain med I can take is Methadone so I take it like a regular med. I cannot stand the way I look. I have a whole closet of size 6-8 that I cannot wear. I am wearing a size 14.

Vitadone does not work. Someone told me to get it for weight loss and sweating. Has anyone experienced the sweating??? I have about 5 months of the year where I am totally drenched. My doc gave me a RX called Robinul to stop the sweating and it works, but who wants to take a RX because of a side effect of another RX. That stinks, if you ask me. But, if I do not take it, my hair is totally wet and my make up runs off my face. So, what do you do?

Anyway, I believe the weight gain is from a couple of things. I have been researching this a lot this past month and have found that a diet lower in carbs and high on good, lean protein and veggies - similar to Adkins and/or Southbeach. Seems like there is a part of the Methadone that makes your body not to process carbs as well and they turn to fat. I am going to earnestly try this out beginning tomorrow for 10 days. I will post on here my results for you to see. Oh well, it cannot hurt. My doc said that is about all I can do - eat extremely well and exercise 30 mins per day 3-4 days a week. I can say that I am not doing that so any change much help.

Will keep you posted on my progress. Does anyone want to do this with me??? Here's to a littler, happier me!!!!

Debbie

try gastric sleeve works great

Hello everyone I am so glad I found this forum! I have been on methadone for approx 7 yrs because of perks.... What a joke... Unless you are on a very high dosage of really strong opiates such as oxy's DO NOT GO ON METHADONE UNLESS YOU ARE COMMITTED TO BEING ON IT FOR LIFE! Unless you truly use it to detox with it and get off of it within a year. I have successfully come off methadone 1 once during those 7 yrs and stayed off for approx 5 months with no cravings. I have back problems and decided to go on oxys for the pain. Anyhow I am currently at 5mg and will be completely off once again in the next 4 weeks or so... Now during the 7yrs of being on Meth I went from 145 (witch I was my whole life prior to the meth) to 210lbs.... I do attribute some of the weight gain to my changed eating behaviors however I CRAVE sugar since I started the methadone and NEVER did prior. I think another contributing factor is that meth in larger doses makes you very tired you often fall asleep sitting up... However this being said I also had a MILD case of hypothyroidism and just recently ballooned from 170-210lbs and found out my thyroid was way out of wack! Another friend who has also been on for the same period of time who has NEVER had a thyroid problem suddenly developed a underactive thyroid and experienced the same sudden and large wieght gain. I REALLY FEEL THIS IS A VERY COMMON SIDE EFFECT THAT IS NOT TOLD TO US AND I REALLY THINK EVEYRONE HERE WHO HAS HAD SIGNIFICATE WEIGHT GAIN GO AND GET YOUR THYROID CHECKED!!!!! Preferably with some other doctor than your clinic doctor...... If I continue to have problems with my thyroid after I have come off the methadone completly I intend to try and sue these doctors and/or try to spread the word that people should be told prior to staring this medication that it can screw up your thyroid....



Sorry now regarding how to come off... for the whole 7yrs I never went above 50mg the first time and never over 25mg the second time... You just go down say 5mg every 2 weeks dependent on how high you are...

Everyone differs it is whatever you can handle... If it feels too much go down a little less but you need to want to come off and accept that you are going to feel like sh*t.. Once you get to 20 and under it gets a little harder and you may have to go 1mg every 2 weeks... I think the lower you are on methadone and the amount of time you spend on it directly affects your ability to successfully come off it. That doesn't mean that if you are really dedicated to come off it you won't be able to... My point is that the sooner you lower your dosage the better if you really want to get off it one day......



This is a horrible drug regardless what form you are taking from heroin to pills and I wish everyone the best of luck and if I can help anyone in anyway to get off this I will..



Ciao



Rico

Every doctor will deny this, but it's painfully clear. YOU WILL NOT LOOSE WEIGHT while on methadone. I too took methadone for many years and blew up 50+ lbs. I got hooked on pain pills and then switched to methadone and no matter how much I tried working out and dieting I could never loose more than one or two lbs. I used this fact, to help me quit taking the methadone. It got to a point that I wanted to be thin and methadone free, than fat and on methadone. Everytime I went down on my dose and started hurting more, I reminded myself how I wanted to look. Lets be honest guys, the pain is all relative to how much pain med's we're taking. Our bodies stop producing their own pain fighting endorphins. Getting off methadone sucks....bad, but its worth it. I've been off methadone for about six yrs. now and never really hurt, I was in so much more pain when I was taking all the narcotics. I lost all the methadone weight in less than six months and was back to my original size. So, you can keep reading these stories and tell yourself that there has to be a way you can loose weight on methadone, OR you can wake up and realize that if you stay on methadone you are choosing to stay FAT, so quite complaining about it. IT's YOUR CHOICE to stay the way you are!!!!! OR, you can stop taking the methadone, slow, fast, reduction, whatever, I did them all and the easiest was 120mg cold turkey in jail. I did hit my knees praying hard, but something happened in there because when I got out a week later, I was methadone free for life. So, just remember you can't have your cake and eat it too, as with most things in this life. If you want something bad enough, you'll do whatever it takes to get there. WHATEVER IT TAKES. Anything worth having is hard, or else everyone would have it. Hope this helps and good luck to all of you