methadone weight gain

I just wanted to say that I take methadone and topamax and I have actually LOST weight while taking it. I feel like it has taken my appetite. I feel like I am speeding on the methadone. It definitely has helped my pain which is a life saver as nothing else helped. And losing the weight is just an added bonus that I hadn't expected!! Maybe its just because I am up moving around more that I am not in so much pain and that is why I am losing the weight? But I don't have any sweet cravings or anything....

So it's not bad for everyone I guess is my point..it's been very good for me. Oh and I take a very low dose though. 10 mg. 3 times a day....

I am a 36 yr. old mommy of 2....FYI.... :-)

I just want to say I feel everyone that is taking methadone and has gained weight. I have been on methadone for a year now, when I first started methadone I weighed 130 pounds a year later I weigh 180. I am so disgusted with myself I won't even look at myself in the mirror. :'( I've tried everything I can think of to lose this weight and nothing at all has worked.So if anyone has any idea's I'm up to try anything once.

Hi all :-) I found this link while trying to find answers as to why my urinalysis level of methadone was too high!!! o.O I know I havnt taken more than my prescribed methadone dose( for chronic pain) but the UA said otherwise. I recently lost 90# in 9 months .I think that could have something to do with the inaccurate UA results. If anyone has any input or knowledge about this I would appreciate help.
As far as the diet.I went on the nutrisystem plan the first 4 months and followed there plan except didnt add the extra food that they recomended.So my coloric intake was about 700- 900 calories daily which is pretty low. I then went to my own diet plan which consisted of low calorie, low fat, low carb ( good carb food). I lost the wieght exactly how one would think you would lose weight .By eating right and eating low cals and consistency.No bread, only whole wheat tortillos .No added sugar only splenda in drinks. No alcoholic drinks. Which you shouldnt be drinking on methadone anyway. Three small meals daily with a low fat yogurt snack once or twice daily if desired.And any type of exercise that you can tolerate.If you stick with it and want to lose the weight badly enough it will happen with low enough caloric intake.I wish us all luck with our weight issues and being on methadone for whatever reason.God bless :-)

i have been on methadone for 5 years for R.A and chronic pain. i agree with everyone that you do gain weight on this stuff. i lost eighty pounds on my own two years ago. i used the treadmill every day for 75 min and also used hand weights while i was on the treadmill. well ive gained 30lbsback so far because i havent been able to work out because of my RA and sjgrons syndrome. i am so depressed over this and have major body issues that i do not want to even go out in public anymore. i want to go off this but am so afraid of being in pain more than i am now. i just wish i could just love myself no matter what my weight is!!!

I know exactly how everyone feels, that has always been thin and now have gained weight on methadone and can't lose it or it's extremely hard to lose it.
I have been on and off methadone for about 8/9 yrs. now, and I can definitely tell you, that it is a different kind of weight gain; although all weight gain looks like fat to me and on me.
I've always been thin and didn't gain as much weight being pregnant two times as I have gained on methadone. I have never changed my eating habits and contrary to what they tell you at the clinics, about running around getting heroin or pills and now your not running everywhere and you're eating well. That is BS because I've always eaten the same things and didn't have to run around everywhere to get my pills. I have always been a stay at home type of person, didn't like partying or socializing. How do they explain it? They blame it on you, not the drug because that way they don't have to deal with it. Of course they don't have to deal with it anyway, WE DO!
One thing I have changed about my diet, that I always did when I was thin. I DON'T drink sodas anymore. Stupid me, thinking it would help me to lose weight to drink nothing but water, lots of water. I didn't do a thing. How many calories could that have cut out? I used to drink a liter or more of Sundrop (a high calorie soda) a day when I was thin.
The only time I've ever been able to lose weight is to cut my dose down to 20mg or less a day. I'm currently at 40mg daily now. I tried to go down to 35 for a month and it was too hard. I'm going to have to go to my Dr and try to get off of this stuff because it has ruined my life more than pills ever could have. I hate to say that, but I am so miserable right now. I never want to go anywhere or do anything. I have nothing to wear because I can't bring myself to shop for larger clothes, I get too depressed. I look so much older too. Just the fact of knowing that you have always been a size 2 and weighing no more than 115 lbs at 5'2 1/2, to weighing more than 155 lbs.
I can't help the way I feel about how I look. I grew up that way. I feel like my husband thinks I'm ugly now and I never want to have sex anymore.
This is the first post that I've found, that has had a recent date, for someone talking about methadone and weight gain.
Anyone that has had some success, with anything to help in losing weight on methadone maintenance, other than drinking lots of water. Please, please post it or email me if you feel the same way I do.

Hi Im from Lansing Michigan. Ive been on and off methadone for 8 years and was on Orlaam when it was available. I was kicked out of both the pay clinics in my town. My mother, who is an attorney in Detroit, kept talking about opening a methadone clinic. She finally did and i reluctantly got back on methadone to help curb my I.V. heroin problem. I'm on 186mgs. It has of course made me gain alot of weight. Im 5'9" and now weigh 190lbs. I am hepC positive and still i gain weight. I believe methadone makes you retain water. There are some water pills your doctor can perscribe you that will help you lose some water weight. I have also heard of ritalin or adderall being perscribed for weight loss. A liquid called "Magnesium Chloride" is one of the best laxatives on the market. Supposedly there is a new federal law that says if you get dirty drops you have to go 7 days a week. Last weekend I didnt receive my takehome for the 5th week in a row so i walked out without getting my dose. I went all weekend with no methadone and although come monday i was a shakey mess, I did notice some weight loss. The times ive gotten off methadone whether it be rapid detox, a few mgs a week, or all at once, the extra weight usually comes off quickly. I think how much weight you gain is directly proportionet to how much methadone your on. There was a guy who was at a clinic I went to who was on the highest dose in the state of Michigan. He was on some ungodley amount like 350mgs. He came from Chicago where it is common practice to go up to 300,400 even 500mgs. They dont like to go that high here for fear of non payment. Anyway, he was a very large man and had to use a cane to walk. After about a year they quickly dropped him down about 150mgs. and you could almost see the pounds melt away. I hope to get off methadone soon so i can lose this weight. It also slows your metabolism down which causes weight gain. Although this troublesome side effect is in some cases unavoidable, the pros of MMT far outweigh the cons. Id rather be clean than slim. Its weird though. some people just dont gain weight from it. Thats all I have to say. If you wish to contact me, my Email address is _[removed]_. My name is Dan.

I was on methadone for 2/12 yrs...I gained alot of weight.I am 54 yrs old and this weight is not coming off easy.I have joined a gym and I eat right so I just don't understand.I will admit that when I was on the methadone that I ate alot of sweets that I never did before...also, I dont know if anyone else experienced this but I got Psoriasis real bad on the out side of my arms from the elbow down and also on my knees.Once I stopped methadome the psoriasis just disappeared pretty quickly.I don't know if anyone else went thru that but it had to pertain to the methadone since it left my body as soon as the methadone did.I advise anyone who goes on methadone to stay on it a year and just get yourself together and then take the next year to slowly come off of it.I feel methadone was a good thing for me.It save my life.The highest mg ever got to was 100 mg.I feel people only want to go up on the mg because they think they will cop a high.If thats your reason you really dont need to be on methadone.When you take methadone.THATS ALL YOU TAKE!!(the beginning should read 2 yrs and 6 mos.

:$ Ive been on methadone for about a year now and guess what...same problem. I have gained about 40lbs, and it is mostly in my belly. I cant stand it. I was switched to oxycontin for pain this week and i'm hoping this will stop the pain as well as allow me to get back to my original weight.
Yes, methadone seemed like a wonder drug. I, too, felt 20 years younger. HOWEVER, the weight gain has made an already horrible pain due to 5 herniated disks much worse. The last thing you need with lumbar pain is an extra 40lbs in your belly!!! :-)

methadone has a tendency to incredibly slow down ones metabolism. The best thing to do is make sure you exercise, eat well balanced meals @ around 1200 calories a day. (Always check with your Dr. when planning a diet to lose a substancial amout of weight. I have been on methadone for over a year now for vicodin addiction and found that i gained 50 lbs rather quickly. i have been dieting for about two months now and have only lost 15 pounds but expect it to be slow even though my dose of methadone is only 35mg. daily. Good luck everyone.

I have been on methadone for 10 months now and it has helped me in many ways which I am really thankful for. I was able to get through university, which probably wouldn't have happened without the methadone.
My average weight before the methadone was around 125 lbs. I am 5'6, and once I got to a stable dose of 55mg my weight started rapidly increasing. I weigh 140 lbs right now, which after reading other responses I should be happy its not any worst. As soon as I went over 140 I tried to tried to do anything I could to lose weight (went to a high of 144, managed to loss a whole 4 lbs). I started going rollerblading at least 3 times a week, even started using the treadmill sometimes when its raining or cold out (which I absolutely hate doing because its in my basement and its just so boring being in one place while staring at the wall) I eat half the food i use to eat in a day. Tried to cut out the sweets completely (which is really hard, I try to have a lollipop whenever i have a craving) I tried taking those "weight loss" supplements/vitamines, which I can't say they've helped me loss any weight, but I guess they have helped me from gaining anymore weight then I have.
I hope once I start decreasing my dose it will be a lot easier to lose some of the weight.

To all who wonder about methadone weight gain,

I have been on Methadone for 6.5 years now, I have made the big mistake of going cold turkey after getting my dose down to 50mg. I did that once and will never try it again!! Please listen to the professionals when tapering, slow and steady, and stay on it till your at 0mg. Anyway, yes I did lose all the weight that I gained while on Methadone. I had gained 72lbs. It only took about a month for most of it to come off.
We gain alot of fluid while on it, it also slows our Metabolism down drastically. That is why we gain the weight that we do.

I am not a medical expert or anything but I am an experienced Methadone user and have asked this question to many of my Health Care Workers. I got the answer I just told all of you. If any of you would like to know more, please don't hesitate to contact me at anytime.
Take care and good luck with all you do. Remember to do what your clinic or Dr. tells you to do. We did not get our bad habits overnight so don't expect a cure overnight. Take your time. Do it right.


Sincerely,
Your fellow Methadone friend ;-)

I feel so bad for you. I am in the same sitch. Ive put my story on here already, Im the one that gained 50 lbs in 4.6 years. Im seeing my dr. tomarrow, and IM printing out all thses sad stories and asking him to support me in switching to suboxone, then I will taper off of that. It is Difficult to make it though the 3-4 days you need to be off methadone, so you can get on suboxone, but it is better than taking a year to taper off, then still feel crappy for a couple weeks with the methadone. It is much easier to taper off of suboxone. The dr. said it can be done in a month, and if properly medicated you should feel no withdrawl symptoms once you get on, and then you can make the decision to stay on suboxone as maintenance, or get off these opiate antagonists. there should be less or no weight gain on suboxone maintenance from what ive read, but many people dont choose suboxone because there not getting the high that comes along with methadone. Ive tried to do as much reading as possible on the weight gain side effects of methadone, but there is just nothing out there. I know. Ive been to 6 libraries and theres just nothing published about the side effects of methadone, and how to aleiviate them. Ive decided to write a book on the subject to help the many people suffering the side effects of this drug. This is my third methadone clinic, and Ive gotten off in various ways before, and this time will try it with suboxone. Ill use myself as a test subject, and then do as much researching by talking to patients, not reading the few studies published about methadone that say 'methadone does not cause weight gain. you just dont run around all day looking for dope anymore, so you gain weight because youve gotten lazy' This is not the case, as I work out and eat a healthy controlled calorie diet. I hope this information has helped someone, and I can say that for constipation, the only thing that has worked for me consistently is a dose of mineral oil every night. good luck, Carrie

Yes. IT MADE ME WANT CARBS AND SWEETS all thhe time, and i wasnt like that b4. ive gained 50 lbs. and cant get it off no matter what I do. beleive me, my dr. and i have tried it all. Im getting off this c**p asap. 5 yrs. of this is 2 much. I cry everyday, and i hate how i look. I also wont date anyone because i feel so ugly. ive gotten off it 2 times b4,so i guess i will do it again.just hate withdrawl so much,ive actually tried to think of ways to raise the 5-10 thousand dollars it takes for the ANR rapid detox, even though there is a small chance of death with the procedure. thats how fed up i am. tired of crying out of total frustration.good luck Carrie

Guest wrote:

sandra73 wrote:

I was on methadone for 5 yrs and gained about 40 lbs in those 5 years, I was on a 95 ml a day docage when I first went on it and weaned down to 55 mls a day the last 3 years I was on it. I went off it cold turkey 2 months ago and was in detox for 11 days. I have lost almost 30 lbs in those 2 months! Yeah I still feel withdrawl [minimal] and have to take sleeping meds or I wouldn't sleep, but do I ever feel better! My personality has come back 100%, and I feel alot better physically and don't want to sleep all the time! It's a tough road, but you can do it when you are ready you will know, I did. Good Luck it will happen for you! Much Luck, Sandra

HI, I've been coming off methadone for over a year know and i've been on it for three years and have gained about 55pnds. I use to way 130-140 the most and i'm 5'5. I'''''''m on 44mgs now and I am having a very hard time coming done only 2mgs every other week. I am thinking of going in to a detox to get the hell off this sh*t!!!! Do you really think the weight will come off?? :(

yes. Or it will be a lot easier.I couldnt lose no matter how I worked out,even on 600 calories a day. I started at 1500 cal. so I wouldnt go into starvation mode like all the experts tell you. I actually gained 2lbs.and it wasnt muscle. then down to 1200 cal. gained another 2lbs. this time while keeping an honest food journal I was turning into my dr. then down to 1000, 900, 800, 600 calories! now im so out of it from starvation i cant work out. im getting off this c**p. my private dr. says its against the law for him to rx me suboxone, so i can get out of the meth clinic. Is that true? I live in oregon.I dont know if these laws are fed. mandated, or is it state law.To top off being fat now, my clinic treats everyone like sh*t.I was a professional in the health care feild(dentistry) and if i ever treated the patients in the office like they treat the patients at this clinic I would have been fired on the spot.any feedback?c.

Amen sister. I cry almost everyday out of frustration, as i have gained 50lbs, in a little more than 41/2 yrs. ive got to get off. i used to be pretty and a size 6.now i feel disgusting.ur story is almost a carbon copy of how i feel.good luck. C.