What Drugs Should Not Be Taken With Methadone?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

, , , ,

What drugs should not be taken with methadone?

  • Anticonvulsants, such as phenobarbital, phenytoin, and carbamazepine. These drugs can cause methadone to stop working. …
  • HIV drugs such as abacavir, darunavir, efavirenz, nelfinavir, nevirapine, ritonavir, and telaprevir. …
  • Antibiotics, such as rifampin and rifabutin.

What pain meds can be taken with methadone?

Hospitalists should administer the regular methadone dose for maintenance only, adding another opioid “ideally used in combination with

NSAIDs and acetaminophen

, to reduce total opioid needs “in high-enough doses to control pain.

Can methadone and gabapentin be taken together?

The results showed that

gabapentin is an effective adds-on therapy when is added to methadone

. This drug leads to relief of withdrawal symptoms and lower methadone consumption.

What medicine combination can cause death?

  • Prozac and Tramadol. …
  • St John’s Wort and Warfarin. …
  • Clarithromycin and calcium-channel blockers. …
  • Thyroid medication and proton pump inhibitors. …
  • Digoxin and Macrolides. …
  • Pravastatin and Paroxetine. …
  • Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and antihypertensives.

What are the most common drug interactions?

  • Digoxin and Amiodarone. …
  • Digoxin and Verapamil. …
  • Theophylline and Quinolones. …
  • Warfarin and Macrolides. …
  • Warfarin and Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) …
  • Warfarin and Phenytoin. …
  • Warfarin and Quinolones. …
  • Warfarin and Sulfa Drugs.
  • Drug-drug interaction: A reaction between two (or more) drugs.
  • Drug-food interaction: A reaction between a drug and a food or beverage.
  • Drug-condition interaction: A reaction that occurs when taking a drug while having a certain medical condition.

Patients’ Body Mass Index (BMI) increase during methadone maintenance treatment (MMT), and both

Vitamins D and B12

deficiencies may be associated with BMI. We studied the relations between BMI, these vitamins and treatment outcome in patients with opioid use disorder receiving MMT.

First, it’s true: some people use methadone to get high. It’s a synthetic opioid with

mild sedative and euphoric properties similar to other opioids

. But those properties are far less intense than in common opioids of abuse such as Oxycontin, Fentanyl, or heroin.

Methadone maintenance is a long-term treatment. The length of treatment varies from

one or two years to 20 years or more

. However, if the person taking methadone and their doctor agree to end treatment, the methadone dose is tapered down gradually over many weeks or months, easing the process of withdrawal.

A class of anxiety medication called benzodiazepines can increase the side effects of methadone. Both methadone and benzodiazepines depress the central nervous system.

Combined, they can cause too much central nervous system depression and result in an overdose or death

.

It is used to treat opioid addiction and moderate to severe pain. Recent reports suggest that methadone can affect the electrical system of the heart. A heart tracing known as an electrocardiogram (ECG)

may detect an abnormality (prolongation of the rate-corrected QT [QTc] interval) in patients treated with methadone

.

Pharmacodynamic interactions. Drug interactions can be additive (the result is what you expect when you add together the effect of each drug taken independently), synergistic (combining the drugs leads to a larger effect than expected), or

antagonistic

(combining the drugs leads to a smaller effect than expected).

Who is at risk for drug-drug interactions?

Anyone who is taking more than one drug

is at risk. Some populations are at higher risk, such as older adults who typically take more than one medication for chronic conditions, and people who take multiple drugs as part of standard treatment regimens for certain diseases.


There are several risks when taking multiple medicines

. You may be more likely to have side effects. Because most medicines can have side effects, the more medicines you take, the more likely you will have side effects. Taking certain medicines can also increase the risk for falls.

Synergism: when the combine effect of two drugs is greater than the sum of their effects when given separately.

Potentiation

: when one drug does not elicit a response on its own but enhances the response to another drug.

Adults—At first, 20 to 30 milligrams (mg) taken as a single dose per day. Your doctor may adjust your dose as needed. However, the dose is usually

not more than 40 mg per day

. Do not take more than your prescribed dose in 24 hours.

methadone HYDROmorphone

Using narcotic pain or cough medications together with other medications that also cause central nervous system depression can lead to serious side effects including respiratory distress, coma, and even death.

Various studies demonstrate that through CYP3A4 inhibition, grapefruit juice increases serum levels of opioids, such as methadone, though no clinically significant effects have been reported. Conclusions: Grapefruit juice

inhibits the metabolism of methadone, raising its serum levels

.

Results show that

the addition of 600 mg of ibuprofen to either 2.5 or 5 mg of methadone significantly increased analgesia, without concomitantly increasing side effects or euphoria.

James Park
Author
James Park
Dr. James Park is a medical doctor and health expert with a focus on disease prevention and wellness. He has written several publications on nutrition and fitness, and has been featured in various health magazines. Dr. Park's evidence-based approach to health will help you make informed decisions about your well-being.