Methadone Maintainance & Weight Gain!!! Help!!!
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I AM A METHADONE MAINTAINANCE PATIENT, CLEAN FROM OXYCONTIN FOR THREE+ YEARS & I HAE PACKED ON 40 POUNDS! I AM RETAINING WATER & EXPERIENCE HORRIBLE CONSTIPATION...ANYONE WITH SIMILAR ISSUES OR TIPS TO HELP ME OR FIND THE CAUSE???

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I've gained over 60 lbs since I've started on methadone. It happens to almost everyone who gets onto methadone treatment and is on a high dose. But if this is the price of staying clean from other opioids then I'm fine with that. That seems like an acceptable trade off lol don't you? The price of being mentally and physically much healthier and not at risk of infections or worse from abusing? Yeah, I'll take the weight any day but that's not to say it isn't troublesome it's something you have to work at imo. But now that your clean don't you have so much more free time we'll spend some of it exercising! Hope this helps someone.

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Yes, try taking stool softer (I take 1 in the AM & 1 in the PM) Also, if you can drink some prune juice, also AM & PM. And IF that’s not enough, there’s an Rx’d medication “MOVANTIK” it works well, in combination with the juice & stool softeners. Good Luck!!

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Hi. I've had the same experience. These days it's not worth trying to stop my neck pain after a horse accident. Any other way, it's a drag I agree, but better than throwing $ away here in Australia. It's been years for me. It's gone so fast. Think I've tried everything. Been taking magnesium, Celeste think it's called, drinking plenty of water. Seems to have improved things for me. Yes, weight gain is a hassle. My ankles and abdomen are swollen at the moment. Good luck. I have to go out. Let me know if I can help or how you're doing, ok?

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You will continue to gain weight as long as your taking the methadone. Trust me

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Just count yourself lucky you can get your meds. I took Hydrocodone for 2 decades until the Opioid Crisis caused by illegal users. My Dr cold turkied me off my meds, never a failed UT, never ran out of my meds. I am now on Tylenol 3, and now being told that will no longer be prescribed by my PPO... they want me to go to Pain Management. I am caregiver to 86 yr old Mom... 62 myself, I don't have time or help to have to drive from our rural area to where the pain management clinics are. Now pain from a new issue... adhesions from my total hysterectomy in 1997. I am surprised I haven't overdosed on the acetaminophen, as my pain level can reach a 10 at times. I have lost weight due to all of this since 2016, from about 110 lbs to 84 lbs as of my last Dr appointment the 24th. At 5'5", you can imagine what I look and feel like.

I wish I could take about half your weight for myself... as for nausea, try getting Zofram (generic is Ondansetron). They prescribe fast acting for pregnancy morning sickness. Works well for me when my nausea kicks in from pain from the adhesions.

Keep up the good fight... but don't forget us who need pain meds that work, but because of new laws/guidelines I can no longer be prescribed by my regular doctor because he's afraid his small practice may come under fire from the DEA and lose his practice or worse. I live in Florida, so makes it twice as hard. I went thru HARD WITHDRAWALS, not my choice, it was forced on me instead of being weaned off slowly as should have been done.

Have a blessed day....

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While on Methadone I actually lost 98lbs. My best advice is wean yourself off that crap. I weaned myself in a few months and walked away without any withdrawals. I've had major spine surgery in Oct. 2016 straighten my spine and fusing 6 discs. I'm still in pain but I'm no longer a slave.

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1. Why the hell are you STILL taking Methadone after being 3 YEARS clean?!
2. WEEN OFF THE METHADONE and you won’t have a weight issue.

I hate people who abuse this medication for ‘life long maintenance’. It’s not meant to be life long or years long. Methadone withdrawal is going to be worse than opiate withdrawal. No reason you should be on this for more than 3-6 months.

- Former opiate user

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Re: Gina (# 1)

I gained a few pounds at first but that was it. It seems like they are coming off as my jeans are looser and my ring keeps fall off.

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Drink lots of water, eat smaller meals, have like 1 sugar instead of 2. Make little changs to your diet like that. Methadone need not bloat you up if handles correctly. You will naturally put on more weight so eat healthier, eat less and do more exercise, that's for sure. As for constipation, it is gross but just get what you can out and kind "snip" your turds off halfway, sounds horrid but I have had bad guts like that for years otherwise you'll be sitting there in LOTS of discomfort. It all depends on your diet too I suppose, more fruit for sure. Just don't eat a s*** ton of oats, that's a free tip I'll give you.. Yikes!.

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Re: Gina (# 1)

Your life changed. No more running around, not eating etc, that's where the gain comes from for almost everyone. Buy generic Mira lax at Amazon. Get the two 50 dose bottles, 100+ doses for 26.00, the price of one 30 dose Mira lax! Take four doses at night. Get up, use an enema bag and insert one bag of water. In a few minutes you will start going and clean it all out. Drink a quart of water the night before and in the morning, use the enema before taking any meds. About 10 minutes after you get up. Been on methadone since 1988 and do this 2x a week with no problems at all.

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I am on Methadone maintenance and have been for over 20 years. I am a disabled housebound Veteran and had numerous surgeries and finally got on Methadone maintenance and it saved my life. I to have severe constipation but manage it with stool softeners and Miralax. The weight gain unfortunately is a problem with Methadone however, I will tell you what worked for ME. I cannot speak for anyone else but I took garcinia Cambogia not sure on the spelling but I’m sure u have heard of it. I also took green coffee bean with it and after 6 weeks I went from my waist being between 38-40 to 32-34 I could not believe the transformation. The only thing is you will go to the bathroom a lot due to your metabolism being increased. As I said this worked for me and I had no problems at all. I have heard some people have problems with it feeling like withdrawing and such but for me I didn’t. I would ask your doctor before beginning any medication though but I hope this helped.

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about the same side effects for me too. It's supposed to be helping me with pain. Not much relief for pain but it doe's help me sleep.
GL

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I've been on Methadone for 19 years now..the BEST thing to take for constipation hands down is MOVANTIK...It is for people on opiates/Methadone..and it is POWERFUL!!!DO NOT take more than prescribed! U r GONNA BLOW!!!

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Re: Ellen (# 84)

Nutridone helped me in the past with sugar cravings and detoxing off Methadone. I took it just like the bottle says. I was feeling better than ever. I lost 30lbs and had energy as I was detoxing. I wanted off Methadone worse than anything in the world! I am now on Subutex and want off it so I am taking the Nutridone again.

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Re: Shar (# 213)

When I got on Methadone Maintenance in 2001. I weighed 125 pounds. 3 years later I weighed 165. Everyone told me it was the methadone but that made no sense to me. If Methadone was the cause I would have gained weight right away. I went to my Doctor and turned out it was my thyroid. As soon as I started on medication my weight went right back down. My point is we are on Methadone because we are addicted to opiates. Why is it that no one blames other opioids for weight gain, constapstion, bad teeth etc. Sure some people gain weight because we aren't loaded anymore so we want to eat. Some people sugar and as for the teeth, we are taking care of ourselves for the first time in years and our teeth were probably bad for years but now we care. All opiates dry our mouth, all opiates make us crave sugar and all opiates constapate us. We are just noticing it for the first time. Hope this helps

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Re: Siss (# 2)

Doesnt phetermine strip ur methadone?? Just curious. Im in the methadobe program now 2yrs I gained over 50lbs n don't like it. My counselor had giving me a list of prescription drugs that either strip methadone or increase. Amphetamine will strip it. Id love to know how phentermine is working for u. Before methadone i was prescribed phentermine and I lost 30lbs in a month. I was happy. But my doc had left and I had to switch to a doc who did not prescribe it. Smh!!

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Eat six prunes before bed. She you first get up drink 32 oz of water. You shouldn't have a problem going. Try to stay clear of laxatives they are bad for you. Stay active. Stop drinking soda and eating all those sweets your craving

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SAH (# 199) --

Qigong works. It's wonderful and it's easy. Go on youtube and follow a workout. They have proved it reduces withdrawal 65%. Yoga works well too. I keep a Fitbit on me. It counts your steps. Just start by taking a walk around your block and add a little more steps each day. I hurt my knee again that I had surgery on so it has limited the yoga and no walking and on came the weight. If I can get in 20 min of qigong I can at least not gain.

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Re: Roxane (# 208)

I went from 130 to 360 I was in my 40s to 52 I had horrid bleeding I had my thyroid removed and have to med on synthroid it just would work with the methadone and I slipped into a myxedema coma your pretty much unrecognizable I looked like I would pop! I never could get up. Some how 14 years went by I detoxes out 2 mg every other week it wasn't till about 10 mg my weight dropped so much skin was hanging every where. I went 4 years my bleed stopped my thyroid got right level I torn my leg acl and had surgery on top of pain meds for all the dental work to repair teeth that would just fall out. I was put on a med called opana when I stop my lord I was violently ill I didn't know what to do so I'm on a lower dose now and have been ther a year I've gained 70 lb thyroid med stoped working s at 59 I'm having periods. I'm detoxing down but gonna get the surgeries I need on it because the doctors give you pain meds then won't wean you down. I am a chemist the best I can figure is methadone causes the thyroid to become sluggish my meds don't work I can't figure out why my uterus enlarges and I bleed but this is twice and I see a lot of people with thyroid problems there. I started going down 2mg a wk when I get to 30 ol go to 1 every other at a low dose is when I plan to repair all the damage hernia tummy tuck hysterectomy. I see manny people who it has given them back there life I'm also gonna try the vitadone. Detoxing I had no problem no sickness but I went slow. It can be done without withdrawal.

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I have been on 70 mg of methadone and I've gained 40 lbs in 1 year. I feel like s*** being this fat. I have no energy or appetite. I eat 1 meal a day. How can I be so fat? Counselors say exercise etc. I've been on methadone before and never gained weight like this, booted belly ttc. Anyone.....help!

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