Interactions And Effects Of Psych Meds With Your Methadone (Top voted first)

My question is I'm on 140 mg methadone liquid daily and have been and that dose for about 2 mos and on methadone all together for 16 months my psychiatrist recently put me on Topamax 25 mg in the morning for bipolar n weight loss Lexapro 5 milligrams in the morning for depression and Klonopin 1 mg at bedtime for anxiety in which he said I could split half in the morning and half at night what my concern is are these medicines going to interfere with the effects of the methadone and the purpose of the methadone anybody that has any insight or answers on this matter thank you very much

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Hello, Aim! How are you?

The main problematic medication is the Topamax, it can decrease the effectiveness of Methadone. Otherwise, they can all increase sedation, so may experience more dizziness and drowsiness than usual, according to the FDA.

Have you started these medications, yet?

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Hi there. I know it's been a while since you've posted this, so I hope you're doing all right! I've been on all of those medications. Everyone is different. I personally can't be on any antidepressants with methadone, because I get something called serotonin syndrome. Which is when you have too much serotonin in your brain from the methadone and the antidepressants. When I got it, it was a horrible experience. My pupils got extremely large, and I felt like I was overdosing on cocaine for about 10 hours. It was horrible. I almost went to the hospital. It happened to me before when I was very young and stupid, and tried to OD on my antidepressants. It does happen to some people, but not everyone. It can also happen if you mix anything that produces more serotonin with methadone. I'm also on topamax, and haven't had any adverse effects. The first couple times I took it, I felt a bit off and threw up, and had to lower my dose. I needed it for migraines. It does help a lot. But I know it can also cause vision problems, so make sure you're going to the eye Dr regularly. Make sure they check for glaucoma and astigmatism. I was on Xanax and then Klonopin for over a decade. I've had anxiety for my entire life, and then anxiety with PTSD. Benzos will eventually stop working. Just like any other drug, you'll gain a tolerance and need more and more of it to feel better, and then it'll stop working again. It's a big cycle...until it just stops working all together. I'm surprised your clinic lets you take them. You may not be able to get take homes with them.

I know life seems a lot easier with them, but in the long run, they don't help...the withdrawal from them takes forever. You have to ween extremely slow, otherwise the withdrawal will be way worse than any withdrawals you've had before. Benzo and methadone withdrawals are the worst I've ever felt. Way worse than H. And then nothing feels the same, and you're wayyy more anxious than you were before you started taking them. I wish I never started taking benzos honestly. I just hope you don't go through what I did. Mine stopped working after about 2-21/2 years. I was at the maximum dose possible at the time. 2mgs 3xs/day, and didn't even take that many because I was selling them. I only took 2-4mgs/day, and it was horrible getting off of them. I had to switch to Klonopin first because of the half life, weened off of those for about a 6-9 months, and then finally was off. And now I am finally at the half way mark for weening off of methadone. I don't have anything bad to say about methadone though, because it saved my life. I'm just saying... Just try to get into therapy at least while you're on Klonopin. So you're at least trying to fix the real issues instead of using the bandaid (Klonopin), because once the pills stop working (and they will, it's inevitable, that's how they work, your body will get used to them..they were really only made to be for short-term use.) You want to have the skills to fall back on. And to be able to adapt to life. I wish I had started therapy soooo much sooner. It really does help. If you ever want to talk, my email is {edited for privacy}, I've been sober for just over 6 years now. I still have social anxiety and PTSD. I'm not perfect. I'm still growing. Everyone is still able to grow. That's what's so great about being human. The ability to grow. But I'm here for you if you ever want to talk! I'd love to! <3

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