Opioids Methadone and weight gain? Is this a real thing for the skinny folk

[OpiateKiller]

Good news my methadone intake got pushed up to next week and I'm hella excited to leave Suboxone in the dust for good. Been shooting the orange goo crap and it's just been a disaster of headaches, uneasiness and wanting to use heroin for a while now.

But question for those on Methadone - does it really make you gain weight? I'm one of those people who have a fast metabolism and can't really gain weight if I tried, it would actually be cool if Methadone helped increase my appetite - but not for junk food for protein to help me get in better shape.

Any experiences?

 

[JessFR]

I haven't noticed it being a problem myself, but yeah I've heard that too.

But you know, it's hard to tell. I mean you would expect there to be some correlation between methadone and gaining weight if for no other reason than because people on methadone are often getting away from heroin, and a heroin using lifestyle frequently causes weight loss. So leaving that behind is likely to cause you to stop losing weight and start gaining it again.

Dunno, guess you'll have to wait and see.

 

[negrogesic]

It made me gain a ton of weight. And im naturally a very lean person. I gained like 40 pounds to 195( im usually 155 or so). The cravings for sweet things was intense, as was my cravings for fatty foods (pizza, ice cream, pastries).

Ive always had a shitty appetite but at no time in my life did I enjoy food as much as when i was on methadone. Keep in mind i was up to 380mg/day. The ability to enjoy food like a normal person was kind of cool actually.

I remember methadone fondly, though perhaps there is some romanticization here, as obviously i felt compelled to get off it. It still is my favorite opioid overall, could go for some right about now.

It helped my addiction to opioids too. I was a hardcore IV opioid addict before and now im not. Have relapsed but never back to IV addiction, and never super severe.

 

[JessFR]

Keep in mind i was up to 380mg/day. The ability to enjoy food like a normal person was kind of cool actually.

Wow.. 380mg?

That's the most I've ever heard anyone being on. I don't think you've even allowed to be on that much where I live.

It's nearly 5 times what I'm on.

 

[draculic acid69]

Wow.. 380mg?

That's the most I've ever heard anyone being on. I don't think you've even allowed to be on that much where I live.

It's nearly 5 times what I'm on.

Your not.its like 100-110mg day max here in oz.never heard of anything near that 380mg though

 

[draculic acid69]

I think the weight loss is from increased desire for munchies
and not needing to hustle for$$$ means no need to stay as active which translates to a lot more time chilling on the couch. An active drug habit usually keeps one fairly fit. Having a script pretty much negates that

 

[OpiateKiller]

Your not.its like 100-110mg day max here in oz.never heard of anything near that 380mg though

Wow.. 380mg?

That's the most I've ever heard anyone being on. I don't think you've even allowed to be on that much where I live.

It's nearly 5 times what I'm on.

I had a friend who was on 300 mg in Massachusettes, so it's definitely possible at certain clinics

 

[JessFR]

I think the weight loss is from increased desire for munchies
and not needing to hustle for$$$ means no need to stay as active which translates to a lot more time chilling on the couch. An active drug habit usually keeps one fairly fit. Having a script pretty much negates that

Exactly.

When I was still actively using. I was out pretty much all day every day, begging, stealing, whatever to get money.

Didn't have a car, sold it for drug money. Often didn't have food, heroin came first. Often wasn't hungry anyway for the same reason.

It shouldn't be any surprise that a lot of people are going to gain some weight going from that to a less.. Insane lifestyle. Methadone or not.

When I finally stopped I spent most of the first couple weeks asleep simply because I was so exhausted.

That said not everyone reaches that extreme by the time they start methadone.

 

[negrogesic]

Your not.its like 100-110mg day max here in oz.never heard of anything near that 380mg though

This was in Los Angeles and the clinic i went to was private and very expensive ($1500/month). It was a very high end clinic, on the penthouse floor on century city, geared towards the Hollywood rich and famous. You went in only on appointment and they set it up so you couldn't see another patient to preserve anonymity.

Basically i just kept asking for more and they gave it to me.

Crazy that i was able to get off 100% on 12 months of tapering. I never told them i was tapering and since all my meds were take homes (towards the end they gave me 90 days of take homes) and saved all the pills i wasnt taking. At the end i had thousands of 10mg methadose tablets. Then one day i tell them im leaving the clinic, and they told me i would for sure be back (again they thought i was still taking 380mg/day).

I did let that collection of methadone sit for 3-4 years and did eventually get back into it, and did slowly finish all those pills, cause a minor addiction to reappear (i was taking max 50mg a day).

Its funny that i got to 380mg a day, as i didnt even suffer from chronic pain. I was high as a kite 24/7 and never in my life did i enjoy food so much in my life. I was also able to appreciate things i never could before, like watching stupid TV shows (i would take first dose of 200mg in the morning, watch a rerun of 90210, then take a glorious methadone nap for about 2 hours). Later id go to the market and buy all kinds of food. I gained 40 pounds and my total cholesterol was almost 500. What a life.

It worked for me though. I was as high as i could ever want and eventually got sick of it.

Man i could really go for 20mg of methadone right now.

 

[OpiateKiller]

This was in Los Angeles and the clinic i went to was private and very expensive ($1500/month). It was a very high end clinic, on the penthouse floor on century city, geared towards the Hollywood rich and famous. You went in only on appointment and they set it up so you couldn't see another patient to preserve anonymity.

Basically i just kept asking for more and they gave it to me.

Crazy that i was able to get off 100% on 12 months of tapering. I never told them i was tapering and since all my meds were take homes (towards the end they gave me 90 days of take homes) and saved all the pills i wasnt taking. At the end i had thousands of 10mg methadose tablets. Then one day i tell them im leaving the clinic, and they told me i would for sure be back (again they thought i was still taking 380mg/day).

I did let that collection of methadone sit for 3-4 years and did eventually get back into it, and did slowly finish all those pills, cause a minor addiction to reappear (i was taking max 50mg a day).

Its funny that i got to 380mg a day, as i didnt even suffer from chronic pain. I was high as a kite 24/7 and never in my life did i enjoy food so much in my life. I was also able to appreciate things i never could before, like watching stupid TV shows (i would take first dose of 200mg in the morning, watch a rerun of 90210, then take a glorious methadone nap for about 2 hours). Later id go to the market and buy all kinds of food. I gained 40 pounds and my total cholesterol was almost 500. What a life.

It worked for me though. I was as high as i could ever want and eventually got sick of it.

Man i could really go for 20mg of methadone right now.

That's so awesome you tapered at home with your take homes and told them see ya later they told me take homes are a case by case basis... I better be a case that gets them lol. At least a week at a time after say a month cause I like to travel and do shit and that's not gonna work otherwise.