I’ve taken virtually every prescription opioid for chronic pain. I’m not very sensitive to opioids and I can tolerate pretty high doses. Morphine, Dilaudid, OxyContin, etc.
However, I seem to have a problem tolerating Methadone, and I’m wondering how common this problem is?
Never before have I nodded off on ANY OTHER opioid. But it seems like each time I’ve tried Methadone (10-30 mg. daily), by day 2 or 3 I end up basically losing consciousness, which is scary! I guess it’s technically putting me to sleep? All I know is that I’m losing time, and falling asleep in very strange places and strange positions. I’ve actually fallen asleep sitting up in a kneeling position on the floor. I have no idea how long I was out for, but my muscles were in such a strange position that I ended up having sore legs for a week afterward.
The weirdest thing is that every time I wake up from losing consciousness on Methadone, my face is red, as if I’ve been sunburned. A couple days later, I get some peeling on my face, as if from a bad sunburn. But every time I’ve nodded out, I am INSIDE MY HOUSE. That’s beyond weird.
The first several times I nodded off/fell asleep on Methadone, I didn’t totally connect it to the Methadone, even though I NEVER just fall asleep during the day. (I did more often fall asleep from it at nighttime, so I thought maybe I was just tired.)
I finally realized it was definitely from the Methadone when I nodded off on a bench in public (so embarrassing!) I’d just finished eating at a restaurant I sometimes go to, and sat on a bench just outside the restaurant. Well, before I knew it, the cops had pulled up! They started questioning me. Someone from the restaurant said that they’d seen my eyes rolling up into my head. They thought I was having some sort of a medical emergency, so they called the cops. (I suppose it’s good that I never even order alcohol at the restaurant, because neither the waiter nor the cops accused me of taking anything.)
Fortunately, I’m able to snap to it and appear “normal” when I need to. The cops were asking me stupid questions like, “Who is the President?” The waiter must have told them I was in a bad way, but fortunately I was able to act normal and alert in front of the cops. I answered all of their questions, and they finally left me alone. Of course, they suggested I go home. They asked me if I was driving? I told them I was walking, but I actually was driving (less than a mile, and I’ve never had any problems with impaired driving.)
Still, this whole episode has shaken me up. I live alone, so nobody else had ever witnessed my “nodding out” before. The way the waitress described it, it must have looked scary, like I was completely losing consciousness. Maybe they thought I was dying. No, I definitely don’t want to die from this stuff!
Is anyone else totally able to handle high doses of all of the other opiates, yet has this reaction to Methadone? 30 mg. is a fairly low dose, right? Since it seems to happen the second or third day I’m on Methadone, I’m guessing the Methadone must be having a cumulative effect. I’ve never taken Methadone for more than 3 straight days.
My chronic pain is episodic now, so I’m not on constant opiates. Although I used to be, for years. Fortunately, my pain is no longer constant.
Right now, I’m on 48 mg. Exalgo (long-acting Dilaudid), after not taking anything for nearly 4 weeks. So even though my tolerance must be low, I’m having zero sedation from the dilaudid. Nobody would ever guess that I’m on opioids. I’ve always been someone who could really “handle” opioids without any visible side effects. (Not always such a great quality, because it means I need fairly high doses to control my pain episodes.)
Anyway, just wondered if anyone else experiences “nodding out” on Methadone, but not with any other prescription opioids? Does anyone know what is different chemically about Methadone that causes this? I think I have read of this happening to people on Methadone, although I’m not sure that this didn’t happen to those people with other opioids, as well.
Thanks for any feedback about your experiences.
However, I seem to have a problem tolerating Methadone, and I’m wondering how common this problem is?
Never before have I nodded off on ANY OTHER opioid. But it seems like each time I’ve tried Methadone (10-30 mg. daily), by day 2 or 3 I end up basically losing consciousness, which is scary! I guess it’s technically putting me to sleep? All I know is that I’m losing time, and falling asleep in very strange places and strange positions. I’ve actually fallen asleep sitting up in a kneeling position on the floor. I have no idea how long I was out for, but my muscles were in such a strange position that I ended up having sore legs for a week afterward.
The weirdest thing is that every time I wake up from losing consciousness on Methadone, my face is red, as if I’ve been sunburned. A couple days later, I get some peeling on my face, as if from a bad sunburn. But every time I’ve nodded out, I am INSIDE MY HOUSE. That’s beyond weird.
The first several times I nodded off/fell asleep on Methadone, I didn’t totally connect it to the Methadone, even though I NEVER just fall asleep during the day. (I did more often fall asleep from it at nighttime, so I thought maybe I was just tired.)
I finally realized it was definitely from the Methadone when I nodded off on a bench in public (so embarrassing!) I’d just finished eating at a restaurant I sometimes go to, and sat on a bench just outside the restaurant. Well, before I knew it, the cops had pulled up! They started questioning me. Someone from the restaurant said that they’d seen my eyes rolling up into my head. They thought I was having some sort of a medical emergency, so they called the cops. (I suppose it’s good that I never even order alcohol at the restaurant, because neither the waiter nor the cops accused me of taking anything.)
Fortunately, I’m able to snap to it and appear “normal” when I need to. The cops were asking me stupid questions like, “Who is the President?” The waiter must have told them I was in a bad way, but fortunately I was able to act normal and alert in front of the cops. I answered all of their questions, and they finally left me alone. Of course, they suggested I go home. They asked me if I was driving? I told them I was walking, but I actually was driving (less than a mile, and I’ve never had any problems with impaired driving.)
Still, this whole episode has shaken me up. I live alone, so nobody else had ever witnessed my “nodding out” before. The way the waitress described it, it must have looked scary, like I was completely losing consciousness. Maybe they thought I was dying. No, I definitely don’t want to die from this stuff!
Is anyone else totally able to handle high doses of all of the other opiates, yet has this reaction to Methadone? 30 mg. is a fairly low dose, right? Since it seems to happen the second or third day I’m on Methadone, I’m guessing the Methadone must be having a cumulative effect. I’ve never taken Methadone for more than 3 straight days.
My chronic pain is episodic now, so I’m not on constant opiates. Although I used to be, for years. Fortunately, my pain is no longer constant.
Right now, I’m on 48 mg. Exalgo (long-acting Dilaudid), after not taking anything for nearly 4 weeks. So even though my tolerance must be low, I’m having zero sedation from the dilaudid. Nobody would ever guess that I’m on opioids. I’ve always been someone who could really “handle” opioids without any visible side effects. (Not always such a great quality, because it means I need fairly high doses to control my pain episodes.)
Anyway, just wondered if anyone else experiences “nodding out” on Methadone, but not with any other prescription opioids? Does anyone know what is different chemically about Methadone that causes this? I think I have read of this happening to people on Methadone, although I’m not sure that this didn’t happen to those people with other opioids, as well.
Thanks for any feedback about your experiences.
