Methadone weight gain is not a myth. Working as a counselor at a methadone clinic I saw patients gain up to 50 pounds in 4 months. I also saw many patients who didn’t experience methadone weight gain. There were commonalities in the patients who gained a large amount of weight.
There were also commonalities in the ones who didn’t. In this article I will provide you with a list of these similarities. I will also teach you the absolute best strategies for avoiding methadone weight gain.
Furthermore, this will include a plan for losing unwanted methadone weight gain you might have already accumulated.
So the question is “does methadone cause weight gain?” And the answer is “yes…….and no.” I’ll get to the reason for this a little later. First, I believe it’s important to share some of my patients’ experiences with methadone weight gain.
Methadone Weight Gain Stories
I can recall many accounts of patients who gained weight on methadone. Both male and female patients were at risk. From my observation, and also from speaking with the patients, females appeared to experience more methadone weight gain than males.
They were also much more psychologically devastated by it. The men who I saw gain the most weight usually put on 5-20 pounds after being on methadone for 2-6 months. Many of them stated they didn’t mind the extra weight.
There was one patient, however, that ended up gaining over 40 pounds in less than a year. He was already overweight when he started treatment, and had the classic endomorph body type. He went through a severe depression as a result of the methadone weight gain. He almost lost his girlfriend of several years in fact.
The women on methadone seemed to have a harder time. The ones who I saw gain the most weight usually put on 10-50 pounds. Unfortunately, they didn’t hide the new weight as well as the men did. It also appeared to impact their lives negatively much, much more.
One female patient gained 50 pounds in 4 months. She came into treatment as a slender opiate abuser wanting to get clean. She experienced methadone weight gain faster than anyone else I know about.
It completely destroyed her self-confidence. It eventually led her to getting off methadone through another method.
I ran into her a few months later and she stated that not only was she sober, but she had also lost nearly all the weight she had gained on methadone, except for about 10 pounds.
These are the two most drastic cases mentioned above. They are by no means the norm or what one should expect.
I will add that a lot of patients, both male and female, didn’t gain an ounce. Some even lost weight! To effectively teach you how to avoid methadone weight gain, I will start by providing you with my clinical observations.
My Clinical Observations
Patients who Experienced Methadone Weight Gain
I found certain patterns in the patients that experienced methadone weight gain. I also noticed many similarities in the patients who didn’t gain weight.
The majority of patients who experienced significant weight gain:
- Were on 80 mg and above, with the most significant weight gain occurring over 100 mg.
- Had massive cravings for sweets and junk food, and gave in to these cravings on a regular basis.
- Were female, though many males gained a lot of weight as well.
- Didn’t get much exercise, if any.
- Didn’t eat enough fruits and vegetables.
From my clinical observation, the biggest factor determining who would experience methadone weight gain was the amount of methadone medication they were taking. Many times I heard patients say they wished they would have stopped at 70 mg.
Due to the ease of getting a dose increase, it’s extremely common for patients to take more methadone than is needed. They accomplish this by telling the doctor they are still experiencing cravings and/or withdrawal symptoms on their current dose. Patients frequently bend the truth to get more methadone. This came back to haunt many patients who experienced methadone weight gain. The short-term euphoria from a dose-increase isn’t worth the weight gain and other side effects.
Patients who Avoided Methadone Weight Gain
Here are the main similarities of the patients who didn’t gain weight, only put on a few pounds, or lost weight:
- They were on less than 80 mg, with around 40-50 mg being the most optimal dose for not putting on weight.
- They didn’t experience horrible cravings for sweets, although they still tended to have cravings nonetheless.
- They ate less calories and healthier foods than the patients who experienced methadone weight gain.
As I mentioned earlier, the single most important factor is the amount of methadone medication the patient was taking. Also, patients that tended to be thin and small-boned entering treatment had a much easier time avoiding methadone weight gain. Patients that tended to be less thin and bigger boned had a much harder time avoiding the unwanted weight.
Why does Methadone Cause Weight Gain?
First off, I want to explain the difference between methadone weight gain and regular weight gain from getting sober. It’s extremely common for people who quit abusing opioids to put on some weight. This is often due to them consuming more daily calories than they did while they were in active addiction.
I remember my experience with weight gain when I quit using heroin. I’m 6’2″ and got down to about 155 pounds by the end of my addiction. After I stopped my opioid abuse I got up to about 180 pounds within 2 months. I even have a fast metabolism and still gained 25 pounds. This was after only using 40 mg of methadone for 8 days straight to quit heroin once and for all. It’s important to note that my resting, normal weight is right around 180 pounds. My body simply balanced out.
If you gain weight on methadone, it’s important to ascertain whether it’s “healthy weight gain”, meaning it brings you back to your optimum weight. However, if you are one of the patients who goes well beyond this point into the 30-60 pound increase range, you should analyze whether or not the methadone could be affecting you, as well as any other medications you’re currently taking, prescribed or not.
Methadone can cause weight gain due to the following side-effects:
- It has the ability to slow your metabolism down.
- It can cause water retention.
- It can give you massive cravings for foods that are high in sugar and fat, which can indirectly lead to weight gain.
- It can be constipating, and without adequate daily elimination of wastes this can result in weight gain.
It’s also important to remember that the more you increase your dose, the more these factors listed above come into play. For instance, let’s say a woman on 40mg has minimal sugar cravings and no weight gain whatsoever. She has a sister who is her identical twin. Her twin decides to keep going all the way up to 140 mg. She ends up gaining 30 pounds in a few months and her self-esteem is ruined due to her negative view about her new body image.
This is a complicated matter. Some patients simply do not stop using illicit opioids on low or even moderate doses. I frequently had patients that were on anywhere from 100-150 mg that stated a high dose was the only way they could stay clean. In these cases I am a proponent for high doses. I’ve literally seen this approach save peoples lives, families and careers.
It’s when the high doses cause unwanted methadone weight gain or other side-effects that it begins to be a problem. Two female patients immediately come to my mind.
Their situations were almost identical. They both were about 5’3″. They were thin when they entered treatment. At about 70-80mg they had gained about 10 pounds each, bringing them back to their optimal body weight. They kept getting cravings so they went up to well over 100mg. Within a few short months they both had gained around 50 pounds. They were absolutely crushed.
On the one hand they were happy to be free of addiction and cravings, on the other hand they were depressed about their new body. It pained me greatly to watch this happen. I will also mention that they frequently told me how much cookies, donuts and other junk they ate due to the bad cravings for sweets.
One even stated that she would wake up in the middle of the night on a regular basis and go to the kitchen to eat a big plate of cookies before going back to bed…….without forgetting to wash it all down with a big glass of milk!
I could totally relate with her due to my previous addiction to Valium and other benzos. Those pills made me constantly crave frappacinnos, pizza, cookies, milk, bacon cheeseburgers with fries……you name it! Food cravings are hard to resist. Food is a powerful drug and should be taken seriously
Opioid-Induced Endocrinopathy
If you’re suffering from methadone weight gain, there is a chance you could have Opioid-Induced Endocrinopathy. Below is a quote from the article Opioid-Induced Endocrinopathy, written in The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association:
Concern has grown regarding the adverse consequences of opioid treatment, which range from fatigue and depression to sexual dysfunction. Opioid-induced endocrinopathy is one of the most common yet least often diagnosed consequences of prolonged opioid therapy. Sustained-action opioids used on a daily basis for more than a month have a number of adverse effects on human endocrine function.”
I highly recommend reading the entire article. It’s extremely complex, and you’d probably have to be a doctor to understand it completely, but you should be able to get the general idea nonetheless.
Common symptoms of Opioid-Induced Endocrinopathy include:
- Decreased libido
- Anemia
- Weight gain
- Depression
- Fatigue
- Decreased muscle mass
- Erectile dysfunction
- Menstrual irregularities
- Osteoporosis
- Vasomotor instability
Note: If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms on sustained action opioids such as Suboxone, Methadone, time-released Rx opiates etc., you can talk to your doctor about getting checked for opioid-induced endocrinopathy. They will run some tests which include, but are not limited to, measuring your testosterone and other hormone levels.
Currently, the most prescribed treatment for Opioid-Induced Endocrinopathy is:
- Males – Testosterone supplementation
- Females – DHEA supplementation
*Also, rotation to a different opioid is sometimes beneficial, particularly for women.
How to Avoid Methadone Weight Gain
There are several things you can do to decrease your chances of gaining unhealthy weight while starting methadone treatment.
I have arranged them in order of importance for your convenience:
- Have your doctor examine you for Opioid-Induced Endocrinopathy.
- Keep your dose below 80 mg (as long as it’s enough to stabilize you physically and mentally), keeping in mind that 40-50 almost always prevents massive weight gain.
- Eat plenty of fresh fruits, veggies, beans and other foods that are high in fiber; this can help you go to the bathroom on a daily basis and stay at a healthy weight.
- Consider taking the recommended supplements at the end of this article; they are effective at reducing constipation and sugar cravings.
- Eliminate high calorie junk food as much as possible; if you enjoy an occasional treat it’s fine, just don’t eat them at 3 am!
- Get plenty of moderate exercise; even something as simple as going on a 30 minute brisk walk a few times a week will help.
How to get rid of Methadone Weight Gain
Perhaps you’ve already experienced methadone weight gain and are looking for a way to lose the weight. I would suggest using all the strategies I mentioned above for starters. If you are on a high dose and think you can stay clean, you might consider talking to your doctor and counselor (if you attend a clinic) about decreasing your medication.
Developing a strategic tapering schedule could be a good start towards losing unwanted methadone weight gain. If you decide to taper, check out my article Tapering Methadone: Tips for Success. It should really help you devise a taper protocol. It will also teach you other things you can do in your life to have a much easier time tapering methadone.
Finally, don’t stress about your weight! I know this is easier said than done, but stress can cause weight gain. Exercise can help reduce stress, increase metabolism and reduce sugar cravings, which all promote weight loss. Be sure to get adequate exercise while trying to get rid of methadone weight gain.
Conclusion
There are many factors at play which can cause unwanted weight gain while undergoing methadone treatment. By implementing the strategies listed above you should be able to eliminate or significantly reduce the amount of weight you gain while taking methadone. Along with implementing these strategies, there are some highly effective natural supplements that can help you along the way:
- Good Belly Big-Shot 50
– This is the most powerful probiotic supplement available, containing 50 billion live active cultures of beneficial intestinal bacteria per serving. It helps counteract methadone’s constipating affect. - L-Glutamine – An amino acid that can help to reduce sugar cravings.
- Vitadone or Nutridone – These are multivitamin supplements that are specifically created for people on methadone. I had patients tell me it helped with methadone side effects like sweating, low energy and sugar cravings.
– This is the most powerful probiotic supplement available, containing 50 billion live active cultures of beneficial intestinal bacteria per serving. It helps counteract methadone’s constipating affect.
– An amino acid that can help to reduce sugar cravings.
or 
– These are multivitamin supplements that are specifically created for people on methadone. I had patients tell me it helped with methadone side effects like sweating, low energy and sugar cravings.*Remember to always consult with your physician before starting any new supplements.
Good Luck!
Now you have all the information you need on methadone weight gain. Please feel free to leave a comment if you need any questions answered.
I’ve been on methadone for 3 yrs now. I know! That a long time but I’m scared to death of coming off of it.
About a yr after I started the program I started raining weight. I was having sugar cravings and at.first.it was sanity I’d eat a entire box of cereal in one day
Eventually the sugar cravings subsided. I still love sweets but not nearly consuming what I did at.first.
The last yr and a half I’ve been living pure hell. I’ve gained a total if 60 maybe 70 lbs. Granted I’m 4″11. I have ALWAYS my entire life have weighed 90/105 lbs. The most I had ever weighed was.125 while I was pregnant. I also have asthma and ENORMOUS fluid retention in my legs. The right more.so than the left
About a yr ago I went and bought new clothes cause I didn’t fit into anything well it’s starting to repeat itself. Everything i bought a yr ago is stsrtibg to be rather snug.
I just don’t get it!!!! I’ve never had much of an apitite I STILL DONT. I use to be very active WALKED EVERYWHERE but since the huge weight gain and swelling I physically can’t be active. I’m either needing my inhaler because I’m out of breath or needing to sit down because my joints and back are causing so much pain. In the mornings it’s so hard to walk due to fluid retention. My Dr has done every test known to man and EVERYTHING comes back normal. There’s only one thing it canbe THE METHADONE. BUT IM SO AFRAID TO NOT BE ON IT ITS DISABLING.
SOME WORDS OF ADVICE PLEASE!!! Sry such a long comment trust me this is the short version haha. Thank you. God bless!
I’m about the same story. Never weighed more than 127 when pregnant and I had a fast metabolism. I’m on 160 mls and feel like I’m in a fat suit. I have contemplated suicide even. But I love my 3 kids to much. I’m going to try the supplements and working out but I don’t know how I get down to 80 mls with out falling off the wagon. I’m so sorry and truly do understand what you mean. I won’t be with my husband and he is so good about not putting me down. I was size 2 and now I’m a size 12! I’m going to really try all of the positive things I read because I am not just a recovering addict but I’m just so sick of myself. U R NOT ALONE! Don’t give up.!
I started on Methadone July 14th 2018 when I became pregnant with my daughter. I’m 5 8′ and my weight was on the low side at 122 when I first found out I was pregnant. I usually fluctuate between 135 & 155lbs & feel comfortable at that weight. I’m also 41 years old right now & I kid you not I’ve gained 120lbs in less than a year!! I was all the way up to 242lbs & I’ve managed to get down to about 225 but I barely eat & the weight just will not budge. I have never been so miserable in my entire life & nothing fits me & I’m just hating life right now… I went from a small medium top & size 8 jeans to a XXL top and a 16-18 pant size… I got up to 85mg but am currently on 74mg and looking to switch over to Suboxone in about 2 weeks. I’m really worried about the transition & am wondering how difficult it is to switch from 1 to the other??? Any advice or help would be greatly appreciated. I don’t even know who I am right now & it’s hard to even get up and down. I also have swelling edema from the methadone which is a side effect & for a few months after my daughter was born I looked like I was 6-7 months pregnant. I did crave sweets alot at first but my food habits weren’t really all that different & I still gained 120lbs!!! I just hope this weight comes off somewhat fast once I’m off the methadone & I can feel like myself again. Anybody else switch from methadone to Suboxone?? And was it a difficult switch.
Would love to know how you are now because im on suboxone and gained 80lbs which finally brought me to google to get off of it. Ive done it before and the weight melted off but withdrawal is the killer..its long and drawn out as opposed to 7 days and done with heroin iv use and im terrified AGAIN. Im over being a fatty and my marriage suffered the wratg
H of it. Divorce in july. Its sad.
Methadone caused me to gain 60lbs in a few months. Going Vegan, a plant based, diet REALLY helped me. Had I not stopped being vegan, when I was on opiates, I don’t think I would have gained so much weight. I’m back down to a size 8 jeans now. The belly fat still won’t budge though. I still struggle with constipation although I take Metamucil and Miralax everyday. They help a lot but it’s still tough. Without it I would never go to the bathroom! Going vegan also got rid of the excessive sweating which was horribly embarrassing. Someone called me a rain cloud. I was actually putting deodorant on my face. The vegan diet also ended the chronic pain that caused the addiction in the first place. Had a doctor realized that my change in diet was the cause of all of my health issues, I may have never become an addict in the first place. I actually learned a lot from the experience so I don’t regret that. I do regret the weight gain though! It causes arguments between my husband and I all the time. He was able to lose the weight and I haven’t lost it yet. I feel like the only way I will lose the weight is getting off the opiates. Now that my pain is gone I feel hopeful that I can do it!
To be in size 8 again! Ive actually started the process of weight loss surgery and trying phetermine in a month to see what hapoens. Vegan sounds like a plan though I’m a pork person. Funny story when i wemt through withdrawal 7 yrs ago pork was all i could keep down after 2 wks of no food at all and 30 days of negative 7 energy. Lack of energy was so bad i couldn’t use my legs but for a few seconds to walk. Suboxone is the devil getting off of and forget relief because the docs say addicts dont need ativan or what not to help ease the withdrawals. Im like if i wasnt ready to be free of constant need for prescriptions and ready to be 100% clean i wouldn’t be putting myself through mess again like this so please help ease the transition ok. I feel like using again to get off suboxone to be honest. And ive read stories of people doing it with percocets successfully. Lucky for me precipitated withdrawal isnt a thing my body does so switching wouldnt be a problem. It’s then stopping that again though 5-7 days vs 30-60 off hell then 30-90 more of mild of those random withdrawals sounds better.
This drug was a great alternative BUT not enough on prolonged use or what to do during to stay slim and so on. I started a size 4. Now probably size 14-16. My weight is the only thing holding me back from true happiness now that im over the marriage ending and accepted being alone. Its actually less stressful and ive not felt this good about life in awhile. No more eggshells or being paranoid about the ex cheating because he did, hes gone and i can do whatever i want without his whining.
That said hopefully i can muster the strength to get off this again but now i dont have 30 days to do nothing. I have 2 little ones. So im hoping phetermine works or i get approved for the gastric sleeve. Oh yeah this suboxone has caused waterfalls of sweats, missed periods (im fixed), and of course constipation which i knew from before but the new thing is high blood pressure. Thats my surgery qualifier hopefully.
Hope you are doing well now and i apologize for this being all over the place. A bit stressed because divorce postponed another 8 mos cuz of covid. Hopefully by then ill have had a glow up to rub it in haha but nope dont want him back. I want myself back. The separation is why i relapses in the first place.
I really wish there was an instant fix to cleaning our bodies out. But then big pharma wouldnt profit as much. Smh
try running. I only ran 3 blocks a night and was losing 0.5lbs every 3 days.
try running. I also gained a lot and went to the gym and did sit-ups daily with 0 difference.
I started running a little bit only (like 3 blocks and then back) daily, and was losing like 0.3-0.5lbs every 3 days. Get a scale and check it, cause it’ll keep u motivated.
try running. I also gained a lot and went to the gym and did sit-ups daily with 0 difference.
I started running a little bit only (like 3 blocks and then back) daily, and was losing like 0.3-0.5lbs every 3 days. Get a scale and check it, cause it’ll keep u motivated.
btw i read somewhere that methadone makes you retain water, which is why running and sweating it really works fast.
goodluck.
A friend of mine did switch from methadone to suboxone. She had no problems and she’s the kinda person that constantly thinks she’s in withdrawal thus puts herself there. But she didn’t. As matter of fact she says best decision never felt better. I must add though she was one the few lucky ones that never gained weight from methadone so I don’t know about that part of it. Good luck
Just wanted to wish you luck and prayers. Your story touched me because I’m.going threw basically the same thing as weight gain goes. Just not fair! We work so hard to get sober and then we have to face more b.s.
It’s like be sober or be fat and miserable!! Pick one!
Not fair. I’m hoping rapper down to maybe 40 50mgs. The things I’ve read once your past 50 that’s when ppl start gaining weight and craving sweets. We’ll see!!
Good Luck to you dear!!
Thanks Matt.
I know this is an old article but I found it to be very helpful. It usually takes me a good bit of time to find what I need. On my way home from dropping my daughter off at the bus stop, I was thinking to myself, what can I do to lose Methadone weight gain. When I got home I did one search & found your article right away! I’ve struggled with heroin addiction on & off since I was 19. I’ll be 30 this year! I’ve been sober around 3 years now. For me, it all started with oxys. What the hell was I thinking, right? Anyways, I was getting Methadone off of the street because I was tired of my addiction to heroin. Unfortunately, I found myself worse off than before because ‘Street Methadone’ wasn’t as easy to find like Heroin. I was much more ILL while trying to find Methadone, than when I was trying to find Heroin. That’s when I decided to get REAL help & go to a Methadone clinic. I’ve NEVER been to rehab before or tried anything to help with my addiction. Sometimes I found strength to stop for a few months, but then I found myself right back into active addiction. I’ve always been the ‘suffer in silence’ type… I finally made the decision to get help & took a chance. It was the best decision I have ever made. A lot of people shamed me on using Methadone as a way to get clean. I look at it like this. I’ve relapsed SOOO MANY times. Methadone is for the addicts who are on their last straw & can’t risk another relapse. My first few months on the program I had myself convinced that I would need Methadone for the rest of my life in order to stay away from Heroin. That is until my Family & I had a vacation planned for Florida. The amount of crap & money I had to go through to get my Methadone in Florida for a week straight was ridiculous. My clinic first had to approve it & find me a clinic close to where I would be staying. My insurance covers my Methadone where I live now but it doesn’t in Florida. I had to leave every morning & hide from my relatives where I was going. It was at that point I FINALLY saw how much of a ball & chain Methadone is for me now. I know what I want in life. I’ve used all of the tools my counselor gave me to stay clean & live a normal, happy life. It was time to move on with my life. It was time to let go. By this time I was up to 167lbs. I went into the program weighing maybe 100lbs. My normal weight is around 120lbs. I gained weight very very fast. I craved sweets like a maniac. Heaping spoon fulls of Nutella was my guilty pleasure 🤫😂 I’m not going to lie though.. I was terrified of tapering off Methadone because of all the horror stories that I’ve heard & read. Being ILL was & still is my biggest fear… The chills & cold sweats I just can not bare. When I finally got the courage, I put in for my first elective taper a little over a year ago. I was at 95mgs. I’m so very proud to say that I have successfully tapered my way down to 43mgs!! Over half of my highest dose! It may not seem like much to many, but when it comes to Methadone, EVERY mg counts! A lot of people don’t realize how long it actually takes to taper down off of Methadone the right way. Time & patients is key! I feel great & don’t feel ILL…YET! I’ve only managed to lose a few lbs so far. I’m at 160, but at least I stopped the continuous gaining of weight. I was gaining around 3-5lbs a month before I started t elective taper. The weather is getting nice & I have decided to put in the work to get fit. It’s going to be a tough long road but I know I can do it. I’m in it for the win. I’m not meant to be a bigger woman. I’ve never weighed more than 130lbs other than when I gave birth to my daughter. I was 146lbs full term pregnant lol. I’ll get back down to my normal size eventually. I’m going to TRY & enjoy my body now. My husband tells me that I look great & that I hold my weight well. He makes me feel beautiful. I do my best to believe him lol. My biggest concern is I feel that I should have lost more weight by now since I’m down so low, but I’m sure it’s because I need to be more active. Your article gave me some good tips & I’ll try them out! 😊 Thanks for taking the time to read my long post & thanks for the great advice! Most of all thanks for trying to help others who struggle with addiction!
Sincerely,
Marlei
Patience*** 😂
Was going to do this too. I will anyway. PATIENCE** BUT congratulations on half way tapered!
I feel you. I went from 130 to 200lbs!!! My wife (im gay) praises my body constantly and that makes me feel good. I just want to see my body the way she sees it. I look PREGNANT in all our pictures and people ask when we’re expecting 🙁 but I’m gonna try to dose down; I eat fairly healthy, fast food maybe once every two months or so. But I cook at home, I like lots of fresh fruits and veggies. I’m only at the methadone clinic because my pain doctor was dirty and got shut down and I suffer very intense chronic pain with some major back injuries, a tumor wrapped around my spine and degenerative disc disease. So I lost my doctor, started buying pills on the street because every other pain clinic within an hour and a half drive had me wait listed for at LEAST 18 months out. And you know the story. Pills turn into that nasty boi and before you know it you’ve fucked yourself sideways
It’s been a while since you put your comment up, how’s your weight loss going now?
Cheers
Nicola
I started methadone about a year-and-a-half ago I was up to 80 mg I started tapering down and now I am at 27 milligrams I put on about 30-40 pounds I want to know if I’m going to be able to lose this weight once I get off the methadone
Hi everyone I’m so happy I found this informative blog!! So a little of my story. I used heroin for about 5-6 years on and off, in and out of rehabs and mostly jail. After being sent to state prison for 10 months for a minor probation violation and attending a strict T.C program there I should have wanted a fresh start when I got out. Well I relapsed shortly after being out and was back to where I had been before. Broke, sick, and disgusted with myself. I knew I had no other options at that point and realized I needed to try something different. The vivitrol shot did not work for me previously. I was given the shot prior to being released from state prison and waited till it was out of my system and got high right away. Subs never worked. Rehab obviously never worked. Meetings, uhm I looked at that as a place just to meet other addicts. And even being locked up for almost a year didn’t do it. I was at my rock bottom. My mom told me about methadone, which somehow I knew nothing about. I said I will do anything to get clean I can’t live like this anymore. So October 2017 I enrolled in the methadone clinic and since I was still using my dose was quickly raised to 95mg. I didn’t stop using heroin fully until November 22, 2017. I didn’t do any of my research on methadone prior to getting on it. I just looked at it as saving my life and nothing bad could come of it. Well I was so wrong. I did everything wrong! By April 2018 I was at 95mg when the doctor at the clinic ordered my blood work to see how my levels where, if I needed to go up or go down in my dose. I did not want to go up in dose because I didn’t want to be on methadone foreverrr and plus 95mg and I still felt like I had withdrawals everyday, even with taking my dose. I’d get cold sweats. Sweating like crazy!!!! (Which is a side affect of the methadone) and the weight gain was out of control!!! I’m 5’8 and have always had an hourglass figure but not thick. I barely ate and it was like somehow I still gain weight! But anyways, the doctor told me my results were I needed to be increased in dose because my body was metabolizing the methadone very quickly, which is why I was still having symptoms of withdrawal. I told him absolutely NOT! And I want to stay at 95mg for the next two months and then start decreasing. I hated going to counseling once a week, I hated how the methadone constipates you so bad that every time you go to the bathroom you feel like your gonna die or you don’t go for days and wake up in the middle of the night with extremely sharp stomach pains and almost pass out (which happened to me twice, I’ll get to that then). So in June 2018 I started going down in dose. My ex moved in my place in September and somehow I didn’t realize he relapsed so I kicked him out and he went to rehab, we don’t talk now. But luckily I stayed clean during his relapse because the old me would have got high immediately after finding his full bags and Riggs. So I do think the methadone saved me there. So for the weight gaining it’s one of the worst if not the worst part of the methadone. I am 5’8 and after my years of using and jails and rehabs I weighed around 150-155. I have always been active about at least twice a week (since on the methadone) but more recently I noticed I’ve been gaining weight so much and so quickly idk how it’s even happening. In August 2018 I got so tired of feeling fat and my weight was around 165ish, that I spent $2000 on coolsculpting. Ugh! Waste of money! I had some results at that time! But now here I am January 2019 and I weigh 176ish. I’m so disgusted with myself some days I just want to sleep all day so I don’t feel hungry and don’t eat. But here’s the thing some days I’m busy and don’t eat and still I gain weight. I go to the gym 3-5 times a week, wear a waist trainer, take nutridone, cinnamon pills, and daily vitamin oh and not to mention I now have to drink miralax daily because of my stomach issues from the methadone. But still I am still gaining. Ive been decreasing my dose by doing the “blind detox” since June and I’m only at 84mg. I am only able to decrease by 3mg but I have such a long way to go. I am so scared for what’s to come and if I will feel sick once I do get lower in dose. I know it’s only been a year I’ve been on the methadone and I’ve only gone up to 95mg but does anyone know how long it’s taken them to completely get off the methadone? And will I feel sick? Even at this slow rate of detox I’m going?? How is it after being off the methadone is it hard to stay clean?? My councilor keeps telling to stay on the methadone until I am in a good place in my head to stay clean, but I tell her “yes the methadone has helped me stay clean but this is still me putting in all the hard work, dealing with all the terrible side effects of the methadone to stay sober.” So I believe in myself. I just have to get there first. There are days where I literally can sleep and sleep and sleep, that’s another huge shitty thing about the methadone, you feel so lazy and can sleep sooooo much! I got fired from my job in September because I was always late or always having to leave earlier to get to the clinic before they closed to get my dose. It’s definitely a challenge and I hate every part about it. If anyone can answer my questions above or too knows any vitamins or pills to help with feeling lazy and tired all the time I’d appreciate it a lot.
Thanks for reading!
Hey Jessica,
Great comment!! Thanks for sharing some of your story, and I can help you find some good supplements to help with energy and motivation! Here is a helpful article to read on this: https://opiateaddictionsupport.com/nootropics-for-opiate-withdrawal/
i really need help on losing this weight i feel suicidal sometimes alot of times because of it i was on 170mgs and i took myself off i had privileges and wouldnt take them always so i kept pouring them into bottles i had about 4000 mgs i gave alot aw
away to famy and friends that was already on methadone and i weaned myself off by takimg litle bkt here and there well i went down to a size 1 ….then my numny.passed away and i became anorexic i wouldn’t eat i was sent to the hospital because my potassium was 0.3 when it normally should be 3.8 i had a heart attack and have CHF now well they put me back on it i was so mad and now i gained so much weight and i barely eat i need some advise fast ….i got all my privileges and take ho.es again and i just want to quit i even td my counselor i wanted to do coke or smoke.crack for only like 2 months just to lose the weight im so desperate please anyone give me some advice i cry and im not myself nomore because of the way i look i haye it but everyone says i look healthy now thays bull!!!! I wanna be happy again ….Please someone help before its to late
I would bring in this article to your endocrinologist and have them run blood tests to give you appropriate treatment, as this article talks about.
I just read your comment and I’m not exaggerating at all when i say I felt like I was reading my life written by you! I have kids though, I thank God for them everyday. Part of me feels selfish bc if I didnt have them I dont know where I would be they keep me motivated to do better. They deserve better! I feel methadone helped in a lot of ways but hurt in a lot of ways also. The best thing is that I take me dose n move on get on with my day. Not like pills where all I could do all day was chase my next pill n then get it but never feel content bc I’d worry bout the next pill. Crazy! Im glad I can focus on my kids and I started back to college. But im always exhausted, I can go all day not eating a thing. But my weight keeps slowly going up. I’m 5’4 and 180lb. it’s not cute!! I never was over 125lb before methadone. Ive been on methadone for almost 6yrs now. I started at the clinic saying I wld be on methadone 6 months here I am 6 YEARS later! I gained a lot at first then stopped. Then I went to a doctor for a year it seemed to me when i was on the pill form not the liquid i felt better and i would have been able to loose weight but I ended up not going there anymore n back at the clinic. I also experienced sweatingall the time i felt so gross. The clinic told me it was a side effect of methadone. The highest I was at was 100mg as soon as I got to 60mg the sweating stopped. It was in my opinion body saying i was on too high of a dose since it builds up in your system but I still didnt feel that great at 100mg so I thought that couldnt be. Now I’m at 50mg no withdrawal feelings. I just want to get off this and be normal not have to worry about taking something to get through each day. But I cant handle the withdrawal feelings I tried. I hope maybe something i shared could help you out. If you find a way to really loose weight pls let me know.
Wait you’re on 50mgs now and still haven’t lost weight??? Shoot I’m decreasing to lose weight and now I’m scared I’m withdrawing for nothing haha
I just seen your comment since i had forgot the name of this site and luckily came across it after all this time! I hope you still continued to decrease! Everyone is different i hope nothing but the best for you and everyone else going through this. Im still on methadone today at 30mg I’ve lost a total of 15-20 lbs. Cant tell on my fat ass tho! lol i can say I’ve noticed a huge change in how i feel since i started taking vitamins that i read help. Since methadone depletes many vitamins and nutrients its important to supplement wish i knew that sooner!
Well everyone is different. My highest dose was 115mg . After a year and half I started tapering 5mg a week (20mg a month) eventually I got down to 11 mg and felt like going to clinic for a drop in the cup was a waste of my time (when they dispensed my dose I’d be like no seriously where is the rest of it lol) so I ended up walking off at 11 stayed clean for 30 days to the day and got my first vivitrol shot which worked for me again everyone is different:-) i personally felt fine during my taper but I ain’t gonna even lie I did go through Imodium like candy cuz I had the runs like nobody’s business but I also have very bad anxiety to the point of diarrhea. I moved bowels and got my period regularly on methadone or using – whatever. I had low energy and couldn’t sleep. For like 2 months after coming off. My doctor gave .1 clonidine which helped with the sleep anxiety! I say that to say this tapering is possible! Some days i would be like damn I wish I can dose lol but I stuck it out. Most of it is in our heads. Once I got out of my own way it got easier. I gained ALOT of weight of methadone and once I started to get it off I got pregnant and could no longer get vivitrol shots anymore I figured I’d be fine but like 3-4 months into my pregnancy I was having drug dreams and my mind CONVINCED me that if I got high it would stop my morning sickness (sick shit right?) soo after a year of being off i felt like I needed something for the craving subutex made me itch and I felt like a garbage can. So I went back to the clinic BEGGED them to take me on (I didn’t have opiates in my system and was prescribed the subutex so they saw it as I was already being “treated”) my doctor ok-d me to switch to methadone and honestly to have to go back I felt like I took 10 steps backwards EVERYONE figured I relapsed it was rough and sometimes I wish I did. When I try to explain drug dreams to a non addict their just like o_O I gave birth to healthy 7lb baby boy a day before his due date on 90mg in September and I am down to 61 this time around I’m only going down 2mg because I don’t have the luxury of staying in bed all day feeling sorry for myself. You got this girl! I wish you the best! And remember it’s MIND OVER MATTER!
Kratom. If you taper slowly youlle probably be fine but everyone is different and no one can answers these questions specific to you. Some people have a ton if trouble tapering once they hit around 20 mg and some people are totally fine. Id say dont go fadter than 1 mg every 3 wks once you get to around 10 mg tho. Ive asked a ton of people online and read a ton of testimonials and that seems to be consistant. Also find out if kratom is legal in your state and use it. Its a miracle and will get rid of any w/d you have while tapering as long as you dont go crazy fast. It works well on mild to moderate symptoms. Do research on jt so you know what to order and how much to take etc. I keep it for emergebcies if i cant get my dose for some reason and it works. Its cheap too and its otc. Just order some online as long as ita legal in your state. There are some positive tapering stories on youtube that you can view and people will tell you how they tapered. You might have to go up a little here and there but generally tapering seems to work ok if you are READY to be clean and have spent enuff time in the program.
You can get a scrip for Ritalin from your doctor to help fight the fatigue. I wouldn’t be able to work or drive without it. It has caused my hair to thin a bit though. Thank god I started with a ton of thick hair! As far as getting off of methadone a lot of it is mental. You have to be ready. If you stay active and have a strong family/ social support, it’s a lot easier. If you like dogs, think about getting a service dog. They keep your mood up and keep you busy. A plant based diet will help lose weight quickly, which is also rewarding, as you taper off the methadone. It stopped the sweating also. When you get down to about 50mgs on a low fat, plant based diet, the weight will start to fall off. You want to avoid eating too much oil. Miralax and Metamucil together, also, help with the constipation. I’m going to try some of the supplements in this article to see if they can boost the weight loss!
I’ve been on Methadone for 15 years. Sooo long. Up until recently I didnt even realise how long I have been on it because it just became a way of life. About 4 years ago I started cutting down bit by bit. There were months when I stopped going down and months where I went down on my down each month. The highest does I’ve been on was 120mg. I am now on 2.5mg and I’m getting ready to stop taking it any day now. The wrestless legs and insomnia are irritating but bearable. Anyways the entire time I have been on methadone I cannot eat much each day or I start gaining weight. If I eat anything above 1200 calories a day I gain weight so for over 13 years now I have been in a constant struggle with my weight. I have learnt not to eat much each day. There has been times where I just have a eating day cause I get sick of denying myself of the foods I wish I could eat. But I’ve learnt to stick to this way of eating. It keeps me slim and if I start gaining weight I’d become unhappy so I’d rather stick to under 1200 calories a day. It’s just became a lifestyle for me. My resting heart rate is about 55bpm and I think that’s pretty slow. I’m hoping once I’m off this last bit of methadone I will become normal and actually start burning some calories. I think my metabolism is extremely slow now. Before I was on methadone I didnt gain weight so easily. I really hope this changes once I’m off it.. probably next week will be my last does. 15 years and I’m finally here.
Hi Rochelle,
I’m so grateful that you’ve left this helpful comment. It will help many others learn a way in which they could keep the weight down. Additionally, in studies rats that were fed a calorie-deficit diet compared to a regular calorie diet lived twice as long. And many of the people that live to over 100 in good health are people that survive off plant-based diets with very low calorie foods. And once you’ve been off the methadone completely for a few weeks or so, you should be able to enjoy eating so much more and not have to restrict yourself quite so low to remain your ideal weight. I’ve seen so many people on methadone get off and lose weight and it tends to happen really fast!!
Why hasnt my comment even shown up? wtf
I don’t see any comments from you here or in the spam folder either. If you repost it should work because your comment above worked.
Thanks Matt,
I’m Annabel and since I was 12 I have been in the Mental Health System so I was able to access Morphine and Homebake aswell as Heroin when it came in from Australia as NZ isn’t an easy place to get real H… I had my first withdrawal at 14 but continued on until I fell pregnant at 20 and then I stopped and was living a happy and stable life with My fiance and not yet born Baby. Unfortunately social services became involved because of my past and my Fiance past, they made me move into my Brothers and away from Troy (My fiance) as even though neither of us had used people were concerned that maybe after Rhiley was born we would. The night I moved I went into labor and Troy was there by my side every step of the way. After meeting our son he fell in love and the thought of people telling him he wasn’t good enough drove him into the psych ward… When he got out he claimed to them he was still suicidal and so they discharged him anyway with a months worth of medication… After afew weeks he killed himself and I found him dead. After I couldn’t deal with my grief I lost my baby too and turned back to using… It took me a while until I sort help, I have always been petite and I weigh about 55-60kg (39 when I was using) It took until I was on about 60mgs for me to start putting the weight on, then at 100 I was 40kg heavier than I ever had been and sluggish… I lost the weight quite easily when I started sapering down and got to 72kg on 80mg that lasted a year, but I stopped exercise and started eating what I wanted again and went back to being about 100kg. I was so depressed and the work I’d put into losing that weight felt like it was impossibble to do again, even though itwas quite easy. I am now on 53mg of methadone and I have been walking and jogging for an hour a day aswell as doing 100 sit ups and press ups, stretches and I’ve not touched sugar or fat since 2 months ago when I started, the weight is dropping off and I’m feeling alot better, I tried going lower but my body couldn’t take it. Do you think if I let myself stay of 53mg until I’m stable and then try again it won’t be as painful as it was when I had just kept going from 100mg at 2 mg a week?… I want to kick this habit aswell as get my body back. Also after the methadone has been cleared out of my body, will I have to work extremely hard to keep it off, as normally I can stay thin without having to do much.. But after the Methadone has gone can it still play with my weight since my body has been used to it for so long?. I realise I won’t be able to eat copious amounts of fat and sugar and sit on the couch all day playing PS but will I have to keep up this ultra strict diet and exercise plan for the rest of my life??. It has also practically stopped my periods, I am normally regular but since Methadone I’ve had 8 periods in 5 years… I hope this reaches you..
Thank you
Annabel
Dear Annabel,
MY name is Ken and you have been thru a lot! And, so have I ! It has taken me three + years to taper down from 40mg methadone to 0 mg going down 2.5mg every 7 days, sometimes 2 or even three weeks …as my body dictated. I have never been through a withdrawal that lasts this intense for such a long time. Feels like restless leg syndrome (JImmy Legs) in my feet, legs, arms, hands and feet, have not slept in 4+ days, oh, my last dose was 2.5mg one and a half weeks ago. I have been on methadone for 10 years and i cannot believe the problems that it was hiding and that never would have surfaced had I not stopped Methadone!
I have been drinking lots of water and trying to avoid sweets although, not making great progress in that area.
I have thought about suicide several times while going thru this and sought help, talked to people…mighty frightening!
Hey so if I get off methadone, do you think the weight will come of or at least some of it? I have an appointment to get the bridge device. I’m hoping my body starts to go back to how it used to be. Have you seen this? I don’t eat a lot and i exercise most of the time.
That’s what happens. Once a person either lowers their dose enough or gets all the way off, the weight starts to come off. I’ve seen it happen a lot of times. Sometimes it happens in weeks other times in months.
ive been in mthadone maintenance for 2 years now and have been at a dose of 95mg for 20 + months over this time i put on minimal weight but have jumped 4 p-ant sizes in the past 2_3 months it seems
July I was 120 pounds started 25mg … Every month I went up 5mg but the first 2x I went up 10mg… Its now almost April. Not even a year later I’m now 198 Pound still going up I’m only on 70mg steady now … On diet pills, stomach wraps … Diet for 2 months … Thought I lost and I gained 35 fkn Pounds in those 2 months !!! Extremely depressed I walk about 4 miles a day on top of that … To get my methadone to just walk and get fatter 🙁
Please read the new article I wrote on Opioid-Induced Endocrinopathy. It has info on how to fix your issue.
Omg, I can totally relate. I walk up n down hills 4miles to get dosed, I’m literally walking just to get fking fat and get my methadone. I hate life now, cry every night, even have nightmares,. No energy, no motivation, nothing. Just hate, disappointment and depression. Every day sucks and getting worse.
Yeah I can relate too. Just feel so low putting weight on but staying clean don’t want face outside world !! Got no energy and crave junk and eat late at night I know I shouldn’t eat but I do couldn’t stop taking g drugs for 20 years and food is do much easier to get your hands on.
My name is Sal…I’ve been on Methadone (per my Pain Specialist) for about 4 months now and I went from 110lbs and a size 0 to now which is 142lbs and a size 4. I am very depressed and very angry, I live with pain so I need my pain meds but I am tired of the weight gain. Please help me…tell me what to do before I go insane!!!!!
Sorry that this has happened to you! Simply tell your doctor about the weight gain and ask if they can help you balance your endocrine functioning with supplements and/or medicine. You can always ask to switch to a different pain medicine that is short-acting and doesn’t cause this rapid weight gain.
I liked this article it actually made me feel like there is some hope to lose this weight I have gained on methadone. It is very devastating to do what you think is rite and increase your dose so you stop the cravings and actually feel okay and then you gain a lot of weight. Thanks for the information.
Hi April,
I’m glad you liked this article and that it gave you some HOPE! You can absolutely lose the weight and all will be well for you. Knowledge is potential power. Now you just apply what you’ve learned and can achieve your goal. 🙂
Hi April I feel your pain. My entire life I have been super small but since I’ve been on Methadone this terrible weight gain is killing me.
What about people who gain wait on only 30mg of methadone a day? I’ve gained 35 pounds in 6 months!
It can happen to anyone unfortunately. If you’ve gained 35 pounds in 6 months on 30 mg, imagine how much weight you may have gained on 80 or 90 mg of methadone! A lot of medications can lead to weight gain, even the popular SSRI antidepressant drugs that so many individuals are taking for depression and/or anxiety plus other issues.
I wish medications never led to weight gain and other side effects. In a perfect world we wouldn’t have to deal with these sort of things. Medications can really improve our lives in the right circumstances, but sometimes the side effects make it either not worth it, or just barely worth it.
I was skinny when I started methadone I’m July weighing 7.9 stone. Now I’m almost 10 stone. 30ml methadone plus 50mg sertraline turned me into a chubby zombie. It’s all round my middle, my belly is so bloated I look around 6 months pregnant!!
Thank you for your time and energy that you put in to this great article. I have definitely experienced all of this and your solutions make sense to me. I’m very excited to try your tips- I’m hopeful. I’m definitely going to try tapering down from 85mg and taking l-gluc.. for sugar cravings. Thank you so much!
My pleasure. It was a joy researching and writing this article, and I’m so happy to learn that you benefited from it and are feeling hopeful. I’m hopeful for you too! Take care. 🙂
Hey Matt,
So I’ve been on this new meal program where I am eating EXTREMELY healthy and working out daily and I haven’t lost any weight. I started weaning this week. I am at 98 mg and next week will be at 96 and so on. Is there anything else that I can be doing to help me alone as quick as possible? Do you think I should get on the DHEA and the Maca Root? Do you think that can assist in helping with the weight loss problem I am having. It’s really important to me to get some of asap. Thanks Matt!
Hi Mandy,
Doctors that treat the Opioid-Induced Endocrinopathy will give women 50 mg of DHEA per day. Maca root powder is also an amazing superfood which can balance the endocrine system, and potentially help to counteract the effects of methadone. I’m nearly certain that in one of these posts on this thread, a woman was taking these supplements and gave us all an update to say how well they were working. Not positive, but I’m pretty sure. The maca dosage people take is 1 tablespoon first thing in the morning on an empty stomach mixed with water or another beverage. If it were that dose of methadone I would take the supplements to counteract the methadone’s negative side effects on endocrine function.
Man……..I have gained like 40 pounds over a couple years , methadone has helped me get clean , but has definitely shot my confidence as well as added fatigue and early depression, I have brought my dose down 30 milligrams I am on 62 now so I guess almost to the goal of between 40-50 mlgrms and really hoping that helps
Hi Benjamin,
Staying clean is the most important part and I really congratulate you for that. Look into testosterone replacement therapy and talk with you doctor about, as that is something that is supposed to really help mitigate the symptoms of weight gain, depression, fatigue, etc. And of course lowering your dose can always help. You’re doing awesome and keep up the great work!
So as a woman on methadone for 3 years now. Weighing my heaviest and trying to lose weight to no avail, do you think the DHEA will help with maca root? How much of that? Will that help lose the weight if I’m eating healthier and working out?
Hi Mandy,
What is your daily dosage of methadone?
Matt,
Thank you so much for responding. I am trying to come down off of methadone starting now. I am at 100 mg. I am having them wean me starting this week. I am SUPER discouraged at trying to lose weight and having NOTHING change. And I am super scared of feeling the decrease…
Try to hang in there Mandy. Once you start dropping your dosage, eventually you will get to a point where the weight will start coming off. I saw this time and time again at the clinic I worked at. And stress just adds to the weight gain. Try to relax and know that everything is going to work out fine. You will have a successful methadone taper, and the weight will start coming off soon.
Thank you Matt. I really appreciate it. I am trying really hard to not eat as much and I’ve worked out every day. I have a few questions.. would it help my weight loss if I got the DHEA and the MACA root? I will do whatever I can to help.
Also, as I am weaning.. I am only starting to wean 2 mg every week. So I know methadone is a long acting opiate, but I swear on my whole life, I notice immediately if I don’t take it 24 hours after or if I am weaning and I don’t take it immediately when I normally take it. Everyone says that has to be in my head, but I full on get really sweaty and cold (shivering) and my nose starts running. Am I crazy? I read about the things you say to start taking when coming off, but I am still at a high dose of methadone and shouldn’t need those things yet right? But if you think I should start getting stuff at the health food store now to help with the process, I will do it. I just wanted your opinion. Thank you SO much. I just want to do whatever I can to have a painless and successful process.
Matt,
How come you don’t answer most of the messages? Jw cuz i wrote back in Sept & then again the other day & I scrolled through the other ones & see where some ppl you do & some you don’t so I’m jw if its just bcuz ur busy or something? Seems everyone here needs help in one form or another so it just kinda sucks to be left hanging.
Js,
Laura
Hi Laura,
I used to be able to respond to everyone, however, as the blog has grown, it has become too difficult. There are now hundreds of articles and many have several hundred comments. I also have a few other blogs, another business, and I’m a single dad…plus I have 4 online courses and there are comments sections there as well. So I wish I could help everyone, but if I answered every comment, I would be home all day every day doing that.
If it helps or means anything to anyone, I was 120mgs methadone for 5yrs and Ive always been no more then 120lbs, now I’m 165lbs, one day I lost it cause I got a tummy tuck and noticed my rolls were coming back, so I said that’s enough, I am now on about 80mgs, I dropped the dose so fast and quick that I wouldn’t Advise it but I was determined to lose weight that bad, and so far it’s been like 3weeks and I’ve lost 3-4lbs and my pant size is already down one size, I’m trying not to stress and I’m staying at 80mg till I feel back to normal then I’m gonna decrease again,I also run 1mile everyday, but if anyone wants to know every ten days I take pictures for myself praying I’ll lose more weight! I’ve read that someone was at 100Mg and is at 50mg but hasn’t lost any weight and that scares me!!
Hello Matt,
First let me just say that I love your site & all the wonderful knowledge & insight you are giving to us methadone patients. Theres such a stigma around it that many dont feel safe telling people they are on it & therefore dont get the support they need. But anyway, the reason i need your help is i am 1 of those that have gained a tremendous amount of weight on it. I have been skinny my whole life. Even having trouble gaining. I came into the clinic at about 115-120 & im 5’3. I now weigh 163 & rising. Im extremely depressed over it & for the last 10 yrs being on this stuff, i have become a recluse & never leave the house. I have zero energy, massive sugar cravings, horrible joint & bone pain n so on. So while researching I learned about opioid induced endocrinology & finally for the 1st time since I started this program, feel validated. But it was very short lived as I have seen 4 doctors, all trying to get them to listen to me about all these symptoms & what I know is wrong but they have all blew me off, all the while doing nothing while I’m still suffering. Finally after I hadn’t had a period in over a year & a half, I got them to open up a lil because now they have some physical evidence. But all the bloodwork I had done on my hormones didn’t show anything. I cldnt believe it. When i finally got my pcp to give me a referral to an endocrinologist, that didnt go that well either. As soon as he was halfway thru the door i saw him roll his eyes when he saw me. I guess he thought i was just some young kid wasting his time n thats pretty much how he treated me, never explaining anything at all to me. Then finally i told him that i think the methadone is causing a hormonal imbalance & he gave me the dumbest look to the point i had to say something & offered to show him on my phone why i thought that. But he just said no thats ok then i think it finally clicked in his head cuz after that he seemed less annoyed with me & told me i need estrogen & to be put on birth control to help balance my hormones. He said you need an obgyn. So i asked if he knew 1 & he abruptly said no & dismissed me. I think he also was bias about the methadone. Especially since he wrote in my chart, needs to see obgyn, & get on birth control. Patient addicted to opiates. No mention me being on methadone & in treatment, etc. But anyway, I’m back to square one because I made an appt with an obgyn & told her what he said & what I thought the cause was but as soon as she looked at my lab results she blew me off. So Wth test do I need to prove to these doctors that what I’m saying is for real & I’m not just making this shit up??? I can’t tell you how defeated I feel. Im in the process of tapering down & am on 40mgs as of yet but its a slow process & im tired of feeling like crap & having my teeth just decay n fall apart no matter how much o brush & take care of them. I currently need 3 root canals but have no dental insurance & no $ cuz im on disability so no way to treat them or to get them to stop from falling apart. I wish i never wouldve gotten on this stuff cuz its ruined my life.
Sincerely Sad,
Laura
Hi Laura did you end up getting the help you needed? I completely understand where you r coming from and just wanted to see how your story ended…..
Hi Laura. I hope you found the help you need. I’m right there with you hun. The weight gain & my teeth rapidly decaying has made me so depressed. The system is crooked & makes it impossible for us to get the help we need. Especially dental. If this keeps up I’m going to need implants. That in itself seems impossible to achieve. I used to be so beautiful. Beautiful body & smile. Now I’m just this depressed slug… 🐌😞
Hi Matt!
I hope you get this since the last post was in 2016.
I was laying in bed last night and just decided to Google weight gain on methadone and after a click here a click there I ended up on your site. I laid there for hours reading EVERYTHING, every single comment. I’ve been using since I was 20 I’m now 46, started with coke, then herion, then I got into some trouble and stopped for 10-15 years, until I needed neck surgery, and there came the opiate abuse, percs, vics, tramadol, I ended up being hooked on tramadol for 7 years until the day I OD’d….after I almost lost my life I said NO MORE, I’m done!!! That lasted about 3 years until the neck & back problems started up again, and now I was getting the good stuff the oxys pure oxy 15’s, & 30’s, hooked immediately they were the ultimate!!!! I never had so much energy and happiness ever in my life!!! I read in one of your articles you got the same feelings, I felt as if I were reading something I wrote, I could socialize, be happy, keep up on my house, etc. I felt so good that I could have painted every single one of my neighbors houses! Lol…..Well the oxy supply ran out, a friend offered methadone, I tried it, I loved it, got that same energy drive! And here I am now 1 year on methadone pills. Over the last 4 months I’ve cut back I’m currently taking 5mg 2 x day so a total of 10mg for the entire day…. I’m tired Matt, I’m tired of being this person, I want to experience what “normal” feels like, I want to feel what “healthy” feels like. Sometimes I feel like this is who I am and who I will always be, I am I scream and cry WHY?!!!! Why am I this kind of person, why can’t I just be a normal person like everyone else?!!!!
So my question is at 5mg twice a day, do you think I will suffer those awful withdraws if I were to go to 5mg once a day for 10 days and then stop? I’ve gone through them before and I’ll pretty much do anything to not experience those again. I would like to purchase the $97 program, and I want to try all the suggestions from you… vitadone, calm support, kyani, maca root, DHEA, etc. and was wondering is this all lined out in this plan? How to…how many….when…etc?
Matt, you are amazing for doing all you have done to help others. I’m so happy I stubbled upon you.
God Bless
Hi Marie!!
Oh how I just LOVED reading your post. This is why I started this blog…to help people learn how to get off these opioid drugs with the least amount of discomfort. As for your situation, you are on a very low dose, but it’s still such a powerful medicine, that cold-turkey would probably be difficult. As for you plan and those supplements, I love it and know it will make a huge difference in your physical and mental state while coming off. You have done your research and those hours you spent on this website paid off for you. That sounds like a perfect plan if you ask me. Let me know if you have any other questions along your journey. 🙂
Matt,
Thank you so much for taking time to read my post it means a lot.
I’d give anything to talk to you on the phone to pick your brain about a few other things and feelings. Is this a possibility at all?
Some days I wake up and think ok I’m doin this I’m gettin off this crap, and then other days I think there’s no way I can do this and let this go, it’s the only thing that keeps me going. Ughhhh it’s such a struggle ya know. If there were a magic potion to take one day and the next your back to normal and free of this awful habit I’d take it in s minute!!!
It’s so hard, and I’m not sure I can do it, I search and search online and I’ve made call after call to get help before, do you know how freaking hard it is to get help?!?!!!
It’s like I wish their was a buddy system with us addicts who could hold each other accountable and be there for each other.
Hey wouldn’t that be an awesome thing to start up!! Cause I know for me I wish I had someone to talk to daily about how I feel and they understand. I can’t talk to my friends they don’t understand, they have no clue what this feels like, nor would they understand. Ok I’m babbling now…my mind races constantly and I guess writing to you knowing someone who understands will read this helps in some sort of way.
Thank you for all you’ve done. You’re a true blessing from God.
Love, Marie
My pleasure Marie! And yes, it is very hard to get help. Our drug treatment in America and most other countries is nowhere near as good as it needs to be. Feel free to chat with me here anytime. 🙂 And thanks for the compliment. My biggest passion is helping. 🙂
I know this post is old but I had to reply to Marie’s comment about if there was an addict “buddy system” where people listen and hold each other accountable.
There is, and it’s called Narcotics Anonymous or, NA.
It’s not necessarily a system for everyone but it is a group that some people credit their sobriety to. Not saying you have to join but what you were hoping for exists, maybe you didn’t know, or maybe others reading this can relate to what you said and they too should know that NA is free help to anyone who needs it.
Wow, Truly an answer to my prayers. I have been on Methadone for 10 years now. Blows my mind & makes me sick to think about the fear of withdrawal is what has kept me here for so long. Im terrified of it. But all the side effects have completely debilitated me. So much so that I have been a recluse for the past 5 yrs now. I am severely depressed, have absolutely NO energy at all, have the bad, sweats, sugar cravings, weight gain…ugh. Never had an issue before getting on this crap. And my current issue with my damn teeth rapidly decaying. I take excellent care of my teeth but it doesnt matter how many times I brush, floss, swish, they continue to decline. Went to dentist & she said I need 4 root canals, 6 crowns, another extraction, a cleaning & fillings. WTF?! So I just wanted to know if those that got the hormone treatment & saw an endocrinologist, did your teeth stop declining? I guess they cant get better per say once they have decayed. Im just at a huge loss cuz I dont have the money for any of it. Im on disability due to the depression & insurance only covers fillings. So I dont know wth to do. Im just praying for a miracle. I got on methadone looking for help from pills. But what I got in return has actually been so much worse & know im left doing damage control. 🙁
I only see up to august 1st, 2016. Where are the up to date comments. I’m new here, sorry?
Yesssss !!!!! Bout time I’ve learned what it is that has caused me to gain some weight. I’m too scared to weight myself to actually find out how much indeed I did. I’m 5’2 and 110 lbs. I had a baby 16 month ago. And gained only 30 lbs and in a month dropped down to my pre preg weight after giving birth. But about 3 .5 months ago I started to notice my cute little figure was rockin a gut. And then a half a month later I find out I’m preggers again. GREATTT,,, this is a conspiracy.!!!! Ahhh, but it’s okay. So now I gotta go follow the link to the other site where you (Matt) talks about opiod-induced endocrinopathy to see what I can learn more and then I can talk to my preg doctor about it. I don’t want to seem dumb as I ask him about something I know nothing about.
But thanks for all that help Matt. But that’s all I eat though is fruits and veggies. I do admitted , hardly any beans and about two bowls of honey nut cherrieos or raison bran a day and two bowls of vanilla ice cream a day too, BUT I also put a cup of milk in it each time too. I dont know if that’s helpful tho.
Ohh crap I’m rambling again. Thanks again Matt. Bye.!
Hi matt i stumbled upon ur site from Google looking up methadone and weight loss. Im 30 yr female, 5’2 and 230 lbs, my normal wieght was alway 115-125 no higher. Ima a poor eater i was raised since 12 in the streets litterally, park bench , train, boardwalk, building roof top, every where, i wasnt taught how to eat right or cook or even how to wash myself because my mom was a junkey, and i do no excercise im always tired and unhealthy. Im on 260 mg of methadone because i was pregnant back to back and (as the councelors put) the babies were eat my meth (taking) so i kept going up cause i was suffering i kept having asthma attacks due to nasal back drip wen my meth wore off, and other horrible feelings. Anyway i lost 2 kids 2 fostercare, then i gave birth and was afraid to go lower with a newborn, acs said the dad couldnt live with me or theyd take my baby, i was alone, i was afraid of anxiety or the baby screaming wile me feeling sick and me lashing out n hurting her without realising. Anyway now my baby is 4 and has adhd and i definitely cant go down ,my kid is crazy she hospitalised me she stabed me inthe ear wen we were playing doctor i had my eyes clothed and i felt her going towrd my ear with the thermometer and she laughed and jammed it in my ear, i tried to stop it by pushing forward instead of in or out and it some how got behind my drum and tore of the skin inside down to the bone, doctor said “she did a number on u “(on me) she also did a whole lot more she stomped he 6 week old kitten to death it pooped she crushed it so hard. My point is im really afraid i will snap and really hurt her im scared to go down. I tried to commit suicide because i feel trapped im so heavy and tired and my body and joints hurt all over i cant keep up with her and i feel im not good enough to care 4 her cuz im too tired to play or togo park i can barely breath. Anyway today is the first time in a long time ive ever felt like there was hope 4 me hope 4 us, i dont know how u found all this out but thank u so much, i dont know y my meth doctors never told me about any of these things i learn from u today. Im worried it may not be available in nyc, and will medicaid coverage pay 4 it? I jus feel like im at the end of my rope and something needs to be done soon. I been trying to eat mcdonalds side salad w grilled chkn, first time ever, i hate good food i love artificial and, processed crap and sugar . I poop maybe twice a month, my period is 2 or 3 times a year, i wonder if i have that endocrin thing? My point is im unhealthy and tired of being tired. I looked up ibogain hydrochloride but its not legal in the usa, do u know about that? And why would they make it illegal if it cures u completely from opiates in like 6 hours(with a feeling of euphoria) and u never feel withdrawl again or need to use. If u know about it, do u know y its not legal in the usa? Anyway feel like i wanna cry im so hapi, i actually feel like i can breath rite now, and i havent felt that in a LONG time. I dont feel the pressure anxiety and the fear any more. Thank u so much matt. Im guna speak with my doctors and update u. Again thank u 4 this site, thanks for the information, and thanks for it being free, ur a good person, i wish i found this out 11 years ago.
Hi, I know this is an old post but I really wanted to check on you. Please let me know if you got help, for yourself, for your baby. You both need and deserve it. I am on methadone and have a 2 year old son. When children kill animals its a sign to get them help. You say she is crazy but she is still your child, please hold her and love her…. My baby saved my whole life…. I don’t know I just feel sad and I want to help you. Life can be better I promise so much. You have all the ingredients. Please reply if you see this.
Hey Matt! I’ve written to you a few times on here throughout my methadone horror story and I just wanted to Thankyou. The informative article you wrote about detoxing off methadone using kratom saved my life. I can’t Thankyou enough for all you do. I first found your page a year ago when I was researching how to lose weight while taking methadone. Without the information you provided about kratom I would’ve never gotten through my withdrawal. I have been methadone free for 12 days now and feel amazing. I jumped off cold turkey from 60-100 mgs a day. The kratom didn’t take all of my symptoms away but I can tell you that it got me through the worst parts of my withdrawal period. I previously detoxes off 200 mgs of methadone about 8 years ago when I was suddenly incarcerated and I can tell you it was absolute hell. Having kratom, the right nutrition, fresh water, daily excersise and a comfortable environment to detox in cut my withdrawal time in half and it’s all thanks to you. You’re an amazing person and I’m so happy that you share the truth about methadone and offer natural remedies instead of encouraging us to take more man made pharmaceuticals. If anyone is scared of getting off methadone bc of withdrawal please listen to me, kratom is a god send. I’m still not 100 percent but I was able to go to work after detoxing for only 5 days. I can’t praise you and Thankyou enough Matt finch!
Sincerely- Kate
Thanks for your comment Kate! This is absolutely wonderful that you’ve made such incredible progress. I congratulate you, and give yourself a huge pat on the back because your accomplishment is indeed a triumphant one! I’m really grateful you learned some effective tips on this website, and I thank you for sharing your experience, as I know it will help many people who read your comment. Take good care of yourself and others, and continue on your path of health and fulfillment. 🙂
For anyone reading this wondering what she is talking about when she refers to taking kratom, please read the following two articles:
How To Get Off Methadone Without Withdrawal
How To Use Kratom For Opiate Withdrawal
Hi I’m glad I found this I got on methadone about 2 years ago I was using opiates still the first year until I raised my dose past 80 mg I finally stopped using opiates I’m now at 105mg but I have gained almost 60 pounds! I was 130 wich was a little under weight for me being 25 male 5″8 but now I’m 195 id like to loose 20-30 pounds I had to have gynocomastic surgery the methadone gave me make breasts and now I just have a huge belly I’m thinking if I go down on my dose 5-10mg and start exercising il be able to loose the weight Atleast I hope so..I also have to take fiber supplements and stool softener because I barely go to the bathroom the methadone has me so constipated I’m just afraid to go to low on my dose I’m afraid il feel to sick to attend my job wich I need the money to survive..my appearance has me depressed I hope by going down in dose I can maintain my job and loose some weight
Sorry typed my email wrong I’m fixing it in this comment so I get alerted upon response
Hi Joe,
I’m glad you found this article too. Wishing you the absolute best to get your health and weight to your ultimate goal. I know you can do it!!!
Yess kratom is amazing i wish more people knew about it!! I wish i had known about it last year when i successfully kicked heroin at home with suboxone in just a week but then coulsnt get off the subs. Such minimal withdraw, if i had just had kratom i would never have needed methadone to begin with ugh! Btw are comments closed on this article becuase i cant find anywhere to comment exceot in replies to other peoples comments
Thanks for the info. I was actually going to take kratom to get off drugs before I decided to take methadone treatment. If I would have known for sure it would have worked for me I would have tried it. I am on 65 milligrams have been for around 15 months. I was 109 pounds at 5’8 severely underweight within the first 6 months I have gained around 50-55 pounds I am 160-165 and never have energy. I take nutridone to help with the bad side effects. I am really thankful for the sobriety but I am tired of the weight gain and fatigue. Thanks again for your comment
Yup vitadone/nutridone doesnt help much for me either. Im so tired i cant work. I take an ssri as well so forget about having energy. I have zero. I also took adderall for 10 yrs and that helped with my energy so much but now they refuse to give it to me because they think i wil get addicted (psh). I took it for 10 yrs with no issue and half the time id take half my dose and sell the rest. Yeaaaa that sounds like someone who is in danger of getting addicted lol. Anyway yea all the vitadone does is mildly help with constipation but barely. I gained 30 pounds in about 6 wks. I was always skinny, and im 35 and all of a sudden im fat. None of my clothes fit and i cant afford to buy more so i have to dress like pa rappa the rapper with big mens t shirts and pj pants/sweats. Its so attracrive. At least when i was on pills/h i worked and showered and dressed nice and was a good weight and could function. Now i sleep all the time and dont shower and cant work…i dont really see how this is suposed to be better but im gonna stick with it.
Hi I’ve been on methadone for almost 5 years I think. I’ve been successfully been tapering down from 70my I’m currently at 42 going down 2mg every other Saturday. My question is about weight gain and loss. I’m about 30 pounds over weight I was working out 6 days a week some pretty brutal workouts and eating clean drinking water protein shakes and getting good sleep I havnt been able to lose a pound and I was doing living this fit and healthy lifestyle for about 6-9 months till I started ready through these threads and found that there’s not much I can do about the weight except get of mtm if I want to lose it. Now I’m going to continue my taper and take the long road home all I’m asking is at what dose will I finaly start to see some different in my weight it’s a huge disappointment to work your ass off and see NO results what so ever knowing how I should look by this point it’s hard to keep trying to lose the weight when it really is pointless until I get my dose down so when will I start to see even a little glimmer of hope. Hope someone can offer up some advice thanks alot
I’m not sure at what point your weight will start to come off. Everyone is biochemically unique, so different people have different experiences. Just keep staying healthy, staying clean, and if the weight doesn’t come off within a few months getting off methadone, perhaps there is something else going on. It is important to not give up because healthy nutrition and exercise are key ingredients tapering off methadone in a healthy way. Sorry you’re going through this difficult situation. I know it’s hard and you’re incredibly strong…you’re going to get through this!
Disclaimer: This comment is for informational use, and is not medical advice. Talk to your doctor before making any dietary or exercise changes in your life.
Thanks very much for writing me back and the nice things you said. For someone to aknowledge that this is a difficult journey to be on and takes alot to keep tapering and stay positive that there is an end to it all. To be called strong just gives me that much more of a push to keep going. Thank you for your advice I’m going to continue to focus on my health and get back to exercising daily. Thand again. L
🙂 That’s the spirit!
Im 4ft 10inches tall i weighed 116lbs when i started methadone 8 months ago i mow weigh 174lbs i was up to 120 mgs now im on 75mgs no weight loss at all im so depressed im so tired i have no energy what can i do please help im about to loss my mind
Hi leeah! I was just reading you’re comment and I wanted to say congrats on your taper. I wanted to offer you some advice, I recently jumped off of 60-100 mgs of methadone a day cold turkey using kratom, supplements, excersise and I’m down 13 lbs in 12 days. I’m about 50 lbs overweight so I have a lot more to lose. I tried tapering but I would start to feel the withdrawal and end up going back up so I praise you that you have the strength to handle tapering. If you feel strong enough to go cold turkey you should do it. Trust me, I feel amazing all thanks to matts articles. I just posted a comment with a little insight on my journey. Methadone unfortunately affects our endocrine system very negatively, especially in woman but once you are completely off of it I can tell you the fat melts off as long as you are excersising and eating right. Good luck on your journey and feel free to comment me directly if I can help you in any way!
-Kate
just trying to understand… are u advising to just cold turkey 60-100 mg? Hun u better post a disclaimer bc as tempting as weightloss may be that really can be dangerous… be careful it took alot of ppl time to stablize at their doses to just one day decide they no longer need any hlp or maintenance witj the snap of a finger
Amy well said,I myself went into my local clinic weighing 102 ,9 months later and I weigh 165!I have always been skinny never been past 110 my whole life.I look pregnant because of the water retention and bloating!Super sucks…I was beautiful….now even though Iam thankful for the addition of 2 cup bra sizes .I always had a booty so no real big changes there,But I really miss my moneybag. Shape..small on top,skinny waist and round butt.Now Id like to keep my breasts and have an hour glass shape…but I dont know how I can get it off.I was an addict for 15 years so I wont be comfortable getting out of treatment anytime soon..I hope I can get my body back while staying alive!Anyone please if
You can bring me some hope..any victory stories and plans/tips ..You would save my life…saddest part is I model part time.I currently just signed to contracts for the summer (a well known tattoo magazine featuring my nerdy tattoos displayed beautifully..games,anime ans comic related.But now sadly I dont have the size 1,well defined stomache..I cant even where my clothes I accumulated ovee the years and start all over but I cant and wont be happy with 150 or higjer..Id like tp lose 30 pounds!Help!!
Well I thought I give a quick update! I don’t yet notice a difference with lowering my dose as its only been 5mg so far, but for the last month Ive been taking Vitadone and I swear it is a miracle! No more sweating, sweet cravings, lots of energy, better sleep! I feel pretty great! My thoughts are my metabolism is going to start spending up even if only a bit as I have much more energy! Definitely recommend trying Vitadone!
Hi Matt! I just wanted to tell you how great this website is, and that I really appreciate all the time and energy you have put into creating all of these resources for opiate addicts like myself. I am currently on methadone, I have been at my clinic for a year now after abusing oxycodone. I also wanted to share my experience that I’ve had with Vitadone. First, let me explain the main side effects I’ve been experiencing with methadone; sweating, constipation, low libido, and loss of energy, and MAJOR SUGAR CRAVING… which then lead to weight gain 🙁 I’m currently on a dose of 84mg of methadone (SLOWLY tapering). Anyways, I literally just started taking vitadone, 3 days ago.. I kid you not, I am already experiencing major relief from my side effects of methadone. It is amazing! Sweating has went down tremendously, and I have been experiencing regular bowl movements again, and my sugar cravings are not NEARLY as intense. I know that might seem a little unvelievable that I’m already seeing results from the supplement, but I guess everyone is different. I’ve heard negatives and positive reviews from this supplement where some people experience no relief, and others do. I am so happy to have found something that works for me! One thing I would like to point out is the difference between vitadone and nutridone: I read a lot of people online say that they are the exact same thing, but with a little bit of research I came to realize that they are not. Similar but not the same. Vitadone was actually the original supplement created for methadone side effects, and they are the ones with the original patent. If you google the nutritional or supplement facts of each supplement you’ll notice the difference in the formualas. anyways, just wanted to point that out for anyone who was curious! Thanks again for everything Matt, love this website.
I was sober for 4 1/2 months before starting methadone. I was incarcerated for the months and my mental health worker strongly suggested that i start in the methadone program because i have been using a lot of pain medication and heroin for 11 years and the longest i was ever sober in that time was 1 month. She said i am a very high risk to go back into society and going into the program would be good for me to stay sober and help with cravings until im use to being out. Ive been at the clinic for 37 days now and i am taking 80mg of methadone havent yet started gaining weight but am afraid that ill start. Im 27 5’7 and weigh about 150 and am working on losing weight. Before being put in jail i was very skinny to where i looked sick, so being at this weight i look healthy, but a little over what i should weigh. Im looking to go up to 100 mg because my dose isnt working as well after 6 days. If i am still not ok at 100 mg should i switch to suboxone? Will i gain weight on suboxone?
I haven’t heard anyone complaining about gaining tons of weight on Suboxone, and as far as switching, most doctors make you taper down to 30/35 mg of methadone before switching over. Please ask your methadone physician about this.
Hey, Matt:
Suboxone is not only responsible for the gain of 50 lbs, it also ruins teeth. I am going to try the cohosh, as well as the dhea and maca powder. I exercise, I eat very healthfully, take my vitamins. I just wanted to chime in and let you know- there are plenty of ‘us’ out here.
my insurance company refused to keep paying for Oxycontin,so my doctor put me on Methadone.I have had 4 back surgeries, 2 knee replacements, and 2 foot surgeries. I have chronic pain. The methadone doesn’t cover the pain, and I have gained 10 pounds in 3 months. It is like being out of control with pain, out of control with my weight, I don’t feel like I can get on my stepper because my back is hurting so bad. I took a bad fall in Jan. (snow). I’m going to go to the doctor to make sure I don’t have a back injury due to
osteoporosis. I try hard not to get depressed, I wish United Health Care would have left my meds alone. They took 2 meds away, they said if I wanted them I had to pay for them myself.
Thanks for sharing your experience Karen, and I wish you the best of luck.
I actually told the Clinic Director at the old methadone/Suboxone clinic I used to work at about this stuff after I learned of it many months ago. Because likely over 90% of the patients there experience some degree of this, and some extremely bad. They did absolutely nothing, because if the patients knew this, there would be less retention and thus less profits.
And I just read an article from the UK saying their could be a “cure” for opioid dependence soon. Upon further reading, I found out this “cure” is an implant of buprenorphine and naloxone. So basically it’s just Suboxone that gets implanted so you don’t need to take it daily. Wowsers!
Anyways, I appreciate the information you added and hopefully more people will become aware of this.
I gained 70 pounds in 8 months on methadone and my dose was never over 60, and I did not eat sweets, in fact, I hardly ate anything. Same as I did when using. I quit methadone e because I weigh more than I did in my life. Including pregnancy! I’ve been off methadone for a month and havnt lost an ounce. It’s awful. I hate how I look, and wish I never did it
I gained alot of weight on methadone but as soon as I got off of it. I LOST IT!So maybe you just need to give it some time.good luck
I too have nvr gone over 55mgs of methadone. I will be starting my taper on tuesday! This is my 2nd time in this program. the first time i was in about a yr and gained very little weigth if any around 35mgs. I am hoping I will start to see a difference when I get back to that dose as I suffer from chronic pain and i am terrified of not having some dose of methadone as pain management. I cannot completely go off bc I know eventually the pain will be more than i can bare. The problem is even on methadone I do experience pain nc Ive gained more than 60 lbs and my body cant handle it. I am going to try to start vitadone today. if anyone is interested i can post my results between the taper and the vitadone. Im hoping if i can get down to 15 or 20 mgs and be comfortable and lose weight i may then be ok! Well if anyone is interested or would like to try to do this together let me know we can share emails and jold eachother accountable. sometimes atleast for me that really helps! Good luck everyone! Stay sober and keep up the good work!
Hi Amy!
I just found out today that I’m starting my methadone taper..I would love to exchange emails and have someone to talk with that is going through the same thing and understand..
I weighed 165 lbs. when I started methadone. The clinic I go to starts everyone at 30 mgs , and up it , until you’re at 70 mgs . They consider 80 mgs as the blocking dose.. If you feel the need to go higher, due to feelings of withdrawal and feelings or urges to “use”. Then you have to ask to see the Dr. and talk to the Dr. about how you feel. The problem I had was when the Dr. Upped my mg. , after about a month, I got tolerant to my new bigger dose, and would have the urges and withdrawal feelings again. This went on and I purposely waited three months at one time to see if the withdrawal feelings would go away. They didn’t and I would sweat on top of feeling achey and having urges., so I would see the Dr. again and go up in my dose. This went on til I was at 180 mgs. I now weigh 225 lbs. I made a promise to myself not to go up in mgs. again. I am planning on seeing the Dr. to wean off of methadone. I heard some people in line judging people when they heard their dose from the nurse as they were getting served. They said people that have a dose of 170- the 200’s are doing that to get high. They don’t realize some people need a higher dose, because no one is the same. What they dare wouldn’t say is the people on 70 or below, such as hisself, are staying that low because they are not at a blocking dose and is still using and it can enhance their high , and they also won’t get sick . while they are still using. So my point in saying that is people shouldn’t judge other people cause everybody’s recovery is unique to their own needs. If they heard someone say ” oh, they’re only staying that low, so they can still get high and use.” They might get a little offended just like the person who was at a high dose felt, and whose recovery was going so well, they were in stage 4, with take home bottles . Some people need the clinic for life to be able to function and live a better life than if they weren’t going to the clinic. Some people need the clinic to help start their life and journey without the drug that for them there. and don’t need it life long. Whichever the purpose. find it and live your life how you need to. No one is better or worse than anyone else, just different . So people going through this and go to a clinic, should support each other. not judge.
Ok. I’ve done lots of research on methadone. It was an option my doctor gave me for pain relief. I presently take Percocet. I was just about ready to commit to the switch until I came here. And thank you for the information. I will pass on the methadone. Call me vain, call stupid but no way will I deal with unwanted weight gain. Then it’s so hard to come off of……no thanks! But thank you for your info. I almost made a huge mistake. Funny how my doctor conveniently left out that little tid bit side effect.
I would even consider getting a different Dr. Or possibly going to a Pain management center that can offer alternative treatments for whatever is causing your pain. I have several spinal issues and endometriosis that were causing me immense pain. My heroin addiction started after becoming addicted to 15 mg – 30 mg percocets. My Methadone clinic doesn’t take patients with pain pill opiate addictions for good reason. The withdrawal from Methadone or Heroine are about 100 times worse than that of pills. Now that I’ve been tapering off the methadone for about 11 months I am going to pain management again but only for the spinal nerve epideral injections. They relieve about 90% of my pain from Spinal Stenosis, Degenerative arthritis, siatica and the endometriosis pain. I wish I had been given this information before costing myself years of my life to addiction and drug abuse. All I’m saying is at least get another opinion from a reputable Dr. Methadone should only be prescribed in the most desperate of situations when there are no other options.
Im glad you decided against it, I just see a Dr. Offering it to a patient that is on a lesser opiate and I see a big red flag in that.
Best of luck!
K.H.
liquid methadone is what puts the weight on you… most doctors prescribe the methadone in pill form for pain and usually never over 80mg… I was on 70mg a day of methadone pills for my chronic pain issues and I did just fine never gained anything, I actually lost some weight… last year I started at a methadone clinic where they have liquid methadone and I’m on 120mg of that and I’ve put on 15 pounds in 6 months. personally, I liked the pill form better and believe it worked better for my pain management… i, too was on percocet (oxycodone) and methadone worked waaaay better for me! worked better and longer, rarely had break through pain. whatever you decide, good luck! 🙂
Most doctors in my opinion don’t even know about some of these methadone side effects. Glad this info helped you.
I’m very excited to try your recommended supplements! I’ve been taking 60mgs of opana daily for 9 years and haven’t gained unwanted weight.As many Americans, my health insurance has gone to shit. My opana copayment has risen from 30$ to 750.00$! The methadone is a more economical replacement at 30$ for 180 10 mg tabs , dosing of 42 mgs daily. I have radiation induced protesis among other painful side effects from rectal cancer treatment. The very last thing I want is to gain methadone weight! As always, I say ,”I’m on the right side of the dirt”! I’m doing very well under the care of Dr.DeLeon and Dr.Hitt’s pain management team at Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo,N.Y. I’m happy to say that I’ve been cancer free from stage lllB rectal cancer, since 2004?
Thanks for your comment. And congrats on your success!
I’m so happy for you being cancer free and I pray🙏❤️ You will stay well! And that Father God with have his loving arms around you.! And keep you well and continually bless you! In Jesus Name ♥️
im glad I just read this article on the methadone weight gain im excited because im weaning down now successfully I no longer need it and maybe there is hope to retain my shape I once had thanks,
Thank you for this article. I have been searching for information regarding methadone-induced weight gain in women and finally someone will admit that there is a connection beyond the initial weight gain that occurs in early recovery and that it’s not just laziness. I firmly believe there is a medical side to it and I am going to give the DHEA a try. I have always been a persons with a high metabolism, until I got on methadone. I have done great on methadone otherwise. I started taking it to get off pills in 2007. I’ve only relapsed once since then. I tried switching to Suboxone, only because of the weight gain. It worked for that purpose, but I was not feeling as secure and confident in my recovery so I switched back. I gained all the weight back, but I also went all the way to 100 milligrams and gave in to the sugar cravings. It’s almost painful, mentally and in terms of cravings physically when I get these cravings. It’s almost like I have substituted sugar for opiates, or at least my brain has.
Anyhow, thank you again for the valuable information and I am going to share it with some women I know at the methadone clinic who are struggling with this too.
Sincerely,
Angela Wilson
It brings me great joy that this article found it’s way into your life, and thank you for sharing it with other women at the clinic. Good luck on your journey Angela.
Thank you for simplifying everything and your kindness Matt. I am not a drug user but perhaps I am.! I have considerable bilateral osteoarthritis fibro and ehlers danlos. I got addicted to zopiclone 9×7.5 a day to ease pain and anxiety. Im in the uk, I bought them off the net, over the years from china it cost me hundreds. I rang a drug clinic, took me a long time to be brave and go and to give up what had become my best friend, although they could have contained anything. I am on buprenorphine for pain at 16 mgs and diazepam weened me off zops. I have been on bup for 30 days and gained 8 pounds, I used to be 20 stone so food is a big thing with me but the craving for sugar on bupe is like the craving for zopicline. I have l glutamine, im nervous as ongoing weight gain could stop.me taking bupe. Maybe it will ease off. I wake with sweet wrappers in my bed, but better than internet bought zop. 😉 k
I found this post trying to find out why I had put on 30 pounds since going on methadone, experiencing massive sugar and carb cravings, especially at night. I’ve been thin all my life. I take methadone for longer acting pain relief, never been a recreational user. Thing is, I’m only on 20 mg/day. Perhaps the oxycodone that I take (120 mg/day) in addition to the methadone is potentiating its effect? I’ve been on oxy many years and never had it do this. I’ve also experienced other extreme side effects on methadone I haven’t had on other drugs.
I was reading thru posts. One mentioned Black Kohosh for sweating. Have you researched this.? I take Vitadone and it works well except for major sweating. I have also gained about 40 lbs. True I did need to gain some weight but now its uncomfortable. I just had my dose raised to 110 and I am feeling like I am finally where I should be. I am glad I found your site.
I’ve heard of it being used for sweating and other symptoms of menopause, but not for methadone. Please check out the following article:
Black Cohosh
Tomorrow’s my last day on methadone. Was at 110mg. I’m 22 5’2″ and I was 120 pounds. I’m 180 now. I put the weight on in 10months. My appetite has been lower as I’ve been decreasing. Can I expect to loose the weight now that I’m getting off methadone?
Ryan in my experience a lot of people that get off methadone lose some weight, though you’ll have to see what happens. I hope so!
Hello D.R, reading your column was very helpful and interesting as I have been on methadone for about 3 yrs now and after the 4th or 5th month of 100 millagrams I gained about 50 to 60 pounds from 210 to 260 and 270 .But I knew about the slow metabolism thing but it took me awhile to figure out my weight gain was practically all water retention ,so now im reading as much as possible of how to lose the water now as it is getting harder to walk because I already need a knee replacement so it is like me walking around with a sack of 50 pound potatoes on my shoulders .I wish you would of added about water retention because I also know a lot of other older people on methadone even with a 45 mill dose that is retaining water ….please let me know what I could do to lose this water weight as I already cut sodas ,bread, sweets,and eat more fruits and veggies and also drink a lot of water and walk my dogs twice aday but still cant shake this water weight.I am 55 yrs old Hispanic male on a 75 mill dose now as of about one month .Before I was taking a 150 dose mainly for the euphoria but want to get off methadone completely now and that’s how I am at 75 mill now but I have a one year goal of completely off the juice …thank you and I would be happy to read your reply
Hi Johnny,
First off, I am not a doctor. I used to be a counselor at a methadone clinic. Methadone can cause water retention, so I’m not a specialist in knowing how to stop retaining as much water. I usually saw patients lose the weight once they got on lower doses of methadone. Some individuals just don’t do well on methadone, no matter what they do.
It’s a powerful medication, and many patients get a lot of side effects even at lower dosages. The only way I know of to lose the water retention completely is to get off methadone or get to a low enough dose. Perhaps 75 mg is still causing you to retain water. Please see your methadone-prescribing doctor to ask ways you can lose the water-weight that is not going away with the current strategies you are using. Congratulations on setting the one year goal of completely getting off the juice. I’m happy to answer any other questions you have along your journey, and I’m sorry I couldn’t pinpoint exactly why you still have the weight and more ways to lose it.
I hope you update us with your progress once you learn what is going on. Take care.
Matt, thank you so much for all of this information that my doctor at my clinic failed to tell me. I had a spinal fusion when I was 15 and when I was 25 I got into a pretty bad car accident. That’s when me using painkillers really started. I never moved on to heroin but the amount of pills I was taking was scary and I knew this had turned into a problem. So 3 months ago I finally started to go to a methadone clinic. I haven’t had a period since starting methadone and I’ve gained close to 30 lbs already. The highest I ever went was 45 mg, then down to 40 mg, and since I’ve been gaining weight I got scared and now I’m at 30 mg. I want to taper off of it already bc I think the side effects for me are much worse than the positive. I go to the bathroom if I’m lucky once a week, and it hurts so bad that I start to bleed.
I just saw an endocronolgist since I haven’t had a period and I’m gaining weight. He said I have a hyper active thyroid (which means i shld be losing weight) and I’m now pre diabetic. I barley eat and I’m just a bloated balloon, my ankles, stomach, and face! I don’t even recognize myself.
My concern is, when I’m off methadone and am not taking opioids any longer will my body eventually go back to normal or have I caused permanant damage?
I’m very depressed at the moment as this has taken a toll on my life and my relationships. Thanks so much for listening!
Best, Vanessa
Hi Vanessa,
Thanks for sharing your story. I had a few patients on methadone that had very bad side effects like you appear to be having. The methadone just doesn’t agree with some people.
The good news:
When these individuals got off, those side effects went away, and they usually went away fast. However, in the meantime, while you are still on methadone perhaps you could reduce those side effects. Please read the following article which might be of benefit to you:
Opioid-Induced Endocrinopathy
Wow, Matt, I really can’t thank you enough! I have been seeing so many doctors these last couple of months with no answers. None of the doctors could understand why somebody my age (33) would have such high blood pressure (hypertension), hyper thyroid, and the weight gain. They have been testing me for PCOS this whole time. I really think that it’s my adrenal gland that is making everything so much worse. Right now they put me on Metformin for the pre diabetes, and I’ve been taking that for the last week.
On Monday, I’m going to start detoxing from Methadone, a mg a day. I really can’t wait to be off of Methadone and painkillers – I want to live a healthy lifestyle and have the energy to go and workout and do the things that I used to be able to do.
Thank you SO much!
One more question Matt…. I’m on 30 mg for not even 3 months yet – is tapering still advised? My doc at the clinic wants to do a mg a day since I haven’t been on it for that long.
THANKS!!
Every single person is unique and so some people benefit from tapering that early, while others do better staying on longer. Trust in your intuition and work with the doctor. Good luck!
Thank you, your site was very informative and yet to the point. I am at 80mg and in 6 mos have put on 15lbs, mind u I do not eat junk. I eat small breakfast, and at dinner I have a salad and a small protein portion. IF I snack its blueberries and or grapes. I do not eat after dinner. My only guilty pleasure is coffee with hazelnut. Which I have always drank. I do construction outside, I work with my boyfriend. So I am active and when I come home I cook and clean til about 8pm. I am going non stop. I do not sleep well at all. I can’t figure out why I keep putting on weight no matter how hard I try.
Please look into Opioid-Induced Endocrinopathy by reading the following article:
Opioid-Induced Endocrinopathy
Thank you so much for this site. Incredibly resourceful! Keep it up please!
And thank YOU for the kind words. I’m glad it’s a valuable resource for you…and I will most assuredly keep it up 🙂 Take care Molly.
Hey Matt and everyone on here!!! I just wanted to give everyone a quick update on my results and progress. I stumbled across this article a few months back and I’m so glad I did!!!! I went out the same day and bought organic maca root powder and dhea supplements. I’ve been using the two in combination with a very healthy diet and exercise program and I’m excited to say that I’m down 25 lbs!!!! I also suffer from an under active thyroid and I’m so excited to share that after dealing with a thyroid condition for over 2 years my levels are finally normal!!! Thanks to maca and dhea treatment I’ve been able to stop taking synthetic thyroid hormones!!!!! I have my energy back and my sex drive back as well. Ive been tapering off my methadone for the past year and I am down to 40mgs from 60mgs. I’ve been tapering 2mgs every 2 weeks. I found that with a slow taper and healthy nutrition plan I’ve had no withdrawal or cravings during my
taper. I’m excited for the future and now have hope that I CAN get off of this drug. I’m a dietitian and yoga instructor so it’s very important to me to not only look my best but be in a good mental state so that I can give my clients the best experience possible. Thankyou so much matt for taking the time to help others. You are truly an amazing soul. I hope others can gain confidence and know that just because we have chosen this path it doesn’t mean we have to be unhealthy and stuck in the vicious cycle of addiction. Before I go I’d also like to share that about a month ago I visited an herbalist who suggested adding the supplement black cohosh to my daily regimen. Black cohosh can help balance estrogen levels and I’ve found it to be AMAZING for stopping excessive sweating caused by methadone. Since I’ve been taking it I no longer deal with the embarrassment of sweating excessively. Thankyou again Matt for your advice! And if anyone would like advice on exercise tips and staying healthy while on methadone please feel free to email me at marsiliikathryn@yahoo.com. It would be an honor to be able to share my experience and possibly help someone in need of guidance.
Hi Kate!!!
I’m so happy to read your update, and your progress is truly amazing. I’m so glad the the maca root and DHEA along with other things have helped you lose 25 pounds and stop taking synthetic thyroid hormones!
You’re transformation is an inspiration. You are tapering really well, and I’m more proud of you than words can say. I will look into the black cohosh herb. I’ve heard of it before, and now I will study up on it. Thanks for the tip, and I thank you for taking the time to update your progress, as I know it will help many other readers. Take care!
Wow this is a good read”! If gained soooo much I hope this helps
That’s awesome to hear! Good luck to you.
Hello Matt, I cannot begin to express how greatful I am to have found your website! For almost 3 years now, I have been searching for a resource just like this one! I started methadone almost 3 years ago and within 6 months of my intake date. I gained upwards of 50 lbs. Within the first year I was up almost 100 lbs from when I had started, my highest point being just under 210lbs. As of today, I have managed to lower it a tad, and float around 185-190lbs. I cannot stress enough that I have been very thin my entire life. I an 25 years old and 5’5″ and my healthy weight is somewhere between 115-120. I started methadone underweight, at just over 100lbs. I am naturally very small boned with a thin figure and a very very fast metabolism. The most I have ever weighed before all of this was 135lbs and that was when I was 19 years old and only lasted a couple months. Even my family is naturally thin. Gaining almost double my body weight within 9 months or so of starting methadone, after having never experienced any weight issues, has taken a major tole on my body and mind. I developed really bad plantar fasciitis from all of the sudden weight my feet now has to support, and my ankles are always swollen and bruised. I struggle to digest my food properly and have become very constipated. I won’t be able to pass a bm for close to a week sometimes. (and therefor when I do, it is very painful) I have also developed extreme amounts of heartburn and acid reflux. (also something I never dealt with before methadone) … I started painkillers (Which eventually led to heroin and then methadone) due primarily to back problems, but now, after all this weight gain, my back hurts more than ever… even WITH the full 170mg of methadone I take every day!… my joints hurt all over and I just feel sore and lathargic from my body having to carry so much unfamiliar weight around all the time. I know methadone can cause sweating but I have definitely noticed that symptom has drastically increased with the added weight as well. All of thear changes in my body have effected my ability to exercise regularly or even maintain an active lifestyle. Especially because I never dealt with being overweight before, I have really had a difficult time handling this emotionally. I look in the mirror and see a different person than I have known for almost my entire life. Some women look great with a little weight on them. Healthy weight on curvy women can be beautiful. I however, have tiny hips and a small chest. My shoulders and ribcage are not broad at all and any weight that I gain just rolls over itself and comes out looking terrible and unhealthy. I am not a curvy girl and gaining all this weight has certainly renforced that reality. Any previous confidence regarding my physical appearance has completely disappeared and is now replaced with embarrassment. I used to be very outgoing and social and I now avoid going outside and my social life has depleted to almost nothing because I don’t want my friends to see me like this. All of this low self esteem has really made it difficult to find motivation towards anything. I don’t even try to get dressed up anymore and I just go out in pajama pants everywhere because I don’t see any point in trying to look pretty when I know it is impossible. I never knew how much my physical appearance meant to me until this happened. I think I am taking it so hard because it all happened at such an unhealthily fast rate and the results were so drastic. It’s almost as if I am in a state of shock or something. I would definately consider myself to have entered a state of depression. I never wanted to start methadone in the first place, mainly because I knew how difficult it would be to get off of and I knew how much worse the withdrawal process can be. I knew about these other side effects, but due to my naturally fast metabolism, I never anticipated such dramatic physical reprocussions… especially not all this weight gain… not even close! … I have known something else was wrong for a long time but whenever I would ask my clinic, they would tell me that methadone does not cause weight gain and that it is just a result of having more time to eat during the day and live a healthier lifestyle. But anyone with half a brain could tell that what I am experiencing is not just “healthy weight gain”… what am I to do when even my own methadone clinic won’t tell me the truth or even open up communication or consider any possibilities outside of their narrow-minded perspective? I looked online for answers but until I recently discovered your website, I could only find forums of people sharing similar experiences and claims that the only way to lose any weight is to get off methadone all together. I have been told by my clinic that everything happening is normal and I am told by my online peers that losing any weight on methadone is impossible. Neither source provided me with any logical explaination or any scientific information regarding the cause of the weight gain either. Until I ran across your website, I have felt so discouraged and helpless. Your article has given me hope for the first time in almost 3 years of this methadone nightmare. I would have started tapering by now in an effort to drop some of these pounds, but my dosing situation is unique and complicated. I started methadone with what one might call a “dealer’s habit” and my extremely high opiate tolerance caused me to require a very high dose. Within months I was up to 170mg of methadone. Any less would cause extremely painful withdrawals. What started out as having a constant supply of mass quantity of extremely high strength opiate painkillers and very high quality/purity heroin, became the unfortunate result of a painfully hugh tolerance that required ridiculous amounts of methadone. Due to my fast metabolism, my dose does not hold me the full 24 hours required before my next dose, and therefor I wind up dealing with withdrawls every evening before bed, all night, and especially in the morning. I was tested for a split dose but my blood work results placed me JUST outside the legally required bracket needed to be approved for a split dose. So due to legal technicality, I was unable to attain a split dose, even with my doctor strongly reccomending it, the methadone system wouldn’t budge. The methadone clinic system is structured in a way that clients are treated based on generalized statistics. Unique circumstances such as mine tend to fall through the cracks. It is because of this system failure that I was ultimately raised to such a high dose. I guess the hope was that since I could not split, maybe a higher amount of medication overall would allow for less of a withdrawal problem. I can’t say it has worked. I am now extremely overweight, lathargic and depressed during the day, wide awake and sick all night, and still in large amounts of pain! I an afraid to start tapering because I fear that my already painful withdrawals will only increase. It is my hope that I may begin to taper, only after I have become much more healthy in the other aspects of my life. If I can lose weight, exercise more regularly, fill my body with helpful nutrients for my specific condition, and therefore allow/encourage my body to start producing more endorphins on it’s own again, hopefully that will help me to not only redevelop my confidence levels, but also provide me with the necessary foundation my mind and body will need to perform a healthy taper down and eventually off of methadone. I don’t want to taper in my current condition. I know that it will be much much easier and more comfortable if I can first establish a healthy physical and mental state. I can only guess that tapering will be less painful if my body is helping to fight alongside me. If I were to start reducing now, as I am today, I would be working against a strong current rather than with it. I hope to use your knowledge to my advantage in my battle with methadone. I want to try all the herbs and supplements and take this on head first! All of your tips and suggestions could be life changing for me. The recent discovery of opioid induced endocrinopathy could even be life SAVING! More than any of this, the information on opioid induced endocrinopathy has become my driving force for change. For the first time in almost 3 years of being bullshitted by the methadone clinics and it’s doctors, I now have hope that there could actually be a name for this condition I seem to have developed. All these extreme symptoms are exactly in line with those of endocrinopathy. Reading about it was as if I was describing my self to a T. I don’t have to be a doctor to see that this is EXACTLY what I am going through and to know that there is actually an avaliable treatment is beyond words for me. It has been a long time since I have had hope and I now have more hope than I could have ever imagined. Now, the struggle will be to convince my narrow-minded clinic to actually test me for this condition, assuming they even know of it’s existance. Reading that opioid induced endocrinopathy is the single most common yet least commonly tested for, diagnosed, and/or treated condition associated with sustained acting opioid use, was eye opening. Since reading, have already had mixed responses from doctors. One of which boldy denied the conditions true existance, claiming she’d heard of it but believes it’s a scam by the holistic supplement industry and that while she has NEVER tested anyone for it before, she never plans to because she firmly believes that methadone does not cause weight gain and any added weight is only associated with a healthier lifestyle after illicit drug use has ended. When asked about the methadone paints who never did illegal drugs or who took methadone for pain or the ones who gained extreme weight in the manner I did, she just responded with a vague “well not every body is exactly the same” and referred back to her long time established knowledge of methadone maintaince. She still refuses to open her eyes to change and won’t test me. I may have to switch clinics to get tested but I will do whatever it takes at this point. It saddens me that the fda reccomends that the methadone clinics perform these tests regularly yet doctors seem uneducated about the condition existing at all and the single purpose structure of the clinic system is almost impenetrable. I told my therapist about all of this and he informed his supervisor who happens to manage the counselors at my clinic. He was so excited to hear about this breakthrough that after some research of his own, he has decided to inform all of his counselors about endocrinopathy and this will hopefully start a movement at my clinic in the right direction. If all the clients and their counselors pressure the system enough, hopefully our stubborn conservative director and small staff of doctors will not be enough to stop us from receiving the tests and treatment we have needed for a long time. It is unfortunate that methadone clinics and their patients reside under the poverty line and are often forgotten or ignored when it comes to progress that could benefit the patients. The methadone clinic system has been unchanged for generations and there seems to be somewhat of a “let’s not fix what’s not broken” attitude surrounding it. The advances with suboxone and subutex, while wonderful on their own, have left the methadone clinics even more behind when jt comes to education and funding for progress. Being a part of a Methadone clinic results in a social, professional, legal, and even a sometimes medical stigma. It seems these days that being unrolled in a methadone maintaince program garuntees inevitable judgement and discrimination to some degree. I for one have even been discriminated against by the medical community Due to my being on methadone. It’s because of this that I rely on a private pay system with my clinic and do my best to avoid exposing my opiate status to my general practitioner and especially to my health insurance provider. This will be a difficult battle, but now that I have been provided with the tools needed, I can finally say that I can see the light at the end of the tunnel and that I am hopeful about my future again. I can even almost taste that old feeling of confidence and self esteem again, knowing that it just might be within reach this time. I truly cannot thank you enough for taking the time and effort to share your knowledge of this subject with those of us who so desperately need a source of hope. Your article alone has been life changing for me and I have no doubt that it will do the same for many others! Thank you soon much! I will continue to look to your website as a guide and refrence point for my future with methadone. It feels great to know that I may actually get off this stuff. It feels great to know that I may look in the mirror one day in the future and see myself again. It feels great to know that I am not alone in this. I can honestly look forward to my future again and for that I cannot truly thank you enough.
Hi Natasha,
I’m soooooooo sooooooo glad that this article and the Opioid-Induced Endocrinopathy article are giving you hope! It sounds like you’ve gone through a lot of pain with your methadone weight gain, but now you know what’s going on with your body. That’s amazing! I really love your new sense of confidence. It’s often difficult for people in your shoes. On the one hand, methadone has helped you stay clean and change your life, yet on the other, the high dosage of 170 mg has had negative consequences on your physical and psychological health. But now you know how to start healing your body, and it’s just a matter of more research and standing up for yourself in the face of opposition.
I hope you will update us with your progress as things start to get better. Thanks for leaving such a detailed and thoughtful comment. It truly made me day reading it. I live for helping people on Methadone and other opioids, so this comment touched my heart dearly. Take care, and I hope to hear from you again Natasha. 🙂
Please help me.I’ve been off methadone 3 months now.got sick of it n t 70 PDS I gained.I started on suboxone n its been good except I still can’t seem to lose this weight. I lost 10 n gained 7 back.where can I get this dhea stuff? I use to really look nice I’m 5’10 n weighed 180 now I’m 260.I walk,drink water n I have not lost a pound.I though about diet pills or just doing t Adkins.it worked before n I lost 50 PDS on Adkins.I’m 44 now n subox gives me great energy but y can’t I lose this weight from t methadone? I feel awful about my body n I need help fast.please help
I hear you Lisa. That must difficult for you…and I want you to know that you are going to get through this. Please read the following article:
Opioid-Induced Endocrinopathy
When people have gained this much weight on methadone or Suboxone it’s often due to this disorder. Hope it will point you in the right direction.
Hi Matt! I’m SO happy I found this article. It’s so nice and refreshing to see not only a former addict but someone in the western medical field comment on the importance if supplements and healthy eating while on methadone. I have been struggling with opiate addiction for over ten years on and off. It started when I was 16 and I am now 28. I first got on methadone when I was 20 because of heroin addiction and had NO idea any of the side effects. I started treatment at 115 lbs and after 3 years of treatment had gained almost 70 lbs. i was so unhealthy and living off hagendas ice cream and Pepsi! I ended up incarcerated and detoxed cold turkey off of 200 mgs. Fast forward 5 years later I lost all of the weight, became a dietician and yoga instructor but as you know that little opiate demon always finds a way to sneak back up on you. I relapsed and then re-entered MMT almost two years ago. It wasn’t something I really wanted to do but I have a terrible allergy to buepenorphine and cannot afford in-patient treatment. When I made the decision to get on methadone I told myself I would stay at a low dose, which I have, 60 mgs and tapering. Throughout treatment I have made myself an advocate at my clinic trying to inform other patients of the importance of healthy eating and staying AWAY from sugar, processed foods and refined carbs. I can attest that I haven’t put on nearly as much weight as before. I have put on about 30 lbs though and this is with diet and exercise. I am 5’6 and about 150 lbs. everyone says I look great but I don’t like the extra weight. Last time I saw my doctor they found that my thyroid was a bit sluggish. Do you think this is from methadone use? Also I have noticed in the past two years some dark facial hair appearing on my chin and some on my chest. Do you think this is harmonal imbalance contributed from the methadone use as well? Also do you think that dhea supplements could help with that? I can’t say that my taper has been easy even tapering off such a low dose. My main fear is relapse but I hate the side effects of methadone! Most counselors at the clinics are uniformed of side effects and are still going by “the book” that methadone doesn’t cause weight gain, dental problems, and other endocrine problems. I recently read that methadone causes your pituitary gland to swell therefore it does not put out enough hormones. There are so many side effects that can be avoided but patients and staff are not made aware of them. Thankyou so much for this article. I think a lot of people get stuck in the mindset that they have to stay unhealthy and that there is no going back after the weight gain but they can!
Hi Kate!
I’m so happy you found this article too. And wow…thank you so much for taking the time to post a little bit about your history with addiction, methadone and weight gain. As for your questions, I’m not a doctor, so the only way to know if you have Opioid-Induced Endocrinopathy would be to get tested from a doctor that knows what to look for.
In my opinion, based on the patients I worked with and saw at the clinic, most have at least a mild case of this endocrine dysfunction.
Kate I believe you would greatly benefit from reading the conversation several comments below between ChicaBonita32 and I. She started taking DHEA and maca root powder, a potent endocrine boosting herb I informed her about. She stated that within 3 days of taking the supplements she was feeling amazing!
You’re an incredible role model for other people on methadone to see that they can manage their weight with nutrition and exercise. Thanks again for such a helpful comment that many readers will benefit from. Take care.
Matt my name is Sharon im 50 yrs old an on methadone ive gained weight while being on methadone its depressing so im going to try dhea an meca root powder an see if it can help me
Hi Sharon,
I hope it gives you some great relief!!! My male friend on methadone just started taking maca powder with some other supplements as well, and he says he is feeling a lot better. Doesn’t have a weight issue but low energy, depression, and other symptoms.
I did like the article(except for the suggestion a person on MMT stay below 80 mg.i wasn’t stable until 200 mg.my husband on the other hand was stable at 120mg even though he used twice as many drugs as I.staying at or going to a smaller amount of methadone just to prevent weight gain could cause relapse.a drug councler should never suggest any amount that would be unstable for the client.)
Hi Amanda,
I’m glad you did like the article. As for suggesting someone stay below 80 mg like you said, perhaps you should read the following quote from the article you may have skimmed over:
“Some patients simply do not stop using illicit opioids on low or even moderate doses. I frequently had patients that were on anywhere from 100-150mg that stated a high dose was the only way they could stay clean. In these cases I am a proponent for high doses. I’ve literally seen this approach save peoples lives, families and careers.”
Furthermore, some patients of mine between 150-200 mg didn’t put on methadone weight gain. Everyone is biochemically unique. I was merely providing an assessment of the commonalities many patients had regarding dosage and weight gain. This was no means an absolute.
I WANTED 2 SEE A DOCTOR THE. DEAL WIT. LOW TESTOSTERONE LEVEL
CUZ OFF THE METHADONE SO WEIGHT GAIN SO I WOULD LIKE 2 SEE
A DOCTOR. 2. TAKE. CARE. THIS. PROBLEM THE I HAVE. SO. MAY BE. YOU. COULD GET BACK. AT. ME. ON.
EDWIN. PAGAN. SOPRANO ….
Hey Matt. I just wanted to thank you so much for this article and also to Rowan for the insight on Opiate Induced Endocrinopathy. In October of 2013,i was released from jail after serving 18 months. While in there, I had to kick 120 mgs. of methadone. The only plus to it was I went from 267lbs to 190. It was crazy, the weight just melted off. Usually girls gain weight in jail, but I was the complete opposite. When I got out I went right back to using and even though I said I would NEVER go back on methadone, I knew I had to. That was the end of Oct. 2013.Jump to the present day (Jan. 2015) and I’m up to 280lbs.I didn’t even see this happening, it wasn’t until I saw a picture of myself I realized I am morbidly obese. It’s so depressing. I’ve searched the Internet countless times looking for something ANYTHING that could help and all I could find were forums where people are saying the only way to lose the weight is to get off of it and right now, that’s not an option. For the first year I was only on 45mg and the most I gained was about ten pounds. It wasn’t until I started going up that the MAJOR weight gain started. And yes, I eat sweets like crazy, it’s like I can’t control myself and I’ve never been like that. I’m now in 80 mgs. And I have to say I am so happy I found this. I just got the dhea and took it like you said. Now I just need to get the maca root powder. I’m going good shopping and I’m not going to allow any ice cream, soda or sweets in my house. I’m also gunna start slowly with exercise, like walk for 40 min every other day and as I become more comfortable with that, I’ll start doing more. If you have any other suggestions on anything else I could be taking or doing, I would really appreciate it. In the mean time, I’m going to work on lowering my dose, even if it’s just going down to ten mgs. Again, thank you for the info. Like I mentioned before, there’s mostly negative advice out there. I’ll keep you posted on my progress!
Wow Nicole! I’m so glad you found this article and read through the comments so you could learn about Methadone weight gain. Congratulations for reading the article on Opioid Induced Endocrinopathy that Rowan linked to. I learned a lot from it as well. It really inspires me when I hear from readers that they have found hope and determination after learning something that they haven’t tried yet. Thank you for sharing your Methaodne weight gain story. It’s a wonderful medication when it’s used correctly, however, on higher doses the side-effects can pose quite a dilemma for many. I’m so glad to hear you purchased the DHEA, and I can’t say enough good things about the maca root.
Also, I know how hard it can be cutting out the sweets on Methadone. You can do it!!! Food is a very powerful drug. Sugar and white flour are extremely addicting and unhealthy, so cutting them out of your diet cold-turkey might cause some withdrawal symptoms, but you should feel a lot better once they are gone or drastically reduced. Walking and swimming are my favorite forms of exercise. Wearing headphones listening to your favorite music will make walks awesome. I had a patient on Methadone that used to wake up at 4 am everyday, take his dose, then go for a long 2 hour walk before everyone was awake. I thought that was cool!
Nicole, if you really want to lose the weight fast in a healthy way combined with those supplements, check out this protocol for weight loss recommended by my food-healing teacher:
As much as you want: veggies, beans
Limited: strawberries, raspberries, limes (no other fruit allowed!!!)
Limited: eggs (2 per day)
As much as you want: seafood (not fried!)
Eat lots of coconut oil, and 1-2 avacados per day.
OK, that’s the protocol for amazing weight loss that is very healthy! There is absolutely no other food allowed! Not until you have lost all the methadone weight gain that you want. Then you can add certain things in moderation of course.
And of course the supplements and tapering your dose a little lower should also help, combined with exercise. Good luck to you.
Attention: I am a Strategic Intervention Coach, not a doctor, so I can’t give professional advice regarding aspects of the body, only the mind. What I write is for informational use only. It’s not intended to treat, diagnose or prevent any disease. Always check with your doctor before changing your diet, trying any new supplements, medications, exercise or opiate tapering programs.
Hey Matt I have been on methadone for 2 and a half years after a ten year oppiate addiction, Iam 5foot and 1/2 inches and i HAVE NEVER WEIGHED MORE THEN 110 POUNDS …Sorry about the caps my computer is messing up , but I could eat as I pleased ,did not exercise and never gained a pound…I was 135 pounds when pregnant with my son and he weighed 7lbs and 2 oz., and I immediately went back to being little.I have gained 60 lbs since being on methadone I ate a lot of sweets in the beginning not knowing methadone made you gain weight, but the last 9 months I have been detoxing and go back and forwarth with 30 to 40 mg. also since I reached 160lbs I stopped drinking soda ,started eating healthier ,and exercising a few days a week,and I will lose a few pounds and then gain them back,I cannot stand my body right now and it keeps me from being social because I don’t want my friends to see me this way,I have thought about just jumping off the methadone cold turkey hoping that the withdrawl will bring me to my regular weight?? My doctor is bringing me down 1mg a week, do you have any suggestions for my particular case?
I also forgot to mention , don’t want to give you tmi but I have also pretty much been constipated for years….Please any suggestions Iam suppose to be my sisters maid of honor on September 5th and they have me finishing my detox Sept. 13th….Im afraid at that rate I will still be this size by then and I just can’t handle that…Thanks again
Hi Brittany,
First off, I’m so glad to hear that you’ve been eating healthier and exercising…and cutting out soda is awesome! Congratulations!
Since you’ve been on Methadone for 2.5 years, and you’ve gained weight after always being 110 pounds or less, there is a high-percentage chance you have Opioid-Induced Endocrinopathy. I’m going to add a little info on this syndrome at the end of this article soon. Here is an article I recommend you read:
Opioid-Induced Endocrinopathy
You can check with your doctor to see if you have this syndrome, which many people get from being on Methadone long-term, and the main side-effects are weight gain and depression, among many others.
As for the constipation, they Good Belly Big Shot 50 supplement I mention in the article will work very well. Most people in your situation benefit from taking 3 of them per day, morning, afternoon, and evening, on an empty stomach.
If you do that for 30 days then ease back to just 1 per day, I believe you will be a happy person!
Congratulations for tapering and having a detox completion date planned. You’re going to do great!!!
Also, the recommended treatment for females with opioid-induced endocrinopathy is DHEA supplements, about 50-100 mg per day. I recommended the supplement MACA root powder to another reader who left a comment as well, named Nicole. It’s very useful for boosting endocrine function and can help balance hormones.
Have a great day Brittany, and if you have any more questions I’m happy to assist you. Thanks for sharing your story and posting your question.
Attention: I am a Strategic Intervention Coach, not a doctor, so I can’t give professional advice regarding aspects of the body, only the mind. What I write is for informational use only. It’s not intended to treat, diagnose or prevent any disease. Always check with your doctor before changing your diet, trying any new supplements, medications, exercise or opiate tapering programs.
The diet sounds like a anti fungal diet….everyone said go on it Even if they don’t use methadone! Thanks X 1000 for this info!! I work at a all natural wellness center and they are hoping me to get of methadone but my weight has started the same and I’m on a low amount. Thanks again – CJ
Hi CJ,
Sounds like a really cool place to work! Glad this info helped you. Good luck!
i have never read such bushit in my life, u said that this setin ladys who gained all that weight then u seen her a few month later and she was clean and lost all the weight again , maybe it had somthing to do with fucking hanging out lol hahah. (a few month later) u said, well it takes mo9re than that to get well u dick head, well im sorry but u fail to mention any of that let alone that they probebly were not even eating anything before they got on methadone, there r so so many things u left out !
Whoa.
All I can say is that you are an answer to a prayer. I am on 85 mg, and have gained 35 lbs in a year. I am usually around 130 to 135, am 5’6″, and now I am at 165. I have started exercising daily by going for a run every morning. But I am one of these people you speak of that wish they had stayed at 70 or so. I thought the opiate cravings would return like they did at 55 and 65 so I asked to be increased, and 85 is where I settled. Not to give TMI, but I am only 32 and have not had my period since starting treatment a little over a year ago. I will definitely ask about tapering down, but I wonder if going back on the birth control pill would help stabilize my hormones? I have not been tested for hormones, as my current job is not letting me make Dr. appts, and I work 8 to 4:30 m-f, not exactly easy to get an appointment outside of work time. Worse yet, my clinic has a strict denial policy, and keep assuring me that all these problems must me completely separate from the methadone. Seriously?? I was addicted to pills, not the needle, and still ate regular meals while being a user. They just keep telling me I am balancing out, and the weight gain would have occured even without the methadone once I stopped the opiate use. It’s extremely frustrating!!! Thank you so much for being the first person to actually tell the truth and point me in the right direction. I knew I wasn’t crazy!
Thank you so much for sharing your methadone weight gain story. Unfortunately, most of the doctors and counselors at Methadone clinics will tell you that methadone doesn’t cause weight gain. Along with the criteria I recommended in my article, the comment below by Rowan has a link to an outstanding article on Opioid-Induced Edocrinopathy, which results from long-term opiate usage, and comes with serious side-effects, methadone weight gain being one of them. For women with this condition they recommend taking DHEA. Also, I’m a Certified Advanced Food-Based Healer, so I know of a very powerful natural way to boost the endocrine system. Maca root powder
is a very healthy way to increase natural energy, boost libido, normalize hormonal levels, and supercharge the endocrine system. Here is the link to the article on Opioid-Induced Endocrinopathy”. Good luck on your journey.
Attention: I am a Strategic Intervention Coach, not a doctor, so I can’t give professional advice regarding aspects of the body, only the mind. What I write is for informational use only. It’s not intended to treat, diagnose or prevent any disease. Always check with your doctor before changing your diet, trying any new supplements, medications, exercise or opiate tapering programs.
Thank you so much Matt!! I read the study and ordered some DHEA, and also got Maca Root powder you recommended.the study says 50-100mg daily of DHEA can normalize hormone levels. As a food based healer, how would you recommend that I take the dhea and maca? Should I take them together or separately? Any guidance will be appreciated. I am looking forward to getting back on track and looking and feeling better again.
Wow, I’m so glad you read the article and ordered the supplements. Sounds like you’re going to be well on your way to feeling a whole lot healthier. Congratulations! As for the dosages and protocol for your new supplements:
DHEA: I would start with one 50 mg tablet daily 20-30 minutes before breakfast for maximum absoprtion. It’s best to take it early in the day because otherwise it can cause insomnia. After a few weeks if you don’t feel a difference you can take 100 mg like the study says.
Maca root powder: Start out adding 1 teaspoon to a glass of water 20 minutes before breakfast. Mix it up with a spoon otherwise it will be hard to swallow. After a few weeks you can start taking 2 teaspoons, and a few weeks after that you can go to 1 tablespoon if you like.
Other tips for losing methadone weight gain:
While counter intuitive, eating a HIGH fat diet is the quickest way to lose weight. You just have to eat the RIGHT fats. Organic virgin coconut oil is a saturated fat, but it’s extremely healthy because it’s a medium chain triglyceride. It burns like a carbohydrate, speeds up your metabolism, and it’s also antiviral and antibacterial, so it enhances your immune system. Indigenous people of the Pacific Islands that live on high coconut fat diets are extremely healthy, thin, have almost no heart disease, and have great cardiovascular health.
Avacados are also a healthy fat that will really help shed methadone weight gain. They are a living fat, and avacados have a lot of soluble fiber.
You see, when you give your body healthy fats, it says “OK good, now that there is all this fat from food I can shed this stored fat.” So that’s what your body does, and the fat melts right off. My food-healing teacher recommends people trying to lose weight to take in 1-2 avacados per day, and use about 2-4 tablespoons of organic virgin coconut oil per day.
Have fun getting back on track, and congratulations for making the first step!
Attention: I am a Strategic Intervention Coach, not a doctor, so I can’t give professional advice regarding aspects of the body, only the mind. What I write is for informational use only. It’s not intended to treat, diagnose or prevent any disease. Always check with your doctor before changing your diet, trying any new supplements, medications, exercise or opiate tapering programs.
After taking the DHEA and the Maca root for only 3 days, I am already feeling better. I feel like I have energy again, but not so much that it makes me shaky (as the energy drinks did). Not sure if it is the Maca root giving me the energy, or if it’s the combo of both that and the DHEA, but it’s fantastic. Thanks again!!!! I feel like I just walked out of a very dark cave into the sunshine.
Wow that’s incredible results after just 3 days! I think it’s totally a combination of the two, and I’m very happy for you. You’re doing great and you should be very proud of yourself for all of your wonderful accomplishments. Feel free to update your results along the way.
I’ve been on methadone for 15 years. I had never weighed more than 52 kgs in my life ( 5 foot 7) until in my mid 30’s and went on methadone. My doctor kept saying I must be eating more – but I wasn’t!! And being overweight is made me miserable. I don’t want to socialise and my life is unbearable being 35 kgs over-weight.
All due to methadone.
Anna,
You may want to look into either Vitae one or Nutridone (available online). These are made for methadone users to stave off the side effects associated with the medicine.
~MARY
OAS RECOVERY SPECIALIST
mary…..or anyone that can help…..my dr. retired, and i have had to find a new on. he sent me to a pain mgt. specialist, who has prescribed methadone. i have been slowly losing weight, and planned on keeping that up. these posts scare the c—p out of me. i am overweight now, but have been losing…..but now i am petrified of gaining. should i ask my pain dr. for nutradone or the other, BEFORE i start my methadone treatment ? if i gain weight i will be angry ! if i crave sweets and indulge, i will do myself no favors. eating 500 cal. a day and still gaining sounds ludicrous. help…..what is your advice ( need to lose 50 more lbs. i have parkinson, fibromyalgia, RLS, and back pain…….so i have to lie down a lot ! ). i rarely exercise because of my conditions…..what to do ? please advise, thanks, lu
Hey Matt
Great article, but I just wanted to share my own experience which might help others.
I have been on methadone for most the the last 20 years and during the last six years my weight increased by 50% and I went from being lean to morbidly obese within three months. My teeth not only rot away but break off if I bite on anything hard.
I tried every imaginable dietary and nutritional weight loss technique including some experimental ones like peptides.
Nothing worked.
As a teen I had pet rats and one time I had one of the males neutered by a vet. After the procedure the poor little guy ballooned and got so fat he could barely move.
This memory reminded me of my own horrible situation so after years of no success I asked my doctor to check my hormone levels.
As I had suspected my testosterone levels were abnormally low, and I was referred to an endocrinologist – who is also a very famous researcher.
As soon as she found out I was on methadone she told me about Opiate Induced Endocrinopathy – a condition caused by opiates with a long half life like methadone which suppresses the performance of the endocrine system and results in the total disruption of sex hormone production.
I had a long series of tests and scans to identify any other possible causes. Nothing.
What I was happening is that the methadone was suppressing the function of the pituitary gland, which is responsible for signalling to the gonads how much testosterone (or estrogen in women) to produce.
The symptoms of low testosterone were exactly those that I had always associated with methadone: profuse sweating, weight gain, facial flushing, tooth decay and breakage, brittle bones.
These are all caused by methadone but indirectly.
In my case I recently started testosterone replacement therapy and lost 16 kilos in the first month.
I can already see differences in my face and musculature and the fat is gradually being replaced by muscle tissue.
My weight gain ruined my life, shattered my self confidence and self esteem and aggravated my depression to the point where I tried to end my life.
Testosterone is giving me hope and finally I can see a future that isn’t darkened by despair.
For far too long methadone patients struggling to stay clean have had to suffer horrible side effects of pharmacotherapy and all this misery is totally unnecessary.
This link explains the issue well:
http://www.jaoa.osteopathic.org/content/109/1/20.full
And this study is also interesting:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/20473043/
Rowan thanks so much for sharing your experience with methadone weight gain, as well as with other side-effects from long-term methadone use. I read the articles you provided and they made a whole lot of sense. I really appreciate you taking the time to comment and put links to this great info so it can help others reading this article.
I had one male patient that was in his late 40’s who went to the doctor complaining of low sex drive and testosterone. He was prescribed testosterone and he stated that it improved many areas of his life. He had been on 140mg of methadone for about 12 years and had gained about 100 pounds. My patient, his doctor and I were all unaware of Opiate Induced Endocrinopathy. I plan on studying it more and writing an article on it.
There is no doubt that methadone is a very powerful and harmful medication that causes a host of side-effects to the patient (especially at high doses long-term). I know everyone in their addiction has differences, so I believe it’s a good medication for some individuals to be on. I also believe their are many natural alternatives that more people addicted to opiates can choose instead of methadone, suboxone, subutex and vivitrol. In my article 2014 Opiate Withdrawal Remedies Review I list all of the powerful natural remedies that can be used in place of these medications.
I’m really happy to hear that testosterone helped you lose the methadone weight gain, improve your musculature and lose fat.
I have been on methadone liquid cherry flavored.100 ml for over 8 months an it has gotten me from 230 to 300 lbs in the time of dosing. My life is greatly better that i don’t use heroin..but this weight is upsetting an its ruined my social,intimate life.I want off this weight can’t where jeans,suits.when I first started methadone,it was 30ml then up it 50…after that the weight came on @ 60ml.I am a huge man a bear now….can’t breathe when I try DOIN the normal stuff around house…so its change my dose back too 50ml,I hope too god it works
Hello, I’m living exactly the same problem as you. Exactly the same.