How long does it take for the weight gain from Methadone to go away once you get off of it for good?

Question

I am 39 yrs old & I have been on Methadone for 3 years now, I used to be on other pain meds for my lower back, perks, codones, vics, Morphine Sulfate etc,. I am 5'2 & have ALWAYS weighed about 115lbs to 118, Once I started taking Methadone I have put on so much weight I look so fat & ugly! I look like Im 9 months pregnant! I weigh now 168, I was up to 176, it kinda goes up & down some but I cant ever see to loose weight no matter how much I exercise, walk, dont eat , eat right etc, stop drinking soda, switch to diet etc the weight is still there. I never weight this much in all my 5  pregnancies in their 9th months! I look like I have another saggy Butt on my lower stomache & Ive noticed thats where most of the weight goes to is in my stomache. I havent even seen my b/f in 7 months becasue Im afraid he will think im ugly & he has mocked even chunky girls before so I know I am Far from that!  My Dr told me it doesnt make you gain weight but I hear otherwise. I've read SOOO many other forums of women just like me with the same problem. I was even told Ihad type 2 diabetes, so for sooo long thats what I was going with & eating different & thinking thats the reason for the weight gain, So I tod my Dr I wante a 2nd look & opinion & wanted more blood test done to be Sure if thats in fact what it is, ' ' Get his" My tests came back Normal!!!   I was SOOOO Pissed, here for the longest time I had been treating soomething I never even had, so, I told My Dr a week ago I want OFF the methadones completely, Put me back on what I was on before, or something, I dont care, but I do not wanna take these anymore, She told me there is a NEW PILL out there they can give you now that will prevent you from having withdrawls from the methadone If you want to get off of it! I have to be refered to a pain management clinic & they will prescibe it to me I guess, Do  believe her ? maybe, I guess I know fo sure when I go to the pain clinic & find out for myself, & if there is thats what I'm going to do. I cant look at myself in the mirror & cry anymore & feel like an ugly fat ***.. Not to Mock fat people, some people just cant help it or were born heavy etc,but for me it's like, I did this to myself & the Doctors helped & kept pushing it by giving me more & more. I think they know that it causes weight gain, becasue C'mon how many women will agree to take it if they were told it will make you gain up to  60 + pounds!, its just another way to get us hooked, just  to go back for more, just to end up with other health issues we have to go back to them for, & so on & so on  and it's $ CHA CHING! $ in their pockets! I will find out the name of this so called " New Pill"  once I go to the pain cinic I will post my new found start experiences with getting off this ****, because I want my life & looks back & I am determined to get it. Don't wonder anymore girls! I did everything, researched everything, Its the Methadone causing your weight gain & mine. I just pray my body will heal back normally to the way it was before I ever started taking Methadone, & I will loose this weight once & for all!
J.A.

MisteryMan614 · Answer

the buprenorphine is a partial antagonist/agonist with higher affinity than the methadone. On the beta receptor, it's actually pushes the opioids out instead of in. The naloxone in suboxone is so negligible it contributes nothing to the precipitated withdrawal (it's only there to try and keep junkies from injecting suboxone---but they still do). It's the BUPRENORPHINE that causes the precipitated withdrawal, therefore subutex is just as bad as taking suboxone after methadone.

MisteryMan614 · Answer

If you're a man, and on methadone, get your testosterone tested. If it's low, start TRT (testosterone replacement therapy). Start working out. Watch the fat burn away !!! (the opioid-induced hypogonadism is probably the largest contributor to the methadone weight)

Adiosmdone · Answer

Opiates cause dry mouth hence the rotting teeth. I've gained 70 lbs while on mmt. Started at 235 mgs then to 114, then a 21 day detox which = 6 mg EVERY day. Didn't get sick other than slight tummy aches. But I already lost 13 lbs and haven't done anything diff.in around 20 days. Also, subutex is MUCH easier to transition off mdone. There's no naloxone therefore the pharmacology works in sync w/ mdone. Naloxone/narcan is what is used in ODs so in simple terms it's pushing opiates out. Mdone is synthetic like subutex. So, u DONT need to be withdrawaling to start. Trust me my Dr. Explained the pharmacology for 30 mins. I took 30 mg of mdone & skipped on over to my subutex dr and have t looked back.

leslie_47 · Answer

i dont mean to contradict anything that anyone says i believe you i have saw changes in people that take it and agree with you on the other hand let me tell my story... im am a 47 yr old lady who has been on methadone for 3 years at first i to had sugar cravings and gained weight was constipated  but hungry all the time, i started taking the methadone viatamines the clinic sold they stopped my sugar cravings my constipation cured my hungry problems after awhile i stopped taking them i wasnt a small girl i weighed around 150 after i reached year 1 on methadone i had gained up to 240 lbs though. around yr 1 i stopped craving sugar an was only hungry once a day i slowly lost the water weight now im at year 3 i dont eat sweets hardly ever i just dont crave sugar and im never hungry i have to make myself eat at least once a day i have had zero energy for 2 years now i dont drink soda but i am a sweet tea drinker i am at still at 215lbs but just found out i have diabietes im on 150mg a day and im concerned about mixing the insulin with the methadone. do you or anyone else have any suggestions or advice you could give to me or talk to my dr about? i go to the d tomorrow to get my medication going and i want to voice my concerns to her about the methadone but im not sure what all i should be concerned about. help.... leslie in alabama

gnarly_1 · Answer

Hi  well the clinic was going painfully slow so a nurse gave me a rig  showed me how to use it and I detoxed off my 2week take homes  it was less then 1/2 the time the clinic wanted to take  that and they wanted me to start coming back in daily  it is doable faster  but you do go threw withdrawals along the way  keep posting for suport we can walk you threw this.................Gnarly

sarahanneB · Answer

how did you get off 150 i n 8 months in 5 months ii only came down 30mgs  how many mgs did you drop per week?

emk526 · Answer

just curious if you have been withdrawing for 5 months, i'm assuming you are still going to your clinic and weaning off it slowly, a few mg a week.  if this is the route you're going why are you experiencing WD, if its 5 months of WD, i'd rather go cold turkey and feel like huge crap for 2 weeks instead

ryno1988 · Answer

I just got off 5mg and didn't withdrawal, so no, not no matter what :P , I did a slop taper, then stabilized at 5 mg for 6 months, hopped off, and im on day 7 with no mental / physical withdrawal

julz7310 · Answer

Omg I been on methadone 90 mg for a year n half I gained 40 pnds I'm wondering if in decrease my dose if I will loose it

BIGtitch · Answer

"Firstly" I have sent this onto Gnarly_1 1st,But to "all" of you who are suffering this same problems of weight gain/loss(more GAIN)plus the Hellish pain that comes along side it,Also I have been dwelling on wether or not to even type my & other Addict friends experiences,Bcos I donnot want to suggest any single,"or" tempt any 1 of you to follow or copy the experiences I & others I know have used,with-out going on this is just my experience,To begin wiv I am from London England,& I assume you are all Americans Bcos you always use mgs instead of mls,which leaves me the feeling you are not all on s/f oral methadone(sugar free green oral linctus)of which most of us are subscribed over here(Not that the S/Free part makes the "slightest difference" for weight gaining)& Also Ive noticed that not any of you yanks have mentioned about subutex,only suboxone,unless of course "rivia"(poss spelt wrong)is what we have scripted to us as subutex or "Tex" which ive never heard it called B4 Im just going on that it is a blocker too as 1 of you mentioned so?...Anyway I am 36 & 'just' 5"5 & got a heroin habit 20yrs ago,well 94',but never got perscribed meth until 95'-96' & because of the crack & smack wound up in young offenders institutes by 94' & up n' till now hav spent 12yrs 8mths in jail since 94'.thats not relevent but I was always of low weight levis for eg 30W-30L,but over the past 20yrs on this satanic substitute drug I have obviously gone up & down from 55ml to 235ml Bcos after being in prison a yr your detoxed off & sent round the system,so on the longer sentences I can assure u once I was off the meth & on many diff sentences with-out exercise it "Fell-off!!!" me,but the shorter 6mths etc sentences by the time i was released i was still on it.The early days of youth custody you never used to get "ANYTHING!" & I see some off you saying there withdrawel off meth was 21dys,well its gotta be diff for everyone Bcos they used to give you 1 buscopan the 1st night & an amyltriptline(spelling?) & from 2nd day in those ****holes 2 paraceatamal every day there-after propper suicidal,Legs everywhere up the wall,lying on the floor on the bed,legs like riding a bike & I remember getting only 10wks sentence 70dys & come out 5wks later & had not 5mins sleep it was that bad 5wks without nothing,after only going in there on 55mls that I scored on my way home.Anyway methadone stays (I believe)in diff peoples systems longer or shorter than others,I want to switch over to subutex or suboxone ASAP Bcos Im on 150mls now & norm 9stone but now 13stone (& I go gym every other day WITH-OUT fail)but Bcos of my metabolism I reco I'll have to be clean off meth more than 10dys,now this is the bit I was worried about sharing & you'll see why,now Im sure all you addicts know a methadone Rattle(withdrawel)is worse & alot longer & powerfull than heroin,so because of the time period clear of methadone needed & the intence suffering of course,I have found myself pouring my meth down the toilet & going back on heroin for 2wks,then stopping abruptly for 3-4dys & switching over to subutex,& a few of my friends have done the same but either with "Tex" or suboxone(I mean OMG How bad is that the system giving you help to get clean that not only ended up me spending 12 & 1/2yrs in jails,I cant blame them "All" for that but more desperate to obtain money to lessen the withdrawel "They've" caused that the things ive done desperately to gain money to swap over etc...so 12 odd yrs in jail,Looking like moby-**** only fatter & giving me bull#### that its down to other reasons why i look like a beach whale,now Im not "AT-ALL" Suggesting ANY of you do what i have,Bcos if you R an addict & not on the meds for pain relief only you dont want to risk getting back a taste for it again Bcos that slope aint half slippery as you know,Lastly I personally have come on & off methadone & been doing severe Rattles(withdrawel) for 20yrs now & "NO-BODY!!!" Could convince me otherwise that the meth gone & the weight goes along with it like a ruck-sack on its back

Stacy1607 · Answer

I believe you, so you don't have to shout.  I've always weighed 113 and I'm 5'5.  I took just Norco for years for Chronic Pain.  3 years ago my doctor put me on Methadone.  I ate the same diet and got up to 118 fast.  I always eat the same exact thing every single day since I am a weight obsessed person.  Once I hit 118 with no dietary changes, I had to cut back my normal low calorie meals.  I only eat dinner now which is a chicken breast and I'm at 113, but I caught it quickly and decided to starve if it meant staying thin.

Those who say it's because you must be eating crap are full of crap!  Methadone slows your metabolism which causes weight gain.  It's a fact!  I eat weigh less than I did 3 years ago just to stay at my normal 113 weight.  If I hadn't caught this after my quick 5 pound gain, I would probably be another 20+ pounds heavier, but I refused to let that happen.

I wish you the best and please know that others do believe you.  I am proof that Methadone will make you gain weight with absolutely NO dietary changes.  I used to drink 2 cokes a day.  I now have 1.  I used to eat 3 meal a day.  I now eat 1 which is just a chicken breast.  This medication adds weight which is horrible for anyone who suffers from chronic pain.  Extra pounds mean extra pain.  Good Luck!

TrayCee · Answer

I lost weight on Methadone, once I started lower my dosage I gained a little...but not much, maybe 10 lbs.
EVERYONES DIFFERENT

luxluther32 · Answer

I WAS ON SUBOXONE AND THAT IS A DAM DIET PILL OMG I WAS SOOOO SKINNY FROM IT, IT WAS GREAT BUT YOU HAVE TO DEAL WITH NOT SLEEPING AT ALL! AND A AWFUL SIDE EFFECT IS PANICK ATTACKS WHERE YOU SHAKE AND FEEL LIKE YOU ARE ABOUT TO DIE!! I HEARD THE NEW STRIPS ARE GOOD CAUSE THE NARCAN CANT GET OUT LIKE THE PILLS, I WOULD SPLIT THE PILL IN HALF AND THATS WHAT CAUSED MY PANICK ATTACKS I GUESS, BUT I WAS TINY SKINNY AND NOW ON METHADONE IM SO FAT, NO ONE WILL BELIEVE ME THAT IM NOT PIGGING OUT, ITS JUST WATER WEIGHT!! I HATE METHADONE CAUSE OF THE WEIGHT GAIN, THEIR IS NO BEATING THE GAIN, EXCEPT FOR SPEED, THEIRS A GIRL AT MY CLINIC WHO TAKES SPEED AND SHE HASNT GAINED BUT SHE ALSO HAS FALSE TEETH FROM THE METH.

luxluther32 · Answer

ITS NOT THE SUGAR CRAVINGS! I DONT GET SUGAR CRAVINGS! I DONT EAT BREAKFAST OR LUNCH AND I EAT A SALAD FOR DINNER AND HAVE BEEN ON 25 MG OF METHADONE FOR 7 MONTHS AND BALLOONED UP FROM SIZE 5 TO A 17 BEING REALLY TIGHT! THEIR IS NOTHING YOU CAN DO TO BEAT GAINING WEIGHT ON MEHTADONE! NOTHING! ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE A GIRL IN CHILD BEARING YEARS! MY FRIEND WAS 89 POUNDS 8 MONTHS AGO AND NOW SHE IS A WHOPPING 250!! SHE IS HUGE! OMG I HATE MEHTAD  AND CANT FREAKING WAIT TO GET OFF IT!!!! THE **** FROM THE CLINICS SUCK, IT DOESNT GET YOU HIGH, YOU ARE JUST IN HELL CAUSE IF YOU STOP TAKING IT YOU HAVE 00000 ENERGY AND CANT SLEEP!!!

nursenat171 · Answer

I was on 60 to 120 mg of methadone over the past 6 years and gained 60 lbs, I also have hypothroidism, so in the beginning I thought y TSH was off and my Snthroid needed to be increased, but after about a year of all my thyroid tests being normal, excercising everyday, going to Jenny Craig, not only did I not lose any weight I kept gaining it. Deep down I knew it was from the methadone but I didn't want to stop taking it because of my pain, but I couldn't stand to look at myself and see other people's reactions when they saw me after not seeing me in a while. I have been on Suboxone now for 3 weeks. For me it is an amazing drug. I had to drop down to 30mg and be off that for 3 days before I started the Suboxone and then once I was on it I still felt the methadone withdrawls for about a week but now that it is out of my system I feel better than I ever have and have lost 20lbs in the first 2 weeks and am still losing it. Good luck to everyone and hope this information helps.

zalie · Answer

I don't see that anyone has posted about methadone causing weight gain in the past year.  I just figured it out this evening that my initial weight gain of 75 lbs was from methadone and not the fact that I am hypothyroid which was diagnosed in 06. My thyroid hormones have been balanced several times and I never lost any more weight.  I went off of Methadone a year ago - not intentionally, but a mix up and the withdrawal lasts for 21 days of hell. I blacked out.  I talked to people on the phone and had no memory of calling them - it was like I was full of drugs but had none in my system except the half lives.  I felt like I wrote all the posts and it is so good to read that the weight drops off. I have taken suboxone for my chronic pain and it helped a great deal.  I did go through some rough withdrawals, but I did it cold turkey because I was told that the withdrawal would be minimal.  If anyone has any additional information I would love to hear it.

HenryS354 · Answer

For me personally, my methadone weight fell off quickly.  I lost 100 Pounds all in the first year off the methadone.

Tiera...  I have been on both suboxone and revia as well. I can guarentee that neither are a magic pill, and I have failed on both of them.  It wasnt until combining pharmacological treatment with behavioral therapy (NA/Counseling) that I was successful.

It is true that you do need to be off the methadone for 10 days before starting Revia, but only because of its half life.  The thing about revia, is that it will do nothing at all for your actual cravings.  The only thing revia does is in the event that you relapse, you will get no benefit out of your fix, as the revia will cancel out and block any high that you may have gotten.  Unfortunatelly, you will still have to learn how to deal with the cravings and mental battles that come with addiction.

I wish you all the best.

Henry

gnarly_1 · Answer

HI.....I agree wiith you weigh gain is really common with methadone I went from 180 on a 6'/1'' frame to 247 over the years I was on it....the good news is once you come off it the weight comes off....that magic pill is called suboxine if your going to transition to it you need  to be at around 20mg of methadone to do it you dident say how much your on ??
anyway we have had members do the switch successfully then taper off the sub
coming off sub will go one of 2 ways...it will ether give you little to no withdrawals 
or it will be like pulling teeth and the withdrawal will be long and hard theirs know telling till its time to get off its different for everyone...methadone is not ez  to come off of I did it and knowing sub is an alternative to what I went threw I might consider it and take the chance
if you need help tapering off methadone just message me I came off 150mg of the stuff
did it in 8 1/2 mo time it ruff but it is doable good luck and God bless....Gnarly

teira39 · Answer

welll about the qweight gain!!! ive gained 65 pds in 8months from methadone!!! i also have the same problem u have!! im fat and wont dare look at my self in mirror. ive always weighed 120 and im 5"9. now im like 185pds.. all from methadone.. eating all nite,every nite.. my doctor asked me if i wasd deppressed.. not hardly.. its the methadone and as far as this new pill.... its either suboxone or revia and trust me when i tell u... u DONT want on suboxne.. u will WD from that and its just another drug.. the revia is alot better but heres the catch... u have to b clean from all opiates for 10 days,, no matter what u WILL WD from methadone. ive been weaning down from methadone for 5 months and its HELL... have faith in ur self if u really want off.. and most inportant have faith in a higher power. and get the otc meds... good luck

ang_811 · Answer

After I got off methadone it felt like the weight dropped right away for me.. I stopped getting those sugar cravings..that helps alot!

bmdad · Answer

More than likely this "new" pill your doctor is talking about is suboxone. Although it may help prevent some of the withdrawals associated with methadone you will more than likely also have withdrawals coming off of it.
Once you find out for sure what this new pill is be sure to ask questions on how to go from methadone to this new pill. If it is suboxone the transition from methadone to suboxone isn't completely painless from what I have heard. You can't just stop the methadone and start the suboxone or else it will throw you into precipitated withdrawals. You have to let other opiates clear your system first. 
If it does end up being suboxone there are a few members here that have made the transition from methadone so they will be able to let you know how it went for them. I'm sure your doctors will know how to approach the situation so be sure to listen to them. I guess the first thing to do is to find out what this pill is. I just wanted to give you a heads up if it does end up being sub.
Best of luck to you.

Brian

dominosarah · Answer

Hi~~We have some members on here who have come off Methadone and lost the weight they gained so dont give up hope.  The forum has been quiet the last couple days so keep checking back here.  I would think gnarly would be on here shortly and he has some really good info on Methadone.          sara

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