Who is familiar with methadone?

xalos

Senior member
May 31, 2002
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My son is in the hospital right now and he was being weened using ativan and methadone. His course of ativan is done and he recently had another dose of methadone and I think he is due for another in the morning.

They are/were being administered via NJ tube. He hasn't slept much in two days and we're trying to feed him orally so that we can take him home. But, he keeps throwing up when we try to give him small amounts of food.

We're being assured that his issues probably aren't related to the methadone but I really can't see the symptoms being related to much else except for maybe the presence of the NJ tube which I doubt and he isn't on any other meds.

I haven't seen a doctor since this morning's rounds and it seems to be a pain to get them to send one that isn't a med student who has to go ask someone. Is the nursing staff correct in assuming the methadone administered via NJ tube won't cause nausea? or should I be requesting the discontinuing of the methadone?

I just worry about the methadone giving him nausea and keeping him awake. Any suggestions?
 

Platypus

Lifer
Apr 26, 2001
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He's being weened off of an opiate addiction?

Late symptoms of withdrawal include:

  • Abdominal cramping
  • Diarrhea
  • Dilated pupils
  • Goose bumps
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
 

xalos

Senior member
May 31, 2002
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He's being weened off of an opiate addiction?

Late symptoms of withdrawal include:

  • Abdominal cramping
  • Diarrhea
  • Dilated pupils
  • Goose bumps
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting

Not exactly, he has been in the hospital for about 10 days. He had H1N1 really bad and was on a vent. So, they're weening him off the narcotics he was on when they kept him sedated. He has been off the vent for about 5 days now.
 

Auggie

Golden Member
Jul 18, 2003
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Very happy that your son seems to be past the worst of H1N1! I'd honestly say that this forum is probably not a great resource for you... are you really going to go to your doctor and tell him that "Sw33tB00b5" on anandtech.com said that methadone can cause nausea?

You might call yoru health insurance company. I know my own coverage includes an 800 number that people can call to talk to medical staff about actual, specific medical questions.
 

xalos

Senior member
May 31, 2002
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Very happy that your son seems to be past the worst of H1N1! I'd honestly say that this forum is probably not a great resource for you... are you really going to go to your doctor and tell him that "Sw33tB00b5" on anandtech.com said that methadone can cause nausea?

You might call yoru health insurance company. I know my own coverage includes an 800 number that people can call to talk to medical staff about actual, specific medical questions.


I know there are a few really bright physicians on anandtech and it's not really pressing that anything be done. It just made me feel a little better posting and asking for advice. I actually just requested zofran again and hope that everything passes soon.

I just haven't had a good experience on this floor since he was moved from the ICU. The ICU was amazing, everything ran like clockwork. This floor seems very disorganized and barren. There is almost no staff and you can go hours without seeing anyone unless you go the nurse's station.
 

aigomorla

CPU, Cases&Cooling Mod PC Gaming Mod Elite Member
Super Moderator
Sep 28, 2005
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my prayers goes out to you.

As someone said on this thread, you really dont want to get advice from a public forum on this.

This is something you really want to talk to a licensed health professional about.
 

The Stig

Senior member
Aug 13, 2007
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Is he 2 days off of methadone? One of the reasons methadone is given as a replacement therapy is it has an extremely long half-life for an opioid antagonist, in the neighborhood of ~72hrs. This means unlike a traditional opiate it is only starting to work its way out of your system on the second and third days.

I would assume your son is, unfortunately, experiencing the delayed results of the methadone working its way out. One of the downsides of methadone is the long half-life also brings about longer withdrawal processes. He should be feeling much better after 5 days or so, but this also depends on dosage and how long he was given the done.

I've never heard of a hospital giving methadone as a way to wean someone off of narc pain meds, especially only 10 days worth. For a healthy, non-dependent body I doubt he would have even had mild withdrawals to begin with. and a 9 year old, this makes no sense. What dosage was he on and for how long? Like I said the process of getting off methadone is messy and tricky and I don't understand why they bothered. I am a recovering heroin addict and I know serious junkies who won't go near it because of the implications... pray he never needs it again i guess.

edit: re-read and understand the symptoms are occurring while still on methadone. Methadone should not cause nausea to that extent unless they have him on too high a dosage, if that was the case other symptoms would be obvious (pinned pupils, sweating, being high as a kite?). Sleeplessness is possible but really his body is now opiate tolerant so if anything he should be sleeping well with normal appetite levels, POST methadone is when this would make sense.

I am not a doctor but like I said I have been through a methadone detox for opiate dependence and unfortunately done some self-med'ing with methadone to kick other opiates. My basic concerns with why they think he needed methadone stand, really curious about his dose and how they are tapering him. Are they planning anything to keep him comfortable after the taper? Taking him off Ativan now seems backwards, it should be given after the taper to help the discomfort of the transition... Trazadone, Ativan or another benzodiazapine are common.
 
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zinfamous

No Lifer
Jul 12, 2006
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zane johnson probably has experience with methadone.

GL to you and your son.
 

xalos

Senior member
May 31, 2002
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Thanks for the thoughts for my son everyone. Things are going well, I just know something isn't quite right and I just want to know. I have been waiting on the doctor for almost 2 hours. This is getting pretty ridiculous.
 

ChanHo78

Senior member
Apr 9, 2009
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My son got a very nasty stomach bug after having h1n1 and being clear for a few days. I am glad it wasn't the pneumonia that sometimes comes after though... but it was a very nasty stomach bug :( Hope your kid feels better soon.
 

umbrella39

Lifer
Jun 11, 2004
13,816
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I'm an RRT who manages all walks of life on vents, including peds H1N1 patients. I have never come across or even heard of anyone being written an order for methadone to facilitate sedation weaning.

That said, I did do a search and some hospitals do in fact have this protocol in place... but by giving oral methadone (not sure if the route would have any affect, an RN or MD should be able to shed some light on that) AND they have to have been on the opioids/benzos for 2-3 weeks minimum. So it is not unheard of.

At each hospital I have worked, the docs either wean the amounts as tollerated or lengthen the interval between doses until it sedation has been d/c'd.

Was he displaying withdrawal syndromes on a sedation vacation that led them to think methadone was indicated? Best of luck and I hope your son gets better quickly and keep the zofran coming, it usually kicks the crap out of most nausea.