does methadone rot your teeth??

Question

i started taking methadone about 3 months ago and in the last week or so my teeth started hurting, at first it was a dull pain but now its a throbing pain and all my teeth and even my jaw are killing me, why? ive always had pretty healthy teeth and just had my rutine cleaning in january and no problems then. im on 80mgs of methadone and im wondering if that is doing something or if maybe cuz i stopped taking oxys that maybe i had this problem all along but just couldnt feel it cuz it was being hidden by the oxcys. any thoughts???

estaas · Answer

Ever since I started taking methadone 2months now my ankle a and feet swell up like a balloon and I have to go pee all day mostly at night and I pee very little could it be cause of the methadone?

barbval · Answer

your exactly right..im very anal with my teeth also, ive been on the pill form for pain and yes ive had 3 teeth chip and gained about 35 lbs..don't listen to anyone that says otherwise..i never had any addiction , I was given methadone in pill form by pain managent dr...

SWFseekseducation · Answer

So although poor hygiene will definitely rot your teeth, MD changes your PH, it turns it acidic which in turns will make you appear as if you like to chew on rocks, it will screw your teeth up. I didn't make this up it is actually fact. When you take a high dose of methadone your PH will elevate quit a lot, on the other hand if you are taking a dose that is right for you and doesn't fluctuate from one extreme to the next your PH will be stable and all is good for the pearly whites. Hope that helps. I too am anal, I don't like using that word in the same sentence as my mouth, but you get the idea. Only floss the ones you want to keep.:)

GreenButterfly906 · Answer

me too bigtime, apparantly subs are no different, i would say worse, because it is like gargling with moutful of meds for 15 minutes! Try oil of oregano and switch organic toothpaste as despite popular belief, FLOURIDE is a deadly, toxic alluminum waste byproduct that not only shuts off your pineal gland, but causes flourosis and damages the teeth! Was on methadone in total 10 years! Any more good suggestions!

Newgrower84 · Answer

I've been on liquid methadone for over 6 years b4 that I was a horrible heroin addict for 7 years, after several failed attempts at rehabs, inpatient, outpatient, detox, suboxone, nothing kept me clean. One time I made it one month did it twice, then got back addicted. It wasn't hard anyone in treatment has heard the saying one is too many but a thousand is never enough. But since being on methadone I've been clean, held jobs longer than I ever have. And I did all sorts of drugs besides meth, and pcp. But since 4-24-07 I've been clean off dope and EVERYTHING else but marijuana but come on everyone lets just agree its not bad like government wants you to believe. Ask any cancer or aids patient and too many other diseases to list if weed helps them. Back to methadone, over 7 yrs of heroin use, didn't take best care of my teeth and over past 6 years I've been fixing them. Right now my teeth hurt, but not throbbing more sensitive like the enamel is being ate away. But I'll have to check on my next cleaning. I've got all my teeth fixed but one which is dying for no reason dentist said, from inside out, saying I need root canal to make it last 10-20 yrs, verse do nothing, and it will eventually crumble, within a couple years, but that tooth doesn't hurt and so far has not starting to hurt. But my methadone doctor told me specifically its bad for your teeth and after I dose I should rinse my mouth out, even with soda. Just swish around. And my liquid is clear like water, tastes Ike ***, and we have choice to mix wit tang or cherry kool aide. I'm on 350mg daily.

tcorley · Answer

cant say for sure if it was the methadone or all the chocolate i craved but i had severe problems with my teeth after methadone. but not until i got off it. hard to say and if you asked 100 people you would get 100 answers. i got mine fixed and am extra vigilant now. I hope you are at the least able to see your dentist and have them repaired so that you no longer suffer.

Ravenmoon09 · Answer

Hi,
   I need to get off meth I get very sick every time I even attempt to. Im really struggling with this and I have no where or no one to turn to. If you could offer any advice or anything for me I would really appreciate it. I have been doing my research about this and it is making me very worried. 

                                      Thank you,
                                                        eva

hellc@mst · Answer

Maybe. But as you said, it is the additives in the methadone such as sugars and dyes that are having the negative effect on teeth rather than the methadone itself. Your assertion that the methadone tablets have nil effect on teeth confirms this

. Here in NZ liquid methadone preparations are just methadone powder and sterile water made to both 5;1 and 10;1 concentrations. It has the apperance and viscosity of water. I never experienced any issues on this formulation during the 12 years i was on it. I do know that some pharmacies tried other syrupy formulations but were met with a consumer boycott that forced them to reinstate the marginally more expensive powder/water formulation.

All the best Regards Jeremy.

Dentist2010 · Answer

I've been on methadone for 8years & I've been on liquid methadone for the past 2years & ill tell you for sure that liquid m done does eat the enamel on your teeth my dentist said it does cause I was on the pill form at 1st & never had any problem but past 2years I've been on the liquid & the stuff that's in the liquid does eat your teeth away. For 1 the sugar & the dye that's used in the methadone eats your enamel away on your teeth which then causes cavities & your teeth to hurt. My dentist has done research for me & he is sure that liquid methadone eats your teeth away cause of the stuff in it. The pill form is better for your teeth so if you want to keep your teeth then try to get on the pill form & that will save your teeth. Everyone has different opoins but from my 8years of being on pill form & liquid I've had problems with the liquid & so have other patients my dentist has. They have same problems that the liquid eats the teeth away so they switched backed to pills & month later there teeth were getting better & there pains were going away. So I say that its the liquid methadone that eats your teeth away s try to get on pill form if u want to keep your teeth.

pheonixserene · Answer

hey pixie, the methadone itseelf dont rot the teeth- it causes ur mouth 2 dry. bcuz of that your saliva isnt working 100 percent at killing bacteria and protecting ur tooth enamel.
drink plenty of water and keep brushing and flossing.
also, methadone(like any narcotic) causes a delpetion of vitamins so take a multivitamin everyday!
i have been a SERIOUS opiate abuser/addict for 15 years and methadone has changed my life!!! i am a totally different person!. my family has been amazed in tha progress ive made since begining treatment, so dont let ppl change ur mind if u r doing better!

gnarly_1 · Answer

HI glad you replied ....it takes some time to get off the stuff....you can take it into your own hands or do  whats called" a medically supervised withdrawal" with your clinic
I recommend the one with the clinic at least when you start out....you haven't been on it that long yet so getting off will be a little ezer then if you wait longer...they will start by dropping you dose a little each week...I only waited 3 days between dose drops but most clinics insist you do it weekly or bi/weekly...I came off 150ml and it took me 8 1/2 mo to do it...because I was on it so long I had 2 week take homes so like the last 60ml or so I tapered off myself at a faster rate then the clinic would allow did it in about 1/2 the time they wanted to take...its not to bad in the beginning but you will find certain doses are more difficult then others to taper from...you sorta get stuck at certain doses...its ok with time the withdrawals go away and you can keep tapering but there is some discomfort involved ....any time you detox off narcotic I tell every body you just got to be ok without being ok for a wile...you will see what I mean when you start doing it...but it is diffidently doable you just have to put a taper plan in place and follow it as close as you can...once your down to 5ml it low enough to jump from...I took it all the way to 1ml but wouldn't recommend it ...tapering below 5ml was miserable and my final withdrawal was no worst then tapering below 5 ml...you can do this but you have got to want it bad and then have the pacents to take you time and taper off it properly ....as for the wiesman method I only have herd of 2 people on this forum that tryied it...one said it worked good and was satisfied the other said it was nothing but a farce and went threw a horable ordeal and said that even at the spa they send you to everyone there was sick...knowing what I know about detoxing I think the second person was telling the truth about the whole process...it takes a wile to come back around after you been on methadone...its nothing you just spring back from in a couple of weeks...methadone took me 30 days just not to feel sick anymore at 60 days I was complaining to my drug conslor that I should be feeling better...it was around 90 days that I started to really feel better about my recovery...I still had a ways to go but it was the turning point to getting well...now its different for everybody I had a long hard habit to break...most people with a habit like mine have similar experiences you sound young and you havent been on it that long your results may be better but just be prepared for a fight...if you have any questions feel free to ask me if you like you can also message me...I have helped others get off this stuff its not eazy but it is SO SO WORTH IT in the end...good luck and God bless....Gnarly

Lisa0345 · Answer

Methadone does not make your teeth go bad, it is the sweets that you crave like crazy when you are on the done. For sure you need to be very anal about your teeth, and make sure you brush them as soon as you get done dosing. Also the wiesman method sound great but I have always been told, "If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is!" Talk to someone at your clinic about going down on your dose and see what they say. You have come to the right place for help and support. Keep posting and let us know how you are doing. Good luck and God Bless
Lisa 
Jacksonville,FL

pixie76 · Answer

yes i would love some help getting off this. i have wanted to get off since the day i started, dont get me wrong it worked wonders with the oxy withdrawls and cravings, but ive heard all the horror stories from methadone and to be honest it scares me to death!! i want off! i really want to do the wiesman method but cant afford that, ironicaly i could have paid for it with all the money i spent over the years on pills :)

pixie76 · Answer

i brush my teeth at least twice a day and floss, im actually very anal when it comes to oral hygine so idk. i have recently heard that methadone eats at your bone marrow? does anyone know about that? is that just b/s?

hellc@mst · Answer

Methadone does not rot teeth. Poor oral hygiene does. If you are on that sweetened sticky syrup i would suggest brushing after each dose. I have heard that methadone can affect saliva levels in some people but regular brushing should resolve any issues caused by lowered saliva levels. 

Anyways good luck and keep brushing. Regards Jeremy

gnarly_1 · Answer

HI and welcome to the forum...I was on methadone for 6 1/2 yrs and had major problems with my teeth that my dentist attributed to it...it usually takes longer then 3 mo to do the damage though but just ask a few of the people that have been on it for years and they will tell you the same...if I add the cost of the dental work in methadone wasn't worth all the side effects.....you should try and get off as soon as you can the longer the habit the harder it is to break free from....I can help you if you have the desire to get off it
ILL check back for a answer later on....good luck and God bless.....Gnarly