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losing weight while on methadone

i have been trying to do some research on methadone and weight gain. i have noticed that i am not the only one out there that has gained weight while taking methadone. it would be great if anyone can help or have suggestions on losing weight and if it is easy to do. i have read alot of people asking similar questions but no replys on the subject at hand.
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Avatar universal
Hi and welcome,

You've posted in a thread that started a long time ago.  You'll get better responses if you repost your question in a new thread.

I don't know anything about tapering from Methadone but others on here do.  

Repost your question and be patient and you'll get some good info.
Helpful - 0
1 Comments
I gained 100lbs on methadone, I went from being fit and active to fat and lazy. My personal life and apperance is WORSE on methadone. I hate the way I look and so I hardly leave the house...I'm scared to get off methadone because I always end up back on narcotics...I know it's 100% from the sugar, I never ate the foods that I eat now and some days I don't even eat anything but ice cream, it's sad and just like a drug sugar us addictive so now I have become incredibly addicted to sugar when it was something I almost never ate...size 4 to size 24
Avatar universal
Is your site up and running....it was almost a year ago when you posted so I am hoping it is...please let me know :)
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Avatar universal
Please keep me posted!  I am going through the same thing. But I gained 110 Ibs and I have been on methadone for 4 years on 95 mg.  I can' t seem to find a way to loose the weight.
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Avatar universal
Wow! Finally a positive and encouraging response! THANK YOU!! I used to be so fit and buff and slim, even when i was on subutex but as soon as i swapped to methadone as i relapsed hard, i have gained sooooooo much weight (at least 25 kgs!!!!). I weigh more now than i did when i was pregnant!
I am so sick of reading threads where the only answers people give is to start tapering their dose, as this is not an option for me at the moment, i'm just not ready (still using here and there and  sometimes more if i'm really honest). In saying all of this, i used to go to the gym - A LOT, when i was on subby's and i don't do any exercise atm and my eating habits arent great. I don't eat too much, but i don't eat in a way that is helpful with metabolism (eg no breakfast, lunch or anything much during day and then i eat a healthy dinner which is a medium portion size and I snack on some chocolate most evenings just before i go to sleep, so i have it all the wrong way around).
Again, THANK YOU  for your positive and helpful response. I was so over feeling like a helpless cause, I am determine to get back to my slim, fit , buff self. I am joining back up at the gym and getting back inot it. I used to be able to do 3-4 hour sessions including cardio, then weights, then either more cardio or yoga or pilates, methadone WILL NOT be holding me back any longer. It is IMPOSSIBLE to not be able to lose weight if there is no medical condition stopping weight loss (eg hypothyroidism). I do plan on seeing a gp and ruling out the possibility of any such problems first, in the meantime i will be starting to eat oatmeal made with water and fruit (and my obligatory coffee or two with a splash of fat free milk and no sugar) for breakfast, a healthy snack mid morning, salad for lunch with lots of leafy greens (kale, spinach etc), fruit mid afternoon to beat the 3pm sugar craving, and a healthy dinner of a low fat protein and salad or vege (with the occasional small serving of a dessert, aiming mostly for fruit based and low fat ones) AND lots of water throughout the day. AND i will be joining back up at a different gym to where i used to go for 7 years as i would be too embarrassed for anyone to see me there now, they would be hard pressed recognising me!
Please, if you have any feeback either re my meal plan or/and (even better) how you ended up going, I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR.

Thanks again. I really REALLY needed to read a response just like yours.

And hey, congrats to you on all your hard work and making things work for you. You're a star sharing your awesome knowledge and news. THANK YOU!!!!
Helpful - 0
1 Comments
I am absolutely in the same boat I crave ice cream like no tomorrow Sundays all I eat is ice cream nothing else but ice cream and I've gained like 40 lb which I was already overweight but it is nice to hear other people having the same, it's not nice that you're having this issue but I feel like I have some company. Has anyone ever tried vitadone? It's supposed to be a vitamin or supplement that helps control sugar Cravings on methadone.
if anyone has figured out anything that  works feel free to let me know.
Thanks, Terry
Avatar universal
I have been on methadone for 12 years, and I only gained weight when I stopped being active. I have also noticed that the older I get,the more weight I gain. Personally, I blame my sedentary lifestyle more than the methadone. Stay active,eat healthy, and don't look for scapegoats. The weight will come off,but the alternative will kill you.
P.S. I wish I had never started the methadone in the first place, it's a drag trying to get off the stuff. But like I said if I stayed on heroin, I'd probably be dead. My best advice is to kick cold turkey and never get hooked again (yeah,right)
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Avatar universal
I have been on methadone for 10 months and I started at 55 mg and now Ive been tapering down and now at 13mg my muscles stay sore and its very hard but I`m doin it but while I`ve been on it I`ve gained 30 to 35 lbs in 10 months and I cant wait to get completely off of it so I can lose the weight and feel normal again but my weight ***** but I will tell you its better any day than being out there lost on drugs! Keep God in your life he helps a lot!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hi guys,

It is possible to lose weight on methadone. You just have to realize that the game has changed once you start taking medication like methadone or other meds (lithium, psych meds etc.)

It's true your metabolism slows a bit but that's not the big issue. The way your body processes certain foods drastically changes. The biggest issue is going to be sugar of any kind (that includes eating too much fruit like watermelon or cherries etc). The body CANNOT metabolize sugar on methadone. It basically instantly gets turned into fat. There is a scientific article that describes this in detail; I will try to find it.

Your second enemy is carbs. If you are eating things like oatmeal and pasta, you are screwed. Carbs turn into fat if they are not instantly burned off. This may be worse on methadone as well though I don't have any specific science on it. Of course you need carbs; doing an atkins type of diet is not what you want. But you don't want to eat 40% of your calories as carbs like the government tells you. That is way off. Instead you want about 20-25% of your calories to be carbs but complex carbs only from things like green vegetables, beans, lentils and peas.

The only exception to this is if you eat under 1000 calories in a day and are very active and use sugar to fuel yourself through the day. In this case it is possible, but this is unhealthy for many reasons.

I'm on 90mg and have already lost a lot of weight. I follow a strict diet involving mostly only things that are found naturally in the earth.

I will be creating a website outlining all this information soon. It will have the exact diet I have been using as well as a meal plan. Whether you are handicapped and wheel-chair bound, on methadone, lithium, whatever it is that has been holding you back can be overcome by following a few guidelines. I'll post back when the site is up.
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Avatar universal
I can relate to the eating, and waking up craving sweets. I am also very depressed and feel so unattractive . I am looking for a solution to this problem so if you find something or I find something lets let each other know.
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Avatar universal
ji hollie, heres one for you ive been on meth for 24 yrs and hve gained weight to, but the clinic im in says that its because you are lowering your metabolism, because its a central nervous system relaxer, i know it also slows down your breathing.
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1689663 tn?1390843360
hi Ray1223
im reading your post,  i know you wrote this a while back, but like everyone else here, i am in the same boat, i would like to know if you can, please send me the name of the hcg you used, i ve read up on it, and it seems great, i was about to see a MD for it, but here in NY where i live its like 600 for a months supply.
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Avatar universal
Ok so I have been researching for a while now on how to lose weight on methadone. I did find something that works..and works FAST. I have to warn you, it is controversial but you will find many success stories if you search the web. It's called the hcg diet and has been around since a Dr. Simeons brought it to light in the 50's. Basically, hcg is a hormone found in pregnant women and is generally used to help assist infertility issues. Dr. Simeons found that it is also very successful when used for weight loss. HOWEVER, the FDA does not approve hcg for the use of weight loss because there has not been enough research done to prove this.Yet there are many dr's today that use hcg to help their patients lose weight. This is totally gunna sound like I'm trying to promote a product for a company but I promise, I'm not :) Like you all, I've been struggling with weight gain due to methadone and although I am finally tappered down from 120mgs to 45mgs, I'm doing it VERY slowly so I'd like to start losing weight now rather than weight until I am completely off the 'done. So far, I have lost 7lbs in 5 days..Here goes for those interested:

Using HCG for weight loss

You cannot buy hcg in stores, if you see it at Walmart, it's NOT real hcg and you will waste your money. It can be prescribed by your doctor for weight loss in the form of injections, drops (that you put under your tongue) or even pellets. Also, you can purchase hcg online but beware: there are MANY hcg products online and you have to be careful because most of these "hcg" products are not real hcg. It can also be expensive. Anywhere from $40-$160 for the drops and even more for the injections. You can actually lose .5-3lbs a day..yes, it is true. Go on youtube and check out all the hcg success story videos. Women usually lose less than men. It is very possible to lose 30lbs in one 30 day round or even more. But the key is to follow the protocol exactly!

How it works

Ok, after doing my research, I decided to purchase the drops online. You take the drops daily and combine it with a VERY low calorie diet (VLCD). The drops of the hcg hormone used along with this diet, helps in a few ways. First of all, it helps with hunger and makes the very low calorie diet (VLCD) even possible for you to do, because otherwise, nobody has THAT much self control. Also, hcg helps prevent your body from going into starvation mode. In starvation mode, your body starts to burn not only fat, but muscle...which is obviously not good. Hcg helps with this also by preventing your body from burning muscle. So you can't just do the diet without the hcg because it is unhealthy and probably impossible to do. When taken at the right dose, you will experience little to no hunger at all.      

The protocol is broken up into phases. I'm not 100% familiar with the injections because like I said, I'm doing the drops. There are 4 phases. Once you have the hcg and you're ready to start, you do phase 1: Loading. The first 2 days is called the loading phase. You will start taking your hcg on these 2 days but will not start the diet just yet. The first 2 days you eat as much as you can. Usually recommended to eat high fat foods. This is a very important and necessary phase. It helps your body to store the fat you will need later on. This also will help with hunger during the first week of the diet.

Phase 2: VLCD (very low calorie diet)

Day 3 of taking the hcg, you will start the diet. This phase can last from (I believe) 21 days up to 40 days, it's up to you. During this phase, you would be eating no more than 500 calories a day of very specific selected foods. It is recommended you skip breakfast but it's ultimately up to you. Each day you are allowed 2 servings of fruit (apples, strawberries, oranges, grapefruit only), 2 servings a veggies (celery, tomatoes, lettuce, asparagus, cucumbers, onions, garlic..a few more I can't remember..), 2 servings of protein (very lean beef, sirloin steak, white fish like tilapia, chicken breast, shrimp) and 2 servings of Melba toast or grissini sticks. You can spread the food out (example: eat some fruit for breakfast, protein and veggie for lunch, fruit for snack, protein veggie for dinner)..but it's important to stick with only the foods that are allowed AND also to weight your foods. Each serving of protein 100g or 3.5oz, a handful of fruits, ect. Also very vital to this diet: WATER! You should drink about half your weight in ounces daily. Juice from one lemon is also allowed daily, franks hot sauce is allowed and pretty much any spices except sugar (this means no barbecue sauce). Just to give you an idea of what the diet looks like. So yes, it is vital to take a multivitamin daily and also an extra potassium vitamin daily and yes it will take some self control but with the hcg, it is very possible. So far, I have not experienced ANY hunger at all...although I have experienced some other side effects, I'll explain below)

Phase 3 is the maintenance phase.

Haven't gotten there yet, but it usually lasts a couple weeks. You will stop taking the hcg and very slowly start introducing other things to your diet, such as diary...but no carbs or sugar just yet. Like I said, I haven't gotten here just yet so I haven't looked too much into what is exactly allowed during this phase but I do know this is when you stop taking the hcg, to prevent your body from becoming immune to it. This is important if you decide you want to do another round. You must wait 3 weeks before starting phase 1 again if you are looking to lose more weight.

My experience and side effects so far

There are different kinds of hcg drops available online so although it may cost more, it might be best to go through a dr. You gotta be real careful. Not maky products online are real hcg but instead are homeopathic hcg. Don't get me wrong, I've come across many success stories from people who used homeopathic, but really, in these products the hcg is so watered down that there is only a "memory" of hcg in the actual product. I decided to go with real hcg drops just to be sure I got the most for my money and I really want the best results. Just my personal opinion though. The  first 2 days of loading were kind of hard for me because I already was starting to notice I wasn't hungy. I ate as much as I can and only gained a pound from those 2 days. (usually people gain around 4, but lose it the first day or 2 of the vlcd). I'm on day 6 now and have not had any hunger at all! Yet, I do sometimes have sugar cravings. They aren't too bad though. My body is detoxing from the lack of sugar and I do get some mild headaches but each day is better and better. Ibuprofen helps with the headaches so it's not a problem for me. For me, I noticed I would get nauseous and feel a bit weak in the mornings. That's the part I really don't like and I don't understand why this is happening to me when others on the hcg diet forums don't seem to have much of an issue with nausea, vomiting or anything. I'm starting to think I may have a sensitivity to hcg because my last pregnancy I had terrible morning sickness. So I'm going to see my dr today to see what she thinks. So hcg is probably not for everybody! The diet is not for everybody! I highly recommend checking with your doctor first...also I am not an expert by any means and as I said before this diet is very controversial and there will be people who will talk crap about it. In the first 5 days, I lost 7lbs so I know it does work BUT I can't say for sure how successful it is in the long term yet. I usually go by other's experiences.

Do the research yourself! Look it up and decided if it's for you! Then, please check with your doctor! If you have any questions, I'll try my best to help but a place I found VERY helpful is the hcg diet forums (type it in google)

Just wanted to share in case it happens to help someone, anyone struggling with weight loss on methadone. Good luck :)

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Avatar universal
hey there, I have been on done for 1.5 years and just had a baby girl 2 months ago, bc if the pregnancy I gained allot of weight and my dose was split and its very high. I recently started to come down and im starting a pretty radical diet. I relate to allot of what you said, I am 2 weeks away from a major surgery in my mouth that's leading to false teeth and im only 29 years old, talk about a major kick to self esteem between that and the weight I have times I refuse to leave the house. But the done has given me allot too, I now have the strength and support to succeed in my diet, and go to the dentist and do what I need to for my dental health instead of trying to ignore it. so im greatful for all that but some days dealing with the side effects are very difficult.  
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Avatar universal
Hey there girly. your situation reminded me a bit like my own but I am just starting my weight loss, 5 lbs so far which isn't much but it hasn't been long. I am surprised how much harder it is to lose on the done. I am 29 yrs old and 5'4" and have been on done for a year and a half. I had a healthy baby girl 2 months ago so I have allot of baby weight to take off. I was a size 6 when I got pregnant and now im lucky to squeeze into a 14 which at my height is insane. After 2 months and no weight loss after her birth I decided I needed to be drastic and do some research. so ive started a 900 cal diet and my only sugar comes from fresh fruit. Its super hard, I have a 3 year old and a 2 month old both girls and they take a lot of energy and im finding myself low on that these days with my cal intake but nothing else works.. I have 2 kids I cant work out non stop and this weight is unhealthy on me and effects every part of my life. im not insane and have never come at weight loss like this in my life but I did allot of research on weight and methadone and im convinced its the only way to lose any weight at all. I was wondering what your work out schedule is like? we are so close in weight age and height I wanted your advice on how to succeed here. any info helps thanks!
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Avatar universal
Is there any written studies on tooth decay resulting from the use of methadone? I have been on this medication for at least 6 years and my dental bills are increasing. I have had to pay for a bridge and 8 root canals. Currently, I am looking for a way to appeal to medical insurance to pay for the crowns.

I don't know if there is any hope but if it IS from a medical treatment, It would make sense that Medical Insurance should pay for that.
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Avatar universal
Yes methadone does make you feel lazy but you can lose weight on it. OK so most of us that are on methadone were addicts so we spent the time before running and searching for our next fix and that is all we cared about so we were staying skinny. The methadone helps you get your appetite back and makes you sluggish but I'm not sure if it's the done or the drugs that we were addicted to that messed our metabolism up. Anyway, I am 28 female, been on methadone 2 years and 2 months. I am 5`3 when I first started I weighed 96lbs and quickly gained up to 165lbs! But the last 2 months I have been working out every day, cut soda out to only 1 a day and cut calories to 1300 sometimes I eat less. I am already to 145lbs! For my height and build I should be 105-125. You just have to work at it. I think it's harder for woman and your age plays a factor. Also Water water water, drink lots cause methadone does constipate you bad and anytime your sitting with waste in your body it will wreck havoc even on your metabolism. I plan on weening off in June, it has been a life saver for me. Wish me luck. And good luck and God Bless to y'all.
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Avatar universal
I have been on methadone for six years..I was about 100 lbs..then throughout the years I got up to 160..I have been tapering for years..finally got down to a low dose..I'm at 16 from 250..in the last five months ive gone down from 160 to 112 lbs..I have no appetite what so ever..I live off coffee...I feellike ****..but going thru withdrawal you lose hour appetite..now I cant seem to put weight on. Methadone got me away from the lifestyleand has helped me get my life back..but other than that..its ******* ****. Ive never felt so emotional andnlost..but I'm almost off this and I'm sonexcited to start feeling normal. So yes you will lose the weight once u taper low and or comeoff...this medicine saddens me. I realized that methadone didn't help me dealwith my life and such..it numbed everything just like other drugs do..anyone elsenlose their appetite when tapering to a low dose??

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4236497 tn?1351502525
hello I hope that you see this post,
You say that you stayed with hypogonadism due to methadone
Can you  talk more about that?
I liked to know more
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3864505 tn?1348388799
Hi, Same here.  I have been on 230 mg, and I have been on it since January.  Not that dose, I worked up to that.  I am thinking of going down a bit because of the weight gain and pitting edema.  I'm worried about cravings and all that again. :-(((  It is so nice to talk to others here!

I was doing the gym and walking and I did lose weight. It is possible but where I live now there's no gym.  I'm going to start tomorrow with some DVD exercises...

I'm in Oregon.  I have to travel four hours one way to get to my methadone clinic.  Thankfully I'm M6 so I go just once a week.  
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3253270 tn?1347041700
How much methadone are you taking?
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Avatar universal
Hi
Congrads on your success thus far.  I'm currently tapering.  Started the taper 5 months ago at 160 mg.  Now I'm down to 70.  I also started living and eating healthier.  I have been juicing once or twice a day for the last 6-8 weeks.  I have lost an incrediable amount of weight since the juicing was
added.
I have 2 questions.  Do you find the juicing causes the methadone to metabolize quicker, do you feel "dope sick" in the morning??  Also at what dose did you start the 1 mg weekly decrease?  I go every 2 weeks so I came down 10mg twice a month, then when I hit 100 they only do 5 mg every 2 weeks.  I feel I can go faster but will trust someone other then myself.  any nutritional tips are welcome.


I
Helpful - 0
3170294 tn?1344121031
Hi Suzi, I saw your post and I wanted to say that I have had some success losing weight on methadone. It was definitely not easy, as it isn't for anyone trying to lose weight. I went from 156lbs. to 118lbs. (Nearly 40 lbs.) How did I do it? I ate less than 1,000 calories per day, usually around 700-800 calories each day if possible, for an entire month. During that time, more than HALF of that 40lbs. was gone. I know that it wasn't a very safe thing to do.. I was practically starving myself. But it did work, and I have been reaping the benefits for almost 2 years now. Also, keep in mind that I am only 5 feet tall, so you can imagine how unpleasant it was to carry around as much weight as I had been carrying. AND.. the funny thing is, all my life I had been a skinny person! When I was 18 years old and started using Heroin and Cocaine, I was about 88 lbs. but never more than 95lbs. and I felt so comfortable being thin. When I got on methadone, I gained a ridiculous amount of weight. It was no doubt the most depressing thing ever. I felt terribly unhealthy. I still hate how much I weigh, although I do feel better than before, by far. But being 118lbs. and 5ft. tall, it's still too much weight for my small frame. My goal weight is 105lbs. but I can deal with 110lbs. if necessary. I plan to lose the last 13lbs. or so by doing exercise videos at home and trying to eat less, but when it starts to get colder outside (maybe October), that is when I really plan to get more active. I have absolutely no tolerance for hot weather AT ALL. Plus, this summer is supposed to have been the hottest on record so far! (Yuck.) Sorry for such a long reply though.. I just wanted to make sure to give all the details so you know what to do if you want to try out what I did for weight loss. Oh.. one last thing I almost forgot: My current methadone dose is 90mgs. I had tapered (willingly) from 150mgs. (yes I know.. it was an extremely high dose) to my current 90mgs. I feel much better at this dose, but would still like to taper even more, as I really hate how this medicine makes me sleepy if I sit down, itchy, gives me dry mouth, sweaty if it's hot, not to mention the constipation.. there's just too many side effects. I hope to get off of it in the near future, but I would be sure to do it slowly to ward off withdrawal symptoms.Well, good luck with your weight loss! :)  --Amanda--
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Avatar universal
hi ive been on for 3 years and am tapering by 1 mlg a week,i wait until my body adjusts then go down 1 again. this has been very successful as i am at 16 mlg today. this is a very long process however its working!!!! i am a vegetarian and take lots of vitamins and water as well as an avid juicer. my mornings are full of pain b4 my dose.  the medicine has also made me gain wait. as well as memory loss. im asking for some encouragement to help me know that i can be off and stay off returning to a normal physical and mental state. any suggestions?  i am a firm believer in natural healthy life style so i am not interested in any pharmaceutical solutions. thank you and i appreciate any help on this subject! Presence
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Avatar universal
I am on 115 mg of liquid m'done. They don't offer the pill version any more at my clinic.  I was  a size 4 when I started 4 years ago on my 40th birthday.  I weighed about 115 pounds.  I have always TRIED to gain weight!  lol  I now weigh 153 pounds.  It's killing me.  I have tried every diet fad, exercise routine out there and cannot lose more than a couple of pounds so I get frustrated and give up.  It is really depressing me.  Don't get me wrong, I am so glad to be off pills.  I like to think that I am past the wanting pills so I want to taper down on the m'done.  Kinda scary, but I know it has changed my personality. I don't laugh near as much and want to sleep a LOT.  I think i'm gonna start the taper at my next pick up date.  ***** too that I will prob. not get take homes during the taper. Wish me luck!
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2461474 tn?1339668986
i have been on methadone for 7 yrs. i got depressed about 5yrs ago and went from 150ls to 220. i feel so horrible. i wear alot of hair and make-up. but im uncomfortable in my own skin. i look so gross. i can feel fat on my stomach, face and everywhere else. i would rather use than look like this
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