Cardiomegaly; again

My uncle had been taking methadone for approximately 8-10 months, and he had been on the drug prior to that.  He was to be taking 10 pills, 10mg each, every three hours.  Could this much methadone in his body, for such a long period of time of caused the enlarged heart?  Is it possible that he could of had severe emphasema at such an early age?

[CCF CARDIO MD - DLB]

Dear JK

I do not think the methadone caused a problem, but the drug abuse that led to the need for methadone could have damaged the heart severely. Emphysema rarely occurs at such a young age; it can in people that have a genetic predisposition and who also smoke heavily.

I hope this has been useful. I wish you the best of luck. Feel free to write back.

Information provided here is for general purposes only. Specific questions should be addressed to your own doctor. If you would like to make an appointment at the Cleveland Clinic Heart Center, please call 1-800-CCF-CARE or inquire online by using the Heart Center website at www.ccf.org/heartcenter. The Heart Center website contains a directory of the cardiology staff that can be used to select the physician best suited to address your cardiac problem.