Methadone HCL: Uses, indications and cautions when using

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Methadone HCL is one of the powerful opioid pain relievers. The indications of this drug are not as broad as that of conventional pain relievers. So what disease does methadone HCL treat?

1. What does methadone HCL do?

What disease does methadone HCL treat? This medicine is used to treat severe pain conditions (cancer pain). Methadone HCL belongs to the group of opioid analgesics. Mechanism of pain relief by acting on brain activity to change the body's perception and response to pain.
Do not use methadone HCL for mild pain or pain that heals quickly (postoperative pain). Do not use this medicine as often as it is not necessary. In addition, methadone HCL is used to treat addiction to opioids (heroin) as part of a national treatment program to help prevent withdrawal from other opioids.

2. How to use methadone HCL

Read the instructions for use carefully before you start using methadone HCL. If you have any questions, consult your doctor or pharmacist.
Methadone HCL is taken by mouth on a regular schedule or as directed by your doctor, it is not needed for a sudden, unexpected pain. The medicine can be taken before or after meals. If the patient is nauseous, methadone HCL should be used after meals. Accordingly, patients should consult their doctor about measures to reduce nausea (such as lying down for 1 to 2 hours, limiting head movement after using the drug).
Measure the dose carefully with special measuring devices when using methadone HCL solution, do not use a household spoon that can make the dose inaccurate.
For the form of medicine packaged in an oral metered dose syringe, use the syringe to measure the dose, absolutely do not inject the drug into the body. Before taking, mix the dose in about 30ml of water as directed by your doctor. Drink all of this mixture immediately, do not prepare the medicine before taking too long. The dose of methadone HCL is based on your medical condition and response to treatment.
Quitting suddenly can cause withdrawal, especially when used for a long time or in high doses. To prevent this problem, your doctor may prescribe a gradual decrease in your dose. Recognizing the signs of withdrawal syndrome:
Restlessness; Mental changes (anxiety, trouble sleeping, suicidal thoughts); Watery eyes, runny nose; Nausea; Diarrhea ; Sweating; Muscle pain; Sudden behavior change. When using methadone HCL for a while can reduce or lose its effectiveness, talk to your doctor when the drug is no longer working as well as it was originally.
Although it has a pain-relieving effect, it can still be addictive. The risk of addiction is higher if the patient uses stimulants (abuse or addiction to drugs, alcohol). Take medication exactly as directed to reduce the risk of addiction.

3. Methadone HCL side effects

The side effects of Methadone HCL include:
Nausea, vomiting; Constipation; Dizziness, dizziness; Dry mouth ; Sleepy; Sweating. Some side effects will decrease with prolonged use. However, if you have any serious symptoms, immediately notify a doctor.
The treating doctor has evaluated the benefits and side effects before prescribing methadone HCL. Patients should tell their doctor right away if there are any signs of serious side effects, including:
Change in breathing during sleep (sleep apnea); Mental or mood changes (such as agitation, confusion, hallucinations); Stomach pain, abdominal pain; urinary retention; Loss of appetite, unusual tiredness, weight loss; Convulsions; Lethargic, hard to wake up. Allergic reactions are very rare with the use of methadone HCL. However, go to the hospital right away if you have signs of a serious allergic reaction such as a rash all over your body, itching, swelling (face, tongue, throat), dizziness, or trouble breathing.

4. Measures to prevent side effects of Methadone HCL

Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about a history of allergies to methadone or any other allergic conditions.
The medical history needs to be reported to the doctor such as:
Brain and neurological abnormalities (head injury, tumor, epilepsy); Respiratory system disease (such as asthma, sleep apnea, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease); Kidney disease, liver disease; Psychiatric disorders (eg, confusion, depression, suicidal ideation); A personal or family history of a substance use disorder (such as drug abuse or addiction, alcoholism); Gastrointestinal diseases (such as constipation, infectious diarrhea, paralytic ileus); Difficulty urinating, urinary retention (prostate enlargement); Pancreatitis, gallbladder disease. Methadone HCL may cause dizziness or drowsiness. Alcohol or marijuana can make the condition worse. Do not drive, use machinery or do jobs that require sobriety, limit alcoholic beverages.
To prevent constipation, patients should get enough fiber, drink enough water and exercise. Can be used with laxatives. Talk to your pharmacist about possible laxatives.
To avoid dizziness and lightheadedness, get up slowly from a sitting or lying position.
Methadone HCL can affect heart rate (QT prolongation). This condition rarely causes severe tachycardia or irregular heartbeat (rarely fatal) and other symptoms (eg, dizziness, fainting):
The risk of QT prolongation is increased if the patient has preexisting conditions. certain medical conditions or are taking other medications that can cause QT prolongation. Therefore, before using methadone HCL, talk to your doctor about your current medications and medical conditions: heart-related abnormalities (heart failure, bradycardia, QT prolongation), history family heart disease (eg, QT prolongation in electrocardiogram, sudden cardiac death); Low levels of electrolytes such as potassium or magnesium in the blood increase the risk of QT prolongation. Especially when using diuretics or dehydration (such as excessive sweating, diarrhea or vomiting). Talk to your doctor about using methadone HCL safely. Some methadone HCL preparations may contain sugar, so people with diabetes need to be careful when using them.
Before surgery, tell your doctor about all medications you are taking, including prescription and nonprescription drugs and herbal medicines.
The elderly are susceptible to the side effects of methadone HCL, especially confusion, dizziness, drowsiness, slow shallow breathing and prolonged QT.
In pregnant women, use methadone HCL only when absolutely necessary, because it can harm the unborn baby. Discuss the risks and benefits with your doctor.
Methadone HCL can pass into breast milk and have undesirable effects on a nursing infant. Tell your doctor right away if your baby is unusually sleepy, stops nursing, or has trouble breathing. Consult your doctor before breast-feeding or intending to discontinue breast-feeding while taking methadone HCL.

5. Methadone HCL drug interactions

Drug interactions change the action of a drug, thereby altering its effects or increasing the risk of side effects. Do not arbitrarily use, stop suddenly or change the dose without the prescription and approval of the doctor. Drugs that interact with methadone HCL:
Some pain relievers (mixtures of opioid antagonists such as pentazocine, nalbuphine, butorphanol); Naltrexone; MAO inhibitors (such as isocarboxazid, linezolid, methylene blue, moclobemide, phenelzine, procarbazine, rasagiline, safinamide, selegiline, tranylcypromine). Some drugs that reduce the elimination of methadone from the body change the effect of this drug, including:
azole antifungals (such as itraconazole ); HIV medicine; Macrolide antibiotics (such as erythromycin); The antibiotic rifamycin; Medicines to treat epilepsy (such as carbamazepine). The risk of serious side effects such as shallow breathing, drowsiness, dizziness) is increased when methadone HCL is taken with other products that can also cause drowsiness or breathing disturbances. Tell the doctor if the patient is using the following products:
Other opioid pain relievers or cough suppressants (such as codeine, hydrocodone); Alcohol, marijuana; sleeping pills or anxiety relievers (such as alprazolam, lorazepam, zolpidem); muscle relaxants (such as carisoprodol, cyclobenzaprine); Antihistamines (such as cetirizine, diphenhydramine).

Methadone HCL may interfere with certain tests and falsify the results (including blood amylase and lipase). Therefore, tell your doctor or laboratory technician while you are using this medicine and need to do the above test.
If the patient overdoses on methadone HCL and has severe symptoms such as coma or difficulty breathing, call 911 and treat with naloxone.
Consult with your doctor about the possibility of having a stockpile of naloxone available for methadone HCL overdose. Also, educate family members about the symptoms of overdose as well as emergency treatment.
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Reference source: webmd.com