What Makes Methadone Levels Rise in Your System?
Question by Mrs. Incredible: What makes Methadone levels rise in your system?
I took my monthly UA and for some reason this month the levels are extremely high for my methadone. I haven’t really changed anything in the last couple of months so I don’t understand why the levels are raised.. Can anyone help?
Best answer:
Answer by ruthiepoo
There are many things that can cause this. Other medications can do it as well as foods and certain beverages can increase the level of methadone in your system. Drugs used in the treatment of depression and anxiety, such as Elavil®, Triavil®, Endep®, and Limbitrol® (generic name – amitriptyline) may increase plasma levels of methadone, along with Tagamet® (cimetidine), which is used in the treatment of gastric and duodenal ulcers. Drugs used in the treatment of anxiety, such as Valium® may also have this affect. Fluconazole (Diflucan, a drug used to treat fungal infections) can raise methadone levels by 30% . In one study of this effect, no overdoses were reported. Ketaconazole (Nizoral) can have a similar effect. Also urinary alkalinizers (Bicitra, Polycitra) used to treat gout and kidney stones can also increase the levels of methadone.
Grape fruit and grape fruit juice may cause an increase in methadone levels as well.
There are so many things out there that can do it. ALSO, depending on how long you have been taking methadone and because methadone is metabolized much slower, it is possible that over time you have built up a large amount of methadone in your system. For example, when you take a dose of methadone, it is metabolized much slower than other opiate medications. It has a “half life” which means that it takes it twice as long to metabolize in your body. So if you take your dose on Monday, by the time it is time for your dose again on Tues, you still will have half of the methadone still trying to be metabolized by your body. So in fact, each day you are adding a bit more each time and it is possible to have higher levels than when you originally started the medication. This is especially true if you take a “split dose” or take more than one dose in a day.