Before taking methadone,
tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to methadone, any other medications, or any of the ingredients in the methadone product you plan to take. Ask your doctor or pharmacist or check the Medication Guide for a list of the ingredients.
tell your doctor and pharmacist what prescription and nonprescription medications, vitamins, and nutritional supplements you are taking or plan to take. Be sure to mention the medications listed in the IMPORTANT WARNING section and any of the following: antihistamines; buprenorphine (Suboxone, in Zubsolv); butorphanol; carbamazepine (Cabatrol, Equetro, Tegretol, others); cyclobenzaprine (Amrix); dextromethorphan (found in many cough medications; in Nuedexta); fluvoxamine (Luvox); medications for glaucoma, irritable bowel disease, Parkinson's disease, ulcers, and urinary problems; certain medications for HIV including abacavir (Ziagen, in Trizivir), darunavir (Prezista), didanosine (Videx), efavirenz (Sustiva, in Atripla), lopinavir (in Kaletra), nelfinavir (Viracept), nevirapine (Viramune), ritonavir (Norvir, in Kaletra), saquinavir (Invirase), stavudine (Zerit), telaprevir (no longer available in the U.S.; Incivek), tipranavir (Aptivus), and zidovudine (Retrovir, in Combivir); lithium (Lithobid); medications for migraine headaches such as almotriptan (Axert), eletriptan (Relpax), frovatriptan (Frova), naratriptan (Amerge), rizatriptan (Maxalt), sumatriptan (Alsuma, Imitrex, in Treximet), and zolmitriptan (Zomig); mirtazapine (Remeron); nalbuphine; naloxone (Evzio, Narcan, in Zubsolv); naltrexone (ReVia, Vivitrol, in Embeda); pentazocine (Talwin); phenobarbital; phenytoin (Dilantin, Phenytek); rifampin (Rifadin, Rimactane, in Rifamate, in Rifater); 5HT3 serotonin blockers such as alosetron (Lotronex), dolasetron (Anzemet), granisetron (Kytril), ondansetron (Zofran, Zuplenz), or palonosetron (Aloxi); selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors such as citalopram (Celexa), escitalopram (Lexapro), fluoxetine (Prozac, Sarafem, in Symbyax), fluvoxamine (Luvox), paroxetine (Brisdelle, Prozac, Pexeva), and sertraline (Zoloft); serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors such as desvenlafaxine (Khedezla, Pristiq), duloxetine (Cymbalta), milnacipran (Savella), and venlafaxine (Effexor); tramadol (Conzip, Ultram, in Ultracet), and trazodone (Oleptro). Also tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking or receiving the following medications or have stopped taking them in the past 14 days: monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors including isocarboxazid (Marplan), linezolid (Zyvox), methylene blue, phenelzine (Nardil), selegiline (Eldepryl, Emsam, Zelpar), and tranylcypromine (Parnate). Many other medications may also interact with methadone, so be sure to tell your doctor about all the medications you are taking, even those that do not appear on this list. Your doctor may need to change the doses of your medications or monitor you carefully for side effects.
tell your doctor what herbal products you are taking, especially St. John's wort and tryptophan.
tell your doctor if you have any of the conditions mentioned in the IMPORTANT WARNING section or have or have ever had paralytic ileus (condition in which digested food does not move through the intestines). Your doctor may tell you that you should not take methadone.
tell your doctor if you have or have ever had a blockage in your intestine; difficulty urinating; an enlarged prostate (a male reproductive gland); Addison's disease (a condition in which the adrenal gland does not make enough of certain natural substances); seizures; or thyroid, pancreas, gallbladder, liver, or kidney disease.
tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding. If you breastfeed during your treatment with methadone, your baby may receive some methadone in breastmilk. Watch your baby closely for any changes in behavior or breathing, especially when you start taking methadone. If your baby develops any of these symptoms, call your baby's doctor immediately or get emergency medical help: unusual sleepiness, difficulty breastfeeding, difficulty breathing, or limpness. Talk to your baby's doctor when you are ready to wean your baby. You will need to wean your baby gradually so that your baby will not develop withdrawal symptoms when he or she stops receiving methadone in breastmilk.
you should know that this medication may decrease fertility in men and women. Talk to your doctor about the risks of taking methadone.
if you are having surgery, including dental surgery, tell the doctor or dentist that you are taking methadone.
you should know that this medication may make you drowsy. Do not drive a car or operate machinery until you know how this medication affects you.
you should know that methadone may cause dizziness when you get up too quickly from a lying position. This is more common when you first start taking methadone. To avoid this problem, get out of bed slowly, resting your feet on the floor for a few minutes before standing up.
you should know that methadone may cause constipation. Talk to your doctor about changing your diet or using other medications to prevent or treat constipation while you are taking methadone.