Methadone in liver disease
Common Questions and Answers about Methadone in liver disease
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Methadone is a safe drug for people with liver disease. We work directly with methadone patients and have never seen a problem with methadone exacerbating the disease or interfering with treatment drugs. Diana Sylvestre, MD, from OASIS Methadone Clinic in Oakland, CA has done many studies with her patients.
Hi there. I think its great that you are on an addiction recovery forum looking for answers concerning your son and his unfortunate addiction. However i have to say first that there is absolutely no connection between a responsibly dosed (even an irresponsibly dosed) methadone patient and compromised liver function. I dont know why your son has told you this since it simply isn't true.
My brother was diagnosed with Hepatitis C several years ago. He is a methadone addict living in Mississippi. He has been having episodes that my sister and I believe to be hepatic encephalothopy, which are becoming more frequent. We are worried sick that he will drive his car when having a "spell" and kill himself or someone else or that he will go into a coma and die.
I am a 44 year old female currently on 40-50mg of methadone carbonate for chronic pain have been for about four years. I also have chronic liver disease COPD High blood pressure and diabetes. I also take around one mg of zanax for anxiety two weeks ago was changed to 1mg of klonipin daily have been on the benzo for about one year. Thai combo is bad for any healthy person yet alone one with so many health probs.
Therapy with opioids should be administered cautiously and initiated at reduced dosages in patients with liver disease. Subsequent doses should be titrated based on individual response rather than a fixed dosing schedule.
Ibuprofen is a NSAID that is for treatment of mild pain. It should not be taken by patients with liver cirrhosis. They can cause bleeding in patients at increased risk of bleeding as a result of thrombocytopenia and coagulopathy associated with advanced liver disease.
Also, most people with HCV do not die from HCV and liver disease. Even in the worse case it takes many decades for the virus to destroy the liver. Enzyme levels have NOTHING to do with the extent of liver disease so there is no need to Enzyme levels have NOTHING to do with the extent of liver disease so there is no need to exaggerate the possible extent of your illness.
I assume you used heroin at some point? Heroin is much more dangerous then hepatitis c.
Unless your husband was given a Fibrosure Blood Test to determine the approx amount of liver damage he has, just a routine liver panel in not a predictor of what stage he is at. Has he had a liver biopsy? That is the most accurate test for staging liver disease.
Stage 3 is considered advanced fibrosis and most people are advised to start treatment. Stage 4 is considered cirrhosis.
My husband has hep c, stage 4 grade A liver disease and with-in a month he will be recieving his first shot for the hep c, i knew someone (a women) when she got her shots she became ill and started losing patches of her hair, she became so week, sweating, throwing up and had no color of the skin. I am really worried about him and what he is gonna go threw soon. Also what is the treatment for the liver disease.
only what you wrote above but from all the medical advances there is no reason you should have to die from liver disease. Even if you are at end stage liver disease...a transplant is possible. I HAD Hep C and treated it. I treated it with the old medication thats very hard on people but THERE IS NEW FDA APPROVED DRUGS that are curing people with little to no side effects and for a shorter duration. Its a combination therapy called Sovaldi (sofosbuvir) and Olysio (simeprevir).
I also have RA and degenerative disc disease with 3 herniations in l-spine and 7 herniations in thoracic area. I take methadone for pain. I have tried all the others oxycodone without Tylenol and fentanyl patches etc... All of which I was allowed to take with hep c bit the methadone works best and doesn't mess with my mind. You pain mgmt drs should know what you can take or check with your GI doctor.
I been clean while on a methadone maintenanc program for almost 5 years. Now the methadone wears off in about half of the time it used to... (Thrown into withdrawals about 12 hours after I dose, as opposed to 24-30 hrs. of relief.) It's causing me great physical and emotional pain. Upon visiting e.r. after e.r. they simply discharge me and tell me what I already know, which is almost nothing.
The doctors their work with people with cirrhosis and liver cancer on a daily basis. They are THE experts in diagnosing, treating and monitoring liver disease. They will perform all the tests needed to know if these masses are something you need to do something about or if they are benign. It will give you piece of mind knowing what your health status truly is.
I am 60 years old. When I was young I never had any serious health issues.
Liver damage when you abuse Tylenol is normal. A doctor can run a blood test and tell you that your liver is fine, but if they took it out of you and examined it .. compared to a healthy liver... yours would not be as good..
When a liver fails, it can fail two ways.. slowly.. or it can trip. (stop) ..
Tylenol overdose can cause a liver to shut down suddenly.. The symptoms are swollen abdomen, itching, (black) blood in stool and yellowing of the eyes.. etc..
I was going thru a bottle of vodka every 2 to 3 days. I started having discomfort in the liver area with nausea fatigue and dry mouth. Had an lft done all normal. Still felt sick and went to the hospital lft normal except elevated bilirubin ultrasound normal. Had another lft couple of weeks after bilrubin down to 1.3. And another normal ultrasound. I still deal with right quadrant pain fatigue and nausea.
I'm so sorry for your loss of Zena. I didn't know that much about liver disease in cats until I saw your thread. You did the right thing in letting her go and not suffer. Prayers and positive thoughts go out to you. Rest in Peace sweet Zena.
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