Methadone is an opiate very similar to morphine, and its effects are comparable to the effects of heroin. Methadone can act as an anesthetic by suppressing the central nervous system and effectively raising pain threshold; doctors usually prescribe it to maintain and overcome opiate addiction. The book "Treatment of Opioid Dependence" states that tolerance usually precedes methadone's negative effects, rendering it a generally safe medication.
Cardiovascular
According to the book "Side Effects of Drugs Annual 29," methadone treatment can result in a prolongation of the QT interval, or a delay between the Q wave and the T wave, also known as a "torsade de pointes" wave as measured on an elecrocardiogram. This indicates a slowed or weakened heartbeat, or arrhythmic heart electrical cycle, which can lead to ventricular tachyarrhythmia, or an elevated heartbeat of more than 100 beats per minute in one or more region of the heart. Ventricular tachyarrhythmias have a high risk for cardiac damage, cardiac arrest and sudden death.
Respiratory
Similar to morphine, methadone can cause respiratory depression, according to "Psychiatric Side Effects of Prescription and Over-the-Counter Medications: Prescription and Management." Accordingly, methadone can potentially result in respiratory acidosis, particularly in combination with other drugs or as a result of overuse. Respiratory acidosis describes elevated serum carbon dioxide and alkalinity, which can lead to complicating and potentially fatal conditions.
Sexual
The book "The Treatment of Opioid Dependence" lists sexual complications in men as one of the side effects of methadone use. This may be due to the fact that methadone significantly lowers testosterone levels. It could also be a consequence of sedation associated with methadone. Decreased ejaculate, as well as decreased vesicular and prostatic secretions, accompany decreased sexual functioning related to methadone. There is no available information for methadone affects on female sexuality.
References
- "Psychiatric Side Effects of Prescription and Over-the-Counter Medications: Prescription and Management"; Thomas Markham Brown, M.D. and Alan Stoudemire, M.D.; 1998
- "Side Effects of Drugs Annual 29"; J.K. Aronson; 2007
- "The Treatment of Opioid Dependence"; Eric C. Strain and Maxine L. Stitzer; 2005
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