Methadone Injection Solution

• If you have an allergy to methadone or any other part of methadone injection solution.
• If you are allergic to any drugs like this one, any other drugs, foods, or other substances. Tell your doctor about the allergy and what signs you had, like rash; hives; itching; shortness of breath; wheezing; cough; swelling of face, lips, tongue, or throat; or any other signs.
• If you have any of these health problems: Lung or breathing problems like asthma, trouble breathing, or sleep apnea; high levels of carbon dioxide in the blood; or stomach or bowel block or narrowing.
• If you have taken certain drugs used for low mood (depression) like isocarboxazid, phenelzine, or tranylcypromine or drugs used for Parkinson's disease like selegiline or rasagiline in the last 14 days. Taking this medicine within 14 days of those drugs can cause very bad high blood pressure.
• If you are taking any of these drugs: Linezolid or methylene blue.
• If you are taking any of these drugs: Buprenorphine, butorphanol, nalbuphine, or pentazocine.

This is not a list of all drugs or health problems that interact with methadone injection solution.

Tell your doctor and pharmacist about all of your drugs (prescription or OTC, natural products, vitamins) and health problems. You must check to make sure that it is safe for you to take this medicine with all of your drugs and health problems. Do not start, stop, or change the dose of any drug without checking with your doctor.

• Tell all of your health care providers that you take methadone injection solution. This includes your doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and dentists.
• Your doctor will watch your heartbeat with a test called an ECG.
• Avoid driving and doing other tasks or actions that call for you to be alert until you see how this medicine affects you.
• To lower the chance of feeling dizzy or passing out, rise slowly if you have been sitting or lying down. Be careful going up and down stairs.
• This medicine may affect certain lab tests. Tell all of your health care providers and lab workers that you take methadone injection solution.
• Do not take this medicine with other strong pain drugs or if you are using a pain patch without talking to your doctor first.
• Do not take more than what your doctor told you to take. Taking more than you are told may raise your chance of very bad side effects.
• If you have been taking methadone injection solution for a long time or at high doses, it may not work as well and you may need higher doses to get the same effect. This is known as tolerance. Call your doctor if this medicine stops working well. Do not take more than ordered.
• Do not stop taking methadone injection solution all of a sudden without calling your doctor. You may have a greater risk of signs of withdrawal. If you need to stop this medicine, you will want to slowly stop it as ordered by your doctor.
• This medicine may raise the chance of seizures in some people, including people who have had seizures in the past. Talk to your doctor to see if you have a greater chance of seizures while taking methadone injection solution.
• Long-term use of an opioid drug like this medicine may lead to lower sex hormone levels. This may lead to signs like change in sex ability in men, no menstrual period in women, lowered interest in sex, or fertility problems. Call your doctor if you have any of these signs.
• Taking an opioid drug like methadone injection solution may lead to a rare but very bad adrenal gland problem. Call your doctor right away if you have very bad dizziness or passing out, very bad upset stomach or throwing up, or if you feel less hungry, very tired, or very weak.
• If you are 65 or older, use this medicine with care. You could have more side effects.
• This medicine may cause harm to the unborn baby if you take it while you are pregnant. If you are pregnant or you get pregnant while taking methadone injection solution, call your doctor right away.
• Tell your doctor if you are breast-feeding or plan to breast-feed. This medicine passes into breast milk and may harm your baby.

All drugs may cause side effects. However, many people have no side effects or only have minor side effects. Call your doctor or get medical help if any of these side effects or any other side effects bother you or do not go away:

• Upset stomach or throwing up.
• Hard stools (constipation).
• Dizziness.
• Feeling sleepy.
• Headache.
• Sweating a lot.
• Feeling tired or weak.
• Belly pain.
• Irritation where the shot is given.

These are not all of the side effects that may occur. If you have questions about side effects, call your doctor. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects.

You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088. You may also report side effects at http://www.fda.gov/medwatch.

• If your symptoms or health problems do not get better or if they become worse, call your doctor.
• Do not share your drugs with others and do not take anyone else's drugs.
• Keep a list of all your drugs (prescription, natural products, vitamins, OTC) with you. Give this list to your doctor.
• Talk with the doctor before starting any new drug, including prescription or OTC, natural products, or vitamins.
• Keep all drugs in a safe place. Keep all drugs out of the reach of children and pets.
• Check with your pharmacist about how to throw out unused drugs.
• This medicine comes with an extra patient fact sheet called a Medication Guide. Read it with care. Read it again each time this medicine is refilled. If you have any questions about methadone injection solution, please talk with the doctor, pharmacist, or other health care provider.
• If you think there has been an overdose, call your poison control center or get medical care right away. Be ready to tell or show what was taken, how much, and when it happened.

This information should not be used to decide whether or not to take this medicine or any other medicine. Only the healthcare provider has the knowledge and training to decide which medicines are right for a specific patient. This information does not endorse any medicine as safe, effective, or approved for treating any patient or health condition. This is only a brief summary of general information about methadone injection solution. It does NOT include all information about the possible uses, directions, warnings, precautions, interactions, adverse effects, or risks that may apply to this medicine. This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from the healthcare provider. You must talk with the healthcare provider for complete information about the risks and benefits of using methadone injection solution.

Review Date: October 4, 2017