Hello everyone! I had gastric bypass surgery in May of 2015. I developed an opiate addiction afterwards and have been on methadone now for about a year with what feels like little success. I know part of it is environmental, but I am wondering how much of my methadone may not be absorbed by my body? Does anyone have experience with this?

Also I feel that in part the methadone has played a role in me gaining almost 60 lbs! I struggle with cravings for sugary, fatty foods and I struggle with getting the weight off. Any suggestions?

Thank you in advance!

Hello everyone! I had gastric bypass surgery in May of 2015. I developed an opiate addiction afterwards and have been on methadone now for about a year with what feels like little success. I know part of it is environmental, but I am wondering how much of my methadone may not be absorbed by my body? Does anyone have experience with this?

Also I feel that in part the methadone has played a role in me gaining almost 60 lbs! I struggle with cravings for sugary, fatty foods and I struggle with getting the weight off. Any suggestions?

Thank you in advance!

Have you considered Vivitrol instead of Methadone?

MAN O MIGHTY!!! I speak from experience, if at all possible PLEASE get rid of that METHADONE!! I don't know why you take it but it is straight poison to us!! I took it for my arthritis and fibromyalgia 2 times a day. I lost so much while I took them. I have permanent Cognative problems. I wasn't addicted to them, mentally but oh my I was so physicially addicted. When I tried to get off of them myself, I had sheet burns on my knees and elbows from moving them all night. I was going to a DR. for steroid shots in my spine. When I told him what I had done, he told me no way was I supposed to just quit them. I went home and started taking them again. I had an overdose that happened when I was totally out of it and my hubby gave me to many pills. I remember thinking to myself that it was to soon but he insisted that I take them. Low and behold I ended up being rushed to the hospital in a emergency. I had stopped breathing couldn't walk and having anxitiy over the top!! Needless to say they treated me like I was a drug using, searching for drugs!! When I moved back to my home state my DR told me that I was on toxic amounts of methadone and finally got me off of them and I started using FENTYAL Patches. What a life difference!! That methadone was so bad. I walked around like a zombie and would pass out while talking it even made me drool. Thank goodness I am so much better off with the patches. I hope you can find help and get something else!! Good Luck!!

I have considered Vivitrol but my insurance doesn’t cover the shot, just the pill form, so I am again left wondering if the efficacy would be the same due to the gastric bypass.

Shedo82773, I don’t take methadone for pain but as maintenance medication for addiction. I am wondering if you were actually allergic to methadone as I have never heard of those reaction to it before! I do know you can’t just jump off it as you’ll go into serious withdrawal, just like any other opiate. I am exploring other options now, like Suboxone, but I have to taper off the methadone completely first.

Vivitrol is the go-to now; I'd see if I could try that instead - the pill form.

I am so sorry about the addiction to opiates.

Can I ask you, how much did you take in the beginning to get hooked? I'm just asking because doctors are getting SO cautious now about giving them for pain. I also wonder if there is a genetic component for becoming hooked because when I had my Sleeve, I had a leak and was in hospital for two and a half months. During that time I had doses of dilaudid every 4 hours the whole time I was there and just came off it it 'like that'. My doctor was warning me I might have problems, but I didn't.

I just had the Gastric Bypass this last week and again, I was on that same regime. I am back home and was switched to pill form of dilaudid. Once I finished my the bottle I had, that was it. I didn't feel the need for any more.

I am just wondering what it is that makes it so hard for someone to come off of it and someone else not. That's what they need to be looking at. Surely it goes to our genetic make up.

I hope that you find the help you need - I can't imagine what you've been through x