methadone-injection (cont.)
DRUG INTERACTIONS: Your healthcare professionals (e.g., doctor or pharmacist) may already be aware of any possible drug interactions and may be monitoring you for it. Do not start, stop or change the dosage of any medicine before checking with them first. This drug should not be used with the following medication because very serious interactions may occur: naltrexone. If you are currently using the medication listed above, tell your doctor or pharmacist before starting this medication. Tell your doctor of all prescription and nonprescription drugs you may be using, especially of: MAO inhibitors (e.g., furazolidone, isocarboxazid, linezolid, phenelzine, procarbazine, selegiline, tranylcypromine), anticholinergic medications (e.g., atropine, scopolamine), certain drugs to treat HIV infection (e.g., zidovudine, didanosine, stavudine, nevirapine, efavirenz, ritonavir, ritonavir/lopinavir), drugs that lower blood pressure (e.g., diuretics such as hydrochlorothiazide, furosemide), laxatives, muscle relaxants (e.g., carisoprodol, methocarbamol), other medications for pain (e.g., codeine, tramadol), pyridostigmine, sodium oxybate, drugs affecting liver enzymes that remove methadone from your body (such as azole antifungals-including itraconazole, cimetidine, rifamycins-including rifampin, St John's wort, certain anti-seizure medicines-including carbamazepine, SSRI antidepressants-including fluvoxamine). Other drugs besides methadone which may affect the heart rhythm (QTc prolongation in the EKG) include dofetilide, pimozide, procainamide, amiodarone, quinidine, sotalol, and erythromycin among others. QTc prolongation can infrequently result in serious, rarely fatal, irregular heartbeats. Consult your doctor or pharmacist for more details and for instructions on how you may minimize the risk of this effect. See also Warning Section. Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you also take drugs that cause drowsiness such as antihistamines that cause drowsiness (e.g., diphenhydramine), anti-anxiety drugs (e.g., diazepam), anti-seizure drugs (e.g., phenobarbital, phenytoin), medicine for sleep (e.g., zolpidem), muscle relaxants, other narcotic pain relievers (e.g., codeine), psychiatric medicines (e.g., phenothiazines such as chlorpromazine, or tricyclics such as desipramine), tranquilizers. Check the labels on all your medicines (e.g., cough-and-cold products) because they may contain drowsiness-causing ingredients. Ask your pharmacist about the safe use of those products.
Report Problems to the Food and Drug Administration
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit the FDA MedWatch website or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
- Drug Abuse - Get information about drug abuse and addiction causes, symptoms, effects of certain drugs (cocaine, marijuana, heroin), treatment and prevention information.
- Chronic Pain - Chronic pain persists over a long period of time and is resistant to most medical treatments.
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