Methodone and tiredness

[lorri214]

I have been taking 10 mg methodone for about 4 months. I take it 9:30 at night because I get my rls at night. During the day I am exhausted. I am constantly taking naps. If I sit down to watch tv I fall asleep. This happens a few times during the day. I think it is from the methodone. I am trying to get off the methodone, but the dr. wants to wait til feb. to take me off it. Is it possible the methodone can be making me tired since I don't take it during the day. I take it at night. I'm tired of being tired!

[SueJohnson]

Yes that can be a side effect of methadone. I would suggest adderal or ritalin in the morning when you wake up. It's effects will wear off by night time. I suggested this to you before when you thought it was from gabapentin.

[lorri214 in reply to SueJohnson]

Do you need a prescription for them. I need to get my drs approval before I take anything. Why didn't my dr. suggest that? I just saw her yesterday.

[SueJohnson in reply to lorri214]

Yes you need a prescription.

[TheDoDahMan]

I have the same problem using 10mg methadone daily. I fear telling my doctor about it as I'm afraid that my methadone would be reduced and then I will no longer be able to sleep my blessed 8 hours, as that happens when I reduce my dosage even slightly.

Sue's suggestion of adding adderal or Ritalin sounds good to me but I thought the doctor might think I was "drug seeking" or that some sort of "whipsawing" would not be good for me.

Luckily, I'm retired so the sleepiness hasn't put my life into disarray.

[lorri214 in reply to TheDoDahMan]

You are lucky. I also take 10 mg methadone but I still don't sleep through the night. Sometimes I still get rls. I thought methodone would let the rls go away. Luckily I got the notrix leg bands and that helps the rls.

[707twitcher]

Have you tried taking the methadone earlier? With the long effective life, you might be able to take it early afternoon and have it last through the night. See if that lessens the fatigue the next day. Fatigue is an opioid side effect. Mine seems to come and go (I've been on burenorphine for a year).

[lorri214 in reply to 707twitcher]

The reason I take the methodone at 9:30 pm is because I only have the restless legs at night. I can try taking it earlier and see what happens. Getting tired is so strange. During the day if I sit down to watch tv i eventually fall asleep. I was never like that last year. Thats why I think it is the methodone causing this fatigue. Last night I was still up at 1 am and I felt good and not at all tired. Very strange because that is how I would expect to feel at 1 in the afternoon!

[707twitcher]

I understand only needing the med at night. But it should be effective for well over 12 hours. So taking it earlier should still handle your night time RLS. May as well try it for a while to see what impact it has on your fatigue. Good luck

[mmb8083]

I take 5mg about 2 or so hours before i go to bed and i never experienced daytime drowsiness