Methadone Maintenance Treatment and the Risk of Heart Disease: Guidelines for Patients

AATOD (The American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence) recommends the following guidelines.

Can Methadone Hurt My Heart?

There are reports of patients being treated with methadone who have experienced problems with the ability of the heart to beat regularly.  This phenomenon is called a heart conduction defect.  Research has shown so far that  when methadone is taken alone, it did not account for the majority of these complications.

What Can Cause Heart Conduction Problems?

Here are other factors that can cause these problems:

1) already existing heart disorders (cardiomyopathy)

2) a genetic predisposition (a heart conduction problem that "runs in the family")

3) low potassium in the blood (hypokalemia) and

4) taking multiple drugs of abuse or other medications that can cause known to cause heart conduction problems: you should ask your pharmacist or doctor to do a drug interaction "multi-check" to determine if there are any potential interactions that might cause problems.

What Should You Do?

There is no recommendation based on research that all patients on methadone should have an electrocardiogram.  If you have any of the four possibilities just mentioned, you should discuss your concerns with your clinic and your doctor.

If you experience any of the following, you should contact your clinic and medical provider and/or emergency services immediately:

1) “racing” heartbeat

2) dizziness

3) seizures, or

4) fainting spells