When you seek addiction treatment, you may already be prescribed medication to treat other conditions. We use methadone to treat opioid abuse disorder at BAART Programs. While it’s highly effective, methadone sometimes interacts with other drugs. Your overall health is always our priority, so we exercise caution when beginning your program to determine what these drug interactions may be.
Not every drug has a serious interaction with methadone. Sometimes there are no problems with putting the drugs together, or there could be minor issues addressed by careful monitoring. But in other cases, the result of the interaction could be more severe.
Taking baclofen and methadone can have side effects. During treatment, you may need to adjust the amount of baclofen you use. Alternatively, the doctor may take you off of the drug entirely.
What Is Baclofen?
Baclofen is a skeletal muscle relaxant that eases the severity and frequency of muscle spasms. It can also reduce pain and allow the person taking it to control their muscle movement more effectively.
People who have multiple sclerosis or spinal cord conditions often take this medication. Side effects of baclofen include trouble sleeping, drowsiness or tiredness, headaches and dizziness. When you take baclofen, it can impair your reaction time, so you shouldn’t drive until you know how it affects your body. You should also avoid drinking alcohol while on the drug, as it can further depress your nervous system.
Mixing Baclofen and Methadone
Doctors recommend you avoid mixing baclofen and methadone if possible. Both cause depression of the central nervous system, and the combination can lead to side effects such as a coma, respiratory distress and, in rare cases, death.
There are some alternatives to baclofen that can treat muscle spasms effectively, and switching to one may be the best approach if you go on methadone. You should talk to your doctor before making any adjustments. Your doctor will discuss your options with you and help you find a treatment that works safely. You should always tell your doctor what medications you are taking, even if they are over-the-counter.
Staying on baclofen with careful monitoring may be the right answer, or your doctor may reduce your dose of the drug to decrease the risk of interaction with methadone.
When you start any new drug, you should be aware of potential side effects and drug interactions. By taking it slowly and reporting any changes or symptoms to your doctor, you are more likely to catch a problem early. Drug interactions are one of the primary reasons some treatments aren’t as effective or don’t get results as quickly as patients would like.
Seek Treatment for Opioid Addiction
BAART Programs offers substance use disorder treatment for people across the country. We provide a comprehensive program tailored to meet your needs. We can work with you to find the right drug combinations to help you recover and move into the next phase of your life. You can read our blog to learn more. Then, find a location near you and reach out today.
