Methadone overdose

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Determine the following information:

• Patient's age, weight, and condition
• Name of the product (ingredients and strengths, if known)
• Time it was swallowed
• Amount swallowed

The National Poison Control Center (1-800-222-1222) can be called from anywhere in the United States. This national hotline number will let you talk to experts in poisoning. They will give you further instructions.

This is a free and confidential service. All local poison control centers in the U.S. use this national number. You should call if you have any questions about poisoning or poison prevention. It does NOT need to be an emergency. You can call for any reason, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Take the container with you to the hospital, if possible.

See National Poison Control center.

The health care provider will measure and monitor the patient's vital signs, including temperature, pulse, breathing rate, and blood pressure. The patient may receive:

• Fluids by IV
• Laxative
• Medicines to treat symptoms
• Activated charcoal
• Narcotic antagonist -- medicine (antidote) to reverse the effect of the poison
• A nasogastric (NG) tube thru the nose into the stomach to empty the stomach ( gastric lavage)

If an antidote can be given, recovery from an acute overdose begins immediately. However, since methadone's effects can last for about a day, the patient is usually kept in the hospital overnight and may receive several doses of the antidote.

The most common complications are in those who did not quickly received the antidote. Problems can include brain damage from lack of breathing or death from not breathing (respiratory arrest).

Review Date: 03/13/2006
Reviewed By: Eric Perez, MD, Department of Emergency Medicine, St. Luke's-RooseveltHospital Center, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed HealthcareNetwork.