Drug interactions
Calcium / magnesium / potassium / sodium oxybates + Methadone
Severity: Contraindicated
Calcium / magnesium / potassium / sodium oxybates and Methadone: contraindicated interaction.
Last updated
For healthcare professionals — reference only. This page is a brief summary, not medical advice and not a substitute for official labeling or clinical judgement. Always verify before prescribing or dispensing.
Summary
Oxybates and methadone both depress the CNS, and together can cause profound sedation, respiratory depression, coma and death. Oxybate labeling restricts use with opioids.
What this interaction means in plain words
Calcium / magnesium / potassium / sodium oxybates and Methadone are not normally used together. Taking them at the same time is expected to cause harm or make one of them unsafe, so a different medicine is usually chosen for one of the two.
Why it happens
Additive CNS and respiratory depression through opioid and GABA-B/GHB receptor activity.
What to do
Avoid the combination and choose alternative therapy. If it is truly unavoidable, minimize doses and duration and monitor respiratory function and sedation continuously.
What to ask your pharmacist
- Is there an alternative to one of these two medicines for me?
- If both are essential, who is monitoring me and how often?
- Which symptoms mean I should stop and seek help straight away?
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Other interactions of Methadone
- Alvimopan + Methadone Contraindicated
- Droperidol + Methadone Contraindicated
- Ibutilide + Methadone Contraindicated
- Isocarboxazid + Methadone Contraindicated
- Lefamulin + Methadone Contraindicated
- Levoketoconazole + Methadone Contraindicated
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Calcium / magnesium / potassium / sodium oxybates with Methadone?
MediHelp rates the interaction as contraindicated. Calcium / magnesium / potassium / sodium oxybates and Methadone are not normally used together. Taking them at the same time is expected to cause harm or make one of them unsafe, so a different medicine is usually chosen for one of the two. Oxybates and methadone both depress the CNS, and together can cause profound sedation, respiratory depression, coma and death. Oxybate labeling restricts use with opioids.
How serious is the interaction between Calcium / magnesium / potassium / sodium oxybates and Methadone?
MediHelp rates it contraindicated, on a four-level scale (minor, moderate, major, contraindicated) based on published labels and references. What to do, in brief: Avoid the combination and choose alternative therapy. If it is truly unavoidable, minimize doses and duration and monitor respiratory function and sedation continuously.
What other medicines interact with Methadone?
MediHelp also lists interactions of Methadone with, for example, Alvimopan, Droperidol, Ibutilide. The full list is on the Methadone page.
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