Are nutritional supplements, like herbal products, safe to use with methadone?
So-called “nutritional supplements” ? including certain herbs, plants, and other “natural” substances (that is, found in nature) ? have been used since ancient times to treat almost every human ailment. However, for several reasons, their use is not always safe or recommended. For one thing, such products are not regulated by the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA), which means there is no control over the purity and quantity of ingredients in any product. Second, some products can interact with methadone to make the usual dose feel stronger or weaker, or harmfully with other prescribed medicines. Third, the effectiveness and safety of some supplements are still in question. For example, recently (June 20, 2002) the government issued a warning about herbal products containing ephedra, also called ephedrine. The Ephedra species of herbs (also known by the Chinese name “ma huang”) is found in many products, such as those promoting weight loss, increased energy, or better sexual performan
