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Investigating Changes in Liver Enzyme Levels in Patients With Acute Methadone Poisoning.
Seyed Reza Mousavi1, Mahdi Arefi Ivari1, Azadeh Rahmatali Khazaei1
1Medical Toxicology Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran, mums.ac.ir.
Journal of Toxicology
|March 2, 2026
Summary
Methadone overdose can cause elevated liver enzymes, but the severity did not correlate with the dose consumed. Liver enzyme levels typically normalized during hospitalization for acute methadone poisoning.
Area of Science:
- Toxicology
- Hepatology
- Clinical Chemistry
Background:
- Methadone, a synthetic opioid, is widely used for drug abuse treatment.
- Methadone overdose is a significant cause of poisoning, necessitating clinical attention.
- Understanding the impact of methadone poisoning on liver function is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate changes in liver enzyme levels in patients hospitalized with acute methadone poisoning.
- To determine the correlation between methadone dosage and liver enzyme alterations.
- To assess the reversibility of liver enzyme changes during treatment.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study of 49 patients hospitalized for acute methadone poisoning.
- Measurement of liver enzymes: alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) at admission and before discharge.
- Analysis of demographic and clinical data, including methadone dosage, using SPSS software.
Main Results:
- 38.8% of patients exhibited elevated at least one liver enzyme (AST, ALT, or ALP).
- Increases in AST and ALT were generally mild (less than three times the normal limit) and transient.
- No significant correlation was found between the consumed methadone dose and the levels of AST, ALT, or ALP.
Conclusions:
- Elevated liver enzymes are a common finding in methadone intoxication.
- The study did not establish a correlation between methadone dose and the degree of liver enzyme elevation.
- Observed liver enzyme elevations typically resolved during the hospitalization period.
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