Methionine (Oral)

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on Feb 19, 2022.

Commonly used brand name(s)

In the U.S.

• ME-500

Uses for methionine

Racemethionine is used to make the urine more acidic. Making the urine more acidic helps to relieve skin irritation in incontinent (loss of bladder control) adults and diaper rash in infants. Methionine also helps to control strong urine odor.

Racemethionine is available only with your doctor's prescription.

Before using methionine

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For methionine, the following should be considered:

Allergies

Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to methionine or any other medicines. Also tell your health care professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods, dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, read the label or package ingredients carefully.

Pediatric

Methionine has been tested in children and, in effective doses, has not been shown to cause different side effects or problems than it does in adults.

Geriatric

Many medicines have not been studied specifically in older people. Therefore, it may not be known whether they work exactly the same way they do in younger adults. Although there is no specific information comparing use of racemethionine in the elderly with use in other age groups, methionine is not expected to cause different side effects or problems in older people than it does in younger adults.

Interactions with medicines

Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. Tell your healthcare professional if you are taking any other prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicine.

Interactions with food/tobacco/alcohol

Certain medicines should not be used at or around the time of eating food or eating certain types of food since interactions may occur. Using alcohol or tobacco with certain medicines may also cause interactions to occur. Discuss with your healthcare professional the use of your medicine with food, alcohol, or tobacco.

Other medical problems

The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of methionine. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

• Acidosis (metabolic) or
• Liver disease—Use of racemethionine may make these conditions worse

Proper use of methionine

You should not take more of methionine, or take it more often, than your doctor ordered. You should also make sure that you get enough protein in your diet. This is especially important in infants. Infants who get too much racemethionine and not enough protein may not gain weight as they should. If you have any questions about this, ask your health care professional.

Take racemethionine with, or just after, meals.

For patients taking racemethionine capsules:

• If you are unable to swallow the capsule, the contents may be added to juice, water, or warm milk or infant formula.