Guest guest Posted December 1, 2007 Report Share Posted December 1, 2007 I am having so many problems with my husband. He was put on Methadone about 6 months ago for him 3-6 per week migraines and now we are very near divorce after almost 29 years. I found out he was writing to women online, going on dating sites and saying we were getting a divorce. He has been spending money like crazy and we are already in very severe debt with credit cards. He has no excuses but keeps lying to me. He gets angry easy lately, gets lost while driving, forgets what he's said. I am so ready to file for divorce but think he's sick because of the methadone. Anybody know much about this horrible drug? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 2, 2007 Report Share Posted December 2, 2007 Methadone is a worse drug than heroine. The drug companies have been pushing that it is safe and to use it for all kinds of other problems for one reason - to boost sales. It is highly addictive, I don't know what you need to do to get him off but you definitely need to. His headaches and all the other behaviors (internet sexual stuff, the spending, driving problems, memory, anger, lying) all say " frontal lobe dementia " . You want to get him to a different neurologist ASAP - best to go to the nearest academic hospital if you possibly can. There is all kinds of new knowledge coming out on this stuff constant and the schools are the best place to get doctors who are tuned into it all. It is important you go with him and tell the doctors everything he is doing, including everything you posted here. They lose ability to have insight into their own behavior and usually think they are just fine - it is their spouse that has gone crazy. You want to be careful with the temper outbursts, they can get violent and many do get paranoid. Until you get help, try not to argue or upset him - it just won't help. Once you have a diagnosis, then you know what you are dealing with. There are maybe 50 different causes of dementia and drugs are on that list, but he may well have another cause as the headaches are a symptom and they were there before the methadone. Dementia is similar to alzheimers - different lobes of the brain are involved. Some dementia is curable, depends on the cause, other is not. The neurologists have the sophisticated equipment to do the testing - they use MRIs, CTs, and PET scanning. Once you know what you are dealing with, if it is methadone or something else, than you can pursue alternative treatments. Protect your finances NOW. It is common in this dementia to lose all sense of financial responsibility and obligations to family. They also lose impulse control and can become compulsive spenders. They also lose discriminatory abilities and are easily bilked by shisters. They have been known to bring home strangers met on the street who turn around and rob the family. Families often are bankrupted before they know what hit them. Usually with that diagnosis, you can get legal guardianship over the finances. The neurologists know and will tell you on that if appropriate to your case. Hopefully yours will be a matter of just getting off the methadone. But don't mess around with it - get to a good neurologist ASAP. Frontal lobe dementia has to be the worst thing that could happen to a person and a family as you are experiencing. And it does get worse. You can look up and read more on the web frontal lobe dementia, FTD, frontal temporal degeneration are some key words. This is new stuff for the most part, more and more is coming online constantly. I've been there - I will pray for you. There is also a support group with others going through the exact same behavioral problems in spouses or parents. It is a super group. FTD_support - kmh112960 Friday, November 30, 2007 11:52 PM Methadone I am having so many problems with my husband. He was put on Methadone about 6 months ago for him 3-6 per week migraines and now we are very near divorce after almost 29 years. I found out he was writing to women online, going on dating sites and saying we were getting a divorce. He has been spending money like crazy and we are already in very severe debt with credit cards. He has no excuses but keeps lying to me. He gets angry easy lately, gets lost while driving, forgets what he's said. I am so ready to file for divorce but think he's sick because of the methadone. Anybody know much about this horrible drug? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 2, 2007 Report Share Posted December 2, 2007 The problem may not be methadone per se. --Although I have to say that methadone is nasty stuff, and it causes severe constipation and other problems. I have " issues " with anything that I'd call " exogenous endorphins, " (basically, any opiate), in that they have the potential to make it so that an individual is no longer able to make ones own endorphins (the body's natural pain-killer), and can become permanently addicted. In addition, methadone is said to be even more rapidly-addicting then heroin. Long ago, I knew an opiate addict pretty-well, and he confided to me that an addict in the throes of withdrawal would KILL HIS OWN MOTHER if she stood between him and his next " fix. " I knew his mother, and I knew that she'd do anything for her son, and that he'd often depended on her to get him out of scrapes. So here's this addict telling me that he'd kill that sweet, loving woman if it meant getting more drugs...and...well, you can see what I'm getting at! I know that it's very intolerant and un-liberal of me, but I decided, after knowing this fellow, and after observing many other drug addicts, that I'd never again associate with one if I could possibly avoid it. Anyway.. I wanted to bring up another possibility, and the reason that I'm bringing it up is because of what happened to my own father, over 30 years ago. He had these terrible headaches, and he went to a neurologist. And the neurologist said, I'm going to give you these drugs that work only on migraine headaches, and if the drugs work, then we'll know that you have migraines, and we won't need to do any further testing. " The drugs worked. But he didn't have migraines. He had a very aggressive brain tumor--an inoperable one. So I have to ask whether your husband has had some sort of a brain scan, in order to rule out the possibility of a brain tumor, especially since brain tumors can cause personality changes. Or it's possible that he's going through a mid-life crisis. Or it's possible that he's become addicted to opiates, and it's brought out something weird in his personality. Depending on the exact nature of the problem, it may be worthwhile to dump Hubby and free yourself from the " albatross necklace " that he's become/is becoming. I wish you all of the luck and strength in the world in facing this upheaval in your life. And I hope that, no matter what happens, that your life turns out better in the long run. Cyn__ Never miss a thing. Make your homepage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 2, 2007 Report Share Posted December 2, 2007 Hmmmm... I have a problem with anyone (Dr.) who puts someone on an addictive substance for pain control. There are some substances, although not natural (such as imitrex) which alleviate migraines in many people. I'm not even sure I believe that a doctor would do this as routine. Methadone has been around for decades - primarily as a means of getting someone off opiate addition (heroin, but also oxycotin more recently). What were the " prescriptions " tried to alleviate the migraines prior to methadone? I also wouldn't tend to believe that this behavior is new, as a result of the methadone. Perhaps he is now more sloppy in hiding it. Could it be possible that his methadone dosage is off and he is getting opiates elsewhere? Who is monitoring the methadone usage? Can you talk with them about the situation and behaviors? He is acting like an addict. You need to make sure that you are taking care of yourself and your future - at the same time caring for him. Don't forget yourself. Don't lose yourself in his web of - whatever. Don't let his actions take you down too. Peace. , " kmh112960 " <kmh112960 wrote: > > I am having so many problems with my husband. He was put on Methadone > about 6 months ago for him 3-6 per week migraines and now we are very > near divorce after almost 29 years. I found out he was writing to > women online, going on dating sites and saying we were getting a > divorce. He has been spending money like crazy and we are already in > very severe debt with credit cards. He has no excuses but keeps lying > to me. He gets angry easy lately, gets lost while driving, forgets > what he's said. I am so ready to file for divorce but think he's sick > because of the methadone. Anybody know much about this horrible drug? > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 2, 2007 Report Share Posted December 2, 2007 Hi kmh, my sister took methadone for years and She was heavily addicted,although she denied it firmly. I saw her change into as zombie-like person...she would swear it wasn't like heroin. well, They used it heavily in the war for a quick fix for severe painful injures! and everyone knows about junkies being administered this in place of the illicit heroine to keep them off of it...one high to another or addiction... she was so slow, slept all the time slurred her words. spent her life laying on the couch, and Chuck and I would visit and listen to her repeat the same stories over and over and endless nonsensical conversation. To this day I think it did permanent damage, but who am I to judge..it was what I saw... really sad...especially her campaigning the benefits of methadone and her defense to everyone. After all it was prescribed to her. I think it is a bad drug and for me it didn't work and I didn't like it. My doc well, two of them tried to push it on me. Long term effects for her... the longer she was on it she acted more and more spaced out. sleeping at the drop of a hat and not taking care of herself. For days she would barely move off the couch I tried to get Chuck to help me convince her to not use it but he said we shouldn't interfere, that she seemed ok to him;well I saw through her act! sorry if I'm bending your ear but there are opiates out there that control pain and leave allot of room for increasing the dose slowly over the years. That I can vouched for, since I use fentanyl patches and they not only help control my pain and enable me to do activities that otherwise I couldn't because of my extreme chronic pain, but do not make me sleep 20 hours a day or feel drugged out, like that methadone did to her. I also am able to do stretches and the right kind of exercise for my chronic back pain due to a failed surgery and fibromyalgia. I am aware and function normally ( well some might argue that I'm " normal " ......I never was...LOL) I use other natural methods to alleviate some of my symptoms too like a joint pain formula that has mostly turmeric for fibro, and get allot of relief from it. that and malic acid and calcium magnesium for pain too. But methadone changed her so much I am so glad she got off of it. BTW she takes MScontin which is time released morphine and even that has made a big difference. I tried that but didn't get any relief. If your mate is having those awful side effects I pray he finds a better treatment or maybe a different doctor. he is lucky he has you looking out for him. Maybe you could go to the doctor with him? Also;may I ask what pain condition he is being treated for? hope this helps some, GOOD LUCK (((((HUGS))))) BERYL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 2, 2007 Report Share Posted December 2, 2007 ooops I just realized that you said methadone was for his migraines... I have never heard of methadone being used for that. I would think imitrex or even trying daily calcium magnesium or willow bark (there are allot of combinations with willow bark for headaches.) I at least would try that as a supplement I take atenelol for high blood pressure which is a calcium channel blocker and that has made my headaches disappear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 3, 2007 Report Share Posted December 3, 2007 I know that Methadone is a very bad drug. It is cheap and inexpensive to Rx. You cannot mix this drug with vitamins etc. or you could die. My son died 11/12/2006 at age 28 because he took this drug. There is a website called HARMED where you will find thousands of people who have died from this drug and you wil also find many stories about people getting hooked on this drug and not be able to stop taking it!! I wish you the best of luck. >>> kmh112960 12/01/2007 12:52 AM >>> I am having so many problems with my husband. He was put on Methadone about 6 months ago for him 3-6 per week migraines and now we are very near divorce after almost 29 years. I found out he was writing to women online, going on dating sites and saying we were getting a divorce. He has been spending money like crazy and we are already in very severe debt with credit cards. He has no excuses but keeps lying to me. He gets angry easy lately, gets lost while driving, forgets what he's said. I am so ready to file for divorce but think he's sick because of the methadone. Anybody know much about this horrible drug? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 4, 2007 Report Share Posted December 4, 2007 What great replies so far~! I know that methadone was synthesized way back in the 1930's. Perhaps even earlier. I know the German Nazis used it. A friends wife used it to manage symptoms of MS. I would guess that there are " newer " uses for it regarding pain control/alleviation. For sure it's creation was to alleviate opiate withdrawl. I would be hard pressed to believe it is given for severe migraines? Those other issues certainly smack of, no pun intended, addiction behavior. Perhaps the methadone is actually prescribed for opiate withdrawl and not actually for migraines? Perhaps he is so far into addiction you have no idea? Getting lost is easily seen as lost in the fog of opiate addition - knodding out is an obvious example. Getting angry can certainly be addiction. I know for me when I was addicted to heroin I was easily pissed off. Irritable is more like it. Short and no patience. I believe you should confront him but in a semi social/public setting - even in the presence of his doctor? Maybe even see his doctor and talk about this without him present? As his wife I believe you have the right to know about the meds he is on, why he is on them and what possible solutions there are? Good luck! Tami , " kmh112960 " <kmh112960 wrote: > > I am having so many problems with my husband. He was put on Methadone > about 6 months ago for him 3-6 per week migraines and now we are very > near divorce after almost 29 years. I found out he was writing to > women online, going on dating sites and saying we were getting a > divorce. He has been spending money like crazy and we are already in > very severe debt with credit cards. He has no excuses but keeps lying > to me. He gets angry easy lately, gets lost while driving, forgets > what he's said. I am so ready to file for divorce but think he's sick > because of the methadone. Anybody know much about this horrible drug? > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 4, 2007 Report Share Posted December 4, 2007 My best friend had a severe back disorder and was put on methadone, a very high dose too. She tried everything to relieve the pain over the years but the only things that helped her through was the pills. She ended up passing away last years from all the years of pills and the toll they took on her body. Anyway, she had mood swings and memory issues and she became addicted to the methodone very quickly. She would go into really bad withdrawls when she would run out, that she would try to buy off the streets or go to the hospital. She was my best friend and I miss her so much but pills are bad news. Seek every other alt you can to that. Check out nerve blocks for migraines. My sis is going through that now, and it is working. Tami <cosmictami wrote: What great replies so far~! I know that methadone was synthesized way back in the 1930's. Perhaps even earlier. I know the German Nazis used it. A friends wife used it to manage symptoms of MS. I would guess that there are " newer " uses for it regarding pain control/alleviation. For sure it's creation was to alleviate opiate withdrawl. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 5, 2007 Report Share Posted December 5, 2007 Well, this is one of the the drugs that the late Anna Nicole Smith was on. We all know what happened there. She could have boosted sales also, sometime negative publicity works. I am sorry this is happening to you, Wendy , " kmh112960 " <kmh112960 wrote: > > I am having so many problems with my husband. He was put on Methadone > about 6 months ago for him 3-6 per week migraines and now we are very > near divorce after almost 29 years. I found out he was writing to > women online, going on dating sites and saying we were getting a > divorce. He has been spending money like crazy and we are already in > very severe debt with credit cards. He has no excuses but keeps lying > to me. He gets angry easy lately, gets lost while driving, forgets > what he's said. I am so ready to file for divorce but think he's sick > because of the methadone. Anybody know much about this horrible drug? > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 7, 2007 Report Share Posted December 7, 2007 Interesting news article today on methadone. Methadone-Linked Deaths Shoot Up Justice Dept. Report: Methadone Poisoning Has Increased at Alarming Rate Deaths related to methadone use - a drug used to treat heroin addiction - are skyrocketing, a Justice Department report found. The drug can be safely used as part of treatment, but has serious health repercussions when mixed with other drugs and alcohol. (ABC News) Read whole article at http://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/Drugs/story?id=3959315 - stehle_2 Tuesday, December 04, 2007 8:30 PM Re: Methadone Well, this is one of the the drugs that the late Anna Nicole Smith was on. We all know what happened there. She could have boosted sales also, sometime negative publicity works. I am sorry this is happening to you, Wendy , " kmh112960 " <kmh112960 wrote: > > I am having so many problems with my husband. He was put on Methadone > about 6 months ago for him 3-6 per week migraines and now we are very > near divorce after almost 29 years. I found out he was writing to > women online, going on dating sites and saying we were getting a > divorce. He has been spending money like crazy and we are already in > very severe debt with credit cards. He has no excuses but keeps lying > to me. He gets angry easy lately, gets lost while driving, forgets > what he's said. I am so ready to file for divorce but think he's sick > because of the methadone. Anybody know much about this horrible drug? > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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