United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

Has anyone on meth noticed a tendency to extreme emotional swings.
I'm a sensitive kinda guy but lately I have been subject to extreme emotional breakdowns for little reason. I have had the odd drink, so I'm wondering if alcohol is also a factor. I'm stopping that alltogether but wonder if any other meth users have noticed this.

Thanks,

H

Hello Henry,
This question is a bit unrelated to what you asked but I wanted to know how the methadone is working? Does help relieve some of the pain? Are there any really bad side effects? My pain specialist suggested it about 2 years ago but I didn’t want to try it at the time because there was to much going on and I was already on a cocktail of other drugs. Thanks Andrew

Hey Henry,
I've been on methadone for the past year (15 ml x 3/day and 3x 900ml of neurontin) and oxycontin for a year before that. All this stuff can have alot of play your mood, emotions, and motivation/desires. I'm in the process of trying to get off all drugs, since I've been on them for over 2 years from when I first got injured. I found that methadone was the best med of choice w/neurontin, but have found that I need to see what it's like to see straight again and if I can last at all w/out them. I'm on a minimal dosage now as I wean off and plan to be off everything by the weekend. I must say that I'm not nearly as tired and alot more active both physically and mentally. Which is what I expected, but of course in buckets of pain. Tollerable, but I'm pretty nervous to be off the meds completely since I tried to yesterday but had too much withdrawal effects because I was going at it to fast and the pain was quite nasty to say the least.

The best I can offer you is to try and keep in mind that opiates of any kind directly effect your emotional/mental state and to not hold yourself personally responsable as far as any guilt or shame about it, when it happens, and you may find it helps you get thru to the other side alot quicker. Alcohol deffinately ramps it up in that arena as well unfortunately. I hope this helps a little bit, and I hope you find the right mix to get you thru.

On a last note, when I was reducing the amount of meds I was on, I made sure to try and have my own natural pain killers available to fill in the gap (endorphins) by exersizing as much as possible, which has truly helped. Your body's own natural endorphins are released less and less the more your body adapts to the increase of outside painkillers, opiates etc. I found that even a slight decrease in the amount of methadone I was on made a noticable increase, after a day or two, in my alertness and motivation. So you might want to keep that in mind, to try out, it may be just a little decrease in meds might help you out where you want it, while still helping w/a tollerable pain level. Best of luck.

Cheers,
Chris

Hi Chris,

I have thought about it and other than the mood swings I am ok on the meth. It doesn't seem to effect other parts of me too much and I am really enjoying the respite from the pain.

It has reduced appetite (ok), sex drive (not ok), but I don't know if I can face the pain again. I did 22 years of agony. I know that exercise is good, and do a lot of it. Not only are the endorphins good but so is the distraction, plus it keeps me very fit. If I could find a way to turn the pain down betwenn 30-40 % then I could live without the meth.

Keep me posted as to how you make out this weekend.

Henry

Hi Andrew,

Look back a bit. I did a regular posting when I first went on it.

Good luck and let me know if you can't find it.

Henry

Henry,
I was searching the boards for exactly the same issues. Methadone and mood swings. I thought it was the topamax causing the swings, I got off the topamax. No more anger bursts but my motivation is now zapped. My doctor prescribed Zoloft for the anger-thinking it may be ptsd. I've been on Meth since Feb and Zoloft for 3 weeks now without the topamax and am really depressed now. I wonder if it's the meth? I just got off the phone with the dr. and he advised to go off the Zoloft until our next meeting in 2 weeks.
I increased my meth almost 2 weeks ago. I now take 7.5 mg,morn 10mgnoon and 10mg.night.
The meth was working great until I stopped taking the topamax. The pain-burning and crushing has come back now. I found neurontin also clouded the mind and felt so much better when I stopped Neurontin and started on the topamax. I'm just in a depressed state now-no motivation-sort of numb I guess. We'll see if the Zoloft caused it. If not, I better take a look at the meth. Henry, are you on anything else besides the meth, and what dose are you on now?
Allison.

Henry,
I was searching the boards for exactly the same issues. Methadone and mood swings. I thought it was the topamax causing the swings, I got off the topamax. No more anger bursts but my motivation is now zapped. My doctor prescribed Zoloft for the anger-thinking it may be ptsd. I've been on Meth since Feb and Zoloft for 3 weeks now without the topamax and am really depressed now. I wonder if it's the meth? I just got off the phone with the dr. and he advised to go off the Zoloft until our next meeting in 2 weeks.
I increased my meth almost 2 weeks ago. I now take 7.5 mg,morn 10mgnoon and 10mg.night.
The meth was working great until I stopped taking the topamax. The pain-burning and crushing has come back now. I found neurontin also clouded the mind and felt so much better when I stopped Neurontin and started on the topamax. I'm just in a depressed state now-no motivation-sort of numb I guess. We'll see if the Zoloft caused it. If not, I better take a look at the meth. Henry, are you on anything else besides the meth, and what dose are you on now?
Allison.

Hi Allison,
I'm trying to gett off all meds and see who the real me is again, just to make sure all my thoughts & feelings are and were my own. It has been a pretty difficult time getting off the methadone because of the withdrawals. It's been a couple of weeks now off the methadone, and I won't get of the neurontin till I feel comfortable again. What ever that may be.

At any rate, I thought I would post this useful link on the site for anyone trying to get off opiates. It deals with the nutritional losses that come as a side effect of opiates, especially on the gastro intestenal system (all the constipation is more than just a pain in the ass!)

http://www.dpeg.org/treatment/methadone_withdrawal.htm

FYI - I'm niether for or against meds, they've helped me in great times of suffering, but I also believe they have prolonged & contributed to my suffering. I'll know better when I'm med free for at least a few months if I can stomach it. Best of luck to you. Also I've just started taking an antidepressant, Cymbalta, that is new and supposed to be good for neuropathic pain as well. I truly wish is was easier knowing what effects what, but it's impossible to filter out my own feelings and thoughts from what the meds may be contributing to.

Cheers, Christopher