Well take it from a loooonnngggg time severe migraine and chronic, intractible headache sufferer, I too have found great relief from the use of methadone and CONGRATULATE you on your discovery. Despite it's negative reputation, I am basing my opinion on more than twenty years of trial and error. I too have been on a barage of medications. I have been on every anti-depressant available, including the MAO Inhibitors. I have also been on every old migraine remedy (cafergot, ergot tablets, midrin, and every new migraine medication (Amerge, Frova, Axert). I have also been on the calcium channels blockers and the beta blockers. I've been on Sansert and DHE 45 injections. I've been on numerous anti-psychotics and it seems like every NSAID available on earth. I've been on many, many anti-epileptic drugs and other mood stabilizers. Needless to say I've been hospitalized at least 18 times for them, 11 times I was hospitalized at an inpatient headache unit at one of the world's foremost authorities on headaches and each one of those stays were from a minimum of 10 days to six weeks. And the best relief I could get was only transient relief with side effects that were almost as bad as the headaches themselves. At one point I gained 115 lbs and mind you I only weigh 125 normally. In an effort to stay away from narcotics and other addicting drugs, at one time I was prescribed more than 26 medications at the same time. My average monthly Rx bill without insurance cost me $1800.00.

So after more than $500 thousand insurance dollars, the loss of my marriage, the loss of sympathetic friends and the crumble of my career, I am now on Social Security Disability. Fortunately and unfortunately depending on how you look at it, I too have discovered Methadone. I am also on Effexor XR at a very high dose (450 mg) and Serouquel for sleep (it is a relatively new antipsychotic). I do believe that these two preventative drugs allow me to stay on low doses of methadone and keep me from abusing it, because it is so highly addictive. When I look back, I do remember my doctor giving me a "one time only" pain shot upon each admittance into the hospital. Although no one spoke much of it and it was referred to as DOLOPHINE, which I now know is one of the brand names for methadone. I also remember my doctor telling me that she uses Dolophine because it is the longest acting narcotic available and she has a lot of patients like myself whose headaches do last for more than the traditional 72 hours.

And while some of the new triptans like Amerge and Frova have longer half-lives than most migraine drugs, they are ungodly expensive if they have to be used chronically. I believe my Amerge was costing me around $21.00 per tablet and I needed to take them daily as preventatives. My monthly bill for methadone only costs about $38.00.

My only caution other than what everyone else has stated regarding its addiction potential is never, ever to stop taking it abruptly. I was concerned about the addiction and since my headaches had been so much better I wanted to see how I would do without it. I suffered two grand-mal seizures and ended up in the hospital. BAD maneuver.

So the only two side effects that I haven't been able to subdue are the frequent disturbing nightmares and the reduced libido. All drugs have side effects, but as a whole I would says methadone has given me my life back, so much so that I think I am ready to start working again. This time for myself. All in all.....I think it can be a miracle drug, as long as it isn't abused. Best, best wishes.

And any help on the nightmares and/or reduced libido would be greatly appreciated. (I am female).