Hi LoriMc,
First of all I should stress that I am NOT an expert when it comes to the questions you have asked regarding your husbands medication. What I am though is a compulsive gambler who currently isn’t gambling.
I had a quick google so you have probably already seen the same stuff that I have….. if there is a link between those medicaions and addiction then it would appear to be that it is because it tops up the dopamine “reward chemicals” to where they should be in the first place. It seems that the levels of the drug used to address restess leg sybdrome are far lower than those used for Parkinsons so the efects with addiction would be less.
I’m not going to pretend to understand the scientific side of thigns but what i can say from experience is that it doesnt seem to matter what causes the addiction – once we crodss the line into compulsive gambling there doesn’t sdeem to be a reverse gear. A return to “normal” gambling isn’t possible. It’s great that your husband is going to talk about things wiht his Dr but even if the meds are changed it is unlikely he would be abloe to return to controlled gambling.
It’s great that he has asked you to looka fter the finances. Is he doing anything else to adress the addiction? Is he going to be posting in the My Journal Forum? Get to GA meetings or whatever?