Methadone Withdrawal Day 7. How much longer will this physical withdrawal last?

[kurtisdopesick]

Okay so i took my last dose of 7mg seven days ago, I tapered down very slowly from 90 Mg for 2 years. it is driving me insane now knowing when i am going to start feeling physically better. Being tired, and emotional is just fine with me, when am I going to hit that stage?

Thank you for your Help, this is truly been a horrible week. : /

[DixieTn]

Hello all!! I have been reading on methadone withdrawals for weeks now. I am 7 days clean today off of 5 mg of methadone. I am a little confused as to how long it will take before my stomache doesn't feel so hollow and I can stay out of the bathroom!! I can barely eat and when I do it comes back up. Not trying to be disgusting. I will not take Imodium ad I feel I need to let this run its course. Any advice , help or encouragement would be great!! Thank U

[Soulscapex]

Hello DixieTn , Congrats on on the 7 days, the stomach issue could last awhile , its sometiimes the last thing to go away , it took me 30 plus days for that to slow down. I would recommend starting a new post, that way the great people here could answer you. Keep strong you got this.

[gnarly_1]

Hey Kurt  I remember you  congrats on 4yrs clean!!!!! that is ausum  as you can see where still here helping people break the chains of active addiction  thanks for dropping by  it is good to see  you great to see you clean...............Gnarly..............................

[kurtisdopesick]

It has been about 4 years now and I amgetting married and have a house. No more anxiety no more trips to the clinic. Have cravings some times but they are very small blips and not often. It is possible to get off of that... Stuff.. It seems impossible when your standing in line at the clinic sweating. Or on day 5 and still have 7 days to go. You will feel SO much better when you get off. It feels like waking up from a dream. Alive again

[Sgebhardt]

Hi I just tapered down from methadone I was on it for over 4 years and got sick of it. I was at 260 a day for over 2 years.  I decide I had enough of it and tapered Down like 10 a week till around 100 or something like that then tapered 5 a week sometimes two times a week it took me like 7 months to get down to 5 and the dr said I would be ok to just stop. I am a roofer and it is a hard job but still worked it was really hard the past couple of days sneezing yawning sore and some pain and other stuff. It has been 4 days without not getting much better. The only thing I have going for me is that I am real hungry all the time and when I keep myself full like 5 meals a day I feel better it's very odd. Food is one of the only things that helps me sleep I hope work gets easier soon this withdraw makes it real hard I am going cold turkey with just food as my medicine

[shawae]

What made me decide was the fact that this substance was literally controlling my life. No matter what I was doing or where I was going I had to schedule it around my addictions. So I went i took my last dose and walked away. I'm on day 5 and its not pleasant but knowing that in a few weeks I will feel like myself again. I cried so so hard when I signed my discharge papers because I knew what was coming. You're not alone in this there are millions of ppl going through  this and lots of them made its i know I can to.

[S0nnie]

I have just been reading over the storys that you guys have been writing and alot of memorys have come rushing back.I live in australia so nearly every suburb has a few methadone prescribers.Rougphly 10 years ago I was on 100mls of methadone a day.But not only that.I was also injecting 80mls and over a day.This went on for about 5 years.when I decided enougph was enougph and I really wanted to stop I knew that it was going to be very hard so I made the decision to go to visit my aunty in Italy.(I think that it is easier for yourself mentally to get of a substance if you put yourslef in a place where you can not find it)The only thing I had with me were 25 Valium tablets.Which I took on the first day.I have never felt so sick in my life.Cramps in my stomache, burning skin, watery eyes, sneezing,increased smell and taste, yawning, couldn't sleep and when I did sleep it was only for about 5 min then I would wake up again.Tossing and turning trying to get comfortable. Sweating alot, alot of sex dreams ending nearly every time with having to change my underwear.(with men)there are alot more and different  withdrawals that come with going "cold turkey" but it is also a dangerous way to do it.The number one thing you must have is family around you all the time to help you go through it.This is a must have.I remember that about 3 months after I started to withdraw is when I first started to feel ok.It sort of just hits you over night.One morning you wake up and just feel much better.I also remember thinking to myself that I wish I went through this years ago beacuse when my energy came back and my sleeping and eating habits etc where back to normal, it was the best feeling that I had ever had.That of being straight.The best feeling I ever had was not being off my head.It was great.I know alot of you guys know what I am talking about.when someone has been high for so many years they forget just how good life was before drugs came into their life...

[LadySailor86]

Hey y'all just from experience with the wD, I found Benadryl made
My legs and the rest of me MORE jumpy and restless. I took lots of immodium and my tummy felt lots better. That weird taste and smell goes away after about two weeks I think.

[beatbutnotbroken]

Omg if no one has mentioned this...clonadine a heart pressure med that is amazing to help get u thru the hard days usally days 3 to 10. It helped me tremendously

[beatbutnotbroken]

Wow listening to all that are withdrawing and hearing the anxity and the fear makes me wanna cry....I am 21 days clean from a 8 year ride with opiates and last 5years on methadone. 105 tapered to 45 mg and jumped. (Best jump I ever made)  day 21 with the advise of these amazing pple here who have gone thru what you we are going thru have saved my life. As far as my symptons are the heart pounding, energy crash but is getting better one day im fine the next ugh again. But I pop my head phones in and I push thru it I go for jog as far as I can go just dont over due it. Methadone is a battle won day by day you cant be impatient with it, but know with a strong will you will heal and you will be free from the chainsof addiction. I broke my  chains off 21days ago and today as hard as the guilt and shame I have caused my eyes are seeing what truehappiness can be.

[BulletTreatment357]

In on day 5 and my legs hurt so bad how can I help the restless legs any ideas ???

[melin0402]

I was on methadone - 100 mg. - for 7 years.  I came off of it cold turkey in 2005.  It was absolute HELL.  I thought I was going to die.  I am amazed that I didn't.  I did have some lorazapam (that helped!)  But, I don't think I slept more than 15 minutes at a time for at least a month.  I had to crawl to the bathroom on day 3.  I remember that like it was yesterday.  when I did sleep, I would wake up soaked in sweat (even though I was only out for 15 minutes).  I looked like death.  I felt like death.  Somehow, I got through it.  I remember, after about 6 months, I finally slept for 4 hours straight.  It was amazing!!!   I finally started gaining weight, and had an appetite, after about 6 months, also.

It took about 2 years to finally sleep through the night, and feel 'normal'.  I wouldn't wish this on anyone.  

Today, I am sober!  God helped me get through that time in my life.  

[coldturkey716]

i've been off 100mg couple times a week. had to go cold turkey because i lost my job. the bad feelings come and go. slept 5 hours in past 8 days. the not sleeping is the worst. i gotta get clean. metal is the devil. i wish i came off 7mg. try coming off a large dose on day 4 i was crying and praying for death. especially after reading about someone on similar dose having  withdrawal symptoms 43 days later. i'm in hell but i have to get through it

[Sodamnsick]

I'm on day 7 clean from methadone. It's KILLING me. I have a 3 year old and NO strength. When will I feel better!?!?

[RaineyII]

Every day the withdrawals come up with new and improved symptoms, to over come. I have been doing the detox alone. I've never had my skin feel like a sunburn without actually being burned by the suns rays. I don't sleep,& the restless legs are horrible. I was on methadone for 8 yrs for chronic pain, it was a miracle drug that actually worked- I'd been on oxycontin and lortab for years, and the pain was always in the back of my mind, but I was high. That's what I liked about the methadone there wasn't that high feeling, and for the first time in years I didn't just think about the pain. I had no intention of going off the methadone, but I moved to a state called Texas, and these Drs, are brutal, they want u to go to a pain specialist, that you can't get into... I work in the medical field, and I am appalled at the treatment from these MD's pushing me out the door without even caring what trauma they are forcing you into. I had 9 pills left when I realized my worst nightmare was going to come true. So instead of taking 3 pills a day I knocked it down to 1 a day..by day 9 of the drastic reduction I was totally suffering. It's been almost 7 days since I had methadone, but one of the ER doc had prescribed lortab 5 I didn't fill it until day 2 off all methadone, because I knew it would do nothing for me...but I was pretty desperate and got 10 of those worthless pills, that didn't help. Today is the first day I am even perspiring from the burning skin....I'm easily down 10 lbs. I look like hell, but I guess since I feel like he'll I am going to look the part. Sleeping has been a serious problem, I don't feel to charged up about being off the methadone...it's hard to recover alone. I hate platitudes! I'm tired of feeling lousy, and I know I will not feel better tomorrow, now I have to endure all the pain again, and go thru withdrawals at the same time. It's weird 1 day I didn't have the restless legs, but that prob resurfaced again. After all the trauma my body has been through for 17 days, I'd sure hate to have done this for nothing. I just dont know how I will manage the pain. The methadone kept me working, I don't know where all this p is coming from, but I look at liquids, and I am in the bathroom. I didn't realize methadone had made some changes in my body, but now my body is looking better, but damn, the aches and pains are traumatic. I honestly can't imagine going through the severe achy flu like symptoms for weeks or months- as some people have documented. I feel like I'm losing the battle. 1 day I cried all day, and my emotions are all over. I didn't like being out of control the first few days, I can see how easily violence could occur during that time- I'm not a violent person, but all my thought were violent, so if I had the propensity to be violent I'm sure someone could have gotten hurt, even myself being hurt. I ate real food complex carbs today, and my gut isn't happy, it has been rebelling for 14 hrs.
Signed,
It sux to be me!  

[Ms_im_doin_it]

Just wanted to share abit with you as I was exactly where you are heading 3 days ago....I too left the clinic @ 10mg...I had been there for 10 yrs never above 75. I detoxed there going everyday for 7 days dropped from 50 to 10 in 7days...I know how you feel...its really something you cant put into words but I found a med called clonodine...it will slow your bp and hrate...alot...it drains me and the FLAT miserable feeling of no energy was driving me crazy so at day 9 I stopped taking the clonidine NON addictive by the way...and today is day 14...I feel alot better...no energy long...about 20 min of functioning then I have to lay down....Ive started to take care of myself though when I feel like it...like I used to...even did my nails about 3am....bad news is I havent slept beyond 1~2 hours all together at night! But, we will feel normal again...no dope just living life like all those we envied who I'd always think "How do they do it so naturally?" Jealous of the drive and happiness I'd see and want it for me! Well, we will have it and other will look at us as inspiration! Hang in there...your DOING IT!

[getmeoff4929]

I've only been on Methadone for 38 days.  Wanted to do a 28 day detox but the doc at the clinic said I needed another 21 days to come off.  I was only on 30mg to start with. I always leave some behind in the cup.  It knocked me down to 25 mgs.  When I insisted I wanted to come off, he changed me to come down 5 mgs every 5 days.  I am now at 10 mgs (still leaving some behind) I have hot flashes and some days I get tired but other than that, I've been fine.  My question is, when I get down to 5mgs and then stop will I be suffering like everyone seems to be on here?? I've only been on this stuff for 38days.  Please advise.  Thank you!! GetMeOff.

[Bill2013]

Day 6 for me! I'm not sureI would have taken one of these things if I knew then what I know now.... I have been on some kind of pain meds for the last 10 yrs from a MC accident, got my last surgery in 07, still screwed and the Doc suggested methadone> I have to admit it was the best pain med I had been on, builds up for long term, no peaks and valleys, I thought it was the answer to my dreams. Since it worked so well I was able to do things I never dreamed I would be able to do again, including getting back into some semblance of decent shape, and started doing the long taper. I got down to ten mg and quit. Wow! Wish I would have read these forums before I did! I haven't slept more that a couple of hrs per night for the last 4 days, that burning sensation is the worst, especially when combined with Restless leg syndrome. I wonder how long you can go like that? I seem to be getting used to no sleep, It's a whole lot better than trying to sleep, that's a little more than frustrating.... I don't crave the damn things, thats a relief. I keep asking myself if it was worth it, when this is over I may have a life again so maybe? Guess the next few weeks will tell. Good luck to all!    
Bill

[gnarly_1]

Hi .....I cam off methadone several yrs ago......nothing  I would want to do again im happy for you and your baby now try to make some you time and get to an N/A meeting...........Gnarly

[Kassyc]

Day ten for me, after 4yrs on the program. 130mls was my highest dose. My last dose was 18 mls. Still feel like **** but, but doing a lot better. What surprised me was my baby was born while I was on the program and had no withdrawal, but I'm not so lucky. I haven't had more than a few hours of sleep at night since I quit. Definitely wish I didn't have to be "mom" while I'm going through this! Detoxing from heroin is 100 times worse, but doesnt last as long. The most important thing is to make sure your life is stable! That way you dont relapse when your getting off the program, and start all over again.

[weaver71]

I had all the symptoms you describe. My feet felt like I had walked barefoot over gravel for a month. They hurt so bad, I would wake up. It started feeling better at about 35 days and was gone by 60 days. The sweat and lack of focus seem to hang on too. I am close to 70 days and my focus is getting better and my energy is still getting a little better each day. 90 days seems to be common for methadone detox. You are well on your way. You are going to start feeling better soon. After 30 days, it seems as if I get concistantly better. My motivation and energy are the things that I'm still waiting on. Good luck and congrats on your clean time. You are amazingly determined to have gone through so many efforts. You are obviously a strong person.

[RocketMike]

I too am trying to kick methadone.  I took it as prescription for maybe 7 years in pain management.  I felt fine while on 90mg per day.  When I lost my coverage I found it difficult to get the methadone.  Many doctors would not prescribe it.  I had been told to cut down gradual but not in what encrements.  I dropped 30 mg day with almost no side effect.  After a few weeks I dropped another 30 mg day again with no serious side effects.  After a few weeks more I cut 15 mg, or half of each 10 mg tablet, with about 2 weeks of mild withdrawal. The i decided to stop completely.  Big mistake.  I ended up having to go to the emergency room after 2 weeks, and was told I needed to go back on or I would have to be hospitalized.  I went back up to 30mg day, and withdrawal stopped in a few days.  I still wanted off, so after a couple of months, I cut back down to 15 mg per day (3x5mgs).  Again, mild withdrawal for 2 weeks.  after a couple of months I started cuttin the 5mg half tablets in halve with pill cutter, probably 2+mlg with waste from cutting.  Again, mild withdrawal for a couple of weeks, no big deal.  Then I tried to quit again, and after 3 weeks, back to the emergency room, and back up to 5mg, 3 times a day.  Still wanted to stop, so went through the routine again of going down to 2+mg, 3 times a day.  Then decided to cut the pills again, with waste probably a little over 1 mg 3 times a day.  You needed a magnifying glass just to see the little things.  again, mild withdrawal for maybe 3 weeks.  Waited 2 months, and then quit.  The first 3 days were fine and then hell.  Same symptoms as you for maybe 2 weeks then better.  I'm now at almost 4 weeks clean, but still have recurring withdrawal symptoms, fatigue, irritability, headaches, but worst of all neuropathy in my feet.  Almost constant burning/freezing/tingling sensations only on the bottom of my feet.  Feels a bit like I've got socks on all the time as surface is kind of numb feeling.  It's constant through the day, but much worse at night when it will wake me up about 4 in the morning feeling like my feet are on fire.  I've found that if I wear heavy socks to bed that it helps marginally.  I soak them in cool water and it helps but comes back right away.  I use aspocreme on them and it helps a little.  The socks work better.  After reading some of the posts, I'm afraid I may have many more weeks of this.  When I started on Methadone, I remember asking the doctor how hard it would be to quit.  He said no problem, you just taper down over a few weeks and then stop.  Obviously he had neveer taken Methadone.  

[kurtisdopesick]

Its okay to be scared, that is why it took me so long to do it, just the fear of being sick.

But as you probably know even while your on the stuff you still feel sick almost every day or every other day.

I got sick of feeling sick while i was on methadone, and if your taking it on and off you must be dealing with the withdrawal all the time.

You should make a plan your gonna need at least 10 days where you can just sit. Its hard but, possible. I think the thing is that its better just to go through 5 to 7 days of feeling real bad then feeling like you are going crazy for the next 5 years on that garbage.

When your in the real scary part, just watch a funny movie, and when it gets really bad physically take a shower or a hot bath, it's hard to get up and do it but it makes you feel better. And remember that it comes in waves, so its not going to be hell every minute during that week.

I'm going to keep checking this so I will be here for you. It will get better : )

Promise : )

[lynnalb15]

Oh my gosh I read this and it made me sick to my stomach. I am do a seed to quit. I am on 15mg a day have been basically for 7 month off and on but mostly back to back days. I want out so bad but the sickness is scaring me to death. I'm literally in tears right now. I don't want to live like this anymore. I could puke I'm so upset right now. How did you finally decide to just stop!?

[kurtisdopesick]

Day 10

okay so yesterday (day 9) was more of the tremors and stomach aches.

Actually feel better today, like my guardian Angels above have said, at this point i just feel very tired, and anxious. I think day 10 is the magical day when most of the physical stuff goes away. SO STAY STRONG if I can do this you can : )