Odor from withdrawal!?!

[SlimA]

I have been weaning off of the methadone now since the ending week of August which is also when I was forced to stop using Lortab and Midrin as my migraine abortives. I went to a migraine/headache clinic where they made me an inpatient for a week. While I was there they took my dosage down the first day from 70mg/day to 60... then cut it in half two days later. My schedule was to go down to 15mg/day the next week, then 10, then 5, each week then stop. I have dealt with the chills and sweats, but the worst part for me is the smell, since my stomach is already upset. I am on my last two days of the 5mg and the smell and stomach ache from my last drop are still present... I am really worried about the complete stop that will occur this thursday. I have made an appointment to do some steam therapy today and I am hoping it helps, but I wonder how long this could last after I take my last pill Wednesday night... any idea? I could live with the upset stomach and chills (which have minimized) but this smell is making it impossible for me to eat and the stress plus not eating is causing more migraines! I am fed up... any other suggestions?

[Jankins]

Smell goes away in 10 days, they are acids.
Dump some HCl on a plate and let it sit till dry.
It smells that way.

Ugh.  I am 60+ days off Mdone since 14 years
and still feel like shite.  I am using my Lunester
for the symptoms.

I once juiced an onion into my carrots juice and
It sent me into what felt like a panic attack.  I dont
recall a smell, just the druglike effect of drinking an
onion in 5 seconds.

[vicki595]

Here's the link to the social side:

http://www.medhelp.org/forums/Addiction-Social/show/88

[vicki595]

Oh...don't be sorry!  I was just curious...

So, welcome to the forum!!  Did you make a post about yourself? You don't have to but it's nice to know about folks. I read some of your earlier posts since I last posted so....I know your background. I think you can offer a lot to the forum so stick around!!  Also, I'll mention there's a "social side" to this forum...we have a good time over there. It's not a serious place so jump over there for a laugh or two!

Again,welcome!

[Luckytwice]

In fact I only came across this site while looking for some new information on treatments for  a medical condition. I didn't expect to start commenting, but it seems some people can benefit from some of my knowledge and experiences , so I've made a few.

[Luckytwice]

Nope sorry. I've only been here a week or so, and don't really know anyone here except from the comments i read.

[vicki595]

LOL!!    Thanks...I know that!    It was only an anecdotal story to illistrate the point that we smell (or taste) in a way dependent on what we ingest. Be it drugs or food!   I know this from experience; that's why I mentioned the fruit. ;)

Uh...you know...you write as though you're someone familiar; very familiar!
I recognize that verbage and syntax.  Have you been a member here under a different screen name at some point? Send me a PM if you want...

[Luckytwice]

People who ingest too much garlic smell pretty "ripe" at times. That's taking healthy eating a little too far IMO. I guess that's why it keeps the vampires away, LoL!  Onions do the same thing, but to a smaller degree, and it depends on they type of onion, and whether cooked (caramelized) or raw. There are quite a few herbs and spices that can make a person smell "peculiar" as well.

SlimA - I know migraines can be very debilitating. Thank goodness I rarely get them, but my brother has had them all his life. it's no fun having to live in a dark room in silence for days sometimes.

When i do get them, I find that opiates do nothing for them. They either have to go away on their own, with just plain acetaminophen helps  a little.

I hope that once you are free from opiates that this clinic can find what works and put you on better medications. Who ever put you on methadone wasn't very bright. it only has a limited effect on any kind of pain. The dose you were on was well beyond it's "ceiling effect" dosage for its' use as a pain med.

[Luckytwice]

That chemical smell/odor is a common thing when you stop taking these synthetic opiates.  For me, that smell was bad when i was given demerol post op for 3-4 days, then taken off it.  It comes out of your skin as you sweat which we all do a little.  As everyone says, just keep showering! It will go away as your body rids itself of the excesses.

That's a very fast taper for methadone.  But you seem to be able to tolerate the withdrawal symptoms  so far, I'm amazed in fact that you made it all the way to 5mg so fast!  You should be proud of yourself!  Most people have to taper much slower, and have troubles tapering below 20mg and lower.

Getting it over with faster is better though, and stopping that final 5mg shouldn't be any worse than what you've already been through. Congrats!
Now you will have to work on the long haul of getting your endorphin levels back to normal, getting those neurons woke up and regenerated so they can start producing enough of those endorphins your opioid receptors call for to keep you feeling "normal" again. You will feel better as each month goes by. it's probably been so long since you felt normal, it will feel like a whole new experience!
So good luck with the aftercare, focus on the ups, and the downs will fade away and become further and fewer inbetween as you heal.

[SlimA]

I was on Methadone for at least 5 or 6 years and it made little difference in my condition. I have daily severe migraines, it's been daily for almost 8 years now! They have completely changed all of my medications around, but while I was being treated locally, I was taking 70mg of Methadone and I would take 2 Midrin and 2 Lortab to try to stop a bad migraine from getting worse, which worked for a while, but I was ending up in the ER more and more frequently! My family wasn't always supportive... especially with me being on methadone, but they have never experienced this kind of pain. My dad once said that I was a hypochondriac, that I had a low pain tolerance and that I needed to just be stronger! My mom and I have an odd friendship like relationship and she has always been on my side, but never asked how I was doing or understood and would frequently get upset at me for canceling on her or having to reschedule. My real family lately has been my husband and my friends... they are the ones that don't give up on me and are always checking in to see how I am feeling. It has been a long time since I have had a good day... I really hope that is going to change. While I was in the hospital for my inpatient stay, I felt the withdrawal chills and hot flashes for a few days and when that was done, I felt great... had more energy than I can remember. I felt like a kid again, but each time I decrease, the symptoms are lasting longer and longer and I am getting worse and worse migraines. I just hope that once I am off completely and over the withdrawal, that I will be back to feeling the way I felt just after my stay! I finally got through to my dad though, after a huge fight... I said... imagine you have the worst headache that you have ever had and it lasts hours and hours and days and days... while being stabbed every other heartbeat in the head and the stabber is twisting the knife back and forth and back and forth and there is nothing you can do to stop it. Yeah, that is how bad I feel when I get severe ones. I have a slight one right now, but I have already taken all of the allotted abortives for the week, so I just have to try to relax (yeah, right!) and try to get it to go away on it's own, or call the clinic and wait for a response! It's definitely a serious condition that has not so much knowledge, so people truly do not understand! :/

[Methsuxbad]

glad to hear you have a supportive family it really helps.  I personally have no experience with migranes but many here have real health issues that involve real pain and from what ive read once they got off all the meds there pain was more managable than it was on them. Can I ask how long you were on the methadone?

[Jimmy1975]

Hello and welcome ! I can't add much to what Methsux said except maybe your sense of smell is effected by withdrawal . Sweats and nerves play a factor I am sure .Your body chemistry is Helter Skelter and  It will pass no doubt and you will be back to your normal senses . I was taking three showers a day as I remember and that helped tons ! Hang in there it will get better I promise ! Stay strong , Jimmy

[SlimA]

Thank you for your help... I have been suffering from Migraines since I was 17 and I just turned 33 this year. Methadone felt like my last resort when I started on it 5 or 6 years ago, but that was before I knew about the Diamond Headache Clinic. I went in there not knowing anything, and now I have a huge diet and drug change. They said I was over-medicated and they wanted me off of the methadone just as much as I wanted off of it. Had I known how much it would have affected me to get off of it, I probably never would have gotten on it, but I was not informed and I was desperate. I was once on 100mg/day and weaned all the way down to 30mg/day without any withdrawal, but we did it as a 10mg drop per month. When I got down to 30, my migraines increased in both frequency and severity, so we gradually built it back up again. It never really did much for me... :( so, now that I know how rough it is, I will never ever suggest anyone to get on it again (minus certain cancer patients/drug addicts cause I know it can help them)! I am just tired of feeling sick and tired of the odor making me feel even worse... I can handle sweaty, pain and chills, but odor and upset stomach are not things I normally deal with, so they seem the worst. Fortunately I have a wonderful husband and a lot of understanding friends and family to cheer me on, but no one really knows how hard it is unless they have been through it, and for that, I thank you! I hope that with all of this I may be able to regain some of my short term memory and not be so spastic all the time! It's good to know that there is a place where people like me are dealing with the same issues!

[Methsuxbad]

hello and welcome to the forum. Congrats on your taper so far and first steps to getting off the methadone. I know how hard it is to beat, I took my last dose july 13 and also was on 70mg.  I cant say I had the "odor" thing but my sense of smell and taste was very sensitive for a few weeks.  Hate to tell you that more than likely you're going to feel much worse before it gets better.  Just be ready for a long recovery 60-90 days is the time frame that was told to me, im close to 70 and finally feeling like myself again. OTC things you can do to ease some of the symptoms. Go to the bottom right of the page and look up the "thomas reciepe" get the supplements suggested, also you can pick some whey protein shake mix from walmart its only like $15 drink 2 a day for the first month.  The methadone really takes alot out of your body so really try to do some damage control to help yourself bounce back.  They say that its 1/3 physical and 2/3 mental and I must agree you've really got to want this and get your mindset right, have as much support in place as possible.  There are some real helpful and caring people here that will support you, I know they helped me through some rough spots.  Just know that you CAN do this and although the recovery is slow everything that is broken can be fixed with time and work.   Good luck and keep posting!!!