Smell Of Withdrawal

[discretekarma]

I've noticed the last few times I've gone through any sort of withdrawal that there's a smell that is associated with it. I can't tell if it's in my head or not but it's strong and always the same. It's not sweat or anything I've smelled any other time. Has anyone else had this happen to them?

[imSarah1988]

Omg I can tell so much about this. even when i tapper off i can smell it, but the worst was when i got a drip since I have a relative who can easily do it without hospita just basicanlly flush out everything with a drip l. I'm thinking about getting one of these drips my selfve, but just scared of needles. So basically after all the drips and vitamins that was there, when my body was flushed from all alco, the smell of me was unbearable. I dont know if it was me who smelted it, but I can't even describe it. Like some sort of vitamins that you put in water and i never drink, or some other random smell. I wish to figure our what is it, everytime after many days , since it's daily, i smell myself. especially nails, I just want to cut them off, everything annoys me my hair my smell , who is dealing with it ?

[NYCHandCDetox]

I am almost two months clean of heroin and I have this STRONG odor from my entire body but particularly under my breasts (grosse) not to mention my privates... I checked w the gyno and he ran all sorts of tests...  Im in an outpatient recovery program where they have me on meds, antidepressants, sleep aids, vivitrol/naltrexone (WHICH BTW I HIGHLY RECOMMEND!  Look up Parallax in NYC, saved my life and maybe your local substance abuse professional can consider this option, not trying to plug here but I'm THAT grateful!) anyways I think it may be all the meds I'm on?  My gyno recommended adding a spoonful of baking soda and splashing it around my privates and under my breasts and armpits. Helps balance the PH in our lady parts but also helps neutralize odors in the areas where we prespire the most.  This is SO grosse and I'm too embarrassed to even take my undies off in front of my bf =(

[Pistolpete91]

Most people are saying it is one smell, I completely agree with your comment. I feel like my sense of smell is heightened but also has a gross aspect to it, A lot of foods smell absolutely nasty, I can't be around my dog because her smell is nauseating and these smells almost seem to linger around me. I just hope to god this eventually goes away.

[Kimaasad]

i have been detoxing from fentanyl and this is day five and the smells are horrendous.  everything smells odd and super strong.  i can’t breathe through my nose because of the smells.  

[WODAgirl]

Weird taste in my mouth too.

[sickofthis37]

Once again, I'm stopping oxycodones.. Been through this so many times - and I thought I was just crazy... The burnt smell coming through my hands. I'm not a doctor - but I remember hearing that a sign of a stroke is a burning smell. Then I've read several times tonight, that a sign of a seizure is a burning smell. I've had several seizures - not from opioid withdrawl. But from taking too many tramadol/ultrams.. So be careful people!!! So scarey!! And you are too afraid to tell anyone the reason you just had a seizure is from taking 16 ultrams in a day! Been a couple years since I've stopped them.. Gone through cancer - trying to get off the meds.. This burning smell.. Ugh....
Something that has helped me in years past - maybe it will help you.. During my fits of nasty puky stomach - I usen cough drops - ALOT or keep a nice lavendar or vanilla calendar close. If I start to feel nauseous I'll just sniff the candle till it passes.. People think I'm wierd.. But better than gagging, dry heaving or throwing up all over the place!

[MichaelD47]

I went thru alcohol withdrawal 6 yrs ago with the help of many Barbies in detox center.  No booze since with no desire.
I'm about to have spine surgery and:
  No nicotine in bloodwork or will need to wait
  No tramodol in my system or post surgery pain meds will be "confused" and will need larger doses

so, in the meantime.....
Day 24 of no nicotine, day 8 of no tramodol...... My wife does not smell the onion odor that I do, and all would seem normal.

Thanks for all of the input... The loose screw being repaired is really below my shoulders.

[dsigngrrl]

I have smelled this smell I can only describe as glue, like elmer's glue, but not quite... I don't have anything else to compare it to. I smelled it on a friend who eventually died from alcohol. And I've smelled in on several friends who drink to excess. I don't know if this is your smell, but I have a feeling it has something to do with the excess not processing well, since it's only been on those people with a serious drinking problem.

[JTizzle]

First, I found you after you responded to my question. So, it's only fitting that I help you with this. I kept smelling a "chemical" my boyfriend thought i was going insane. I couldn't drink anything that was in a plastic container (because i smelled plastic?) lol. It's interesting to hear you have a similar experience.

[janet19]

Everyone sure has a lot to say about smell. Oh my I think my house has been smelling weird but maybe it is me, because it is every where that I am.

[mayberryjd]

I may not have been clear enough when asking my question.  My husband is, unfortunately, not going through withdrawal.  He drinks every day. He has never taken  any kind of drugs; the only substance he has ever abused is alcohol. The odor coming from him is noticeable by anyone who gets near him, although I don't know if he smells it himself - he doesn't have a highly developed sense of smell. He doesn't exercise, so it's not sweat...

I should probably ask this of a physician.  Can the odor be the result of toxins building up in his system as a result of his kidneys not functioning sufficiently?  In other words, if the waste isn't being removed by the kidneys, through his urine, can it come out in other ways - through his sweat/skin?

Thanks!

[Iwant2Bclean]

When I was coming off Suboxone I kept smelling something like fingernail polish remover. Nobody else smelt it and I thought I was crazy but maybe it was the WD's?

[feohmoon]

I have to laugh (which I appreciate very much) - a couple of days ago my fiance was like 'I think I smell you'...I said 'yea, I know' and we just laughed...what else can you do?  I am a clean person but you cannot tell by smelling me during the first couple days of withdrawals...lol  Showering helps for approximately 4 or 5 minutes.
There are several odors that I still associate with methadone withdrawals from 2.5 years ago.

[chico1969]

Yeah, I agree with that!  For me, it's burnt microwave popcorn!  During the first day of my detox the BF burned popcorn in the micro and the smell stayed with me for days!  I thought I was going crazy.  Also, the smell of anything sweet after the first three days started to make me sick.  

[livngr8ful]

Maybe the addict in me was acting up.  but, I blamed it on my smallest ones head. I Got irritated that she didnt get a bath. So now once again I need to say sorry for placing blame where it didnt belong. It was me all along that smelled like some sort of french cheese. Note to self:  If ever again, I smell like bad cheese because I am detoxing, place blame on the one who stinks. Oh wait a next time wont happen.  Ill just have to stopp blaming my kids, when I cut a nasty.  >>>>>>>>funny post>>>>>>>> but a good question.

[Ballgame]

It's not the smell of WD so much as what you smelled when WD. For me it's my kids shampoo. Everytime I give them a bath I smell it and takes mr right to that feeling.
Another one for me Old Spice body wash. Instant wd feeling when I smell.

For me it's because I smelled those things when having bad wd

[mayberryjd]

My husband is 67 and an alcoholic.  He drinks copious amounts of alcohol - beer, wine, scotch, just about anything - daily, beginning at about 6:00 PM and all day on weekends.  Recently, I started noticing an odor coming from him. It's not the alcohol "sweet" smell that others have mentioned.   It's a dirty, "sour" smell, even soon after he showers in the a.m.  Does anyone know whether this is a known phenomenom with alcoholics?  He has kidney issues.  Could the odor be related to the failure of his kidneys to cleanse his blood properly, i.e. build up of waste products in his body?  
Thanks.

[golfone]

i am going thru detox now at home alone. a very clean person and i stink.i got hooked on my wifes ocycotin abot 2 years ago. now she is out for a few days and that means so am i.she has been on it for over 15 and is having an easire time with out it

[luckyguy2010]

I have had he same experience. It seems as though that smell lingers in clothes, and bedsheets. Additionally, when this chemical is coming out, it makes me feel panicky and bats**t crazy. I have found that a shower helps with those feelings, it seems to remove this noxious chemical from my skin, and the crawling feeling is gone for a while. This go around I am taking abouit 5 showers a day, and I am less crazy for a few hours each time. Dont forget to brush and rinse your mouth out.... you'll actually see you are spitting out grey water. You will feel the waste chemical coming out of your mouth and nostrils and even your eyes and crawling out to neighboring skin.

It's really awful crap, man.

[micheleTX]

lol, yes that is what I thought it smelled like also.  Something burning.  I kept sniffing and looking around, thinking a cigarette was burning somewhere I couldnt tell where, and food cooking was gross too.  I knew it was some chemicals coming off me, and just couldnt stand that smell at all.  Sure dont miss smelling that one!!

[lmccoy]

To funny to see your post, I was going to ask the same thing. I always just thought it was some weird sweat. The worst for me is my sense of smell. For me it is extreme. Cooking odors will smell like some completly unrelated thing or like nothing I have ever smelled. Half the time I think the house is burning down. Seems to be a common problem!

[Tom_123]

What you smell is acetaldehyde
see......
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acetaldehyde

[worried878]

ok...i am gonna be candid here..so forgive me if u r faint at heart lol!  this is not a "re-awakening" of the senses type odor..no more detail but places i do not like to have an odor were just exuding this weird odor...like mentioned..it is not a sweaty odor..more like acrid if i could describe it which i can not...i would wake up at night kinda sweaty and this odor was on my gown etc...but when my underarms and privates r a bit "acrid"  i know sumpin is up!  lol   i am sure it has to do with ur body ridding itself of the chemicals we have ingested...but it is a distinct..strange odor..ugh

[ginsa]

I kept asking the nurses in Detox if they smelled something funny. They couldn't smell it. My sense of smell went through the roof when I started tapering off. Some people have visual or hearing sensitivities and others have it in the olfactory senses. I still have overly sensitive sense of smell and things don't taste right.

[backmymojo]

Yeh, Iv noticed that to its wierd smell its all the chemicals coming out through your pores also whats happening is you are getting all your senses back that have been dulled for so long, when Iv gone through it after bout 4/5 days can taste stuff more and smells are all stronger even looking at the sky, grass, flowers everything is enhanced because its all been numbed and dulled for so long.  Suddenly everything is noticable just think how much you have missed thats what kept me going when I wanted to give up and go back, your'e doing so well. Small steps and victories, keep going just think how much you have to look forward to and make up all that lost time.
All the best.