Quit Cold Turkey!!
This is my first post......I read a few before I decided to actually make a post in hope that it'll give someone else strength to get off this horrible crap!!
I first started out taking loratabs and percs, then moved to roxys, then to oxy (I never made it to heroin though!), I was on some type of pain pill every day all day long for about 1 and 1/2 yrs. And I was on methadone for almost 4 yrs (I was a couple weeks away). My dose got all the way to 160mgs, and I cut down to 50mgs in about 2 yrs. I don't currently have a job so I decided its time to get off this crap and move on with my life. Before the pills and methadone I had sooooo much going for me, amazing credit, a good job. But then the pills became more important.
ANYWAYS.....That was 3 weeks ago today..... And I threw all my left over doses down the drain so I couldn't go back if I wanted to!!
The first 2 or 3 days were the worst!! The rest of the first week the withdrawals were still there just not as strong. The 2nd week I felt weak, still had the sweats, achy back, and achy legs. And every time I would try to go to bed I would get that crazy feeling in my legs, and all that would make it go away was kicking my legs in bed. In the begining of the 2nd week I also noticed my stomach had a hard time digesting food right, so I'd get a gas bubble for like 30 mins after I'd eat. But this 3rd week I got A LOT better! I still get a sore back and legs but thats when I go out and do stuff or if I lay in one spot for so long. I have felt about 85% back to normal this week, which I LOVE!!! The only symptom I still have and always had during all this is the sneezing!! And its always 3 sneezes in a row lol. They're not as often but they're still there.
I had tried getting off cold turkey before but I didn't know then the things I knew this time, because this time I researched it before I took my last dose.
What I did this time: I went to the store on the last day I took a dose and bought stuff I would need for the next couple weeks. Drinking lots of gatorade helped SOOOO much it made a lot of the withdrawals not as strong like before. I also got the vitamins I had seen quite a few people suggest, I got the 3 in 1 vitamins (Calcium, Magnesium, and Zinc) and some B-6 vitamins. I took 3 of the 3-1 pills and 1 of the b-6 pills before I ate breakfast. They say you should take them before bed too but I never did, I hate taking any type pills, especially these big ones. I think these vitamins helped me through it faster because it helps speed up your metabolism to help the methadone out faster (so I read). I also made sure I ate every time I was hungry I noticed my withdrawals weren't as bad if I kept a full stomach. And whenever I just really felt like crap I would go take a bath or a shower. Every time I showered I would feel like a normal person again for a little while! So if you can live in the shower or bath tub lol seriously!! A friend of mine also suggested eating chocolate (I just bought a Hershey's big chocolate bar) because it releases some of the same endorphins that the pain meds do. I also tried to keep my mind off of how I felt by watching tv shows on dvd or movies. And when that wasn't helping I'd go outside, the sun and fresh air helps!! I'm also a smoker and I read everywhere that you shouldn't smoke while getting off methadone, but I felt sometimes it helped my withdrawals, especially when I couldn't sleep. The first 2 weeks though cigarettes tasted like crap like I was smoking a year old cigarette. But the starting of the 3rd week it went back to normal. I also used to be a HEAVY pepsi drinker, and since I stopped taking methadone I've only had one soda (which I didn't like, it was to bubbly lol) and I've also lost 8 lbs.
At my week and a half I almost went back to my clinic, but I read online that it should take 3-5 weeks before you start to feel normal again, and knowing that I was almost (at the least) half way through all this crap made me feel better!!! But since I hadn't found this forum until today, I posted a lot of what I was going through on my Facebook, so help and support and encouragement helped a lot too!!!
So thats my story, for the most part of what I can remember of it and what it was like going through the withdrawals.
But I do have one question! I bought a couple drug tests online and I took one today and it still says I've positive for methadone. How long should it be before I should get a negative result?!