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coming off methodone

ive been on the methodone clinic for 3 yrs. i believe its the worst decision i have ever made. they brought me all the way to 170 mgs. because my matbalizismin is so fast. I started coming down 5 mgs. a week i got to 50 mgs. and drop off the clinic maybe not the best decision but im doing pretty good. The first week was horrible nonstop throwing up and i couldnt eat. But its been almost 3 weeks and the only symtoms i have is im sluggish and i have really bad stomach pain it feels like really bad gas pain. Is this normal??? If the stomach pain would go away i would feel pretty good. Do you have any suggestions for me? Is there any natural suppliments i can take to feel better? Any information would be great im a mother of three young boys so i have to keep up with them. But i will beat this i know i can. Thank you and God bless
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495284 tn?1333894042
COMMUNITY LEADER
Thanks Evolver!!!  You were one of them that i thought of.
Helpful - 1
495284 tn?1333894042
COMMUNITY LEADER
Hi~

I am bumping this back up as we have some people here who have great info on what you are asking.
Helpful - 0
1 Comments
Hi There :)

Sure hope you're still around & that you're hanging in there! I want to congratulate you on three weeks clean from arguably the most difficult opiate to withdraw from. Well done on making it through "the acutes".

Sure,.. jumping from 50 probably was a little more self-punishing than continuing your taper would have been but I can relate to your impatience & disgust -- I did something quite similar a little over 3 years ago. The good news is, is that even though they had you on a very high dose, you weren't on it that long & part of those two years were spent tapering (good for you). I too tested as a "rapid metabolizer". What they probably should have done instead of raising you exponentially, was to split your dose -- meaning, a lower dose that you take every twelve hours instead of a higher dose once a day. It works pretty well.

Long-term M'done use affects your entire system. In particular: your endocrine system [which includes {among others} your thyroid, adrenals & pancreas, governs hormonal balance, homeostasis, growth & sexual health]. It also affects your neurotransmitters & your digestion. One of the most noticeable things that happens during & after opiate withdrawal is an imbalance of important hormones & neurotransmitters like: serotonin, cortisol, dopamine, adrenaline, noradrenaline, etc. These imbalances can have wide-ranging effects on sleep, energy, libido, mood & yes -- digestion (which is intimately tied to the nervous system which in turn affects gastric hormones).

The point is -- we've done ourselves some damage, so it takes some time [patience!;] & self-care to get back on a healthier footing.

Sometimes, a particular symptom is worse for a certain person. For many, it's lack of energy, lingering depression & sleeplessness. It sounds like with you, it's digestion. To be honest, it took me more than a year to get back to a 'normal' gut. I know you're a mom & that you just want to feel ok because you want to take care of your family. The thing is, is that right now your whole system is under stress -- trying to readjust. It's really important to give yourself as much of a break in this department as you can as stress really affects your stomach.

There are a couple of basic places you can start: Deep breathing/relaxation techniques. Imodium used as directed (if you haven't already done this). Lots & lots of purified water (try to do it first thing in the morning & throughout the day but not with meals). Stay away from coffee, energy drinks, alcohol, sugar, fried & junk foods. These will all exacerbate the problem & slow your healing. Your body is in particular need of high-quality nutrients right now. Healthy fats (medium chain triglycerides like coconut oil, EFA's & Butter {yes, butter}, good protein, complex carbs & plenty of the vitamins, minerals, enzymes & cofactors that come with fruits & veggies. Juicing is a great way to energize & get those nutrients straight into your system. I found that (at least for me) small unprocessed meals with a good probiotic & a food-based vitamin/mineral supplement helped -- particularly the b vitamins. Digestive enzymes will also help a compromised system & help get the nutrients into your body where they can do their healing work. That said, your digestion is compromised right now & it's probably best to avoid radical dietary changes. A lot of the time, it's cutting out the "bad stuff" that makes the difference.

If you are having serious pain -- like a constantly "acid" stomach, it's possible that you have low stomach acid. Here are some of the symptoms:
    Bloating, belching, and flatulence immediately after meals.
    Heartburn (often thought to be caused by too much stomach acid)
    Indigestion, diarrhea, or constipation.
    Undigested food in stools.
    Acne.
    Rectal itching.
    Chronic candida.

I had low stomach acid after detox & finally started taking an HCL supplement with meals which helped. That said, it could be caused by other things & if you're concerned, you should see a specialist.

If you're nauseous, fresh ginger tea is amazing! It also stimulates saliva & bile production, aiding in digestion. Just get a piece of ginger, peel & cut off about an inch. Run it through a garlic press or mince it. Drop it into a mug of water that you've simmered & let steep for about 5 minutes. It's pretty powerful stuff.

Other things that really help are: sleep, exercise, local support in staying clean & getting out into the sun. Knowing what I know now, (hindsight is 20/20, eh?:), I'd make sure not to isolate & to make time for yourself/relaxation, keep your stress @ a minimum & put your emphasis on healing & holding to the course you've set out on.  You won't be able to take care of those you love if you don't take care of you, right? Believe it or not, getting the chemical out of your body is the "easy" part -- keeping it out is a much bigger challenge :)

Hope something in this novel helped & hope you feel better soon!
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495284 tn?1333894042
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