SUBOXONE BASHING

Why all the dissing on Suboxone?  
I'm a little irritated about the negativity that is portrayed by Medhelp members regarding suboxone.  I think Sub can be a very effective tool for those who have had multiple, multiple failed attempts at getting clean.  I went on sub in September and it has kept my a$$ clean.  I had to get to a point in my life where i was "willing to go to any length" to reach sobriety.  If that means using another chemical to get there, so be it.  I do the same thing with my antidepressant......the concept is EXACTLY the same.  
How many newcomers have we let down by knocking sub use on this site?  I don't doubt everyone has their own opinion, but when it comes to life or death, if someone must take it to stay clean... OH WELL!!!  Most likely, those who will take sub for the long term (years), NEED it long term.  Why worry about withdrawing off something, it chances are you will take it the rest of your life?  
Instead of knocking sub right off the bat, maybe try to see what the poster's motives are behind using the sub.  Is it a tool to reach a road to long sobriety?  Is it a scapegoat to get through the next week until an Rx can be filled?  If someone is serious about taking sub, they will have a recovery plan.  Meetings, counseling, aftercare....for these people, Sub is a great thing.  Miracle drug?????  NO WAY!!  Stepping stone???  You bet!

[allaboutmary]

Well said.  Suboxone is an excellent choice for someone that repeatedly relapses.

[122 Tactical Fighter Group]

Perhaps not that merely repeatedly relapses.......but relapses with out seeking the necessary afteer care thats so very important. One problem we have here on medhelp is that not many subbers indicate where there supply comes from. A qualified Doc, a well meaning friend with some to share, or merely purchased blindly off the streets. I see way too many that skip the Pro involvement. Probably the  most important leg in the therapy. Sub still has a valid place in current therapy. But its not for everyone ........ make a wise and informed choice for your treatment. And I have been a sub user.......

[122 Tactical Fighter Group]

You spoke earlier about neededing to take it for life due to chronic pain? I took sub (European form ? Tengesic) for chronic painn. It was less effective than a bag of skittles. And continued use meant consequences or a long term de-tox at a time in the not too distant furture. I have since said goodbye to sub and other narcs..........lidoderm patches sometimes....tai chi and cho gong....massages....applications of heat and manpulation....just using a yoga ball to stretch and strentghen muscles is dirt cheap and yields results. Try hydrotherapy = execise in pool with minimal resistance and no chance of pulling muscles.....just reminding them to stretch after being so tight and tense for so long. - - - accupuncture and accupressure is not to be dismissed lightly either................

[wannabefree330]

great point eagle!!  I think alternative medicine has a profound amount to offer those of us who will suffer continual pain.  I really like the hydrotherapy advice!!
I agree that sub is not for everyone....and should be reserved for those who are willing to do whatever it takes to get sober.....and that MUST include a strong aftercare program for life!  ....that is, if you are serious about getting & staying clean.

Thanks theeagle!

[mtgoat911]

sorry your feelings are hurt over this, i acted just like you when i was on suboxone
what pain problems do you have
injury or illness?

[wannabefree330]

Rotator cuff injury (one surgery done, the other still to go), arthritis, and I have severe bunions on both feet that need surgery, but poor health insurance = unable to have surgery and unable to take the time needed off of work.

My feelings are not hurt.  I just wanted to make it clear that Sub DOES have a place in addiction treatment.  The important thing to emphasize is that you can't just get rid of addiction by taking a pill.  It requires a lifelong commitment to recovery care and that takes alot of work.  Sub is merely a stepping stone for you to get embedded into recovery, THEN focus on tapering off the sub.

[liscamdave]

How long have you been on Sub?

[Mangee]

Agaain we come to the pros and cons. To each his own. What I might like and swear to others may dislike and say they do not work. To dismiss anyone's idea of what is best for them or to say they don't know what they are talking about, is to say that you are the ultimate guru on that particular subject. As I stated once before ,'What is good for the goose may not be good for the gander.' The whole idea is to exchange ideas and to hopefully find what works for you. I may drink coffee and you may drink tea because that is what we believe in. This does not mean that one is better than the other as a source of relief. It merely means that we find that that is what works for us. To totally destroy anyone's belief of what gets them through from day to day, does no one any good. No one can say absolutely that any one thing works better than the other. What brings me relief may work just the opposite for someone else. If all our metabolisms were exactly alike than maybe we would all find relief with the same thing. However, we are not all built alike, think alike or have preferences alike. I respect the idea that you wish to help and you may point out ideas that you know of but do not attempt to dun me into something that may ultimately cause me to distrust people as a result. In other words, stick with what is best for you but allow me to find through, trial and error, what is best for me.

[lostdojo]

I agree with you im sitting here thinking of years i was on methadone and how it made me feel every day it gave me a buzz then i wanted to sleep all day i had to taper from a 130mg to 30mg to get on the suboxone  .at first i hated the drug because my body rejected it twice third times a charm and it was a good thing im still tring to find that balance but its a good drug if i can taper that much methadone you can taper from suboxone its that last little hump thats the hard part suboxone and methadone in my opinion are not for people that have a mild vicodin or perk addiction all pealpe are different. but your just looking for trouble or a worse addiction .but if you want to stop using taper is the way to go you can still function some what suboxone works way better if your not looking for a high   got to go to work