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[ttiamaria]

I notice a lot of people withdrawaling from pills. I was just wondering if anyone knows if its harder to withdrawal from fetynal patches?

[abritt121222]

It doesn't not matter how an opiate is administered the withdrawal is going to be the same because no matter if oral, iv ,snorted, sublingual or in your case the patches it does the same it goes into the bloodstream and to the brain. What makes the difference is the amount of opiate that actually gets to the brain and that does change with different ways of administering the drug because the bioavailability which is just a long word for how much of the drug actually gets to the brain changes with different methods of using. What I mean by that I'm sure u prob know but ill just say it neway but just say one takes 50mg of oxycodone orally that means 80% of that actually only works because oxycodone bioavailability is 80% while if injected 100% which means even tho the dose is the same the iv is actually stronger because more of the oxy is actually getting to the brain. Well sorry if I just rambling but I hope that helps ya

Good Luck and Godspeed
ABritt

[nursegirl6572]

Fentanyl no doubt is a tough one to come off.  If you could wean yourself down to the lowest dose possible, then go cold turkey with help from the thomas recipe (and a doc if possible, who can help by Rx'ing some non-addictive remedies and offer support), that would be one possibility.

Some people use Sub the way you've described, but I personally don't recommend it.  In order to get the optimal effectiveness from Sub, it's best to do it the right way, with a Sub program that will last anywhere from a few months to a year.  There are a lot of benefits to a Sub program, but of course, there are downfalls as well.  Eventually, you'd have to come off that too.  With a good sub doc and a slow taper, it's doable.

A good sub clinic will incorporate therapy and plans for aftercare on top of Rx'ing the Sub.  That really helps you learn how to stay clean.  Some kind of aftercare is vital, no matter how you detox.  Staying clean is often harder than getting clean.  We just had two members with a decent amount of clean time relapse.  They're both lucky as they quickly got back on track, but it's a good reminder of how vulnerable addicts are to relapse.

There is no right or wrong way to get clean, everyone chooses a different route. Do lots of homework on Sub, make sure it's for you, and really consider doing an entire program versus using it to minimize w/d's.  Unfortunately there is no magic remedy to avoid w/d's all together...and people find themselves trading addictions thinking they can use Subs to avoid w/d's.  

Here's some basic info on Suboxone. There's a Part II also.
http://www.medhelp.org/health_pages/Addiction/Suboxone-Subutex-FAQ-Part-One/show/14?cid=66

Very best to you, feel free to ask as many questions as you'd like.  You'll get lots of support here, and lots of honest input.  Congrats for making that difficult decision to want to make some changes!  Way to go!

[ttiamaria]

Thanks so much for getting back to me I have so much anxiety I need someone to talk to.I've been on 75mcg patches for almost 2 months I usually wair them but I have cheeeked bits a few times plus I'm on perc 10s 5 or 6 a day. I've been addicted for about 1 half now. I can't do it anymore I have 3 young kids that need me and all I can think about is am I gonna make it to my next refill. I plan on doing the thomas recipe and I have an appointment in a few weeks for suboxone. I know you can get addicted to to sub to so I was wondering if I use very very little sub the 1st few days along with the thomas recipe how that would be. My mother is coming for a month to help me through it but I'm so scared I've gone a day before without anything I fealt like I was gonna die. The worst for me is the rls and insomnia. I'm so scared I just want to get through it.

[nursegirl6572]

Welcome!

All opiates come withdrawal after taking them for a long enough period of time.  Withdrawal will vary GREATLY depending on a lot of factors...which opiate was being abused (with drugs like Fentnyl and Dilaudid being more heavy hitting drugs), how much a person is taking, and for how long.  W/D will also vary from person to person based on their own medical and mental history, how they're able to withstand discomfort, etc.  A lot of w/d is physical, but a lot of it is mental as well.

The important thing to hang onto is that recovery is possible with any opiate.  What's your plan?  How long have you been on the patches, how much were you taking, and how were you taking it (on the skin, or were you abnusing the patches by smoking them/cheeking them?)

We're here to help!!