Aa
Aa
A
A
A
Close
Avatar universal

Embarking on Suboxone Withdrawal

My story is the same as most of America right now... Pharma opiate abuser turned middle class  suburban city heroin commuter.. However,  my post concerns my current battle with my greatest foe, suboxone. I have tapered down to 1mg, but from  past experience I remember this really matters very little, and in a mere 48hrs I will be in full body convulsions :) .. I have all the  usual suspects to aid me, thomas recipe, low dose valium , immodium, tonic water for RBS(restless body syndrome), epsom salt/baking soda baths I find work well.. I am basically here for any fresh ideas and/or moral support.. I am leaving the state forever in 2 weeks and want to put this behind me once and for all... Ill be chiming in with updates over the next  few weeks if im feelings up to it.. Look forward to hearing from the forum!
14 Responses
Sort by: Helpful Oldest Newest
Avatar universal
I am really happy for you that you are so strong and doing this difficult journey. I related to the suboxone thing about sleeping so much and all that. I am on it because my pain doctor wants me to use it instead of other things I used to get from my dr.s. I cant imagine not taking  some sort of narcotic because of my severe pain. I am on savella too which helps pain and fibro. I also am on amitryptaline for pain. It made me gain a lot of weight. I dont feel like I am unemotional or dead inside as you said. I actually think I feel better with it but I am not sure. I guess my question is , if you had to deal with pain and you were on suboxone, would you recommend a different medicine or some advise for me? It sounds like suboxone is bad stuff too. I am on a lot of meds and a few will make me go into withdrawls if I dont use them. I some times want to toss it all out but I cant. I dont abuse anything though. I know I was addicted to vicodin type of pills a few years ago because I was in so much pain. Anyway I am happy for you and I think moving may be a good idea you have to get away from the friends and things that make it harder to quit.Blessings.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hello everyone, ive stopped counting days bc i found it counter productive, but i slept a solid 4-5 hours last night incident free!... This usually signals to me im on to what i call "stage 3" ... To anyone out there just beginning a  detox off any kind of opiate IT IS POSSIBLE, with alot of patience and a lil fortitude you can be FREE. To anyone on vicoden/perc , let me save you years of anguish and tell you just KICK NOW... when your DR. tells you to go sub or methadone.. DO NOT..It has now been 4 years of my life wasted bouncing from methadone .... to herion. .. to sub.. to heroin ... to sub ... when if i would have just nutted up and kicked my 10 hydro a day habit back in 2009.. who knows where i could be today... Just a lil words from a guy who was misguided and CHOSE to take the wrong path.. peace all
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
So glad to here from you. Lifting you up in prayer.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
"have been on it for over a year  and during that time I put on 40lbs, slept 10-12 hours a day, withdrew from social activity.. "

Wow, sounds exactly like my predicament.

I tapered down to dust on suboxone and so the acute withdrawals weren't all that bad - I did all the suffering with each drop during the taper so when I did finally "jump" it wasn't awful. In fact the days that followed I felt SO GOOD. And then I relapsed. I ended up on methadone. This drug brings "dead inside" to a whole new level. Please get aftercare. I'm now going to jump from 40 of methadone. If I can hack it (and honestly it's a big IF , I'll just keep detoxing and pray it goes by fast. If not then ill go on a low amount of sub and taper off from that. I have 3 small kids and can't be out of commission for long so I'm playing it by ear.

You've gotten through the worst I think and better days are ahead. Like I said, I was AMAZED at how much better I felt so fast coming off sub. I never got the full on depression I'd gotten coming off oxy and I wish I hadn't blown it. But that's done. I just want you to avoid relapse. It's so hard to crawl off this **** and its amazing how the mind "forgets" the pain of withdrawal and thinks "hey just 1" yeah my "one"turned into a full blown habit within a month. I'd only been clean a few months and screwed up badly, enough to be on methadone now. Trust me you don't ever want methadone so protect your freedom with your life. Better days ahead! :) you really will be amazed how fast you'll come around especially if you take care of yourself and do all that healthy living stuff ;)

Sorry for the long post, I just remember how hard I worked to get off sub and know exactly what it takes to crawl off it. I would tell anyone coming off to do (what I should have done) and do the aftercare thing. It was not doing aftercare that was my undoing..I'm going to AA even though I don't drink the addiction is the same for all of us! Godspeed and keep truckin! Your doing awesome!!
Helpful - 0
7163794 tn?1457366813
COMMUNITY LEADER
Welcome to the "suck"....lol, always wanted to say that! Your story is so eeriely familiar...suburban mom here, former opiate abuser who found suboxone! Was on it for almost 7 yrs...around 24mg per day...i detoxed in january, took me roughly 3 weeks to be coherent. I hear ys, u sound like you've done this before. I just wanted to lend my support and say kudos to u for dropping the subs. Push, push, push, is all i can say! I agree, this is hard!
Helpful - 0
8976007 tn?1413330650
the worst for me was always the RLS
honestly,  before bed drink some pickle juice.  bread and butter is the best tasting.
keep tonic water with quinine by the bed, sip often
get compression stockings from pharmacy.  after hot epsom salt bath, rub icy hot or salon spa rub (the best) on arms and legs, then put on stockings and you can use ace bandages for arms and upper legs.
cal/mag/zinc (3 in 1) 4 in the morning 4 at night
bananas, lots of bananas.  i kept them by the bed at ate in middle of the night

this will help you A LOT

Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
sorry i was away a couple days but the worst is behind me, ow the mental games come into play.i still have stomach cramping etc during the day... and that sensation that someone shot you up with a local anesthetic so theres so pain,  then proceeded to peel your skin off with a rambo knife , but at any rate a few more days in the book, will continue to post.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Thank you everyone for the support. In response to the last question,  For me, every day i spent on suboxone I was dead inside. No emotions, no desires, no plans for the future, no happiness,  no sadness ..  It  was no way to live. i have been on it for over a year  and during that time I put on 40lbs, slept 10-12 hours a day, withdrew from social activity.. Having considerable clean time before this, i attribute it directly to suboxone.  Being  between jobs now and relocating in a matter of weeks, i find it the  perfect opportunity. In regards to my  plans for recovery.. when I can can hold a thought long enough to work on that, i will update you
Helpful - 0
52704 tn?1387020797
the people i know who did the best on sub were on for an extended period (years) while they became very well grounded and solid in their recovery.  how long have you beeen on sub, what is your plan or program for recovery, and why is it important to stop the low dose you're on now?

CATUF
3397
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hello, just giving you my support !!!
Congratulations on your 1st day, i hope and prey you make it through : )
I think its obvious you will !!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Welcome, so glad your here. You seem to already know the support here & also to find meetings. I'm so glad for you. I'm on day 15 off methadone. I love the wonderful people here.
Helpful - 0
3197167 tn?1348968606
You're doing GREAT!!!  Keep posting...you'll make it this time!!!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Thank you for the welcome, today is my first day with nothing...So im roughly 30 hrs since my last dose. I have had some worry about traveling during the tail end of my detox, but i feel by that point having a full day on the road, etc, will help more than it will hurt. I have been to rehab once before, and found the support I received there to help greatly. Upon returning home, my local recovery scene I found  unproductive and toxic. When I arrive at my destination, I do want to become an active part of the recovery community, but I say that with much hesitation... The people I have chosen to keep in my life are supportive, but as you know, this is something that cant be explained, you have either been through it or you havent.. But all this seems very far away, I still need to endure the next two weeks, especially the dreaded DAY4, which by my history, is usually my undoing. Will keep you posted.
Helpful - 0
3197167 tn?1348968606
Welcome to the forum!  Sounds like you know the drill, huh?

So you got yourself down to 1 mg and today is your first day without any?
Or is today the last day you took 1 mg of sub and tomorrow is Day 1?

As you may or may not know.....it takes about 21 days for all the sub to leave our bodies.....and you are moving in 14 days to another state?

Hopefully, you will seek some form of recovery support where you are going.....putting down the drug(s) is the first step....then we need others that we can relate to, new coping skills for the stress of our daily lives and new friends that have the same goal as we do.
Trying to do it alone, whether in a new geographic area or not, doesn't work when the beast of addiction calls our name.  And "it" WILL call our name no matter where we move.
Let us know how you're doing.....and if there is any way you could use some support.



Helpful - 0
Have an Answer?

You are reading content posted in the Addiction: Substance Abuse Community

Top Addiction Answerers
495284 tn?1333894042
City of Dominatrix, MN
Avatar universal
phoenix, AZ
Learn About Top Answerers
Didn't find the answer you were looking for?
Ask a question
Popular Resources
Is treating glaucoma with marijuana all hype, or can hemp actually help?
If you think marijuana has no ill effects on your health, this article from Missouri Medicine may make you think again.
Julia Aharonov, DO, reveals the quickest way to beat drug withdrawal.
Tricks to help you quit for good.
A list of national and international resources and hotlines to help connect you to needed health and medical services.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.