Help me understand Methadone/Suboxin etc...

I am not knocking anyones treatment- whatsoever. I am a firm believer that different things work for different people and you are truly blessed if you find a treatment that has worked for you.  I posted earlier that I have made the decision to go to an inpatient detox facility to help get off a long time opiate addiction for the first time and I have found out that they use Suboxin in their treatment.  I am not shutting this idea down however, I have to admit that being addicted to pills has me really leary of taking one pill to detox from another and still have to taper or go thru W/D's from that one......  ???  I'm sorry, again, I am not knocking anyones recovery but more like want to understand it.  Its just not clicking with me.......  What are anyones thoughts or experiences with the drugs used while in recovery... I am truly open to anyones thoughts and opinions- either way.  I just really want to research peoples personal experiences before making a decision because no one knows an addict better than an addict...

[benevolentlaughter]

I'm going through semi the same thing as you are right now. I've been prescribed Percocet for the past year straight [with no breaks in between] and I'm scared to death of going through the withdrawls of this... A lot of people here have been SO amazing in talking me down from a panic state of mind, if you know what I mean. In these suggestions, they've told me about this medicine - and I'm not so sure about it, either.

Main reason I'm sort of against taking it? Not because I want to keep taking the pain pills, because my doctor has cut me off as of this morning.. But because I don't know how I'll react to the medication Subox [sp] and I'm scared of having a reaction.

[122 Tactical Fighter Group]

You probably should go to the addiction expert site on medhelp and read some things....SubDoc Jeff is a very good addictionologist and suboxone doc - he is also a strong sub proponent so keep that in mind... My opinion of sub is that it should be used for a rapid detox and then a quick taper off of it.  Some really serious addictions or multiple relapses may want to use sub for a longer time... Some Docs say that one should take it as insulin or high blood pressure medication...daily and for the rest of your life.  I am not fully comfortable with the forever philosophy. However, the forever philosophy certainly beats the overdose one that kills you. And it is very true that after detoxing it is very easy to overestimate your dose and die. I woke in an ER after being on a ventilator for 18 hours...it can happen.  Dont even know why I didnt die......but i thank my God that it wasnt time yet....Knowledge is power with this one - learn as much as you possibly can about the enemy - - - then grease the SOB!!!!!!!!!!!     eagle

[IBKleen]

Hi and Welcome!

The very best decision you have made is to go into in-patient treatment. Addiction is a physical and mental disease and both need to be treated. If they are offering Suboxone, they are only offering it for a four or five day treatment plan to get you through the physical withdrawal and they will then begin to treat the mental part. Suboxone is a wonderful tool if used properly and under a doctor's care. Whether long or short term it helps but in a controlled environment, it will be short term.

I did not feel if as if you are knocking anyone, you are looking for member's experience and that is great. I love to see someone research all options before making a decision and that is what you are doing Good for you.

I did a 16 day detox with Suboxone and it worked very well for me. I did Methadone twice in my addiction and would NEVER do that again so Sub was the way for me to go the last time.

So, when do you leave for treatment? How long is the plan? Please let us know what your plans are. As much as it is helping you to talk about it, it is helping us as well.

Kudos for working on getting clean!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[worried878]

true...most inpatient detox only do the sub thing for a week or less..just to get over the hard part of physical wd...then the real work is on the mental aspect...which is what most people forget to include in their recovery plan...good luck to u..and let us know how u do

[LoveMyKids1]

Thank you very much for your input- and everyone else's for that matter.  What made the Sub better for you than the Meth? And did you have any reactions that you can warn me of?  I go in Monday morning at 10am and I was told that the Sub treatment is extremely short term depending on how my comfort level is with day one of being there getting the highest dose, then day 2 lowering it and so on... so I guess Im just wondering- wont i still go through w/d's???  Now, dont get me wrong- W/D'S are HORRIFIC however, I think for me, it is so hard bc I have young children depending on me and work full time- so I have never been able to detox without the stress, anxiety and panic feeling of the w/d's in addition to maintaining my responsibilities- so I think inpatient will be the best option for me for this reason.  What can I expect after the first dose of Sub? Will I still feel w/d's? Or the severe depression?  I am going to research everything that eagle advised me to- but also want personal experiences--THANK YOU SO MUCH EVERYONE! I have never felt so welcomed and comfortable in my own skin since my addiction began than I have since being in this forum.

[122 Tactical Fighter Group]

Sub pretty much eliminates withdrawals within a half hour or so......after that you probably wont even know that you took it......you will just be normal again...assuming that you ever were, of course.....or assuming that we can even define "normal".....

And I fully agree with Kleen .... I did methadone once upon a time. I still would for pain control if necessary. But I would never do a methadone maintenance program ever again. Never. No way. Uh - uh.

[worried878]

neither one.methadone nor sub will get a person addicted in 5 days...so really doesnt metter if done for less than a week..it is just to stay comfortable..but sub is the new addiction drug..but beware as it in reality is is way stronger than methadone..just in a differet way...do ur program..do ur plan..u will be fine

[avisg]

The short term sub will get you threw the worst and you will be under a doctors care.I think you are going to do very well.Just remember when you get out that recovery care is really important for support.Plz keep in thouch and let us know how you are doing.

[tempted622]

I recently used suboxone for about a week after a bout of pretty bad heroin addiction. I use to use methadone too. It worked really well. I just started by taking a whole one then the last few days took halves, then the last day a forth. The first few days after the subs were gone i felt a little depressed and now I feel fine. This was the first thing that has ever worked for me. The reason I think it works better than methadone is, once you take a sub you are unable to feel any effects from an opiate for almost 36 hours and it never made me feel high whereas methadone did. It also really made the depression from being off opiates after such a long time go away.