Suboxone During Withdrawal

[TroubledDude]

I am gearing up to detox and get clean from an 18-month love affair with OxyContin & Oxycodone. I quit in October of last year, made it to around 25 days, and blew it by a visit to my Doctor. My question is, if I had a minimal supply of Suboxone, just to get me through the first five days of withdrawal, wouldn't I go into withdrawal on the sixth day all over again when I have no more Suboxone? They are both opiate based (I think) so is it not trading one drug for another and prolonging the inevitable?

I appreciate all feedback,

Thanks,

TD

[atthebeach]

my husband went into detox 11 days ago. they gave him the sub for the first three days to soften the blow that was it. he left the detox after five days and now is at rehab.  

[OIFMc09]

Look I'm just trying to answer the guys question.  I think the urge to preach prevents a lot of people from just answering the questions asked.  If you want to know if taking subs for 5 days will soften the blow - at least physically - the answer is yes it will!  He wasn't asking for advice on how to take the subs or whether or not he should go to NA.  If he wants to know about those things he will ask!

[TroubledDude]

You are right, I'm just going to have to 'MAN-UP' and do it. At first I thought that NA was something available but not that important, but how you describe the exact feelings one gets (lonely, isolated, depressed) during withdrawal and how it's so comforting to be in a room with people who have the same problems, it's probably a world of help. Do you know if it's possible to go to a meeting while still on even though I'm tapering? I believe they don't like that as it puts everyone in jeapordy of relapse.

TD

[mommytobrae]

troubleddude- couldnt of said it better, sooooo true!!!

[ucandothis]

It did not work for me the time I tried it. You have to be well into withdrawal before you take it. I could never get there. I took it too soon, went into terrible withdrawals and ran back to the drugs. Like I said in my earlier post, I quit cold turkey 12 days ago. Best decision I ever made. Took vitamins, potassium, magnesium, ibuprofen, Tylenol, drank fluids, felt like **** for three days. On the fourth day I went to an NA meeting. Kept going back and I am feeling like a human being again. I have replaced the using with meetings, reading the basic text, calling other people in the program daily. Dude, the quitting is not the hard part....its the staying clean that is hard. You like me "been through w/d several times and I would like to avoid this hellish experience". We are addicts!! PERIOD! We do not taper, we do not successfully substitute one drug for another. If we do not have a program we can follow that has worked for others, we are destined to use again. Right? If that was not true, we would go through WD's once.....know what I mean?

[TroubledDude]

No not at all. I've just read posts where people are using the sub just to make it through the initial five days of w/d and then stop the use of Sub. If this is helpful and there is not withdrawal from the Sub after a maximum of five days use, then maybe this is an option?
I've been through w/d several times and I would like to avoid this hellish experience however I can, however I do not want to pick-up another problem in the process:

TD

So it worked for you?

[ucandothis]

Dude....let it go....the fear of withdrawal is always worse than the withdrawal itself. The only way out is through. We are always looking for the easier, softer way. The reality is, there isn't one. Suboxone, Benzo's, all of that are our ways to cushion the crash we are destined for. I had an accident and 2 surgeries which turned into an 18 month run. Morphine, Dilaudid, Oxycodone, Hydros, Ultram.....all of it. I quit CT 12 days ago. On day 4, I went to an N.A. meeting. I have been going back several times a week. I live in a small town and there are only a couple of meetings a week. So I go to them all. This is the only thing that ever worked for me in the past. It is the only thing that ever works for addicts. That is why NA is here. It's amazing how the feeling of fellowship replaces the feelings of isolation and loneliness. We have isolated so long in our addiction that we isolate in our detox and subsequent days clean....if we make it that far. If you have not tried meetings in early recovery, give yourself a break and go. Get someone to drive you if you are too sick to drive yourself. You will not be the only new person there. You will be welcomed home. I was.  

[OIFMc09]

No the withdrawal won't be as bad as just going cold turkey.  You will still deal with the lack of sleep and the mental part of it, but the worst of the physical symptoms are the first couple days.  I've done what you're talking about doing and for the most part I avoided the hellish feelings you have to deal with in the beginning of detox.  You'd only be trading one drug for another if you stayed on the sub long term.  That's not what you're trying to do?

[TroubledDude]

To Ga Guy:

I don't have a Sub Doctor and to be honest, I haven't blown this whole thing wide open just yet (tell everyone) which is something I will need to do.

To: mommytobrae:

I am currently tapering but still have a ways to go before I can jump off. It sounds to me like Suboxone is more for people living in high-risk situations and need something to get off their DOC and stabilize their life. This is not my case, so I'll continue my taper and go cold turkey. I am just looking for the easier way out and there just is not one.

Thanks for your replies,

TD

[mommytobrae]

I have taken suboxone before to help with wd during detox and in my experience, you can get addicted to it and yes you can have wd after you stop taking the suboxone. For me, i am on day 3 of my wd and decided it was best to go cold turkey this time because using the suboxone lasttime only prolonged my symptoms and as soon as i didnt take it i was having the wds again. gl stay strong you can do this... have you tried to taper off first?

[GA Guy]

Have you spoken to your Sub doctor about this? He/she should explain it and go over your plan.