Methadone to Subutex Please Help !!!

Hello to All,

I have been on methadone for 10 years, I am on 50mg a day.  I have an appointment tomorrow with my Doctor he is going to put me on Subutex (Not Suboxone) I have heard so many people say different things. I just want to know the truth about it.  Can I take the Subutex right when I get it or Do I really have to wait untill I'm in withdrawls.
If any one knows about this please tell me what you think. I am absolutely terrified of going into severe withdrawals.
Thank you all so much for your time. HOpe to hear from yall soon.

2-25-10  @ 5:02pm

Thanks Again
AJ

[gnarly_1]

HI and welcome to the forum...well if you go to sub all you'll be doing is switching one
narcotic for another both are equally addictive and both are hard to come off of..
can I ask you why you want to switch//??? if I where you and your looking to get off all narcotics just taper off your methadone....I was on 150ml for 6 1/2yrs and tapered over 8 1/2mo and got clean 129days ago so it is doable ...switching to sub you dont realy know what your getting yourself into...and yes you have to be in withdrawals b/4 they give you the sub so its no fun getting on it...id weigh this out carefully b/4 you switch to something you know nothing about...at least with the methadone you know where you stand...and the methadone is usually cheeper....good luck and God bless...Gnarly    

[OIFMc09]

DO NOT TAKE IT RIGHT AWAY!  Have you heard of precipitated withdrawal?  Well basically if you haven't waited long enough the drug in Sub. kicks all the dope out of the receptors in your brain.  If there is too much built up when this occurs it causes withdrawal...that is why you're told to wait until you start feeling symptoms.  This is especially true with methadone, because it sticks around a lot longer than stuff like oxy and vic.  If you've been on it for 10 years it is going to be a rocky transition from one to the other.  I went through this about a month ago.  I waited a full 24 hrs after my last dose of meth to pop a sub and it was a total nightmare...and I had only been taking heavy doses of methadone for maybe 2 weeks tops.  A lot of doctors don't know what they're doing with this drug so be careful, and if you take a sub tomorrow less than 24 hrs. after your last dose of methadone, you are going to be in for a world of hurt.  My advice to you is wait until you cannot possibly stand it a second longer.

[worried878]

unless u plan on being on narcotics for life..why r u switching to subutex? subutex are both bupe/a narcotic/but suboxone has naloxone in it to prevent shooting it up
I would think u will have to wait until u r in wds//50 mgs of methadone is not a horribly high dose//but ten yrs is a long time..methadone has a long halfo life..often peeps have to wait up to 3 days to start sub..tapering from the methadone is what i would do..vs tapering from sub later on.and alot of cash later..but we r all different
have u educated urself at all on this new "miracle" drug u r planning to take?  sub blocks opiates..methadone and sub r both opiates but sub is a partial agonist....it has ahigher affinity for the narcotic receptors than other narcotics..so it plugs them up....and will throw u into wds big time if u use it too soon....u will feel the full thrust of acute wds fast is u use it too soon...even a short half life hydro or perc user has to wait atleast 12 hours...methadone can be stopped for a couple of days before someone feels bad//as can sub///both are sticky drugs//peeps who use sub daily after a week or so//after it penetrates the system//are only using everyday outta habit...replacing the hait they had before...some use sub more than twice a day///a waste cos once the receptors r full...they r just plain full and adding more is only a behavior we have learned...we belive popping a pill solves all

whatever u decide to do...be sure u understand it....tapering from 50 mgs of methadone will take a while...tapering from sub takes a while....be sure u wanna trade one narcotic for another...before u spend a bunch of money on a drug that is sorely misrepresented

[robert25113]

i swiched from 30 mgs of methadone to 8 mgs of subatex because subatex are easier to weene off due to the fact you can come right down to micro mgs,youll need to miss a day off methadone but dont be scared , methadone is a long lasting opiate and builds up in your system, i was also terrified but honestly its really not bad, i would advise comin down to 30 mgs of methadone first but you will be fine trust me. i hope this helps and i wish you the best of luck, like i sed subatex are easier to weene off so dont work yourself up, your doin the right thing, good luck.

[GA Guy]

I really get tired of hearing the Sub is trading one opiate for another line. The mechanism of actions for the two are completely different. I have no problem for anyone switching from Methadone to Suboxone for the simple fact that Suboxone is infinitely safer than Methadone. Suboxone overdoses are almost non-existent. Plus, it's much more convenient for the person using it as maintenance. Either way, the best choice is the one the individual makes. Coming off either one is futile anyway if no aftercare or counseling is used as relapse is almost a given.