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13146300 tn?1428729753

Started Suboxone today.

So my Dr. Prescribed me 8mg a day. He only told me to take half and half later. He's  not a good Dr. He didn't give me any advice on the drug, he only scolded me and said if I test positive for any opiates or benzos I was out of the program. And to come back in a week. For a drug t3st. But I had no choice since finding a sub dr. Was really hard. So after I finally got it I took 4mg  and then 2mg and then 2mg 2 hours before bed. He also put me on seroquel to sleep 100mg. I've never taking either med. My withdrawals have mostly gone except for tense shoulders. I just took the sleep aid about 30min ago and I'm nervous about that. So, if you h av e any advice of either of these drugs let me know. Sleeping meds scare me. Thanks.
19 Responses
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13146300 tn?1428729753
I didn't think anyone posted but I was blind and didn't see the "show more button". But now I saw them am responding.
Helpful - 0
271792 tn?1334979657
Are you reading the responses on your other posts Rose? I ask because you have asked this ? about your fiance a few times and I know members have responded. Take a few minutes to go through your posts. BTW, I am real proud of you for taking charge of your recovery. Way to go girl!!!!!!!
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13146300 tn?1428729753
Thanks for the support.  I didn't ever know that sub was an opiate  before reading everything on here. Now I don't want to be addicted to them too. But with the crappie dr. I have I have no idea what their Suboxone program is. I'll hopefully find out more from the therapist I see on Monday. Now what do I do with my insecure fiancé who doesn't want me to basically cheat and meet other men. Or try other drugs. So me there was never a desire to snort pills or use iv drugs they scare me too much. I was only a pill swallower  . Those like of things scared me the only other drug I used was weed. And I dont want to use that again either. My fiancé is a big smoker. I told him how I feel about having that around but it didn't stop him from smoking right in front of me. I don't want it around. I wouldn't use anything else when being on the Suboxone  I'm too afraid it would kill me. I've woken to hard to get here to die.
Helpful - 0
13146300 tn?1428729753
Thanks to everyone for the support. I dI'd go to a meeting last night and it was really good. I got the white Keychain and I'm going to other one tonight. I don't plan on taking sub that long Im thinking less then 2 weeks. I really 2ant to be on nothing addicting except my cigarettes.  Lol. That's the plan meeting therapist  and my online support group. My fiancé doesn't want me to go to meetings he's worried I'll meet bad people or other men and cheat that's the most important.
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Avatar universal
I have some experience with subs.  I've also had experiences with providers that are similar to yours.  

I've had an opiate problem for about 12 years.  You can read my posts from 5 years ago battling pills, including the death of my wife from methadone.  I quit for a while but relapsed.  Two years ago I couldn't find my DOCs but I did find some suboxone.  Illicit, off the street.  I did that for a year.  Had no idea what I was doing.  I started reading and what I read scared me.  After that first year I decided that I would get into a treatment program.  I didn't do any research, I really just wanted a regular supply of suboxone.  My first treatment center was kind of like what you describe; Dirty, unprofessional dress, demeaner and conduct.  I had completed my assessment.  I picked up my assessment and went to another treatment center.  It was a good organization and I was paired up with a good counselor.  This gave me my ticket to a regular supply.  No more arterial bleeding of money and no more waiting in parking lots for drug dealers.  After meeting with my doc for about 3 months I asked him what our plan was.  I was stabilized and was ready to start working a plan to get off all opiates, including suboxone.  (Yes, suboxone is an opiate)  I asked him what his success stories had done to get off of subs.  He said, "I haven't had any success stories.  70% relapse and 30% disappear".  Then he said, "I'm the pen", meaning he wrote the script and I was to figure out how to get off the suboxone.  I decided I was going to be the one.

I mention all this because the first thing we should probably tell you is to follow your doctor's instructions.  Its dangerous, maybe deadly to ignore doctor's instructions.  With that said, I had to take ownership of my problem.  I couldn't blame someone else for where I was and my potential success was up to me.  I also had incredible support from a trained and licensed addiction specialist, but I had to come up with a plan that would work for me and my situation.  My doctor was 70 years old, had a tiny office in a rundown stripmall and required cash.  Should medical treatment for addiction be like this, of course not, but I had a goal to be off the suboxone.

The Doc was going to start me out at 16mg.  After discussing this dosage with the doctor, we agreed to try 4mg.  It worked.  I was stable on 1/4 of the dosage he was going to start me at.  I knew myself and I would take everything they prescribed me.  16mg was going to be harder to get off of than 4mg.  This was my first decision that helped me to finally stop using suboxone.

So, what's my point?  You need to take ownership of your addiction.  Not because you're called an addict but because its the first tool you will need to get clean.  Read everything you can about addiction, neurochemistry, treatment and suboxone.  Read critically!  Very little peer reviewed research has been done on suboxone.  You will need to be able to sort the wheat from the chaff.  Set goals.  Tell others.  You will be surprised at the number of people who will support you and you don't need those who won't.

Let talk about suboxone specfically for a moment.  How should it be used?  Some say it should only be used as a tool to detox, maybe 30 days max.  Others advocate for lifetime maintenance for those who are at high relapse risk.  You are going to have to decide this yourself, (presumably with your doc) based on all the info you can get and apply that to what you know about yourself and your addiction.  I could quit pills but I always had that craving.  I used suboxone over a long period of time because I felt that its characteristics (like ceiling effect and reduced euphoria) would help my reward pathways for opiates to fade somewhat.  I've found that to be true for me.  I don't seem to have the level of craving that I had after just quitting CT.  (YMMV - your mileage may vary)
The WDs from suboxone have not been overwhelming but the lethargy and depression have lasted longer for me than the CT experiences.  Today I'm at 60 days clean and doing about 85%.  I work fulltime at a university, have two busy grandchildren and a few hobbies.  I'm getting by an doing better each day.

Lastly, if you fail, start again.  Make the decision that getting clean is not optional, its simply the most important thing in your life.  Thoughtful people everywhere will be so proud of you for succeeding at such a courageous endeavor.  My very best wishes and good luck to you, even though luck will have nothing to do with it, your success will be because of what you choose to do.




  
Helpful - 0
6990909 tn?1435275816
Please don't feel criticized.  Many here have used subs as a method to get off high doses / long-term use of opiates (whether heroin or pills).  As long as it is short-term and done with a program it is a very powerful tool for many to get over the initial hurdle.  With that said, please make sure it is short-term.  It sounds like you are reaching out for aftercare with therapy and starting AA or NA and hope you make aftercare a priority.  Let us know how your meetings go.  
Keep fighting for you....your life is worth it.  
Prayers out!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
It is utterly fantastic that you are gonna start meetings. You will learn so much. And, the desire to use will go away (I wouldn't have believed it, if it didn't happen to me.)

No one is trying to criticize you at all. We just want "newbies" to NOT make the same mistakes that we did. We've seen so many (too many) come on here cursing the day they ever met subs or methadone. Withdrawl is just a teeny drop in the bucket of recovery. You'll be over it, then the real work is learning to live substance free. So so many people let their terror of withdrawls dictate their next move. In reality, it's a blip of time.

In my very humble opinion, get off the subs. What are they doing for you really? We can't avoid withdrawls no matter what we do: it's the price we pay for the quick high we chose. If you get off them, you're wd will be over and done w/ before you know it. Get to meetings, and start healing. THAT is when you'll feel better:)
Helpful - 0
1235186 tn?1656987798
Too  much suboxone can make you dizzy. Suboxone builds up in your system
SO you didn't feel the full effect the first day.
8mgs is a fairly high dose.
Helpful - 0
6063300 tn?1430430571
Please do not feel like you are being criticized! We are here for you and to support you any way we can! I do not have personal experience with Subs but do have personal experience with pain meds! I was on them for over 10 years norco, vic, tramadol, any thing I could get my hands on! I went CT and was almost a year clean when I fell off my horse and got 6 fractures. I am now 27 days clean and in pain every day. I am just learning to live with it the best I can. I feel your pain and am here for you if you need any thing! This really is a great site and they save my life twice so keep posting and venting it helps!
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13146300 tn?1428729753
All I want is to be clean. To not be addicted to oxycodone anymore. I have to find other ways to deal with my pain. Emotional and physical. when my family dr. Gave me the tramadol knowing about my addiction to pain meds was the first problem. They should have know I couldn't take that. So the tramadol really started my relapse in June. Then in December  when I ran into someone who was a oxy dealer and I bought them I should've know I couldn't just take one and be done. But like people have said before have I done aftercare I would have known this. So this time I need more then myself for help. I'm a strong person and I know that I need help this time around. I need to manage my pain without oxy. Also my emotional pain that I thought oxy took away but the guilt eventually out wayed the high and I spent more time crying. I have my fiancé here for me, but he doesn't understand why I would do what I didn't again after everything that happened before. I came hear to hear and say my problems.
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13146300 tn?1428729753
I stopped taking the clonidine because it has so many side effects. Groggy dizzy lightheaded and dry mouth
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13146300 tn?1428729753
I was in full withdrawals when I took the Suboxone,  I was saying that after I took the Suboxone almost all of my withdrawals went away.
Helpful - 0
13146300 tn?1428729753
I also thought that they dose you in the office and adjust it as on how you feel. That's what I was expecting but that's not what happened. Ive read alot people saying less is more with Suboxone. I don't want to be on this forever. I want a short term detox.
Helpful - 0
13146300 tn?1428729753
My plan is to try and taper off the Suboxone as soon as possible,  I trying what I have read from others posts. Today I took the 4mg. I will try not to take the other half . I know it may seem weird or off that a Dr. Would do this. But my family dr. Program was full. So I called a dozen places and this was the only on that would accept me with my insurance.  Mind you its in the ghetto, upstairs from a furniture store and the place is dirty and gross , there are no nurses in office . There is only 1 receptionist and she was wearing a sports hoody. the rooms are not clean if I could post pictures on this sight I'd show everyone what it look like. Anyway, I have the therapist  to see 2x a month there. I'm going to try and find a better therapist, but I do see him on Monday and I'll find out more Imformation. About if there program is long term or short term. I have found meeting to go to today and tomorrow.  I didnot do anything the last time I quit. I didn't talk to anyone or go anywhere. I just stopped and suffered alone. This time I know I need help and support  and meetings.  Also my Suboxone dr. Never told me how long I'd be on it. But I'm feeling good today I got dressed and ate. I'm try to change my behavior from before I also told my dealer that I was done And erased his number.  I plan on going back to work next Wednesday. I also need to say one thing I have a hard time following the Dr. Orders when he didn't tell me anything. Like when he gave me the prescription he didn't tell me that the sleep aid was on there Or that seroquel is mostly used for depression. I found all this myself. I am on strip not pills. I want to try aggressively to jot take anymore to today. And try to see how I feel when I get up tomorrow to not take anything. This is all new to me and I'm trying the best I can. I just wanted support not criticism.
Helpful - 0
13146300 tn?1428729753
I was in full withdrawals  when I took the Suboxone. After I took it almost all of the withdrawal went away. To be clean the Dr. Didn't tell me anything or tell me how long I would be on them or how long his program was. They do have a therapist there that I have to see 2x a month. I did talk to him on Monday, I told him about my plan. He told me that the Dr. Doesn't talk or say much. The Dr. Himeself did not get a background story from me or ask any questions  besides when I last took the oxy. I split the dose of oxy up to try to take less then he prescripted because like I said before I want to be off of this as soon as possible.  So I tried to see if I would be Ok on 6mg a day but I was not doing well yesterday being my first day starting the Suboxone.  After I took it I felt about 75% better after 2 hours.so when I took my next dose of 2mg thinking it would be enough for that day but I was wrong. So I took the last 2mg.  I also took the seroquel  it took me awhile to fall asleep. I fell asleep for about 1.5hr then woke up at 230 am went to the bathroom,  I felt dizzy and went back to sleep at slept until 11:45. So about 8hrs of sound sleep which felt great I haven't slept thur in forever for more then 3 to 4 hours. But I will try not to take that nightly. After I stopped taking the clonidine he gave he, it had me super groggy, very dizzy feeling and dry mouth.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hi. So your dr told you to take 4mg of suboxone twice a day. That means to me 4mg every 12hrs. Instead you say you took 4mg then 2mg followed by another 2mg. So it sounds like you haven't taken it as directed.

Previous posts said you wanted to take suboxone short term to withdraw from Oxycodone. Is this what you have planned with your dr? You need to make yourself clear, ask questions ect etc.

Are you saying your withdrawl symptoms were almost gone before you took the suboxone or after you took the suboxone?

Most important Kikarose, have you cut all ties to your sources? Looked into meetings etc etc. I remember you wrote about seeing a therapist once a fortnight and this is nowhere near enough especially so early on.

What do you want Kikarose? Do you want to be free from addiction? Are you going to do whatever it takes? Something doesn't feel right to me...in regards to how the dr who initiated the suboxone, the lack of info. How you took your first 8mg...not as directed. It sounds like you have joined a maintenance program, not detox. I could be wrong, I hope I am, I'm just putting it out there.

Could you let us know what your plans/goals are?





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Avatar universal
Hi, can you explain something? If your withdrawls were gonna, why do you need to be on suboxone?
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Avatar universal
I took the seroquil about 10-11 years after a really bad accident and I had trouble sleeping. I was 25mg. Only took it once. Within half hour of taking it I couldn't even get up off the sofa to pee and get myself to bed. I was so out of it I walked into the wall and got a black eye. Don't remember anything after that except waking up on the kitchen floor the next morning. My husband was away at work and I was to scared to take it again. Maybe I'm just a light weight but 25mg kicked my ***...and all the stories I've read on here about subs I've never heard them just give you the pills and send you away. They're suppose to keep you there slowly dosing you to find the right dose. You deff don't want to be taking more than you need to. It will be even harder to come off of later. Plus whatever other side effects taking to much or not enough can cause. Doesn't sound right. Go back ASAP if you have issues.
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2083449 tn?1381354708
Hi, I don't have any personal experience with either of those drugs, but I just wanted to offer you some encouragement. Did the doctor say how long you are supposed to stay on the Suboxone? Is this part of an entire program Including some sort of aftercare or counseling?  That will be very important for your success.  For now, I would take both of those drugs exactly as prescribed.  Others who do have personal experience will be along to offer better advice.

Take care!
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