Suboxone 8 mg for treatment of Norco Withdrawl

[ErinP]

I just started taking Suboxone 8 mg twice a day for treatment of Norco abuse/ addiction. (Took aprox 8-10 norcos for 2 years daily) I took my first pill last Thursday the 26th in the evening.  
I felt horrible the 1st 48 hours but now am starting to feel semi-back to normal aside from this major headache that *won't go away.  The good news is I haven't had a norco/ vicodin in 5 days!!!
* I've been researching on the internet and it worries me that Suboxone will have the same withdrawal effect as Norco.  And,  it seems people stay on it it for years... I don't want to grow another dependency to a medication.
What's the quickest most effective way to detox?  Am i detoxing from the norco while on the Suboxone?  How long do I have to stay on the Suboxne and deal with these headaches?  

I really want to do this but I don't want to substitute 1 dependency for another...  Anyone's advice or help would be appreciated.

[worried878]

u r on an astronomical dose of sub considering the hydro dose u were one..did u try to quit on ur own?  u are now using quite a bit more narcotic than u were so it would seem u would feel ok/if not great at this point/altho sometimes a high dose of sub can make people sleepy..and urs could be at least twice as high as ur dose of hydro would suggest..but we are all different and talking to ur sub dr is best///but learning on ur own about anything u put in ur body is also improtant
they say if u use sub less than 21 days there is no wd..i have heard different opinions on this...if u use longer as a rule there will be a wd//and it could be worse than an 80-100 mg hydro dose just because u r now on a much higher dose of a stronger narcotic  I was at the same dose for 4 years of hydro as u..i have used sub off and on/abused it i should say to avoid wd when out of pills...2 mgs of sub  would hold me/and actually gave me a "jolt" which is the reason i was afraid to use this drug for detox...be careful as sub can become a new drug of choice if u r not careful...read and learn..it is good that u r trying to that...ur doctor is who u should talk to about lessening the dose/discuss ur goals/he will most likel;y tell u there is no such thing as sub wd becos that is what the sub company taught him/unles ur dr is an addict..then he doesnt really understand how hard it is for an addict to taper/even if it is tapering off of sub..and many can not get off the sub..it is a narcotic/tru a partial agonist/but a much stronger drug than what u were on..be safe and dont jump from the fire into the frying pan

[cattalina]

Now is a great time to start tapering. You've only been on sub for a month so making the transition should be much easier for you than if you stayed on it for a year. From my observations, people who stay on it longer than 3 months tend to encounter more problems when tapering. The thing to remember during a sub taper is it's half life. It has a 72 hour half life - someone may argue with me and say 36 but I can prove it's 72 hrs from my own experience with it. Anyways, what does the half life mean during a taper you ask? Well, it means you will not feel the full effects of a drop dose for 3 days. Example - you drop 2 mg today (monday) you won't know 100% what wd effects, if any, you will feel until Thursday. You may feel an impact before then but it will not be the full effect. Also from my own experience - lower doses of sub tend to be more effective and produce less side effects.You mentioned that extreme headache in the beginning? Me too - for 2 full weeks that beyotch wouldn't even lessen!! It means we were taking too much believe it or not. One last thing for now - dropping while in the higher doses tends to be pretty easy. I dropped from 32 to 8mg quickly and with relative ease. The hardest tapering began at 2mg... but I've also been on sub for a ridiculous amount of time so I'm not sure if you will encounter the same problem only having been on it for a month. If I can help with anything just let me know!

[ErinP]

My doctor prescribed me 8mg twice a day, it's been almost a month and was finally feeling like my life was back... The last 4 days I cut it down to 12mg...  I haven't told my doctor  yet and am hoping I made the right decision.  I want this to go away,....  Any, suggestions...?

[christos24]

Hey Erin, my name is Christos and was on suboxone for over 8 mths at the highest effective dose of 32mgs taken daily, any higher would actually make the main drug-buprenorphine act as an opiate antagonist (opiates such as naloxone or naltrexone) used for overdoses or blocking the effects any and all opiates.
Depending on how severe and long the addiction was to opiates that will shape the plan as far as your treatment with suboxone will go, how long it will, how much, etc..Suboxone is very unique for quite a few reasons, but it is still a partial mu opioid that is quite strong at 25 times stronger than morphine on a mg scale. So it definitely not something to be toyed with and if you would happen to go cold turkey after being on it for longer than 3 months at basically any dose you will go through very severe wds that grow worse over the course of almost  two months and that is just the physical wd effects, the mental and physiological effects, cravings, anxiety, etc. will linger for much longer. It is a little less addicting than methadone and easier to taper off of. How long you are on suboxone is really based on you. Rushing would most likely put you right back where you were before now with an even higher habit and wds. Your DOC, Norcos-hydrocodone, is a moderate potency opioid that is addictive, but you were not on a high dose of it and almost should have opted for working with a substance abuse counselor and/or doctor in the field to slowly taper off and then use withdrawal management aids to get yourself off. Suboxone and methadone should only be used after having attempted with professional help several times before considering getting into the treatment. Since the medical field is expanding everyday it has helped us fund great aids in the opiate wd, such as medications like clonidine and similar alpha-a2 androgenic drugs, along with short term wd aids like Valium, Ativan, and similar longer lasting benzodiazepines, and plenty of others making it easier and easier each and everyday to taper off and stay off.  In starting suboxone no matter what you need to be in moderate wds and has to be at least 24 hours since last taking any opaite what so ever otherwise you will be put into immediate precipitated wd that are horrendously terrible. Thats probably one of the most important things to always keep in mind with suboxone.
Speak with your doctor and if youve given him/her your full history of addiction etc. then  they should also have an idea how long you really need to be on it. There is 21 day suboxone detox treatments that are very successful and promising for addiction to moderate opioids such as yours. Like I said before it would have been nice to not even start the suboxone, taper off with wd medications and have counseling or therapy for the physiological aspects of the addiction. Your level of sue was not extrmem so that is very good and it is great that you caught it when you did before you moved up the line to stronger and stronger opioids digging the hole deeper each time. opiates will destroy any person no matter how strong one claims they can be, no amount of will power conquers addiction, only when you are truly ready, get help by going to meetings, seeing a therapist and/or substance abuse counselor will help ensure your sobriety.
On Suboxone treatment, some ppl can go through the 21 day detox program with ease and confidence some with more severe addictions may be on it for a few years, just like some methadone will stay on it for the rest of their lives, it all in how YOU know you are going to feel and act being completely off all opioids/opiates what soever.I truly believe after hearing about your addiction that you will only need to be on it for at a absolute maximum 1 year. Now it could be a lot lot shorter or it could be longer, either doesnt mean anything better or worse. All that decides where you are at personally in your dedication on being completely opiate and drug free. I really wish you the best of luck, and the biggest piece of advice i can give you is to go go SLOW and not rush anything be it treatment, dose, tapering, anything. Addiction is extremely touchy and a daily battle that you have to be truly ready to give it 100% each and everyday. For the amount of hydrocodone you sued I think 16mgs is the absolute amx, it should be lower, suboxone is unique in that the lower dose youa re on the actual more opiate-like effects appear, and the higher you go the more it can put you in wds and make it much much worse. I would say the ideal dose for your case is 8 mgs , but if you are fine with 16mgs stay on that, just dont rush anything. this is your life youre talkinga bout. if you ever ahve any questions ever need help tapering off or anything at all let me know anytime I am always on and am always willing to do what evers necessary to help fellow friends on this forum of family. I wish you the best and let me know anytime if you need anyhting or need clarification on things.-Christos

[avisg]

tommm is right if you are taking it to prevent WD and not part of a recovery program with therapy or meetings you may end up in with more wd then you would have coming off of the narco.16 mgs for 10 narcos a day is a pretty high dose you might want to talk to a doctor about tapering down quickly .How long are you planning on staying on the sub.

[tommm70]

The less time you are on Suboxone, the less your witdrawal will be. Are you getting this prescribed from a doctor? As outotown says, it can be very good for some. But if you are taking it just to avoid withdrawals, it is not the answer.

An aftercare plan is crucial to staying clean. Addiction is very powerful and cannot be treated alone. So if you are seeing a doctor for your sub. MAke sure to take full advantage of getting educated, and learing about how to handle future triggers. The mental side of addiction is often the most overlooked, yet is by far the most powerful part. Your brain is going to crave the drugs you quit, and it is important to recognize this and be reminded that this disease will be with you forever.

good luck to you!

[outotown]

I was on sub. for 13 months, I started at 32mg once a day and worked my way down, I have now been clean from sub 22 days, Sub is not for everyone but it gave me my life back. Im going to send you an e-mail and tell you my story. I have told it alot of times on here, and it is a little long. But bottom line I was able to go back to work and treat my depression while on sub. and over time you will loose the cravings for hydro. and get clean and stay clean but you will have w/d when you go off it. Some people bash sub. on here like I said sub. is not for everyone do your homework on it and follow your Dr. advice.

[BQ77]

Since you are feeling better, come up with a taper plan with the Suboxone and stick with it.  Take your time, take baby steps, do it slow and it will be more effective.  Cut out like 1 or 2mg each time you taper.  Everyone is different so come up with a taper plan that will work best for you.  Maybe 3 days a taper?  A week?  Up to you.  At the very worst you going to find a nice low amount to be on.  So let's say you taper to 2mg and if you go to 1mg you feel bad.  Then maybe go back to 2mg for a little while before you try and taper again.  At least you're down to 2mg a day, you know?  Whatever way you choose I with you the best of luck.  Take care.

Barry