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Suboxone Help

This *****, Im in Pain and DR says t go back on meds.Im on Suboxone now for 3 weeks.Im down to 1 a day for 4 days now in 1/4s. My back is hurting. He says 24 to 36 Hrs after my last dose of Sub before i take any Pain Meds.Anyone that knows about this please reply.Thanks
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Avatar universal
Ive waited about 40 hrs now.I was on 1 8mg tab of Suboxone the last week i took them.I took them in 1/4s and bdfore that it was a total of 20 days and the most i did was average 1.5 pills a day in 1/4s basically.Right now i hurt and feel lousy.The Dr. gave me another oxy scrip and told me 36 to 48 hrs half life and to go ahead and eat one.they are 40 mgs just like before when i got off them, i was eating 4 a day. I thought my back was ok and i could stop. not the case,anyone care to chime in on this ,please do and thank you.Im about ready to go with worrieds and coolios posts.
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Avatar universal
Alot in info here, thank you all for everything here.It gives me alot to think about.I have alot more to say but i have to get out of here,,
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521742 tn?1255107015
Ive never taken sub before so im not too sure if you can take them at the same time- I will say that my dr knew I was on Cymbalta when she sent me to the sub dr. I didnt wind up going on the sub I stuck with methadone ( am not on that anymore only a month and it worked great for me) but back to the anti depressants everyone has there own opinion but I think anyone coming off opiates should take them the best case would be started a month before u plan to get off the meds. I think like any drug they have their pros and cons but any side effects I had were only when I 1st started taking it and it was really hard to tell at that point if it was from norco w/d or methadone?? It has really helped with my daily pain it somehow works on the brain. and all the years of opiate use does something to the endorphins in the brain and an anti depressant helps to get them back to normal, and can help with the anxiety too.
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Avatar universal
The main ingredient in Suboxone/Subutex is buprenorphine - not bupernorphine.  And you stated what I had already said previously.  I (obviously) do know how difficult long term suboxone is to come off of, and am painfully aware that it causes serious physical dependence.  I have now been taking it for 15 months, as my original prescribing doctor blew smoke up my *** about it's effectiveness and purpose.  Also, as I stated in my original post - a small amount of people do not have the adverse wds when taking a suboxone and another opiate.  I was one of the people that experienced severe withdrawal symptoms, which is why I give the warning to others.  
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175734 tn?1225134440

For some reason you have to wait when youve done pain pills and then go to Sub....But if youre on Sub and go to painpills you dont have to wait....Atleast i never did...
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175734 tn?1225134440
I probably shouldnt tell you this....But You can take pain meds any time after Sub it will just be less effective....They become more effective as time passes......It would be a waste to do them to soon....But i have been there and done that...
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Avatar universal
So your saying just wait the 36 hrs like the Dr. said and it will  be ok .? I can tell u the amount he told me to take at the begining was to much but that is all together different
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Avatar universal
People say that sub mixed with oxy will put you into "severe withdrawal"- yet the doctor says it will not.

Go with the doctor on this one. Please.
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Avatar universal
I didnt know u could take antis on subs, ive never had an anti depressant before, what are the pros and cons ?
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Avatar universal
it sounds like you have been on bupernorphine for several months.

My understanding is that this drug is not to be taken for that long. Anything is going to more difficult to quit when you have been using it several months. Perhaps the plan at the get go was faulty, since the doctor had you on the meds for far too long.

My experience has told me that 1-2 months on Sub MAXIMUM-- and the drug will do what its meant to do. Several months on it will cause dependency.
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521742 tn?1255107015
Ive been reading this post and I have to say cattalina took the words out of my mouth. I understand u are in pain most of us are I just cant understand why u would want to go back to the pills after all the trouble u went to get off of them. I would really try to give it some more time and see if there is something else that will help with the pain. I just started getting epidural shots mayb they would help u. And another thing that I think really helped me during this process was an anti depressant have u tried them, I take cymbalta and it helps with pain too. Please Please think about how far u have come before u go back there. Deb
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Avatar universal
Yes i read up on the subutex also.Ive never had that,Just Suboxone,It seems no matter what i do there is always some type of trade off for the payoff.I wouldnt even think of mixing the meds, I would wait 36 Hrs. before taking any and if and when i do i will start with a 1/8 pill at a time to make damn sure i dont end up doing something stupid, however with that said you are not suppose to break the pill up as it is a time realeased thing, i have in the past with 1/4s trying to detox. My Dr. told me if i ate a oxy on these suboxone i would just pee it out and feel no effect for pain and that nothing else would happen,on this site i hear that i will go into withdrawl? I also heard from Dr. that when i start taking them if i did it too soon i would go into withdrawl.SO i dont know why he would say opposite .The 2 are a contradiction.Thanks for all the answers here please keep them coming.
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Avatar universal
I always felt better when I was doing heroin.  It helped calm my anxiety and at the same time gave me enough energy to do whatever I needed to do.  I loved how I felt when I was on it - I'd never felt better about myself or felt more alive.  But then my personality started to change, my priorities changed, and slowly I started needing more and more to have that calming effect.  Eventually the drug turned on me, and it made me a different person - mean, angry, resentful, apathatic.  I no longer felt better on the drug, I felt dead - but I couldn't stop.  Not only out of fear of wd, but out of fear for what/who I would be without it, even though I didn't like who I had become on it. It had become a part of my identity, I was a heroin addict - nothing more.  It will happen to you eventually, it's inevitable.  You may not ever be homeless, or unemployed or even broke.  But you won't know who you are, what you want, or what's best for you.  Suboxone may not be a medication that works for you, it is not for everybody, but that doesn't mean it's in your best interest to go back to the pain pills.  No-one ever plans to become an addict, or to be in a crappy situation...  stuff like that just happens and it's out of our control.  What is in our control is how we handle those situations.  Your life may suck right now, but it won't always be that way as long as you stay off the pain pills.  You will have this addiction for the rest of your life, and most likely some type of pain...  Explore other routes of handling the pain - narcotic medication isn't the only option.  There are many people on this forum who have severe debilitating pain and have found a way to cope without narcotics.  Like ochooked said - pain meds give you an "artificial reality" and that's not a way to live.  You have to be willing to try other things, and take charge of this situation instead of just giving up and giving in.  You said you went 10 years without a drug or a drink, it's possible to be there again but only if you're willing to try.  I hope that you consider the things you've heard today, and make an attempt to find a better solution.  Keep in touch with your decisions and progress.
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401095 tn?1351391770
I am not sure I wouold go to the suboxone website for info as it will all be positive as a rule...they are trying to sell their drug....they do list some negative side effects but are not gonna go into any gory details as it would hurt their sales...cattalina is right/dont go there for info...asking people who have used it is ur best bet...as for using on suboxone...small amounts will be blocked and u wont feel any effect from the narcotic u take/so pointless...large amounts could send u into withdrawals so i would not chance it and wait out the time ur doctor reccommends...subutex does not have naloxone,,,but using narcotics on subutex increases chances of overdose and u do not even feel high...the subutex will still occupy most of the receptor sites so the other narcotic can not take effect..dangerous game

I am sorry you have to go back to the pain pills...be safe
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Avatar universal
Welcome to real life - -- I know the pain you are in and most of the dependent and addicted people on this site are there as well. - - -I know I am.  What the kind folks who posted above me are trying to get you to see is that you are probably jumping out of the pan and into the fire ---  You are giving us all the reasons you want or need to take the drugs and we sort of chuckle because we have all used this same logic and justification.   It means that you will function well on the drugs for awhile and then realize (too late) that everything is filtered through drugs - you will have no real emotions - no real feelings, no pain for sure - but it is an artificial reality  ----- hey, don't jump on my for saying this I am just a recovering addict who also is looking for the answsers.   Best of luck to you as you try to decide - -- ochooked
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Avatar universal
Truth be told they have a real calming effect as well.What i do is stressful and if i being 100% honest i like how i feel on them better.At least at this point.I have no energy on these Subs,im depressed,worried, dont feel that great, and i know i could probly take more of them and it might make a bit of a difference but in the long run i still have the pain and the addiction,whats the point ,i might as well benifiet all the way around instead of just not experencing withdrawl.and take the oxys.Or just stay miserable,Life is a ***** right now.Im 51 and never did  i plan for it to end up like this.I went almost 10 yrs without a drink or a drug and heres where im at ...
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Avatar universal
You're right, sometimes life is a ***** - and the right thing to do is always the hardest.  If you feel like your only option is to go back on pain meds, by all means, do so.  Just know that it will get to the point where it interferes with your life.  Being in chronic pain is awful, I agree with that 100%.  But if you hate feeling wds, getting back on the narcotic pain pills isn't the answer.  Once you have a physical dependency on pain meds it means you will go through wds at one point or another.  I hope that you consider trying other avenues first before marrying the pain pills again.  Good luck and if there's anything I can do to help..  
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Avatar universal
My back pain went away and i wanted off the meds,i just dont want to be dependent on anything.I actually like how i feel on them for the most part.Now i cant stand being in pain and hate withdrawl.Ive got myself in a catch 22 situation and im trying to manage everything as it comes up.I have a good job,ive managed to buy a house,boat ,thru alot of yrs of hard work .I would love to be off everything,..Sometimes life is a *****..
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Avatar universal
I did heroin for years before I started the sub.  Initially when I started I was taking 32 mgs a day for the first couple of months, down to 24, 16, then 8mgs for about 6 months, and down to 6mgs for almost 2 months, now I've been taking 4mgs/day for the last few days.  Tapering down has been very, very difficult - everything the doctors told me was b.s, and I learned that the hard way!!  Tell me if this is right - you were taking 12mgs/day, and now you're taking 10mgs?  The only way you'll go into detox hard is if there's still suboxone in your system when you take an oxy or norco.  Suboxone has a long half-life, roughly around 36 hours for most people.  Since it lasts so long in the system, you should not feel full-on wds from coming off the subs right away.  By the time you start to feel crappy, you'll be able to take the oxy.  Sub is an opiate-blocker, and taking another opiate while sub is still in your system will put you into wds, but if you wait the 36 hours after your last sub dose, you should be fine.  

Not to sound stupid - but are you sure there's no other way to handle the pain?  You're playing russian roulette by going back on the pain meds, and most likely you'll end up right back where you started. If you functioned fine on them for 2 years, why did you end up taking the sub?  
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Avatar universal
How much have you been taking for 15 months? What was the reason? I started with 1.5 pills. The 8mg. Per day, My Dr told me to take 3 a day! Flamgi and worried and others told me to start less and it worked to a point.Im still able to work etc.But now my back is hurt bad again and i cant take it, i have to go back on the Meds from Dr, but need to function till weekend and so here i am this morning with a 1/4 in me and by now i usaully have had a half at 6 am a 1/4 at 9am a 1/4 at 3 pm for the last 4 days.ad 1/4 more  and 1/4 more on that ,before that,.Does that make sense? Thanks. SO Is it 36 hrs? Should i take a small amount of meds to begin with so i dont go into detox hard? My Dr also told me that if a ate my meds i would **** them out. I have norcos and oxys but dont mix them  as a rule, i prefer the oxys they work great and i function fine.2 yrs worth before the subs . I thought my back was ok and i was on my way to quiting it all.
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Avatar universal
Do more than a little research!  Don't just look at the suboxone website - talk to people on this forum, go a google search and read everything that comes up about suboxone.  That's how I found the most information - there's alot of places that praise sub as the "miracle drug" for addiction.... but it's not.  There's no such thing as a miracle drug for anything.  It can be helpful in some cases, but there are downsides to treatment with it.  I've been on sub for 15 months, and have mixed feelings about it.  Be careful what doctor you see, as 98% of them don't have the proper information and training needed...  Be very thorough with your research and gather as much info as you can.  Personally, I think the best information comes from people who have experienced it... I'm sure people disagree with that - but draw your own conlusion based on what you find.  If I can help at all, please don't hesitate to ask!  GL
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Avatar universal
Im doing a lil research on that drug myself and am still on the fence about it. If you go to the suboxone website and read the comments, they praise it...Then i read some things on here and other places and it sounds more like switching one for another...I think ima just stick to the tapering....
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Avatar universal
If that's the question you are asking - your doctor is right.  Suboxone has a long half life, and if there is any left in your system when you take a pain pill - it will immediately send you into severe withdrawals.  That's why he wants you to wait 24-36 hours.  A very small handful of people don't experience this, but the majority of people do.  Do a search online for suboxone, and you'll find more information as to why that happens.
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Avatar universal
Yes..
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