Suboxone withdrawl(withdrawal)

I've been taking Suboxone for almost 2 months now after being on methadone for a year, now I want to quit the Suboxone because I can't aford it.  I have about a mjonths supply left.  How's the best way to wean myself off without major withdrawl (withdrawal) symptoms?  I have 2 kids and i don't want them to see me majorly sick.  I need to know what to expect.  I'm really scared, I've read terrible things about trying to get of suboxone.  HELP  I do have 14 600mg neurotin ti help when I finally make the transition.  Should I do it now, or wait till I'm out.  I've heard the longer your on it, the harder it is to get off.  It's like a dope habit all over again, and I've tryed so hard and been clean for the past 2 years.  AGAIN HELP.....thank you-Erika1924

[FLaddict]

How much are you taking per day?? Are you taking it once a day or in split doses??

[pheggie101]

first....'you have been clean 2 years/'........not with sub you have'nt. just another opiate......fladdict will chime in and help you soon,she is the resident sub info poster.

[erika1924]

I was taking 8mg twice a day and have weaned off to 6mg.  16mg-6mg in about 3 weeks.  I want off.  And yes meth and subox. are opiates, but i was shooting 2 grams of dope per day, and haven't picked up a poin, or done any drug other than prescribed in over 2 yrs.  I'm 31 and have been getting high since I was 23.  I think i'm doing ok, i just want to do better

[gettingoff30]

suboxone is not an opiate.  it is the opposite.  it is bupenephrine which is an opiate blocker.  methadone is opiate based the 2 are not the same.  if you want off break it down.  dont quit ct.  i would try to skip the night dose and see how you feel in the morning.  If you are taking 6mg of suboxone 2/day 1 am and 1 pm dose???  take the am dose but see if you can either skip the pm or break it down to 3mg.  I am not trying to tell you exactly what to do but this is what I would do...day 1 6mg morning---pm dose 3 mg do this for 4 days.  Then drop it to 3mg am, 3 mg pm-4days, Then 3mg am and no pm dose 4 days  then drop the am dose  I think you are doing great btw.  when i stopped the suboxone i went from 8mg every 20-24 hours  i did feel crappy for a week but not like kickin methadone or oxy or opiate detox.  that methadone detox is horrific!  the suboxone is good bc it does keep the acute wd's from getting worse or even coming on.  you might be sluggish and tired but i told my kids i had a really bad flew and migraine and they were ok.  kids are amazing creatures they tend to be helpful when mommies are sick

[erika1924]

Hey "gettingoff30,  Thank you very much for your comments.  I appreciate your concern.  This is the first forum I've ever been on.  I know that suboxone isn't an opiate, I guess I was just being defensive to the above post of me not being clean for 2 years and got all mixed up trying to defend myself, which I should know by now that I don't have to do for anyone.  Thanks alot again.    Erika1924

[retiredrn]

All this information is from Wikipedia.  "Buprenorphine is an opioid drug with partial agonist and antagonist actions. Suboxone contains small doses of opiates as well as the opioid antagonist naloxone to deter illicit intravenous preparation of the tablet. In the recent years, buprenorphine has been introduced in most European countries as transdermal formulation ("patch") for the treatment of chronic pain.Like other opiates, buprenorphine can cause drowsiness, vomiting and respiratory depression."  There's a lot more information that I think is great.

[Savas]

Ah, found it!

Okay, long time I.V. heroin user...year of methadone, 2 months suboxone.

First, suboxone is a "tailored opaite" as well as a partial antagonist as opposed to a full antagonist like methadone. The difference is in how long it stays in your system.
   Suboxone does have a secondary drug in it that causes immediate withdrawal if you try to shoot it (usually), but I'm sure that was explained to you.

As to it being an opiate blocker...can't say. They keep changing it, and it used to be called an opiate blocker like methadone is an opiate blocker (it isn't) so I've no clue. But I've known soboxone users who shot heroin while on it, and said they felt it fine. But that was a while ago, soooo...

Now, I'm not a suboxone expert, but I get the impression the withdrawal is somewhere between what heroin withdrawal is and methadone withdrawal. But can't say for certain.

If you've only been off methadone a two months, I hate to say it, but you'll probably have a few more months until the effects of methadone are fully out of your system. We're only talking about secondary withdrawal here, mind you, not full blown. How bad those are varies, depending on your system, and how well you take care of yourself.

As to the suboxone withdrawal...in terms of if you continue to taper... and don't jump the gun...it's hard to say. I'm sorry, this is a little tricky, the methadone makes it questionable. I would say you should expect some normal withdrawal symptoms if you go off "to quickly". But it isn't anything you shouldn't be able to control with clonidine and the like. At least you've broken from the methadone.

I hate to say it, but you may want to ask Fladdict again and wait2long about this. They've got more suboxone experience. I've talked to some who were basically fine when they tapered off, and some who were in full withdrawal.
I wish I could be more helpful, but I don't want to state anything with a certainty. What I do know is methadone secondary symptoms can last up to a year, so coming off suboxone early will mean you have to deal with that issue.

[erika1924]

Thank you for your knowledge and time.  This all sounds really scary, but I guess I've made it this far.  It can't be worse than kicking dope "cold turkey", right?  I've done that before, twice actually, but never with my kids.  Guess I just have to have faith.  Thank you

[paulo916]

amazing how misinformed people can be. first, of course suboxone is an opiate. synthetic yes, more narrow spectrum than a full opiate yes, but still its an opioid. and yes it contains a blocker which not only makes it dangerous to try to shoot it, but will block the full effects of other opiods if you take them. some also said methadone isnt a opiate blocker? where did you get that from? have you tried shooting heroin while on methadone? very little if nothing happens. i remember in my worse days, waiting 2-3 days after my last dose of methadone to wear off so i could get high on dope again.

anyway heres the deal with suboxone.  when people started using the buphenex shots, it was a good thing. youd get 5-7 days of shots from a dr, and it really worked. by the last day youd be pretty much free of major withdrawls from heroin, pills, etc. but now with sublingual suboxone, its a whole other story. suboxone, unless used very very cautiously, is ****.  TO hear someone is on more than 30mgs a day is really crazy. that is a person who doesnt want to be clean, they want to just remain in a cloud, only legally. just like the person who goes to the methadone clinic and demands 120 or 200 mgs a day right away. WTF is that? that is not a person who is serious about being clean. i dont care if you shot 3 bundles a day. you dont need this kind of dosages to clean up. suboxone,  just like methadone, WILL GET YOU HIGH if you take enough. ive seen people take little chunks of suboxone and get completely f*cked up. nodding out, euphoric, then throwing up. just like at the methadone clinic you see the hopeless methadone stereotype, who is one 120 mgs for the past 5 years and gets like 30 take homes at a time. thats a lifer, a person who just traded shooting dope and being high for 4 hours to drinking methadone and being high all day and night. sure its not as intense but youre high. ive been there.

heres the trick with suboxone. DONT STAY ON IT LONG. and secondly, DONT USE TOO HIGH A DOSE. use only the dose that keeps you from being sick! when someone said it was easy to come down from 16 mg to 8 mg to 6 etc etc, they were right. thats not the hard part. the hard part is going from 2mg to nothing. if youve been using suboxone for about 6-8 months or more, expect to have one hell of a time getting off. its a nightmare. i am down to 1 mg in the morning and 1 mg at night. mind you the smallest dose made is 2mg. so i chop that in half, and still cant get off. I get NASTY WITHDRAWLS. depression, weakness, cold/flu symptoms, lethargy, etc etc. and this is ONLY 2mgs.ive tapered down and been on only 2mgs for months, AND STILL CANT GET OFF. i fear i wont be able to do it alone.

if youre reading this, please take my advice. ive seen it happen to me and many of my friends. suboxone is great to get you through your day legally, and without heroin. but if you stay on too long, WATCH OUT. youre f*cked.  people are taking 36 f*cking mgs a day and saying oh its what i need etc.  that is insane man. ive been in the gutter with the best  of them. i used to shoot speedballs all day and night until my body would just seize up and shut down after like 4 days straight no sleep, food, and almost no water. ive had abcesses on my arms the size of marbles filled with infected puss that i had to drain myself by waiting a week until they stretched the skin enough to pop with some pressure. ive had blood infections at least 4 times, ive had  ER doctors tell me "those are the worst track marks ive ever seen". what im trying to get at is, ive been there and i know that the people who are really serious about being totally drug free sometime soon do not demand 200 mgs of methadone a day, and do not eat 36mgs of suboxone a day. to come off that amount of suboxone, youre gonna have to go back on methadone my friend, trust me. either that or get strapped down and go through hell. suboxone withdrawl (withdrawal) is crazy as ****. you think youre good cause youve tapered down to so little, but youre not. if youve been on too long, hell awaits.

suboxone is only good if you have a good doctor who knows his **** and actually cares. (my dr actually told me some people use suboxone for depression, and it was good for that. i looked at him like he was a f*cking quack). also you have to be informed, and really serious about getting clean. i wasnt. i didnt realize it would be so hard to get off, and i didnt want to totally give up an opiate buzz. so even though i started on only 8mgs a day, i stayed on wayyy to long. its been a year.  DO NOT STAY ON SUBOXONE FOR A YEAR! try to start at as little a dose as possible and stay one as short a time as possible. the dr will tell you this and that, but you have to inform yourself. they usually know almost nothing about suboxone. try starting with only 4mgs a day if you can. then right away start bringing it down 1mg every week or every other week if you can. dont use it to get a buzz and dont get comfortable with it where youre on it for an extended period of time. it will ruin you.

im at the point where im going to have to either go into a full 30 day rehab, or go back on a broader spectrum opioid like methadone, to get off JUST 2mgs OF SUBOXONE A DAY!! its insanity.

of course everyone is different. but to be honest, im gauging this info on myself and about 4 other friends, and also my brother. thats including females, skinny little guys, a big *** body builder, and myself, who is 185lbs of muscle, a boxer and cyclist who works out every day and eats well.

dont mean to come off too strong or insistant, but this is where suboxone can take you. please, start on as little dose as possible, and stay on as short a time as possible. if you feel like youre gonna go back to dope right after, then youre not ready to be clean anyway so just why bother. suboxone is for people who are informed and ready to start a new life. not for the person trading one for another. suboxone really is the new methadone, but in my opinion, much worse. i was able to taper off methadone, 60 mgs all the way down to 1mg after some months, and walk away with only about two weeks of very mild withdrawls. not happening with suboxone. this ****, even in low doses, will grab you and hold you. ALL JUST MY HUMBLE, BUT INFORMED OPINION. good luck

[kru369]

I'am 24 years old and have been perscribed suboxone for six months. I want to come off it because i'am experiencing all kinds of side affects, constipated, trouble breathing, flu like symptoms, etc............... I need to get off it now. I know my doctor is going to encourage me to continue, even try to increase my dose. I will have no part of that. My Question is, What can I do to get off this stuff ? I have no desire to go back to street drugs, I just cant handle all the side affects. Is their a way to approach my doctor  to discuss my goal?

[avisg]

This is a very old post why don't you start another I don't want to see lost in the shuffle

[mom_of_two136]

I did a slow taper of reducing 2mg every month until I was at 2mg. Then I reduced from 2 - 1.5 - 1 - 0.5 - 0.25 (a crumb at the end) then would skip days. I would not say it was a piece of cake but it was very doable. I have been clean for about 2 weeks now and insomnia being my only problem.  I allowed my body to adjust at each reduction before lowering the dose. My first doctor I saw thought I could jump at 2mg and be fine. I had to switch doctors because I knew 2mg was too high to jump. I did lots of research about suboxone and read as many experiences as I could. I found a doctor that was very knowledgeable about suboxone and it made a big difference. I would be very upfront with your doctor and share what you have learned about suboxone (do some research) and what your goals are. One of the problems with suboxone is the varying understanding that different doctors have about this medication. Hopefully it will get better in time. Misinformation about suboxone is a big problem for the patient and the doctor. Good luck and know that you can taper off suboxone with minimal WD. It can be done. Best Wishes

[subhater471]

  I was put on Sub by a quack. I had 3 surgeries and my PCP referred me to this Dr. . I was on a 25 mg fentanyl patch with norco 5 for breakthrough-she immediately put me on 32 mgs of sub a day-I could not move for a month.
I recently underwent another surgery and NO pain meds would work post op !!So they put me through rapid detox !! I feel like hell and my pain meds still barely touch the pain from a total reverse shoulder surgery (the WD's were so bad I had a spinal tap and do not remember it ).
I'd read where if you were having surgery you needed to stop Sub for a week yet my ex Dr. told me to take 16 mgs a day until the surgery.(I'd been flushing sub bottles for months as no one on the planet can take 32 mgs a day .
I still MUST take a 2 mg sub to avoid PWD's . I take my norco and ER OXY before hand . The shoulder surgery is my last hope to use my right arm again .It was my 4th . I never took PK's unless injured or after surgery yet this Dr. made a fortune off my insurance and put me through the worse time of my life.
IF you have a serious drug problem (opiates) a month on sub then a taper down is advisable . I've learned a lot about Sub over the last few years (consulted with another pain Dr. and he could not believe I was even put on Sub-I now have my PCP write a small dose of norco( afer i recover from this surgery ) as I will be in pain forever .Yet I'd rather live with a little pain and less drugs than EVER take a Sub again.
I just cancelled 3 RX's of Sub Film and flushed all but 10 stop signs away.I would have gladly given them to someone in need yet that is illegal-I offered at the pharmacy and they laughed at me .