Suboxone

I went on Suboxone a while ago to help keep me from using percoset. I have NOT been successful YET.
My question is I have been using percs for 4 years.  How long should I be on Suboxone before I can start stair stepping down to where I am free of putting any narcotic in my body. My wife wants me off in a month. I just want the opinion of anyone who has been through this. Help ????

[wannabefree330]

What do you mean you have not been successful?  Have you relapsed already on the sub?  Tell us how long you have been on the sub, and what your dose is that will help.

[Bodybuild7783]

I went through detox 3 years ago. The hospital put me on the 5th floor. I had an addiction problem, I wasn't mentally challenged. However I relapsed 5 weeks after leaving the hospital. I went on Suboxone 8mg/2mg 9 months ago. I was on 3 pills a day.
I went down to 3/4 of a pill a day and relapsed hard. Now I take suboxone 5 days a week and 2 days a week I'll go through 50 percf 10mgs.  My question is IF I can stay on the Suboxone how long should I be on it before I can wean myself off of the suboxone and be drug free ???

[wannabefree330]

We are all different but in order for the sub to work effectively you cannot continue taking percs?  I think you have gone down on your dose too quickly and that is causing your relapses.  You need to stay at a high enough dose....long enough....THEN consider tapering.  In your case since you have relapsed already you may be on a maintanence dose for quite some time?  When you begin weaning it will be at a VERY slow pace.  Like 1mg every week.  Even then you may have cravings and have to increase by 1/2 mg.  You must be totally honest w/your doctor.  If you start having any kind of craving you need to increase your dose.  In your case you need to be on the sub at least a month before you begin any kind of weaning.

Is your doctor prescribing you sub 5 days a week and percs the other 2??  I'm baffled?  Or is that YOUR own perscription?

[christos24]

everyone is different, some need to be on sub for years, others can go through a 24 day detox, some for the rest of theyre lives. i was on it for over 8 months at the highest effective dose 32 mgs a day. and eventually had to switch to a methadone clinic. that no doubt saved my life. i was severely addicted to both snorting heroin and oxycontin. i personally know and many others have had extremely promising and great experiences with getting sober with suboxone. it def, helps reduce cravings and the withdrawals, but after 32 mgs you cant go any higher, the higher you go the more of withdrawal it will have buprenorphine(the main chemical in suboxone) because of its partial opiate agonist/antagonist effects.start to go down when you feel you are honestly ready, no one person, doctor, or fmaily member can tell YOU when you are ready to get off of it. and it definitely needs to be tapered down very slowly to avoid extreme wd's.if you have any questions regarding treatment or anything to do with suboxone or other drugs let me know-christos

[worried878]

one thing i have found is u have to want this really bad for urself..not cos ur wife wants it for u..sub can help u skip wds but it cant do the work 4 u...if u end up addicted to sub that would be a toss up...21 days is the cut off for sub..with aftercare and support...depending on ur dose of percs i would use the least amt of sub possible...for the least amount of time...good luck and go over ur goals and ur plan in ur head..b safe

[122 Tactical Fighter Group]

If I were you I would examine my whole approach .......  Why the percs for two days a week? And at an excessive dose?  Not computing here ....  You are doing the sub to stop doing narc's arent you?  And your question of how long until you are drug free should probably be tabled until you decide exactly what it is you are looking for ------  and until you are off the subs (a drug) and off the percs (another drug) -------  Not surprising that you had a problem with dropping to 3/4 of a pill ----  nominal is about ten percent a week at best ------  You blew right past that one ----   Make a plan thats realistic and then stick to it ----  The wife should also be in the loop a little more ......  Narc's and your body do not consider her wishes when everything else comes into play .....  Its not an easy thing to get done .....  and it will be on the pills schedule and on your bodies schedule -----   Not on some abstract date that someone comes up with -----------   Take a step back and look at things ------  You can do this ........ just do it right ----