Suboxone

[kallily]

I seem to have a problem spelling this med like a lot of other people do. Funny. Oh well, my husband is prescribed this medication and is under a Drs care while taking it. He was handed a booklet that described the medication. What it does, what it doesn't do. There seems to be a lot of misconception about this drug, Suboxone.
I will quote from the booklet.
At appropriate does Suboxone can:
*Help to suppress withdrawal from prescription pain medications, heroin, or similar full opioid agonists.
*Help to decrease cravings for other opioids.
*Reduce the effects of full opioid agonists.

It is possible that you are one of those people who when taking this drug had no further side effects or withdrawal. Great for you! You were probably one of those people who got the dose correct right off the bat. But, most people have withdrawal symptoms somewhat while taking this drug. The "KEY" words above are HELP and REDUCE. The drug is designed to help lessen the withdrawal symtoms and the cravings for the drug. It also helps your brain in the healing process because you don't have to go through the anxieties of intense withdrawal. This is why group therapy is so important when taking this medication.

Right now my husband is trying to find a level with the Dr that will level him out. It seems if he takes the prescribed amount all he does is sleep and act like he's drugged up. Yesterday he didn't take a pill until late afternoon when we realized he was getting abnormally agitated. When he takes even 1/4 of 1 pill it puts him to sleep for a couple of hours. He seems to be very sensitive to it....but still needs to get control  of the withdrawal symtoms. He seems to be wired a little differently. A challenge in itself to say the least.So we have to find a comfortable level for him.

I appeciate everyone's comments .....I need connection to get through this time. But I would appreciate more dialogue about what I'm saying than just one statement of "If you're taking Suboxone, you don't have withdrawal sympomts." That is an absolute and with medications a lot of things have to be considered. There is not a one answer fits all.

Going through withdrawal has actually had it's rewards which sounds funny, I know. Because of going through all this difficulty he doesn't want any part of opioids affecting his life anymore. He doesn't want to even take the Suboxone, but does because he knows he's bound to it right now.

Blessings to all!

[cattalina]

I wouldn't say sub definitely produces a high early on - I was put on 24mg right off the bat and didn't get any type of "high" feeling. All it did was lessen the wds I had been feeling from my doc. Actually, it took until day 3 for me to feel "normal" like my doctor said, sub needs to build up in the system before it proves it's full pontential. 32mg is where those pamphlets tell you the plateau effect is but I personally believe it's much lower than that. Just in my experience the higher the mg of sub I took the sicker I was with side effects. I think that's part of the problem with sub trtmnt, especially early on, cuz the medical community doesn't seem to be aware of the side effects from higher doses of sub. Every time I told my doctor about a side effect I was suffering from he said "you're still feeling wds" and upped my dose until I maxed out. Unfortunately it took me over a year to realize it had been the sub making me sick the whole time. Once I dropped my dose down to single digits most, if not all, of those side effects disappeared. Many people think, 'oh it's not working I must need more' but the majority of the time that is not the case. If someone is suffering a ton of side effects or what the doctor calls "withdrawals" in the beginning, you should try to reduce the dose for a week or so and see if that helps. I know every situation is different but I wish someone had recommended I try reducing way back then cuz I would have saved myself months of pure torture!! Hopefully that helps someone else from going thru what I went thru!

[outotown]

Thanks for the update on that I dont want to tell anyone something wrong were not Drs, I never tried to get high on mine tho I did get a buzz when I frist started taking it. I just followed my dr instruction, I was sooooo done with getting high!!!!

[tommm70]

I took subutex twice a day at first, 4mg each or something to that effect. Nothing gets blocked out per say, but because it is a partial opiate agonist, it does have a ceiling effect. Once you hit a certain "dose tolerance" the effects will not be felt with taking more. I think it is around 32mg. Anything more than that, and you won't get any effects from it.
Subutex/Suboxone definetly produces a high early on. But that quickly disappears within a few days. The benefit of it having a ceiling is to prevent abuse as once someone no longer gets a high from the ceiling effect, a high can no longer be obtained.

[outotown]

I had side effects from the sub. when i frist started it and they improved in about a week. But every now and then I would get sick in the mornings from them. Also my Dr said once a day only, if you take it twice in the day ( the kind that goes under tounge ) the frist sub will block the second from working as per my Dr

[refusingbondage]

My doctor did it the same way at our first visit.  2mg every half our with a blood pressure cuff on the whole time, in his office.  Just enough to not feel withdrawal..

I guess it cant be an exact science ever.  My doc said taking it every day at the same time an only once/day was an absolute necessity.  So I went for the first thing in the morning option.  

How long has he been on?? I know my first week on it I had to take off of work cause I was soo sick from it initially.. headache, dizzy, sleepy, nauseous.. but it was not withdrawal feelings, just side effects of the meds.. after that week though those side effects improved a lot.  My doctor told me to expect that.  I definitely did not feel I was in withdrawal at all from moment I walked out of the doctor's office after that initial visit (until tapering and quitting subs of course).  

I definitly agree going through w/drawal has its benefits.. a passage of rite im my opinion.  I would be careful with the sub... there is a chance he will have withdrawal coming off suboxone also.  Many did.  Many did not.  Just more proof that no two stories are alike.  Hope it works out for you both.  Take care.

[bethinime]

Yea I am with MCH I so wish I would have known more about the suboxone before my dr put on it. I unfortunately was on it for over a year and I am on day 13 and still feeling withdraws. I weaned myself down to 2mg before coming off. At this point in the process it seems that with wds come in waves. Right at the point I think I am feeling better it slams me down again.

My sub dr started me at 32mg a day which was WAY to large of a dose. But as we should be able to, I trusted he knew what he was doing. Then he wanted me to stay on forever. He said my brain had changed forever because I became addicted to pain pills and every 3 days for the rest of my life I would crave a pain pill so I needed to stay on subs now forever. blah blah blah. So I started digging and what I heard from others was terrifying. So long story short I so wish I would have just suffered through the 4-5 day of pain pill withdraw and NEVER stuck one of those orange subs under my tongue. I just dont trust those sub drs. I really dont at all. I think there might be some good ones out there but I think they are few and far between. Have no idea if I have answered your question but I sure know I have babbled. Sorry.

[dominosarah]

I dont know anything about sub as i never took it but just wanted to lend my support and tell you that your husband is very lucky to have you.  You are supportive and that is a big plus to an addict in recovery.  Learn everything you can......keep posting    sara

[outotown]

My sub Dr started me at a lower dose and kept increasing it little by little, with my input, untill it got my w/d under control. I was luck I had a very good sub Dr, he explained everything to me and never sugar coated the w/d i would have even with each decrease in dose. Your sub Dr has alot to do with how successful you will be on the treatment, and a good sub Dr in my opinion shoud be a pcycaratrist, and not a pain management Dr, he should tell you everything up front, and treat you for everything from addiction depression and even a hang nail if need be. Research your Dr. Too

[mchiurazzi]

id read a lil more on suboxone in the health pages because i got that same litterature from the doctor and it left out alot of things that i would have like to know. like how it tells you withdrawls from sub are mild and manageable! ha, the higher dose you jump at the worse the withdrawls seem to be from suboxone i went down to 1/16th of an 8 mg pill every other day and then every three days before i jumped, my withdrawls were still pretty bad and lasted about 10 days, i was only on suboxone for almost 2 months tho, im told the longer your on it the longer the withdrawls, but rember everyone is differnt. yea but if i had read the info in the health pages on this website before i started suboxone i probally just would have gone cold turkey from my D.O.C. if you have any questions feel free to ask, keep posting