Subutex/Suboxone withdrawal after long term use, HELP!!!

I am in day 4 of Subutex withdrawal. I was on it for 5 months. The first 4 at 4mg a day, the last month gradually tapering down to .5 mg.

I am in withdrawal HELL. No energy, I take vitamin B supplements, which help very short term. I am taking clonidine, which helped some as well. But the RLS is driving me insane. HOW can I stop this? And when will I start to feel better. Can long term sub users who have gone through withdrawal please help me?

I was always told the withdrawal would be very mild, and this is a miracle drug. I will say, my life and habits have changed. I have no desire to use any pills at the moment, and I don't expect that to change. I was abusing hydros after 2 shoulder surgeries. Counseling and support from friends and family (who I was deathly afraid to talk to) has been amazing. My best friends wife came over and took my hydros from me, and basically helped save my life. I am lucky to have them.

[avisg]

welcome ,
the fourm is alittle slow on the weekends , people will post so hang in there . I think that it is going to be very much like the withdrawl (withdrawal) from hydros...... I am hoping you will start feeling  better soon , my only concern is the half life is sooo much longer so it may take longer to go threw withdrawl (withdrawal). I am glad you are posting ,we have a few people here on sub that have been told they wont have much along the lines of withdrawl (withdrawal) when they go off of it . If they taper .... I had heard withdrawl (withdrawal) could be pretty bad . I have heard if you stay on it for no longer the 21 days you can bypass the withdrawl (withdrawal).......

[tommm70]

Im freaking out here. I wanna puke, I am having makor hot flashes, sweating. THIS IS HELL.
I thought I could do this, but I am in so much damn pain right now. I dunno what to do.

[avisg]

I so feel you . YOU CAN MAKE IT THREW THIS.... when you are not having the hot flashes .an electric blanket can be great for the aches and pains .

[krashing_now]

Hello
the RLS does get better in time  thats hard to hear I think it is different for each person,
you say that you have no disire for any pills yet I think you said your taking clonopin ( I still take them myself  wish I didn't)
and I think  there is s slight difference between Subutex/Suboxone  but it can be life saving for people like myself who had a long term methodone addiction  which is hard to kick but it can be done .
Stick with it .

[tommm70]

Actually it is Clonidine, it is used to lower blood pressure, but does provide some relief for opiate withdrawal. It is not addictive, or at least that is what the doctor told me. But she told me the withdrawals would be mind too!

And Subutex and Suboxone are the same. The only difference is Suboxone has an ingredient added called Naloxene to prevent crushing the tablet and injecting it. I never used IV drugs, so they gave me Subutex. I definetely agree the drug is a life savor to help people stay off the bad stuff.

I do thank you for your comments though.

[tommm70]

Thank you for all of your suggestions and support. It is helping.

[wait2long]

maybe instead of just stopping...hear me out...
you were on .5 mgs right, you took you last dose 4 days ago...
this is how i am going to do it when it is my time to gt off the sub, and i have done it this way with other drugs with SOME good results...
EXAMPLE:
TAKE .5 MGS EVERY OTHER day for 2 weeks, then take .5 mgs every third day, then every fourth day...then every 5th day...etc...until your off them...also you can even get your dose to lower than .5 mgs in this time also, i have heard of people cutting it right down to .25 mgs and even less...maybe .5 mgs was just too high for you?  as everyone is different...
can i ask why your anxious to get off it? do you feel ready and strong enough to be without it now?  if so, then your doing the right thing...
i am sending you a private message right now, watch for it...ok?

[tommm70]

Thank you so much for the reply. I did not see the PM :( I am really new here, and am still trying to figure things out.
I am going to avoid taking it and work through this. I was given the option to start skipping days, but i declined.
I guess I just had an epiphany last Sunday and made the decision that it is time for me. I am having a very difficult time, but I have a piece of paper above my monitor that says. "What doesn't kill you will make you stronger, and YOU WILL GET THROUGH THIS" I know it may sound corny, but honestly I stare at it sometimes and it gives me a vision of a life without pills, and dependence.
Basically it is just my time. I know this may last 2 weeks, and honestly, I was ready to cave in today, but I am staying strong. I have to. It has to end sometime for me. I have lost so much, and am not the same person I was before this injury. (Like many others, this started with a horrible shoulder injury and broken collar bone almost 2 years ago). I am going to get my life back, and I hope this is a life lesson I can share with others, and make myself a better person.


Again, it means a lot to know I am not alone, and I am very thankful for every reply I get. I hope I can make some friendships here. This forum is getting me through the day.

[wait2long]

do you have your profile set up here?
if not go to "my medhelp" at the top of the page...you should see all of your options there, along with any PM's that have been sent to you...
and you can set up your profile from there, if you want to...

[worried878]

Hats off to you....not as familiar with this detox as W2Long and others...they will be here tomorrow and W2L is here now...just want u to know I am praying and plugging for you...keep posting

[Penelope14]

I,ve done tons of research on suboxone, as I was kinda thinking about going down that road, but after finding out that it does have some drawbacks that mimic methadone, or any other drug, I changed my mind. The withdrawals can last somewhere up to two weeks maybe more, but from what I,ve heard, if you taper down low enough they are mild, but from what your saying I now question that therory to? Wow, whats a person supposed to believe? Lots of Luck, Penelope

[tommm70]

Well it is Sunday, and day 5. I think I feel a little better. I have also been taking the Clonodine every 6 hours as prescribed, so that may be a big reason. I was able to sleep pretty well thanks to that.

I ate about a dozen bananas yesterday, lol,  and took a potassium supplement, and the RLS seemed to be a little less. I guess it really does work.
I am still very, very tired, been taking vitamin b energy "shots". By shots I mean the the little bottles of energy drinks that have all of the vitamin B, plus other pick me ups. It does seem to help.

One new symptom today is a horrible headache. I know my doc said headaches are part of it. I took some advil, so hopefully that will be help.

We shall see how the day goes, the bad stuff seems to come in waves.

Thanks again for all of your help and answers.

[wait2long]

there really is a HUGE difference between methadone and suboxone/subutex, the 2 are totally different drugs,
methadone is a FULL AGONIST,
suboxone is a PARTIAL AGONIST....
going cold turkey off methadone, even at the dose i was at 20-30 mgs daily i was looking at up to 6 weeks of withdrawals, even when tapered down and jumping off at 2 mgs, it was PURE HELL...methadone is similar in make up and compared to heroin in its addictive qualities and how hard it is to come off..and never mind if your have been on it for an extended tome, you CAN suffer PAWS for up to 3 years, which is another reason people USUALLY do not obtain success when coming off methadone completely, the withdrawals are NOTHING compared to any other withdrawals i have ever felt, worse than heroin, percocets and oxycontins, thus my reason for switching to suboxone.
suboxone is nothing like this, it is not to be compared to methadone, i have been on both and the difference is HUGE. although i am still on suboxone, i WAS at 32 mgs daily (because sub wasnt even strong enough to over ride the WD symptoms of methadone completely until 6 weeks was over) when my 6 weeks was up, i immediately tapered to 10 mgs, with NO ISSUES AT ALL, no withdrawal symptoms at all. i HAVE gone up in dose to try to combat chronic pain and it does help SOME, but not all pain is diminished.
when it is time for me to come off suboxone, i will go as low and as slow as i can, no rush (and if it takes me months to do it properly, than i will), and i KNOW it will be nothing compared to methadone at all. there are plenty of success stories of people coming off long term maintenance of suboxone with mild discomfort...that i can do, this is attainable ...
methadone i couldnt.
they really should not be compared with each other, unless your talking about how they both over ride WD symptoms of other opiates and are used to treat addiction.
another thing...i could get pretty blitzed of methadone...suboxone i dont and cant.

[poetrygirl1960]

This is my first comment in this forum I just signed up so I am new as well.  I had an injury 15 years ago and was injured badly 5 years after that.  I've been a pill popper this entire time and even had a two year dependency on heroin within that time period.  I've never been a big drinker and the only other drug I had this problem with is Xanax, and even though my run with that wasn't as long it wreaked havoc on my body and nervous system.  I have also battled depression the entire time I have been addicted to opiates, which I don't know is or is not related to my addiction.  I tried several times to quit c/t, to taper off, and went to rehab 6 years ago.  I had resigned to the position that I was forever going to take narcotic painkillers, that I would eventually die and be free from my addiction and pain, and I believed 100% that nobody else could understand opiate dependency but me.  Not only is that incredibly stupid, but it is no way to live.

I had never heard of suboxone until 5 weeks ago when I entered treatment again.  This time I did it because I had a husband that cared about me.  He was very distressed over my addiction and on and off bouts with depression, so he finally spoke to our family physician about it who then referred me to a doctor that I am so blessed to know who specializes in pain and opiate addiction.  I spent 1 week in the hospital detoxing from darvocet, percocet and xanax.  I learned so  much in that one week of time.  Toward the end of my stay he prescribed suboxone to me and my life has changed in a million and one ways.  I have energy, I get things done, I am not in pain all of the time and even when I am in pain I deal with it.  My husband, kids and other family members have someone they can depend on now, who is there and not in "la la land" (as my mother put it) all the time.  I take 12 mgs. a day right now.  I'm still fresh in to this so I'm not looking to wean off any time soon, but I have been reading some of your entries here and it has been really encouraging.  You are all very brave and generous to help people by telling your stories.  It gives me hope which is a very new word in my vocabulary I'm using a lot of lately.

I do have a few questions if someone wouldn't mind answering:

What does RLS stand for?
What is PAWS?
How do you get to the point where you know when you're ready to start coming off of suboxone, because I'm not feeling even close to that point yet?

[tommm70]

RLS is restless leg syndrome. Basically while laying in bed you shake them and can't stop. Very annoying!!
PAWS is Post accute withdrawal syndrome. I am not familiar enough with this to give you an answer. If you do a search in the forum, I am sure you will find alot of info.

As far as when to come off of it, it is up to you. For me, I just decided it was time. Everyone is different. You and your doctor can figure it out together. The best thing about sub,. is it allows you to do the things you need to do to be pill free. I was unable to do that on hydros.
I have a support system built around me right now. This weekend I am literally on the phone once an hour talking to friends and family. But this is my story, you will have your own success story to write, and I wish you the best. Please keep sharing.

[wait2long]

PAWS.. post acute withdrawal syndrome...go to greatgreebos profile, she has a lot of information posted in her journal there about PAWS....
although generally from what i hear, PAWS doesnt happen with suboxone, could be wrong though...
in short paws is when you have some clean time under your belt, and 30 days, 60 days, 90 days or even a full year later you will feel like you are having withdrawal symptoms, even though you have no logical reason to be having them because of the amount of clean time..it can cause relapse for some without them really knowing why they were feeling this way...it is EXTREMELY common with methadone....that i know.
i have been on sub since may...IT SAVED ME!
good to see you post, and congratulations on getting your life back!!!
it feels good doesnt it?
if you ever want to chat, send me a private message ANYTIME!!!

[EnDoFsUbS]

Hey mate let me know how ur doing now as its my day 5 and i was shocked that i seemed to get no withdrawl (withdrawal) at first (half life) but since if i didnt take my reg dose in the morning i would get it normally after sometimes only 8-10 hours which must have all been in my mind - i think! I was on 4ml daily now (or before i quit 5 days ago) down to 2ml unfortunatly ive had to obtain it through a friend so havent had any other help other than family coming off the stuff. I found the clinic wasnt able to suit me as i have worked at jobs through all my addictions even Crack and Heroin times, and i wouldnt be able to make an app so boom i miss 2-3 days worth of Subs. Anyone else found that when ur working a full time job which is shift work these clinics who promote "Back to work" really fall flat on thier faces? Fek the RLS its the worst part, well with the sweating hot/cold bits too.

Do u or anyone know what meds i can get in my local chemist which may help? I read about the vitamin B comment posted above and just cant see that working with this.

Did anyone else kind of come out of thier shell as if a massive blanket had been shrouding them on this?? Maybe its just me but everything seems brighter apart from the night when my leg is all i can think about lol.

All the best Tommm, i think u know as i that ur too far through to give up now mate i mean all this **** which will only be slightly longer or an easy way out back to the beginning to start the pain all over again another day?
GL :)

[EnDoFsUbS]

Sorry forgot to mention does anyone know if its worse the longer ur taking Subs 4 as i have been on them for 3-4 years now and just wondered if thats why im still not feeling ok yet??
Cheers

[marcatj]

Tomm.. just wanted to say that i've been reading your posts and i think you are truly strong, and very courageous. I wish you the very best of luck and a speedy.. "getting-over" of any side effects.. i bet you feel great really, really soon.  Kudos to you for what you've done, and for your courage..

EnDof - from what i know, yes, the longer you take them, the longer the w/d's.. so the slower you can taper, the better.  And good for you too, for getting off all the sh**! And if you meant when you stopped taking street drugs or narcotics the dark blanket lifted - YES!  that's exactly what it felt like for me, too.

Good luck to all...

[tommm70]

Thanks to everyone. Today starts day 7!!! I can hardly believe it! A week ago today I took my last sub..... Wow.
Anyways, I woke up very tired today, which has been usual. Once I took my vitamin B drink, I got some energy, and got ready for work. As I sit here now, I remember how I felt Friday when I was typing on here. It is a world of difference. I feel so much better. I still feel these withdrawals, and it still comes in some heavy duty waves, but it about half of what it was last week. I just hope that I can be a lesson that long term sub use does have withdrawals, and they can be severe. And this in my story.

Wait2long, thank you for asking the tough questions. As addicts, we have to do that. When asked how I will know if I can staff of the hydros,  guess my answer is my strength in God, and the fact I can have the life I once lived back again. I miss my old happy self. And so do my friends. When Gina came and took my hydros away from me last august I HATED her, WHO does she think she is? Well she is my angel for God. This is the wife of my best child hood friend who saved my life.

Thank you everyone else as well. I have a long way to go. I know that being free of pills is really only a tiny beginning. I can make up as many excuses as I want. "oh, I won't do that again, I beat this", or "well maybe just one pill to take the edge off", or my latest urge of "I will have my energy back if I go back on hydros' See??? This is my mindset. I go to NA tomorrow, and my friends and family are on top of me.

And I look forward to hearing all of your stories.
Thank you all again.
You are all angels from God. This site got me to today, I swear I wold not have made it this far without the support of some of you. you know your value to help those who want it.

I still have a major battle ahead, but I will win.

[wait2long]

YES!!! you WILL win this!!! your doing great hun...
stay strong!!

[flexpert]

good morning. this is my first post as i just found this site. i am on day 5 of cleaning out from subutex. i am sort of ok during the day. not much overall strength but manageable. i am finally eating ok. pretty well actually and holding it down. no more diarrhea either. that was a horrible 2 days. my first 2 days clean i slept almost nonstop and couldnt keep my eyes open. now i am awake nonstop and cant sleep.
i do pretty good all day but i can tell its not really me yet. then at night, i cant sleep. i dont get RLS. or maybe I do but it is in my arms and shoulders. i feel very edgy and almost "creepy-crawly" in my shoulders and arms. my legs are alright though. i only sleep 45 minutes at a time and have very strange dreams.
my last shot was saturday morning at 730am. (i did Sub different, which i wont explain becuase i dont want anyone to do anything as completely stupid as I did. but basically i was able to turn it into an injection from the pills and took it frequently in small doses)
but since then, no sub. i threw it in the trash and threw the trash into a dumpster. plus i left town for a company retreat for a week!
Someone, please, can anyone tell me how long this may go on? How long before I can get through a night of sleep? How long before I can walk more than a block and not have to stop and breathe heavy? When does the w/d really stop? I just want to be normal again.

[worried878]

u sound determined....and I know u will be fine....keep moving forward

[EnDoFsUbS]

Dude ur so lucky u havent got RLS but unfortunately i heard injecting can be a little more addictive when u mix the sub with water and put direct into a vein, i am on day 8 and had to go home from work today but i feel ok at this exact time. I wouldnt advise this as it can be worse but i got a small amount of diazipam and tamazipam however even that doesnt help with my sleeping. Im hoping im at the last stage and have been taking 4 mil Sub for 3-4 years b4 i quit and had got down to 2-3 mil when i did quit which is still pretty high to come off it straight away. How much where u on if u added up all ur injections daily?
Good luck man!

[tommm70]

I dunno when the withdrawals stop completely. Like someone said, the longer you are on sub, the longet the w/d's. This is day 8 off of sub for me. I can honestly say the worst IS behind me. Still have RLS pretty bad at times. Still have chronc fatigue. and from what I have read, the fatigue can last a long time. But the other symptoms are gone. Oh except I still get pretty bad headaches. No more creepy crawls, shakes, hot flashes.


Also, if you ever feel you have to go back on sub, tell your doctor to give you suboxone, you cannot inject that. Well you can, you will just get very sick.
But you are doing awesome so far!!!!! If you stick with it, it will get better, it will just take time.
KEEP GOING!!!!!

[flexpert]

if i added them all up i think i was taking probably 2-3 ml per day as well. maybe up to 5 in a rough day. but the last week i was barely taking 1.5 and the last 3 days i only took about 1 per day. in fact it was a bad mixture that landed me in the hospital saturday which helped me decide i am done. i had a huge fever right after taking my shot tht morning, which happened to be 1ml. it got to 104 and i lost my stability and got very dizzy. when i went to the hospital they were able to fix me up with an IV solution of 2 litres through a few hours.
havent taken anything since 730am on saturday. i dont have alot of symptoms, just tremendous fatigue. i have zero energy. i literally cannot walk 2 blocks without wanting to go to sleep. i will say as for sleep
monday night i slept in 45-60 minute bursts. waking up very shaky and anxious. tuesday i slept 5 hrs straight. and today i came back from work midday and took a 2 hr nap. i am relying on some vivarin to get me through the day as i am on a work retreat and cant be too lazy. but man, i just want to be better. it was my childs birthday monday and i spent the day in a near catatonic state from severe exhaustion. i cry everytime i think of how boring it must have been to be with me that day. i am quitting for me. but i am also quitting for my children. i cant be this person anymore. i want my life back.
so here i am, day 4.5. im fighting. i have called a Dr. back at home and if i cannot beat this by next week when i get back i am going to a suboxone dr for the 3 month course. if i cant do it on my own i will have a professional help me do it right.
please keep your comments coming. i need them. i am fighting here and i need to know there is a light at the end of this tunnel. thank you so much

[flexpert]

well i was able to get a small nap and felt better. i went back and was able to actually be pretty active and work out a bit. i felt strong and felt full of energy. of course i think that was more of the vivarin than anything else because i am tired now. but not the same type of tired that i was. i am just plain tired. not the extreme lethargy that almost hurts. this is more like, blah, tired. and i have a stirring in my belly. i feel slightly nauseated but can still hold down food. i had a grilled chicken sandwhich for lunch with some pretzels and water. i also was able to drink a bit of coffee. its just the head game of being tired when i look around and see all these people who i used to consider at my level or even under me (due to my conditioning. i train very often and teach muay thai). so it is hard to see them all look so strong and full of energy bouncing around when i am so dead on my feet.
my children. my wife. and my life. that is why i am doing this. because if i dont, i will lose all 3. i cant wait tommmy. i cant wait to be on day 8. if i am like this on day 4 coming into day 5. which isnt great but isnt terribly either. then by day 8 i should be twice as good. and maybe by day 30 i will be me again and my history will only be a part of my memory. please continue supporting those of us trying to beat this. your messages are inspiring. i do run to the comp. to check for them when i start feeling really bad.

[tommm70]

Hey, we will ge through this. Day 8 is about over, when I wake up it will be day 9! And day 5 for you.
One thing you wanna avoid is caffeine right now, I know you are tired, so am I. And it is nor a normal tired. It is a can't get out of bed or move tired. It sucks!!! But caffeine is going to make you feel like $hit.  I am actually going to the store tommorrow and am gonna start that amino ocid regiment that FLaddict has in her profile. It sounds promising.

Another day. We will beat this.

[flexpert]

i just got back from the pharmacy. i picked up some immodium becuase i read on another page that it has properties that help to get rid of some of the more uncomfortable aspects of w/d. not just the diarrhea part but some of the others. and i got some bendryl because it helps with the runny nose and sneezes and watery eyes. its the squirelly arms and shoulders and neck that i cant stand. i guess that is my RLS except it doesnt hit my legs.

[tommm70]

Well it is day 9 off of subutex. As usual, everyday is a little better. It is just wierd, Certain symptoms like the creepy crawlies and hot flashes come and go through the day. I thought I was past thatm but it still hits, but not as bad as before.

Still suffering from MAJOR fatigue, wow, it is indescribable. I can barely get out of bed.

Like I said yesterday, I am going to start that amino/vitamin program today after I hit the GNC. I hope it can all be bought at GNC.

To everyone going through w/d's, If you stay with it, it will get better!!! Sub is a longer than normal w/d if you were on it a long time, but it is getting better.
RLS, head ache, still there and strong.
I will update every day to those who asked.

Good luck to all.

[tommm70]

DON'T use the Imodium (immodium) for long, it is addictive as well. I would use it for 6 days or less. I used it and it did really help the first coupe of days. I guess it is kind of an opiate based substance, but it does not get you high.

[flexpert]

maybe i didnt use enough immodium. i woke up so many times last night that it was almost not worth it to go to bed. i had the rls symptoms in my arms all night driving me crazy and a burning in my chest like i wanted to throw up or something. the imodium (immodium) didnt help at all with the symptoms. but i only took 2 tablets so maybe that wasnt enough. and the tylenol PM that i took to sleep didnt help at all. its going to be a long day.

[tommm70]

See if your doctor will prescribe Clonodine. It is a blood pressure maintenance drug that is used for opiate w/d's. I'm telling you it really works!!!!
Don't confuse it with Clonopin, which is a benzo. I was actually given a benzo on Sunday night for a panic attack. it calmed me down, but thats all. I am out of those now, and feel the same as when on em.

Also watch how much imodium (immodium) you take, it is possible to O/D on it. It can suppress your breathing.

So try and get Clonodine. Try that amino acid/vitamin program, it sounds awesome. Call you doctor, tell him you are suffering. he may be able to help.

Stay strong!! you will beat this!!

[flexpert]

my regular doc has no sympathy for me. i did the sub sort of on my own so he is kind of being pissy about it. i have a sub doctor appointment on monday so i am going to try to work with him on how to do this the right way and come down properly. i have come to the conclusion that stopping cold turkey was not too smart. i am about to lose my job from screwing up so much this week and my coworkers are getting tired of covering for me. its up to me to recognize that i cant do this alone. i need the help of a professional. the dr i talked to welcomed me to visit him monday and he said he can and will help me to get me clean and free of this life.

[feohmoon]

Just noticed your post and wanted to say hello.  This forum is a wonderful place.  The people are very supportive and caring.   Best of luck to you.

[marrkymarrk]

Dear Tom
  I was using subutex to come off short term heroin, but because I was afraid of the withdrawels it took me three years. I have failed two detoxes before, but I am now on day 13, most people are different, but it does seem like it is never going to end, but it does because my friend did it! I feel better. the longest time it took me last time was 19 days, but as I say thats 3 years subutex dependancy and coming off at 2.8mg. My mate did it all in 6 days. It all depends on your matabolism.

[tommm70]

Thanks, I agree. It is getting better. This is my third week pill free and I still struggle with energy, RLS and depression.
Every day is a labor to function. But I do. I fight, I will not stop until I am myself again.
I have no more cravings for pills, and I have started to work out with passion. I am learning that exercise is so important to a healthy life style.

Subutex is tough to come off of if you take it long term. That is the lesson learned for me. I know it is a life saver to bring people off of pills and heroin. But my doctor lied to me. She said withdrawals will only last 2 weeks, and will be very mild. Those are exact words. I ASKED her how long I would be on it. Automaticaly she said 6 months to a year. I almost wonder if some of these doctors are in the drug makers pockets. But I dunno. I am just upset that I may have been fine with 10 days and NA meeting.  But what is done is done. I will not look back.

This board helped me get past this. And I hope it helps keep me past it. I am going to share as much as I can, and offer any help I can. AvisG, wait2long, and others did it for me. I want to do that for someone else.

[girlybuff]

You can go to opiatedetox DOT com and read stories and suggestions from people coming off Suboxone and Subutex.
If you are on this stuff for more than 21 days or so the acute withdrawal lasts about 2 weeks (the physical stuff) but the lethargy and PAWS last a lot longer then that from pain meds.  It's a very powerful drug and the doctors don't realize how hard it is to get off so they prescribe it wihtout warning their patients.  Honestly, it's not the miracle drug it's made out to be.  Theyh are finding out more and more about it.  
Bottom line is no one is getting off easy with this.  It's a crappy ride at the amusement park of addiction but you CAn eventually get off and start a new ride, the ride of life.
Good luck to you!

[marrkymarrk]

Day 15 and still feel bad. I have had an emotional crash today! Is there anyone out there who can confirm this does not last forever?

[wait2long]

hun, your almost there...your doctor DID lie to you...i have heard people who expect to have NO withdrawals at all according to their doctors, thus the horror stories begin, it is so very important to educate ourselves about anything we put into our bodies..i already learned MY lesson with methadone and what a nightmare i caused for myself because i didnt take the responsibility to educate myself about it.  
but it does end and your almost there...it does not last forever..although addiction might always be there, you can fight it, make sure your in aftercare and you can beat any addiction...tend to your issues with knowledge...your almost there...stay strong!!
we are here for you ANYTIME.
avis is having surgery today...so send her good thoughts!!!
and thank you for the kind words, i appreciate it!!!
your a sweetheart!
keep us posted !
wait2long

[wait2long]

tomm,  how are you doing?  havent seen you post?  i wonder how your feeling now?

flexpert,  did you go to the sub doctor?  what did they recommend for you?


and please...there ARE success stories out there...if you got off drugs because of sub...it did its job, if your still clean that means you got the aftercare needed and you did your job...it takes both, no miracle will do this.  dedication, commitment and hard work!
there are success stories...people able to stop their addictive behaviors and stay away from their DOC that was wreaking havoc in their lives, is success...

[marrkymarrk]

Day 16 from withdrawels from 2.8mg subutex and have had an emotional crash, god how long do these last for! What a roller coaster on Good Friday (more like feeling **** Friday) How long does the emotional and sleeplessness last?

[allaboutmary]

So sorry I'm not sure , but at 16 days I would think it should be easing up soon.  Can I ask why you jumped off at such a high dose ?

[marrkymarrk]

Is it me or does everyone feel like they are having a nervous breakdown! Arggghhh, keeping strong and I WILL Beat this S.O.B

[marrkymarrk]

Day 18 withdrawels easing off, but sleeplessness and fatigue quite bad! Still hanging in there it is getting better!

[marrkymarrk]

Tom are you okay? Not heard from you in a few days. Does anyone know?

[wait2long]

NO, i havent heard from Tomm70...have you??

Mary had a good question...why did you jump off subutex at such a high dose?
just curious...?

[marrkymarrk]

I came off at 2.8mg because I had been reducing from 8mg slowley the smaller the amount the worst I felt, so I thought I may as well do it instead of prolonging the agony. Today is day 19 and apart from lack of sleep and fatigue. Most of the withdrawels and pain have gone. So yes there is a light at the end of the tunnel after all! Not sure how long the fatigue lasts? Anyone know and sleep patterns?

[Want2Live111]

Hi.  I am new to this post.  I have been on 10mg of suboxone for 8 months, and having recently lost my insurance, I am doing my best to wean off with the remainder of the 2mg pills I have left.  Like most doctors, my doctor prescribed much more than was necessary, so I am lucky enough to have some left.  After reading many blogs, I read that the best way to come off was to cut your dose in half, cut that in half in two weeks, so on and so forth, to crumbs, every other day.  I have cut down to 4mg a day, and it is now day 6.  The RLS is killing me, the night sweats, the anxiety.  Does anyone know if it makes much of a difference to just stop and sweat it out, or prolong it over the next month or two?  I really have no support, my family would disown me if they knew I had relapsed again.  Any responses would be much appreciated.

[allaboutmary]

4 mg is still a pretty high dose to jump off of.  I take 2mg a day and I personally could not jump off it.  If you have enough sub I would continue to slowley taper. I think it will lessen the chance of relapse and be alot more comfortable for you. Be patient you'll get there.   Mary

[wait2long]

how were you tapering before you jumped off?

[youk9520]

I have found that when reducing Subutex if symptoms result the reduction is too much and should be readjusted. By reducing over longer times by the smallest increments successful withdrawal without any pain has been possible for me, Usually as the last astep I don't have to go less than .5mg every other day for a few days to stop with no side effects whatsoever. Have you found this to be true for you as well?

[youk9520]

Only my opinion but, both of the above descriptions seem to deal with abrupt discontinuation or a drastic taper. When a person transitions from a short acting drug to a long acting drug the purpose is to reduce the freequent drug seeking behavior that comes as soon as the short acting opoid wears off. You trade this behavior for an addiction to a long acting drug (you crave less often) that is harder to withdraw from (in terms of the symptoms lasting longer and being more severe). However if you titrate down the dose so that you feel no pain, stabilize and then repeat you can get to a low enough dose and infrequent enough so that the final withdrawlal is painless. Think of how long it takes to become addicted, to come off of a drug painlessly may take as long. If a person feels terrible pain they are probably reducing too much, too fast. At one point I was reducing .25mg per week, and maybe I could have done it faster but I felt no pain.

[confused456]

Catchiec.....DO YOU HAVE A FLIPPING POINT????????????????

[wait2long]

is there ever a point?  LOL!  has there EVER been a point?  she must have been bored because i wasnt here.
every story mentioned above (copied and pasted from only god knows where or written by the above poster themself, who knows, who cares) is because of drastic drops of suboxone or jumping off at a high dose...jumping off at 32 mgs?  no wonder they were sick...LOL! they even stated its was because of "their own ignorance of the drug"...i wonder how many people even read it...when the same thing is posted over and over again, its usually just ignored anyway...LOL!
no worries sweetie confused...

[wait2long]

WELCOME and CONGRATULATIONS!!! so happy to hear of your success with suboxone. and in working on getting your life back!! i would love to hear your story if your willing to share...you can PM me if you would like...again congrats!!

your opinion is usually fact, this has been done successfully, and CAN be done successful with very mild, at most symptoms.  your account is actually the norm of what i hear and read when done properly.  hey lets face it, you get sick from ANY addictive drug when you stop abruptly...so again the above "copy and paste, or made up post" is just  validating what you, I and plenty others say...low and slow leads to success.

like i stated above all of these "accounts"  real or made up, are all of people jumping off at high doses or a rapid taper, yes, people DO get sick this way, i have gone all the way from 32 mgs to 10 mgs with no ill effects, NOTHING, NADA, ZILCH...LOL!
but this is just another "repeat" post...nothing that even gets read, it gets skipped right over because its been seen too many times already. no one cares to read it AGAIN...

[marrkymarrk]

Day 25, coming off from around the 2mg mark and most of the W/D'S have gone. Sneezing a little, funny smells and headaches, but the bad stuff although it disapeared at a snails pace, has gone! (There is light at the end of the tunnel after all). All I have to contened with now is my insomnia. Detoxing is a long and drawn out proccess, filled with pain and horrible nights, but boy ws it worth it. Keep busy, keep a journal to remind you of the nightmare so you do not repeat it and like everyone says try to reduce slowley, I just wanted it over, but suffered.

[wait2long]

I am so happy to hear this...congratulations to you!!!
yes, your right tapering would have been easier on you...but if you decided to get over with and just be done with it and were able to do it, then your one tough cookie...congratulations to you!
insomnia is the longest lasting symptom of withdrawals it seems...
have you tried any melatonin?  or maybe even ask your doctor for some "SHORT TERM" sleep meds, just enough to get you in the habit of sleeping again...?
i am glad your over the hump and are on the other side now...!

are you having any cravings or any problems with your addiction now? ( just wondering for my own knowledge for future use)

[marrkymarrk]

I was only on Heroin for 6-8 months and hated it, it was the Subutex which I really became addicted to so no cravings. I always said I would need a week clear from being ill and I would never touch them again. My nose went a little mad yesreday, very sensative could smell really strong smells and was sneezing. I have zoplocone mild sleeping tablets and have now bought some herbal sleepers to help, getting there. Has anyone heard from Tomm70 yet hope he is okay?

[marrkymarrk]

Day 27, still can't bloody sleep and my heads pounding! I wish I could just have a good sleep this is sending me mental!

[wait2long]

no, still no word from Tomm...i hope he is well too, i have been curious to see how he is doing and hoping hes past this now, but no word...

what is zoplocone?
i am glad your better hun...and you sound well!!
just have to tackle that sleep, but i really think it will come with time...keep me poted hun and lets hope Tomm checks in with us!
W2L

[Kathy1010]

I am on day 10 & still miserable,but better than a few days ago.I got off subox at 2 mg and was told I would be fine.I'm glad I got off though,because the pain was horrible when I was still taking it.The pain is much better except for my back.I'm also taking Clonodine & it helps with RLS but seems to make me feel weaker.Maybe because my blood pressure is really low to begin with.

I have some flexeril for my back but haven't taken it.Do you think that would be a bad idea?I thought it might help with sleep but don't know how it interacts with clonodine.

[marrkymarrk]

Any tablets your unsure about ask your doctor, keep hanging on in there. The worst of it goes around 16-18 days. I am on day 28 and still have a bad stomach, but the other stuff has gone and I came off over 2mg, well the last week was 2.8mg then dropped the last three days to something like 1.6mg! The first three weeks are the worst part to 21 days, then you start feeling better. The insomnia can last a few months, but I am on 28 days and getting some sleep. Your body will go to sleep when it needs to, I just watched a load of Dylan DVD's lol. You think your the only person on the earth suffering and it is a nightmare, but keep in there. There really has to be a different life for you and me!

[marrkymarrk]

This is the 33rd day and I cannot believe I am still feeling some (minimal) withdrawels? How long do the little things last for, because it is really getting on my nerves and feels like it is never going away! I was told two weeks tops? Sweating under armpits small shivers aches and my eyes are still watering! All the bad stuff has gone, but the lack of sleep is still a problem and I reckon I am now addicted to sleeping pills! I spent three years on Subutex, so perhaps it just takes longer? Anyone know?

[macuan]

i want to get off contin and dilaudid. IV user. Somebody tells me have I tried suboxone or some such thing. Never hear4d of it. then I see these postings of suboxone withdrawals.
i'm not going sub anything in. My whole life has been one big addictiopn. I kicked H back in '92 I surely can getoff this. tho I filled the heroin void with other things. enoughBS

[worried878]

May be a good idea to repost this and call it like "I need info on Sub"  this is anolder post and people can look at yours fresh...i have no experience with sub but many do and can help you

[Malibu70]

I stopped taking Suboxone 6 days ago and am having a hard time. Here is my drug history. In 1997 I got addicted to pain pills. The rehab clinic that I went to told me that Methadone would help me get off the pain pills. Boy was that the biggest mistake of my life. Two years latter I was still on Methadone . in 1999 I finally kicked the Methadone. It was hardest thing I have ever experienced. For me, the withdrawals lasted almost a year. If I wasn't consumed with law school I probably would not have been able to deal with the withdrawals. Anyway, I stayed clean for 4 years and then decided to screw my life up again. A year an a half ago I decided to take Suboxone. I started at 8 mg. Three months ago tapered to 4 mg. Two months ago a tapered to 2 mg. From 2 mgs I went down to 1 mg and finally stopped at .5 mg.

HOW I FEEL NOW?

Well the withdrawals are no where near as bad as Methadone. Not even in the same ball park. Anyway, I have very little energy, I cannot sleep, I have RLS, and I am sneezing a lot. Yesterday seemed to be the hardest. Today, I feel bad, but not as bad as yesterday. My doctor prescribed me Clonidine and Bental. They seem to help a little. I have been working everday which also seem to help. In fact, I thing working (although really hard to to with no energy) helps the most.

NOW FOR THE QUESTION: Can someone tell me when they started feeling better? I was told that the first week off Suboxone is the worst . I was told that after the first week I would gradually feel better and by week three I should feel close to normal. Does this sound accurate? Also, I was told that Imodium (immodium) AD helps with the wd. I realize that Imodium (immodium) is a type of opioid. If I took Immodium would it make the withdrawals last longer?  

[NickUK1981]

Hi My name is Nick.

Just fund this forum! I'm on day 1 of coming off of Subutex! (so the last pill took was yesterday morning) So far all seems ok!! have been a bit worried about work and how I'm going to be.....I was on it for about 11 months and started at 8mg for about 6months then to 6mg for another 3months, and I decided to go down quite quick after thats so 4mg for a month then just been on 2mg for 3 weeks.....so I'll be checking in here with my progress BTW the reason I was on it in the first place was pain killers (codeine) addiction from about 4-5years taking at my peak about 40 pills a day!...today was strange not going to the chemist in the morning  (I got quite friendly with them!)....but it's really nice not to be taking anything at all.....I recently quit smoking , unaided!!! will power alone (and Buddhism!!). If your will  and your heart are strong anything can be overcomed! anyways speak soon. Nick in sunny London  England (Not!)LOL!

[allaboutmary]

Welcome to the forum.  I'm afraid you will experience withdrawal. 2mg is a high dose to jump off of. Can you get more and break it into pieces , then take it every other day, then every third day etc...   I don't want to discourage you because you sound so ready to be done with this. Just wanted to warn you what could happen.  Any way you go, this forum is a great place for support.  Congrat's on quitting smoking. That's something I have wanted to do for some time, with no luck.  

[lovinlifenyc]

I have been on Suboxone for more than 5 years and have tried many many times to quit, mostly cold turkey, from 2-4 mg/day.  While cold turkey is not the way to go, i can tell you that each time i tried, it gets a little easier.  Right now, i'm trying once again, and I"m 7 days free, and day 7 = not so bad.  Day 4-6 = hell!! But, it slowly gets better.  I have an appointment tomorrow to get another prescription, which I plan to do, but at this point, i'm not sure that I'll take them. If it helps anyone, each time i've tried, i think my receptors have "learned" from the last time and have slowly started to produce dopamine a bit more rapidly.  With some more time, I'll be free for good!  Hope this helps someone who is struggling with this.

[avisg]

Hi this is an old thread why dont you copy your post and start a new thread

[Cindy83]

Have been on subutex for 20 months. I was down to 1 mg every other day. Stopped completely 10 days ago. I just want to jump off a building! My psychiatrist is out of town and I have no one to call for help. Went to my primary care doc and he prescibed ativan. Feel like I am on the road to relapse. Doing meetings but have not talked to anyone else about this - HELP!

[worried878]

this is an old post..a new one would draw more attn to ur needs...sub wd can be lengthy but many survived it here...ochooked can help u with it....2 weeks seems to be the worst of it so u r close....that drug has tentacles that hang on for dear life....earlier someone posted how well they were doing after a year or so and now at 0.5 mg...i thought o myself  ":if they only knew what it is gonna be like when they drop that final .5 mg?  ouch and i feel for those who get on this drug without knowing how strong it is...0.5 mg is equal to 5-10 mg of methadone...15 mg of hydro...7-10 mg of oxy...0.5 seems so minute in amount ...but it is not in the world of super synthetic narcotics like sub

[hitout]

I am currently on .5mg subutex and have 5  -  2mg pills left before I jump. Since I can't take time off from work I have to do this while I am going to work. Hope to jump off thursday and take friday off. Hopefully the first 24 hours would not be that bad. Any siggestions?

[hitout]

Also, Does someone know how to reduce Sweating / Hot flushes. That seems to be the most symptom that bothers me most.

[hitout]

Also, I have been on Subutes for 6 weeks. Started at 4 Mg a day and then did the taper to .5mg. Have had very minimal discomfort during the taper (might have imagined the discomfort). When I jump off - how bad is it going to get?

[LaurenB5101]

I have been on subutex for 5 years. I am tired of the doctor saying he is going to get me off and 5 years later he did nothing. I did it all myself.  I stopped taking it Monday night and today is Thursday. I was taking approx 4mg a day. I have lost my insurance and I do not have $800 to fill a script.  I am cold turkeying it.  Help.  I need suggestions.  I know it is not going to go away but I need something to talk the edge off.  I have a 1 year old and it is so hard to take care of her like this

[JasonSATX]

Lauren- I have been on 8mg of SUBOXONE for 14 months and for the past month have tapered down to 2-2.5 mg a day. If you are going to go cold turkey than i would DEFINATELY SUGGEST A TON OF EXERCISING IN THE EVENING. It WILL  help you sleep. You will also need to take a very hot shower/bath after working out!!! If you know anyone who has Valium, Xanax, or even muscle relaxers these will help in the evening. You are doing great to be on day 3 or 4 so stay strong mentally. So- lots of coffee in the morning (take a HOT shower in the a.m. as well) try your best to stay active, work out in the evening- as much as you can handle, and if you can get some Valium, Xanax, etc. Let me know if this helps. -J-

[Royboy614]

I just read this entire thread starting Mar 01 2008 and now I'm scared ********. I've been taking suboxone and subutex for about a year now. A friend gave it to me to help me get off of alcohol and it worked wonderfully. I didn't drink anything for 8 months and when I did, it didn't feel like it used to and couldn't drink very much.  I'm not going back to drinking since I'm a severe alcoholic. I get life threatening DTs and can't stop drinking every day all day until I'm near death.  This is the longest I've been sober from alcohol in years.  I'm very afraid to stop taking subutex or being cut off from it. I had no idea that it was this difficult to get off of. My life was totally screwed up before I started taking it, and now I'm afraid it's going to go down hill when I stop taking sub.  I've just felt normal taking this stuff, with the exception of a "boost" shortly after I take a half.  I'm not even sure how much I take a day besides a 1/2.  I guess I'll ask.  I'm also taking a very small dose of Clonazapam (Klonipin (klonopin)) for anxiety.  I believe that I naturally have very low dopamine production and have been anxious and depressed most of my life.  But, about 5 years ago I went on a drinkng binge and someone introduced me to crack.  Two weeks later and in the same motel room... My 18 year career is gone, my family gone, my house gone...  Wow. Now I'm basically living off of my girlfriend and I'm so ashamed of it.  I do PC/Laptop repair from our home, but got in some trouble with the law while I was on my big binge 5 years ago and now I can't seem to get hired anywhere and IT is the only thing I know. I'm such a nervous wreck I can't wait tables anymore. I did that for a couple of years ago. I fear that I'm going to end up institutionalized or in a shelter.  I thought nothing of getting off of sub and I can't believe the horror just after a couple of days.  I have horrible horrible dreams. I feel like my entire life has been a failure and I have zero happy memories.  I never used to be this bad.  I fear that I'm going to go completely insane if I have to get off of sub.  Sorry to ramble on.. I still have my supply of sub, but one bad day and it could be gone instantly.  I want to get off of it and am very afraid now..  Thanks for all of the great advise and sharing your personal experiences.  I feel like I'm a much mentally weaker person than the average joe, but that's that terminal uniqueness popping up.  I'm sure lots of folks have felt worse than I have.  I haven't established a user name yet, but look forward to knowing you folks.  I'm sure I'll desparately need you soon / someday..  I also wonder what happened to the guy named Tommy...  Did MarkkyMark make it?  I skipped down a bit..

[refusingbondage]

First --- Dont be afraid of anything.  You have made huge accomplishments and strides in your life.  You have a year sober from alcohol and that is something to be proud of!  While Ive never heard of suboxone being used for alcholism (alcoholism), I think it for sure helped your cravings.  I was on suboxone for drug addiction and I can say for sure that I rarely ever wanted to have a drink on it and when I did drink on it, alcohol had very little effect on me at all.  I am generally not pro sub but I do know for certain it has its place in recovery and can be an extremely useful tool.  Are you going to AA meetings?  Do you have some other recovery support?  This will be key in helping you get off the suboxone. For me, cravings for drugs on suboxone were pretty non-existent however they did return after coming off of it.. While on it, its a great opportunity to get a recovery plan in order to help you live life sober and clean once your off of everything.  You have nothing to be ashamed of.  Sub has given you freedom from alcoholism.. now USE this time to seek help, counseling, meeting, support.  There is no time limit on sub use.  Use it as you need it.  You've been on a while, so if you do plan on coming off, you will need to slowly taper down to nothing, a tiny crumb or sliver of sub, before you quit.  But its nothing to be afraid of.  When the time comes, just do it and be strong and confident -- it wont kill you.. and LOOK how much you've already accompplished!  Alcoholism is a whole different monster in my eyes and I am amazed by recovered alcoholics.. some of the strongest, toughest people Ive ever met have not been able to beat the alcoholism demon.   And I would strongly urge you to do this with help.  We will help you here for support for sure, but it would be good to talk to a doctor as well..See a counselor, find a meeting, find a sponsor.. there is so much that goes into recovery.. Best of luck!  Keep posting and let us know how your doing.

[foreverannie]

I am currently 3 days off of suboxone. I was taking less than a milligram, nut I have been on Sub for over 4 years for pain pill addiction. I have been experiencing sweats and Restless Leg Syndrome at night that leaves me exhausted during the day. Last night I found myself sleeping in the chair and taking a bath at 3:00 A.M. I never thoughht that I would experience this from only taking less than a milligram.
Sometimes I feel nutty. I have two small children to take care of and a part time job as a substitute teacher- so I have has this my addiction for many years and have felt very guilty for even being in this mess- proof that addiction could happen to anyone.
As everyone else, I just want to feel normal again. I don't want to have to go to the Sub clinic at 5 in the morning which is all I can think about! I can't even remember the days where I didn't think about some kind of pain pill. I did take a Darvocet today to help me walk with my legs. It rained hard last night and the weather seemed to make it worse. I feel so guilty about taking that pill, but I didn't know what to do and I felt a mild pain pill will help. I found this website encouraging, but I am starting to wonder about those who have quit journaling. Did they give in. I don't want to be that person. God give me strength!

[etchtech]

I became addicted to Opiate's in Nov. 2006 after a hip surgery.  I have now been on Suboxone for 13 months.  It has given me my life back.  I no longer have cravings for opiates.  After leaving a 4 day detox in March of 2008 I was prescribed 8mg 3x/day.  I have only managed to taper down to 20mg/day.  I am beginning to feel like I have been on this medicine for too long now.   Are there any long term side-affects of Sub?  I guess I just dont know if I should try and get off of it or if I can stay on it indefinitely.  Suboxone has also taken away my desire for alcohol.  I am an alcoholic who was 3 years sober, and went to meetings every day.  I couldnt go a day without a drink unless I was in jail or a detox.  I guess what I'm wondering is whether or not this "drug" can be taken for many years without major physical or emotional side effects.......

[nikki729]

ive come across this forum after looking for long term side effects from suboxone , ive been taking suboxonw now for a little over 3years defenitly ..  a wonder drug  i  dont think i could of  done it with out the help , well anyway i hope all of you on subs or coming off the best of luck its one heck of a roller coast ride but well worth it !!!

[camp3boards]

This is my 14th day off of subs. i definitely feel better then the first week. still not sleeping well and have absolutely no energy. I take a clonidine every night before ed and it helps me sleep for about 6 hours which i must say is better then the 45-60 minutes i was getting on days 2 and 3. I have been taking daily vitamins and exercising 3-4 days a week  by weightlifting. For all those who  have bad RLS the best thing to  do is leg presses, squats, and go for walks. Themore you exercise the better your body feels and the more tired your body gets naturally. After all that is what u are trying to do is return your body to some state of normalcy. I think the worst is behind me and now is more about being mentally tough because I know that if i take an oxy I will sleep like a baby. Hang in there everyone it does get better each and every day. From what I hear, most people feel 100% after a month of this. So I feel like I am half way there! i will post again at day 30 to let everyone know the difference between 2 weeks and a month

[Lamboxash]

While you take subs after stopping the opiates you need to give your receptors and thus your brain time to heal...I was on subs for almost 2 months. Relapsed twice. But when I tappered Down from 2mg a day to 1mg a day I went cold turkey. Withdrawal *****. There is no way around it. You caught brain damage from doing pills too long. You just need to try and find that zen in you and know that over time everything heals and so will your mind and soul. Everyday you stop all pills is another climb out of the hole. Before you know it there will be no hole but a pretty little flower in the spot it once was.

Stay strong, and stay tough. During withdrawal also take two advil in am two Tylenol in afternoon and two advil before bed. It won't eliminate the pain but it will help the climb.

[kevin1973]

hi guys god bless u all hang in there im in day eight i started takeing perks and oxys in my early 30s dumn me never took anything befor other then dentiest etc i even had a bad actident one time and still never took anything but i be came singal one day and started to party and every body was doing it so couple times a week turn to every day etc long story short that was about 2 years ago about first year i ment a girl we feel for each other we where both holding back we had this problem we found out and told each other there was no way we could have a life togeather like this futher more couldnt have no life at all on that **** we wanted kids and marrige so we got into sub program in fl then got married we stayed on subs for eight months switching back in fourth to perks do not do this but once we gave it a few months with out switching we felt better on subs then any thing we r day eight and yes it ***** but if u look back and focous where u started it looks like a small price to pay to be happy dosent know the first couple of days are not bad it gets worse 3 to 5th day but for me it easy even though feel like i have been drag threw hell by hair i focous on those things that bring me comfort my wife my dogs bible etc there is no drug to make it easier to get off subs trust me its mental guys your not going to die even though u feel like it dont give in to make it easier find a friend u can talk to any time and focous on that if u dont have a wife or someone to talk to get online talk type u will feel better it takes ur mind off it if ur chiristian or not a chiristian pray it helps trust me it gives u comfort no matter what u beleive im at day eight and i feel  lot better still have troble sleeping but lay there watch tv put a talk show on or chiristian program u will fall asleep i promise now heat helps on legs and back thats the worse the leg pain but the rest is like a bad flu how many times have u had the flu and u serived that yes some people have been on it longer will be a little tuffer because my wife was on it longer then and its a little worse for her but she doesent even think about starting up again she pushes on 8 days is to far into quiting to stop even one day is think ur one day closer to never in ur life have to go through with this again who would want to well take plany of healthy food soups etc and wateretc good bless

[fogmussher]

I have been on the Suboxone for three months and over the past week I started taking 2mg every other day and so far no problems but I have read a lot of people get to this wit no problems so..... I don't think the doctors lie necessarily, I think they just tell you what the manufacturer tells them . I think if you can find a doctor that has any experience at all first hand they would have a much different story to tell. I have been running on to several people that get cut off from these doctors when they fail to show for a pill count and the very same dr. that gets you started on say methadone will with out batting an eye cut you off. This tells me they don't have a clue what their doing and it's a compleate violation of their oath " First, do no harm". I don't know if they are on a power trip or what but It seems kinder to just shoot you in the head. It seems to me they shouldn't be perscribing things they don't at least study up on. Why not a requirement to do some research before they are let out on the world to perscribe willy nilly these drugs that can be so life altering.Some of them seem to get their kicks tourturing people. On of these post said they are supposed to give you 30 days supply in order for you to find another doctor but I haven't heard of any of them following that.

[QuickQuestion91]

Hi guys, I have a quick question. I've found this post from a google search and have been reading it since the March01 post. Anyway, although I am not a suboxone addict, this past Saturday I was at a party drunk as ****, and someone there had a script of subs and I was offered them, being told I would get a slight opiate high from it. Within under an hour, I ended up taking 32mgs of the 8mg subs by allowing them to dissolve under my tongue. The next day, I obviously felt like **** and spent the next two days in bed, throwing up and unable to eat or stand up without the room spinning. Let me note that I have NEVER used any opiates previously. My question is: how long do symptoms from it last? I still am feeling weak/very tired and feel in a daze, and it's now Thursday. I am wondering if maybe my body developed a slight dependency on them since I had never taken opiates before and I took such a large dose of subs? Maybe these feelings are mild withdrawal symptoms or something? How long should these symptoms last? As well, I went to my doctor a  few days after I took them and he told me I had pretty high blood pressure readings that were not normal of me. Has anybody heard of suboxone raising your blood pressure? Thanks for any advice/help you guys could give!

[malkovich]

Please any one has any idea about taking Subutex while in pregnancy? about developing of the baby and if the baby will born in good healthy shape??

[maryellen09]

I had to stop taking it on friday because of a job requirement, and its really hard, please give me some info to help speed up the detox..
I have been taking about 4mg of subtex a day for about 5 months and I was just told i had to stop or lose my job, please help

Mary Ellen

[thinkarete]

Hey guys,

I took Subutex for roughly 5 years.  I recently decided enough was enough.  I've been off of the medication now for 26 days.  I was hoping by now that all withdrawals and normalcy would have returned.  Unfortunately, this is not the case.  The main withdrawals are past but I'm still experiencing hot flashes and worst of chronic fatigue.  I wake up each day hoping to have a little bit more energy but it seems to never get better.  Does anyone know how long I should expect this to last?  I do not want to resort to a drug like adderrall.  I just want this to end and be completely free of any medication.  Thanks guys.

Btw, during the first couple weeks, reading forums like this one and others were a huge help in getting me through it.  It's inspiring to hear so many similar stories.  Stay strong for those still going through it.

Cheers.

Drew

[sunshinze]

Hi am new here been reading 4 a while on day 14! so happy but like others am very dissapointed in professionals advice wds were not mild! i was on 0.5 for 2 years which proves my anxiety about stopping.Still struggle to get around and very achy cold sweats the worst but i think best to take no other medication just let ur body slowly get back to normal.The 1st week i was taking ibruprofen and paracetamol like they were going out of fashion to no avail might help psycologically or maybe in second to third week? It really helps to hear other people are in the same boat for years we have felt like the only one with this self inflicted pain in our lives? well just think however bad u feel you are free and will be a stronger person for it.

[Nikki707]

I've been on sub for 2 1/2 years and I am on day 6 and in very mild withdrawl (withdrawal).  What I did that was different was went down to 1mg a day and took it for about 3 weeks and then would take 1mg a day and skip a day for a week.  and then take 1mg and skip 2 days for a week.  and take 1mg and skip 3 days and I did this for  3 weeks.  The only problems I am having is sleeping and getting up.  once I get up the withdrawl (withdrawal) is barely there.

[jeremy1708]

Hey my name is jerry.Ive been on suboxone for 6 months.Ive been taking 8mgs a day.I have no choice but to cold turkey quit because i cant get no more suboxone right now.Im broke lol.My question is.How dangerous would it be quiting cold turkey.Im willing to rough out some withdrawls and have several times through the years on tabs/oxys and such but never suboxone.Will i be putting my self in great danger or just more then likely a sh*tty week?

[cdtcol]

Hello im 5 weeks pregnant and was taking oxycontyn for about three weeks and went on subutex for 5 days and stopped them but started to feel withdrawal symptoms on my third day. I take Xanax 2mg a day too but im trying to quit them since i found out im pregnant. can someone tell me pls what to do? im worried i will loose my baby..

[HenryS354]

Hey everyone,

This is a relatively old thread, it might help if you posted your questions as a new thread for members to answer!

Regarding sub withdrawals..... They arent pleasant, but they are nothing to fear either!  I stopped taking sub after 2 years.  My last dose was 3mgs, and today is day 14 of no subs!!!

The wds are mild, or at least they were for me.  Not one day was I not able to get out of bed, shower, post, run errands, or take care of my family.  I was never physically sick, just kinda felt like I ad been hit by a truck!  my wd's peaked at day8, and by day 10 I was back to work, working long haul international Flights again.

Some symptoms will linger on and on, but we will learn to adapt to that, and just like the other symptoms, these will pass as well!  Just keep a positive attitude... its implemental in the wd process!  It will be a challenge no doubt, and last a little longer than regular agonist wd's, but it can be done!

I wish you all the best of luck!

Henry

[jess930]

Hi guys, just found this site.

My husband has been on subutex for over 2 years now. In 2 months he's doing a Turkey week. Ever since he started subutex he's been suffering from impotence and doesn't feel like he's able to feel the right emotions anymore. It is hard on our marriage, but managable as long as you know that it is just the subutex doing it.

Does anybody have experience with impotence or lack of emotional capability? And did everything go back to normal after withdrawal, and how long did it take? Will he be "up" and running straight after the turkey week?

Thanks so much for the reactions!! Would be a big comfort!

Jess

[ashb123580]

Subutex and Suboxone Withdrawls are just as bad as the rest! RLS etc.... Long term use of either and suddenly stop using even tapering the dose it *****!!!

[shaunb125]

Hey
i have been on subutex for just over a year now, and i have been reducing 0.4 all the way. I have now came off compleatly for 3 days now and i can say i am experincing WDS, from RLS to cramps and genral low mood and no energy. Last night was by far the worst my legs just felt like lead weights, and i couldnt keep still. I can put up with the rest but finding it really hard to cope with RLS but i will carry on and hope it dosent hang around to long. Too everyone that is going through WDS hang on and kick it.

[LukeyDscruffy]

hello my names luke and im 23 been on both meth and subutex for nearly 7 years, started out on meth got clean, month later relapsed then they put me on subs which again i got off of then relapsed again now im on subs again, supposed to be on 8mg daily but realsed i didnt even need that much so reduced myself down too about 3-4mg, iv got a week off work and from my last workin day i decided to stop taking them all together, now on day 3 still having RLS and big time lack of energy but part from that it dont feel like theres insects crawling in my vains any more lol, just wanted to know if i'll be over it b4 i go back to work next week, coz it driving me mad?

[LukeyDscruffy]

hello my names luke and im 23 been on both meth and subutex for nearly 7 years, started out on meth got clean, month later relapsed then they put me on subs which again i got off of then relapsed again now im on subs again, supposed to be on 8mg daily but realsed i didnt even need that much so reduced myself down too about 3-4mg, iv got a week off work and from my last workin day i decided to stop taking them all together, now on day 3 still having RLS and big time lack of energy but part from that it dont feel like theres insects crawling in my vains any more lol, just wanted to know if i'll be over it b4 i go back to work next week, coz it driving me mad?

[trish221]

i have been off suboxone for one week now & i still do not feel 100%. I have been on suboxone since febuary. My doctor had me on 16 mg/day & then every 2 weeks I would be tapered down 1mg. I was only one 1mg/day & i still feel withdrawal symptons. Last time I was on Suboxone, I remember it only taking a few days to feel better. This *****. I just want to feel better. I do not want to use at all. I know i could feel worse so i am grateful for that,but i wonder how long this will take.

[hmmmmmmmm]

Suboxone suck!!!!!!
Please do the shortest treatment possible. I used heroin for 3 months and the doctor told me I should be on Subs for atleast three years. When I told him I wanted to taper down he tried to up my dose. The withdrawals suck and last longer. If you can just taper of. Your pills if not do not take suboxone long. Suboxone drs are legal pushers. I'm sure not all Dr's are thus bad but alot of them are. Good luck and God Bless

[JTizzle]

I have been on Suboxen for 60 days. Started at 4/day and tapered down to 1/4 of a pill.
Today I relapsed when a roxy was placed in my hands. However, I didn't really feel anything. Is that because the suboxen was still blocking my opiate receptors? In a way I am grateful because I didn't feel anything it has reaffirmed my choice to quit this terrible addiction once and for all.

Does anyone know if I am going to get dope sick tomorrow? I am not allowed to hold my own suboxone perscription, so I will only be administered a 1/4. I hope that is enough if I am sick.

Advice?

[darkvengance]

I find a lot of these stories complete "Horror stories".
Reading these is enough to put people off. I have been taking Subutex for 5 years.
The reason being I done this so I could completely change my whole life around, which should be the goal, not just "I want to be drug free, NOW! Addiction is completely not like that.
I can appreciate that peoples experiences are different, and withdrawals affect people differently.
But if i where to listen to people saying the longer youre on Subutex/Suboxone the harder withdrawals  etc will be, i might a well not go there!.
This is my 3rd day clean still waiting for the terible symptoms, Subutex takes around 37 hrs to come out of youre system and im on 64hrs.
I felt a bit nauseus  last night but my Key worker has given me tablets for that so no problem.
I had my last fight three weeks ago, aqnd i truly beleive that because i train alot on a daily basis i am sweating alot of tyhe subutex out of me.
If you sit around for a few years taking any drugs this will get deep into your system, so again another answer, you dont have to be a fighter but you can get down a gym and lead a normal life.
I am eating, not as much as normal but at least three meals a day still.
I am not trying to belittle any one, i just want there to be light for some people out there.
Oh and i keep yawning, i stopped on Wednesday then went to work Thursday and Friday and now i have 5 days off work. Im hoping to go for a sauna tomorrow.
My last bit is i think withdrawing is 100% phycological, yes you will feel various degrees of discomfort and irritability but please what do you want to be, drug free or a wussy?
"NO PAIN NO GAIN" and the gains are beautiful!!!!
Much love and hope to you all, its a long and winding road but you get one shot at life!
Grab it.

[Drumfreak]

being on day 6 of suboxone w/d myself...i couldn't help but post. I've read a few things that seem to be right on with me. i do have to say it's bad...BUT....i expected WAY worse...and i know i can do this. I've only been on subs now for 4 months. i made a post somewhere else here but was in pretty bad shape and can't find it...i know it was positive...lol...but I'm gonna bookmark this here page cause i think i found the right place. I think tomm had said after 5 days he felt like a blanket had been lifted...well..me too. as crappy as I feel physically now...i am so happy I'm crying as I type ( is that a symptom too?...lol). i thought i was dead...I'm almost forty years old and NEVER thought i could EVER get addicted to anything. I've survived three heart attacks, crohn's disease, three abdominal surgeries, and have struggled all my life as a top-notch musician who can't get jobs because I'm ugly...****...I've been through it all...until my doc took my lortabs, ultram, and ibuprofen away and someone introduced me to a little lady in a blue dress named ROXY...some of you know her i take it?...well she's a ***-drunk *****...stay away...lol

Alright alright...back on track. so day 6..pretty crappy...but i felt my mind snap into place...and I was really doing great on the subs...but being that i've been scoring them illegally...and mind you..I called EVERY rehab place in town first...no money +no insurance +long hair = NO HELP IN FLORIDA. so with a little research...and my ability to score pills.. I put MYSELF on suboxone four months ago...haven't slipped once...weened down from 8mg to 4mg...then six days ago I said screw it...i want my life back...I've been through hard w/d before...and just jumped.

i'm nervous about the whole two-week possibility...but...i really don't care...i HAVE to do this. I'm gonna go back up and read some more of this thread...and hopefully i'm not back here posting that I think i'm dying in a while from now....keep your fingers crossed.

all of you are awesome...glad i found you.....damn diarrhea...i'll be back...

[Drumfreak]

Damn....guess i should have looked at the dates on the posts....oh well.....day 6...yeehaw?

[michelle130]

been on suboxone for over 2 years, started at 3-8mgs a day, now down to 1 and a half til the other day, i just went cold turkey exactly 72 hours ago, felt kind of sick yesterday but i'm taking percs to help wean myself off suboxone.

[TjAdEnZ]

If you wanna kick your subutex habit first of all I injected it...down to just a lil piece a day this is day 2 for me...lock yourself in a room so you don't try to relapse, have a bucket and toilet paper for puke and diarrehea and plenty of gatorade and chocolate to keep your blood sugar and electrolytes up! Hey I've done this plenty of times!

[determined45]

Hello! I am new to this forum but wanted to share my story. I took high doses of pain pills for 3 yrs, then got prescribed suboxone. I was on suboxone for about 2 1/2 years and decided to quit cold turkey at 12 mg. per day. I am currently on day 39 off the suboxone and still experiencing withdrawal. The first two weeks were really bad. I ended up going to the ER b/c the w/d were unbearable; thought I was dying. Throughout the first two weeks I went to the doctor twice, urgent care once and ER once.
On top of the w/d I got sick twice with a bad cold b/c my immune system was so weak.  My mindset is so strong that I haven't even considered going back on sub. I have read multiple post and it's nice to see other ppl going through the same thing. I had no idea about the duration of sub. w/d. After the first two weeks of w/d things began to ease up a little so I figured I would look it up on the net b/c I didn't understand why I was still feeling bad. I quit opiates in the past twice and only went through about 4-7 days of hell then was back to myself, however once I felt better the cravings kicked in and I relapsed.
Suboxone really saved me!! I was able to divorce myself from old friends and the connections. I past every drug test when on suboxone and felt like I was born again.
After being on suboxone for so long I felt it was time to get off. I didn't want to be dependent on medication anymore and figured I go through a week of hell then be back to normal. WELL, I had to withdraw from college for the quarter and took a leave of absence from work b/c of the w/d. I can say I do feel much better than I did a few weeks ago but it is still there (creepy crawls, hot flashes, cold chills, fatigue, anxiety, insomnia, nausea and diarreah (diarrhea)). I heard this can last up to 70 days. Hopefully I will be feeling back to normal soon b/c this process is aggravating. I am fighting through this, I have to. I know this isn't going to last forever but it sure does feel like it, I am feeling a little depressed over the situation. Anyone else out there experiencing this LONG train ride? I would love to hear from you.    

[Hatesubu]

I am about to discontinue subutex today. I attempted it last weds and made it to the following thurs and couldn't take another minute. I ended up licking my subutex pill and felt relief phyically but mentally I felt defeated. I am ready to get back on the horse and kick this ****. This time I might take clonodine. Any suggestion would be appreciated!!!

[Hatesubu]

How long did it talk for the wd's to end???

[bmdad]

You replied to a thread that's a few years old and the original poster is no longer around. Also, these older threads tend to get overlooked. You should start your own thread. Doing so will dedicate a thread just to you. There are some wonderful and caring people here that will bend over backwards in order to support and help you through this.

At the top of the page click on the green button that says "post a question". After you click that it will bring up a box and you can type your story and your questions. There are some natural ways to help you through the withdrawals. Once you post you will get plenty of help.

Best of luck to you!


Brian

[rmet]

Hey everyone i have been addicted to suboxin for 2 in a half 3 years taking about 4mlg a day for the last year, i have been reading ***** storys about the withdrawl (withdrawal) process, well six days ago i decided i was going to stop cold turkey, i have had no major withdrawls at all other than being really tired at work and my legs hurting a little bit but that could be from going to the gym everyday. I have called like ten suboxon clinics and they tell me that i am 1 out of like 300 people that this happens to, so i guess what im asking is am i going to go threw withdrawls and day 7 8 and 9 or am i truely lucky that i am going on day 7 and feel almost perfect i sleep like 6 hours a night, eat perfect and everything that i expected is not happening?

[ricrace]

I have been through suboxone withdrawal many tiems, and am attempting to stop again. Ofr me, tapering was a MUST and I tried several regimens. Currently I am down to 1/8th of a film. I missed a dose two days in a row, and my system went nuts in WD all over.
I got some hope from a blog report: clonidine helps, I have some, but will delay complete cessation till I can have a week off. I won't try this again when I'm in the middle of a crisis or approaching a work deadline.

The hope I read was really nice: the writer said that after the worst few first 5 to 7 days, he did not have any craving for suboxone (as opposed to when we quit the narcotic). THAT was great inspiration.

I was clean from narcotics or 23 years, but chonic pain led me back to needed relief. But my body does not know the difference betwen prescribed pain relief and street heroin.

It's nice to know that even tho suboxone withdrawal is longer and tougher than other drugs, once it's gone it is GONE.

Best of luck to all. Meds like clonidine can help the ease the transition. My best advice is take things one minute at a time. If I dwell on withdrawal in terms of time -- 7 days, 30 days, etc -- I am sure to fail. I just focus on the next few minutes. And clonidine will help a LOT, I tried it before.

I do best when I plan and prepare. I have the most trouble when I just react because I am backed into a corner.
Eric in Cincinnati

[Bocataxi]

IM ON day 6 from suboxone withdrawal and dam this is worse than death....
I slept about an hour last night....my head feels like its gonna explode....day 1 and 2 were fine...day 3 was BAD...day 4 and 5 were unbearable......and now day 6 is still steady......When should i expect for the symptoms to subside? when should i be able to get a good night sleep?
i have clonidine and topamax and seraquil......

[Bocataxi]

I forgot....i was on 8 roxys a day for 7 months and then i was on 16 mg of suboxone a day for 6 months and tapered down to 4mg a day and then stopped cold turkey last monday.....
I just want to know when i should start feeling better....day 4 and 5 were str8 hell......i am in day 6 now and i am still pretty ******.....thanks......

[bumpers1981]

On My 8 the day I wish I would just be done with it..wen will my body feel normal again...n can I take anything to knock the edge off...

[nickyboy114]

ive been on subutex for over 2 yrs now 2mgs im starting a 16 week detox early september i also attend a drug program every week to pick up my script from tomorrow my 2mgs is going down to 1.6 as im starting to decrease a little at a time until i get down to 0.2mgs can anyone tell me that if i decrease my meds like this slowly down to nothing will i still have rls and withdrawls as ive been through the withdrawls b4 but not by decreasing my meds i just stopped taking subutex suddenly and boy i felt like death bad guts rls ***** no sleep aggitation creepy crawlies the whole lot but it only last about 4 days until i was just left with bad insomnia and no energy by decreasing like i am will i still suffer as im so nervous as what to expect pls if anyone could help me i would be very greatful.................thanx

[Lali123]

I just wanted to offer any help I can so here goes i was taking up to 7 oxycodone 30mg (roxys) a day and just wanted to be done so I got on the suboxone I started at only 1/4 piece of an 8mg pill a day and thought oh my goer is is a miracle drug ha ha jokes on me after a year I was up to taking 8mg a day because it did make me feel good so once I decided I was done I started tapering down but very very very slowly I was taking 2mg every other day then I cut the pills into 1 mg pieces and took that every other day then every three days then went down to just crumbs every couple of days and am now on day 7 suboxone free with no other pills or medications to help so all in all I was on the sub for about a year and a half and it has been rough getting to where I'm at today but well worth it I will tell anyone who is listening that yes it works but if you don't taper down the withdrawal symptoms are bad because I tried cold turkey once and thought I was going to die but after using the tapering down method the only withdrawal symptoms I've had is some headaches which a cup of coffee and 2 tylenols usually does the trick a few aches especially the knees and lower back which I have found a hot bath is wonderful for and of course the worst one is the insomnia because most nights when I lay down I just toss and turn best described as flopping around like a fish out of water   Once I fall asleep usually ok night sweats sometimes   A friend swears by Tylenol pm to help her sleep but haven't tried it yet guess that's why I'm up at 2am still. Anyway I hope I've helped someone out there or at least answered someone's questions. Good luck to everyone   This was my first time I found this sight and my very first post I think I'll stick around

[carleyr]

hi i am on my 3rd day off the subbies, and 3rd night of no sleep. i am past the point of wanting to use, been at it for over 15years. can get through the days ok, got my little girl to help with that, but these sleepless nights are what could break me. tryed na but dont think its for me. really just want to know when i will start sleeping???

[idiot933]

i started on tramadol 7yrs ago for a back inj i started to get withdrawls so went to my gp whom then just switched me to codiene i was taking 6-30mg 3 times daily so i was back to sqaure 1 so went back i was then put on to subtex and started to feel normal i was on 16mg a day then went to 8mg a day i was on these for 5yrs i came down to none in 5 days i was on my 6th day and relapsed and started to take tramadol again on day 10 i had none lefts so like an idiot went and got some 8mg co-codomal from the chemist i do feel a little better but the main thing i cannot cope with is the sleep i felt so ashamed i have changed my gp and went to a new one today she give me some sleeping tablets for seven days i dont know wot to do now or who to turn i have just gone on sick from work cos i can not cope with this hell im in.

[crackalackin]

I got a ton of experience with most all addictions.I spent16 yrs on any opiate availabe. I have quit cold turky off fentynal, morphine,oxycontin and I.V. herion. These kicks were making me suicidal. Obviosly it never worked long. My addiction stemmed from a broken back on my dirt bike with 3 vertabrate fused with hardware. Then another compression fracture in my back when diving off a 40ft quarry cliff. The worst part the doctor gave me 240mg of OC a day and never told me addiction was a physical change in the brain. I thought it meant only the weak minded became addicted. I suffered through countless days of hell. Untill one day someone said try suboxone, its a miracle drug. This couldnt have been more true. I felt normal again, with no high or side effects.  Although you need to realize suboxone has a withdrawl (withdrawal) also.It was Good that it didnt make me bang my head on the wall to get knocked out so i could sleep.I took the Subs for 4 years. when i quit i was at 6mg a day. I am on day 6 from the suboxone kick. I  have no energy and lost 9 lbs but starting to feel better. I advise to stack up on any benzos if you can get it. it helped a lot. Also, drink as much as you can, take plenty of vitamins and try to eat something. We all need to quit someday so whats better than today. GOOD LUCK. i know how bad it gets but when its over you will be the old person your friend and family enjoyed being around

[aslay]

Hey, Im on day 17 suboxone w/d...jumped at 2mg used 2mg for a year,
80% of w/d's over but NO SLEEP!!! Last I heard from you it was 33 days and still no sleep. What happened?

[Chadplus3]

I'm brand new here and am currently forced to stop suboxone after 3 years because of money and insurance... Its ben a week since I stopped cold turkey and to be honest the first 3 to 4 days were fine!! Its now a week in that I feel horrible!! I found your articles helpful but still am in hell

[johnc68]

hi all, ive currently just come out of detox (again) this time for subutex last year i was in detox to come of methodone after 16 years i did it but was put on subutex near the end, now i never wanted subutex but was advised to go on them which i did for 16month now the methodone detox to subutex TBH was easy i didnt even notice,but this year the subutex kicked the s**t out of me,first 3 days i was asleep with god knos what tablets they gave me but after that they stopped them and ive been a ghost ever since,not eating,no energy,yawning 24/7 but the worst no sleep for weeks sometimes id nod off and think oh great ive been asleep (wrong) 10 minutes and the sweat what left my body was like id been thrown buckets of water on me in my sleep,but its the smell of the subutex coming out of my paws i can not get out of my head its the worst thing ever,especially when i shower soon as i wake up and just before i go to bed,the pain in my legs and back and the smell made me have 5 baths through the night because i was told have a bath it will relax your pains,yeah it did for 10 minutes,but if youve done a subutex detox you no what im talking about with the horrible sweats,anyway ive been home 14days now and only had one sweat night,probably because ive only had a few hours sleep since being home,my appetite is coming back sleeps coming back but with a little help from the doctor but let me say for those that get told subutex is an easy rattle,who ever told you this as clearly not done one,ive done all kinds of detoxs and this is the worst,the only thing that keeps me goin is that im addicted to the ipad and iphone so my mind is on them of course you get people going through detox saying (i could just do with a ****)but thats them i missed my ipad more of course it crosses your mind if you just had a little bit but your still back at the same place so is it worth it NO if youve chose to go through this then youve made the choice to do it for a reason its not gonna kill you but it actually feels like it will,im still feeling **** but i feel a bit healthier im more alert everything taste better and smells better my feelings are more emotional i now understand why ive hurt other peoples feelings,and that is enough to make me carry on its not easy but its gotta be done,sick of planning my life round the chemist,cant just decide to go away at weekend coz ive gotta sort my script out,Now at least i can say to my G/Friend lets go away for the weekend something id never do on subutex,the future gets better its just time and patience  even with moods up and down they will eventually level out i hope this helps thanx John

[LBSU]

Hi John,
This is a very old thread - copy and paste your post as a new thread and people will notice it. There are a lot of people on here that know a ton about subutex...

[italianstallion12]

For those long term suboxone users 2 years plus, that want to quit, or is quitting i hope this post helps. I was on suboxone for 5 years, 24mg down to 2mg at the time I quit 25 days ago. If I can do it, you can too.! first 3 weeks are NOT pleasant.! sweats, cramps, chills, no sleep, no energy,RLS, etc, etc, etc. i found that at day 15 you start to feel better.

I drank high protein shakes, gatorade, took vitamins, etc. My doctor gave me some clonodine which really helped me sleep finally. One thing I want to mention is long term suboxone use in men can reduce testosterone. And the lack of that can really make a difference in how you fight the withdrawals. Go in and get your blood checked for testosterone, blood sugar, thyroid, your levels could be very low. Just a thought.!

on this day 25, my energy is not yet back, but my mind is clear as a bell and feeling like my old self again. If I can help anyone through this please let me know. you can do it.!!!...god bless.! RD

[Jennyb819]

thks 4 ur post itst12.. & everyone!  I've been on Suboxone/Subutex since March 2008 (about when this post began!) & have finally decided to just kick it myself as my doc. is not very helpful in that area.  I'm @ Day4 & i'd say today has been the worst as far as anxiety/stress.  Rite now my heart feels like it's gonna jump outa my chest! but I'm determined 2 get thru this..

[sicjoanna]

I'm fixing to come off my subs b/c my insurance was dropped
.last week I went 3 days without and was fine til.middle of that day.ugh so sick. It was the weekend so I bought ten tabs to get me til.Monday...Sunday night which was my fifth night was horrible ( even w/ a few tabs in my system ) which didn't get me high just helped keep the withdrawals down..but Sunday nite my legs were killing me
I slept for two hrs.anyways I'm taking ½ 8mg a day.how long should i take to get off all way
.But main thing I want to know is how long does the leg pain last? And when do u get ur natural energy back. I came off subs once before a yr ago and had leg pain for four weeks. It might of lasted longer but I got back.on subs.any advice would b great. Thanks joannna

[Larsy1566]

I tried cold turkey after being on subutex for 2 years and I was at 3-4 mgs. per day and even after a month I couldn't take it anymore so I slowly went back on it and now I'm trying to do it as slowly as possible and I love the idea of taking it every other day, then every 3rd day. It's not worth the rush in my opinion I personally couldn't do it but then again everyone is different so I wish the best to anyone battling an addiction. Laura

[Coodleysthib]

9th January........ Started reducing 26th Boxing Day 2011----Last dose (approx) 0.1, 2nd Jan from 24 mgs' daily. It's been 1wk since last dust of Subutex. How bloody awful this is.. My girlfriend read all comments on here today in work, She persuaded me to go on here and read.................... We live together, This is such a personal journey, it's so hard to be physical / mentally strong to even exist around someone you adore. I couldn't do it with out her support, she's had past experiencer with the narcotics I'm not using anymore, Crack / Herion / Subutex for over 4/5 yrs. It's been 24 mgs for at least 2+yrs........ I really feel for the people / us who are alone Withdrawing. Everyone is different obviously, It's incredibly difficult being around someone you love, in the state i feel i am in.... .....  It is insanity for us all, Strength.

[Coodleysthib]

Thanking your experience........ 2nd post. Massive dosage /  24 mg, same, reduced since 26th dec, last dose 1wk ago, 0.1 mg. such a good nod getting yourself to the drs. Testosterone etc............Horrid, this....

[ko20012]

hi ive been on subbies for 6 years,started on 8 mg, in now on 0.4, im starting my w/d on friday, what is the best medication to ged of my doctor to help?

[Coodleysthib]

Really good question.............. Seek advice through your local drug service, i think Dr. Will just refer you to them anyway.. Everyone & all is different....... Knowing it will end & strong PMA, sounds ridiculous, but it helps. I have had immodium, normal pain killers, minor attempts at physical exercise, Baths (incredeibly hard).Try stay off alcohol, it is a sedative though....Hoping someone else ,more organic than I will reply, just beginning to piece ones' life back after a decade of nonsense & abuse................. soon. Still W/drawing.Not nice........Ct

[genuineplaya87]

hey tommm70 it gives me great hope hearing your story becasue im in the same boat i didnt want to feel like i was on a leash to the pills, it started as hydros then friends talked me into oxy's and percs....well i decided to go try subutex and was on it for 9 months and tapered off like about 2 weeks then went cold turkey it still feels uncomfortable like i dont want to get up and live life yet but i notice some of the pain is getting weaker! what my biggest thing i wanted to say to you is dont have those thoughts about "will i do it again?" its not worth having to do it all over again, i mean after awhile they dont work as well, i got a herniated disk at my job which resulted in me being on hydrocodone and tramadol for 2 years, when i look at the big picture now, i should have just let my body recover which would have most likley been less stressful and id have my old better life, i lost alot cause of this disease, Im glad you doing well i wish you best of luck and you can do it!

[yaboyrekka]

Subs are bomb but the withdrawls suck bad take vitamins an exercise. Also think of the bright side of the situation

[blueer]

i was also told subutex is easy to come off, if u reduce down to 0.4 per day. not 4 me it wasn't. ive used various methods of detox in the past, to come off heroin and methedone, many successfully. lots relapse in my history! subutex was very bad for me, however, i did beat it at the second attempt. It can be done. It's not been easy but, i am still clean after 11 months. Can i help anyone, in any way? If i come over as smug or patronising it's unintentional.

[lenny23]

No blueer, you don't come across as patronising. I am glad that you give a damn. I was on heroin for 15 years, and been on subutex for the last two, while still using quite a bit. Last Christmas Day was the last time I used heroin, and 16 days ago I jumped off .4mg of subutex.

I have barely slept in the last 16 days and feel generally horrible. It is 4am here now and my legs are driving me crazy.  I was hoping that they would have improved after a week or so, but I think that I am at breaking point.

I have resisted the urge to take any more subutex, but am starting to wonder if just one taste of heroin would allow me to get some sort of reprieve (even for just one day, so that I could get a bit of sleep) without jeapordising my subutex withdrawal.  

I have a job that involves a lot of concentration and decision-making, and  my exhaustion is affecting my abilities to perform adequately.  What do you or anyone else think of my idea to give myself a break?  It would only be a one-off.

[blueer]

dont do it lenny, stay strong. to have a lapse at day 16 will be devestating. you should not make any distinction between subutex and heroin addiction.

[no_pain_no_gain]

Hi, Lenny.  Today I am 35 days sober.  Let me lift your spirits, it gets better!!!  At day 16, i wanted to die.  I was there just a couple weeks ago where you are.  But, every week gets easier.  Your body is in shock.  You have stopped using substance and its confused.  It does take time to heal.  I know U feel like a train wreck now, but dont give in.  It is really hard to give yourself time to heal from this horribly long withdrawal because we all have responsibilities and obligations.  But, you are stronger than you think.  I have never considered myself strong, but Ive done this and thanks to the extensive withdrawal, I will never go back!  At day 35, I do sleep better although its broken sleep, but thats okay because the relentless RLS is gone!  I have enough energy to push myself and the shakes are gone!  I definately feel the worst is over.  Although, Im not where I feel "normal" yet, I can tolerate the lack of motivation and slight depression because I am no longer waking up with severe panic attacks.  I would be glad to give U advice based on how I got through it if you would like.  Try not to think about the length of time your body needs to heal.  Take it one day and one week at a time.  Today, U can stay strong.  Today U will get through it. Remember when you were sober once.  U had motivation, energy, U were full of life.  After the period of abuse, your body needs to heal and build healthy new cells.  It needs to figure out once again how to function properly and produce betamorphine and endorphins without assistance from a substance.  U will feel wonderful and be that healthy, full of energy person again.  Keep going!

[ambitious_1]

well done!!

[ambitious_1]

sorry forgot to ask how long do u withdraw from the suboxone? ? i fininshed 3 days ago with 1.2 of mg of subutex as the suboxone only go to 2mg. i only went up to 10 mgs and was in detox for 12 days!  lastnite with the exeption of the withdrawals from heroin i had a sleepless nite, any idea how long this will last?
cheers

[ambitious_1]

sorry forgot to ask how long do u withdraw from the suboxone? ? i fininshed 3 days ago with 1.2 of mg of subutex as the suboxone only go to 2mg. i only went up to 10 mgs and was in detox for 12 days!  lastnite with the exeption of the withdrawals from heroin i had a sleepless nite, any idea how long this will last?
cheers

[ambitious_1]

im in my third day too! when did you get better im feeling like ****!
thanx

[ambitious_1]

u need a new doc,  i was on heroin for 11 yrs and just came out of a 12 day dettox 3 days ago! i had my last suboxon 2mg monday  and then 1,2 subutex  just on tue 14th feb 2011worse day yet!  any idea when the wd` stop~?
cheers

[blueer]

If you were only on the subs for 12 days and you reduced down to 1mg, you should feel better in a couple of days. were you only on heroin when you went into detox? How did you feel over the 12 days?

[solitary1]

Day 3 after a little over 7 months of Subutex use. I took a quarter of one from the beginning till the end, except for the random (time to pop a half of one) days. My stomach is twisted in a knot, RLS, sleeplessness, hot flashes, etc. When I started drugs I started with pot, then came xanax for a long time, my family knew of the xanax addiction for years because you cant stop the slur after having 2 24 oz's and 1 bar. That part of my life is history, xanax ruined my life and now that I'm off it, I'm finally getting trust back from my family, somewhat. My family is drug free, me and my sister are the outcasts. I started taking all of these because I've had manic depression and anxiety since i was 8 years old.

A year after defeating xanax, I went to live at a friends house, and since I was a user all my life, all my friends are too. I started taking inhaling roxycodone at this house, and I lived there for 6 months, I couldn't beat the setup I had because my long term friend was the main supply for that, so I did about 3 Roxy 30's for 6+ months until he got busted and showed up on the news with everything the police apprehended from him. So I kicked that, started taking the subutex to rid the withdrawal and so that I would quit taking opiates all together and have motivation/encouragement in my life because I've always been lazy, and it's not by choice, I know some of you would argue differently, but you're not me. I don't have any real support from anyone, nobody knows whats going on with me right now because I'm scared to tell my mom that i quit xanax only to pick up a nastier habbit, they will never trust me again, ever. My mom and dad are all I have, I'm 27 and I've lived a life of drugs and misery, and so did all of my friends. The conversion of having tons of drug addicted friends to having nobody at all because I want to clean up is really hard for me,

So day 3, I'm prescribed klonopin and I don't abuse it, but it is helping along with smoking extremely high potent smoke profusely and it's still painful, I'm taking the week off of work because my work requires me to be ultra nice with grade A appearance. I'm going to the doc today to be put on clonidine, I've already been exercising for the past month so I'm not quitting now, especially since it helps.

I know what to do, but I don't. Know what I mean?

[1rbosshog]

yeah i know what you mean, just came off subs 7 days ago..... well day 3 i broke down and took a half of a quarter piece because even after taking clodine and valium all night the pain was too intense, my wrists hurt so bad i felt like cutting my hands off. So now im back to day four i guess, feel like sh*t but nothing like the first day 3. For a moment today i felt at total peace even though it only lasted about 10 mins, it gave me hope that maybe the worst is behind me. Just have to keep fighting everyday no matter what hell on earth you must go though. I know in my heart there are better days ahead. Keep the Faith. I'll check back in here later, let you know how long these god auful wd's last. The Lord is my shepard I shall not want.

[rgm1]

hi in reply no your not going to be in danger of dieying or anything like that just wd for awile first few days bad then it easis up but you will feel bad for about 10 days if you havent been taking a lot like 24mg a day as long as your below 8mg you will make it fine just get it in your head this is what it is and hold on 2 weeks of feeling bad is worth the rest of your life so be strong and stay the course. good luck im in the same boat day 6 see you on the other side

[Winters12]

I stumbled across this thread today. My husband and I are both coming off of subutex. This is day one. I really don't want to crumble and  stay on it. I've been on suboxone/subutex for about 4.5-5 years, he's been on for about 3-4 in total. We've been taking like 1mg each for a very long time. Probably for the last year or so. The hardest thing has been completely stopping. I've tried a few times, but it was still available so I would go about 2 days and cave. Now I'm hoping to get off completely. However, today has been a little rough. The worst was this morning, for about an hour I was feeling really lousy, sweaty, and sick. I have adavan for panic attacks, which I rarely ever take so I only have a few right now, so I took half of one of those and it seemed to help a bit. I guess I'm wondering HOW bad its going to get or what I can do to get through it. I really want to be free of the mushy brain. If you've been on it for a long time like I have, you know that your brain feels all foggy all the time. I want my endorphins back! And just to enjoy life free of any dependence. We don't have chlonodine or anything like that to ease the symptoms, so does anyone who was on for years and jumped off at low dose know what to expect or what I can do to help it? It seems to be worse for me than my husband so far because I have major health and chronic pain issues.

[blueer]

Hi there, after being on it for that long you need to do a drawn out taper. You want to be down to something like 0.2mg per day, and then even take that every other day a few times before you actually jump. In my opinion, done this way you should suffer less at the end. You will still get some residual withdrawal though, you cant avoid it after maintaining for so long. good luck Blue.... You should click on the post a question logo, that will start a new thread for you; this one is a few years old. You will get a lot more people responding on a new thread of your own

[ACE1018]

Wow... I am amazed to hear all of the stories! I am not in any of these situations but live with my partner who was just dropped off her meds! We were supposed to get a refill but the new doc said no. As far as being outside looking in what should I do?? I want to be helpful and not clingy but I can only imagine what my partner is going through and want to know how to help her deal?? as far as I can tell she had her last dose yesterday at 8:30 am. She slept most of yesterday and then all of a sudden left the house! I have no idea where she is... FREAKING out! any suggestions?? She told me she was safe, but not where she is. Do I keep hounding her (i feel like i need to) or let her come back on her own? From what I have read it sounds like things could get very bad, and I can't tell since she is not here!

[cherika02]

I guess I am one of the lucky ones... I have been taking subutex (buprenorphine) for 6 months. For the first 5 months I was taking 24mg per day... 3x8mg. The 6th month I dropped to 20mg. But as soon as my contract ended  with the doctor's office my parents would not pay for my appointments anymore and I couldn't afford it myself without insurance. So basically I just stopped taking them cold turkey.  I suppose the withdrawal symptoms are different for everyone. The only symptom I seem to have is what I would describe as a "foggy head".  I am however battling with feelings of deep regret and sadness right now.  But I assume that would be normal for a recovering opiate addict.  I just keep telling myself that no matter how bad I feel, it will never be even close to as bad as withdrawals from heroin.  I would much rather be wishing I had a subutex than scheming to get money for dope.  So just remember any time you feel really crappy and you feel as though you can't take it anymore.... you have made the right decision.  Getting clean has  been both the hardest thing I have ever had to do, and the best thing I have ever done.  Now we can have our lives back.

[jamesbond352]

i am in day 18 of subutex weed sleeping pills the lot problay had no more than 24hr sleep in that time i *** off at 2point5 restless every night body wants to sllep but mind dont diffrence is im so mentally strong is unreal i dont care what happens to me i will not relapse for love or money the sweating has gone my spine an back an legs in agony but i cant lie i do fill better over tham insomnia big time tis can be done you jus have to have the wiil power more than anything an no matter wat dont give in i mean whats the other option stay on the **** 4eva na i think not i bin doing na meetings everyday praying alot yeh this is hell i must admt but dont be deterd lifes to short maybe 6week worse way but after 2week is bearable other than sleep but hey u sleep enough wen u die so **** it is now or never bring it on DRUGS devil revenge upon gods subjects who u wanna side with the devil or god every one man up women up an beat tis **** godbless

[abc1106]

omg... this is hell!!! 2 days cold turkey, i hate it!!! i wanna scream to top of my lungs!!! hot showers n midal help for about 5 mins, just wondering how u were doing now???

[nelthorp]

Hi,

New to this post, only taken suboxone for 30 days after a pretty bad norco detox, 10-11  10/325 per day for a year or so.


how long will my withdrawls last seeing as ive only taken sub for 30 days?


I have 3 kids and i feel like i am being such a lame dad with no energy and unable to sleep.

[Ozzy3483]

I been on suboxone for 6 yrs NOW!!! I hate it!!! It has kept me clean but for somebody like me taking in the first yrs 4 -8mg tabs a day and over a 6 yr period I got down to 4mgs a day and it is impossible to kick... I talked to the head doctor at NY rapid Opiod detox and he said that subutex and suboxone is some of the nastiest **** out there.. And he told me that the best thing to do is to go back to percocet for 3 weeks and slowly taper off them... I know I didn't want to go there but I had someone administer a certin amount of percs a day and it was much easier.... When a doctor tells you that you would be better off doing heroin it kinda wakes you up... Suboxone does help many people like myself but you could end up with a life long addiction to "THE CURE" if you dont do something about it... It's been a month even after the Percocet trick and I still feel it in my system... After being on suboxone for 6 yrs!!! Believe me I would never recommend subutex or suboxone to anyone ... These doctors don't tell you the truth about how amazingly powerful and addictive they are I feel bad for every person out there who are on it.... Do what you can GET THE **** AWAY FROM IT THE LONGER YOU TAKE IT THE HARDER IT IS TO STOP!!!! Trust me I hate my doctor for keeping me on this poison for 6 yrs...

[Ozzy3483]

I been on suboxone for 6 yrs NOW!!! I hate it!!! It has kept me clean but for somebody like me taking in the first yrs 4 -8mg tabs a day and over a 6 yr period I got down to 4mgs a day and it is impossible to kick... I talked to the head doctor at NY rapid Opiod detox and he said that subutex and suboxone is some of the nastiest **** out there.. And he told me that the best thing to do is to go back to percocet for 3 weeks and slowly taper off them... I know I didn't want to go there but I had someone administer a certin amount of percs a day and it was much easier.... When a doctor tells you that you would be better off doing heroin it kinda wakes you up... Suboxone does help many people like myself but you could end up with a life long addiction to "THE CURE" if you dont do something about it... It's been a month even after the Percocet trick and I still feel it in my system... After being on suboxone for 6 yrs!!! Believe me I would never recommend subutex or suboxone to anyone ... These doctors don't tell you the truth about how amazingly powerful and addictive they are I feel bad for every person out there who are on it.... Do what you can GET THE **** AWAY FROM IT THE LONGER YOU TAKE IT THE HARDER IT IS TO STOP!!!! Trust me I hate my doctor for keeping me on this poison for 6 yrs...

[dbyrd871]

Try to only stay on it as long as u need it.  I have  been on it for two years, And I was introduced to it when I went into rehab two years ago..  At first, I thought it was a miracle drug as well, but now, I just feel as dependent to subs as i did to pain killers.  I have tryed to stop taking them, n I beleive they are as bad as comming off the opiates.  

[Cruisingby]

I've never thought support groups were a good idea, IMHO they were always just another phone number or contact, another venue to mess up. I realize this is only partly true. I've never posted anything online either, I'm lucky, I've done it all and I'm sitting in my blanket right now with the cold sweats.

A few years ago subutex was taken most of my personality, I pretty much had little interest in being social I went from 24mg subs a day to cold turkey as I had a nice vacation package.

Please don't ever try that, even three months later I felt like I should kill myself because my wife was doing everything.

That's when my life long pal brough Satan over on a Saturday. this time I'm much better prepared, I'll share my thoughts but also ask for yours.
1: IMHO you need a program but you also need an exit strategy from this community (that community) so that your not sitting around all day talking about addiction. this should happen after you learn the ropes by heart.

2 this time I was on a half subutex a day for 6 mo and then .25 month then month of .15ish I did this on my own pretty much. Do not have suboxone in your system when you stop for at least 3 months, that **** is Satan too, at other antagonist does more than they admit, stick with the one component that helps you or both if you need that.

12-15 years, I've flown through windows had windshields explode in my face, yep I was never driving but that never took the pain that counted away. I'm now about 3+ days with nothing. I have dreams, I look at my three year old and I know I owe him so much, I might have been dad of the year for three but now I gotta do this for our future. I regret this road never had a place for visitors to get off, and head back home.

Anyone know what sorta tricks to fight fatigue for me we are looking at? When can I start trying to force exercise sessions into the routine? I think that might help, also I need to try to keep my mind off sobriety and start retooling myself for life with sobriety.

I wasted so much potential I will never forgive that much in myself, I can thank the lord I never let it take from others (directly) but I'm not patting myself on the back or judging, my emotions are back though full swing.

one last thought, I've never told anyone but I think early relationship BS in my life might have set off my need to kill pain, I've some soul searching done at this point.

[cjjm]

I know this is an old thread, I googled withdrawal from suboxone & this page was one of the 1st that comes up. I wanted to share my story b/c everyone withdrawals in different ways.
I was an heavy iv user for 8yrs, I didn't really have a drug of choice I just used anything I can get my hands on. I went through a suboxone matinence program many times, the 1st 2times I detoxed from it I barely felt any withdrawals at all but the 3rd time I was sick for about 4days. However I was in rehab then I think it was soo mild b/c they were always keeping you busy going to meetings & making u exercise. Anything to help u take you mind off the pain.
I was clean for 9mo after I left that rehab but fell back into my old ways.
I then decided to start going to a methadone clinic. I only planned to be there for a year or two but ended up staying there for 5yrs! I can't say I regret going there b/c it helped me put my life back together. I was sober all 5yrs I went there! The highest dose I was at was 160mgs I stayed there for 2years then started to taper, it took me 3yrs to get down to 12mgs & I couldn't go much lower after that. I didn't know until after I was there for a few years how much harder methadone is to get off of compared to any other drug.
After struggling trying to get off of methadone I decided to switch to subutex then suboxone. I stayed on suboxone (16mgs) for 2months till the methadone was compleatly outta my system then I started to taper after a month I got down to 1mg & decided to quit. This time detoxing from the suboxone was much much worse! The 3rd & 4th day was the hardest but it wasn't as bad as going one day w/o methadone. On day 5 I started feeling better it was the 1st I was able to get any sleep. I'm on day 6now & feel soo much better I still get the RLS & the hot n cold sweats, it comes & goes but its not nearly as bad as it was b4.
I wanted to share my story b/c everyone is different, I was told that withdrawals are different w/ each person depending on how high your metabolism is & how long you've been on the meds, each time you detox it gets harder & withdrawals may last longer. I kinda got freaked out when everyone said I'd be sick for over 2weeks to a month b/c I was on methadone for soo long. I have a very high metabolism so that could b y my symptoms didn't last as long as most. A lot of it is in your head tho. If you keep telling g yourself your gonna b sick for a long time then that's what is gonna happen. You may be to sick to move outta bed but you need to exercise! its good to have any kind of distractions to keep you mind off how bad you feel. For me taking care of my 2yr old son was a great distraction, that lil guy kept my soo busy chasing him around I got lots of exercise w/ him. Plus going back to work after a few days help a lot! You just gotta do whatever it takes to keep yourself from thinking about it or you mind will make you sicker longer!
Its def a good idea to rhave you doctor prescribe u something to help you sleep, my doctor recommended that I try a multi vitamin called Solotrex, for me it works very well. I was told that there is something in it that mimicks an opiate so it helps w/ the symptoms a lot & it is non addicting.
I'm just soo relived to be off of the methadone & suboxone, I was soo scared for soo long that I'd be on a matinence program for the rest of my life. Now im proud that I'm 100% drug free!

[spouseofsubuser]

I know that this is an old post, and that many wish to create a new one. I think these stories and the support is inspirational and realistic. You have real people telling what they are actually going through as they are getting off. Doctors are not always truthful or they aren't as knowledgeable of this drug as they think or let on. I understand the Subs help addicts get over whatever they are on by blocking the receptors in the brain but the longer a person is on them, all they are doing is trading one addiction for another, and one drug for another. (and the WD are twice as long compared to other drugs, from what I understand since this drug is a long-lasting one)
My husband 5 years ago was pulled over and arrested for a DUI. His conditions were 10 days jail time and 2 years suspended license with 3 years probation. He violated, as many drug users and alcoholics do, not once, but 2 times. And the second was for crack (which I NEVER knew he did until he was arrested and I visited him at the jail and he told me what he failed for.) His drug of choice was pain pills usually. After he was arrested for violating and spent time in jail and 4 months work release, he vowed to stop drinking, and doing pills. Which is basically what I told him he had to do in order to make this relationship work, because those two things made him a completely different and not so pretty person that I couldn't stand to be around. He does smoke weed, which I'm ok with because it just mellows him out instead of making him an a$$. He talked to one of the guys at his work about wanting to get off the pills, they told him about being on Subutex and how it takes away that craving for the pills and that high. He didn't have insurance so he bought them off of this guy and he only used a quarter of one a day for the past 3 years (so 1 pill would last 4 days) but at $15-$20/pill, it's still steep. A week before Christmas 2012, he decided all on his own to get off the Subs. I didn't even know about it till I commented on how much he wasn't sleeping and he told me that he stopped taking the Subs for 3 reason he said: 1) He's tired of being on them, he's ready to get off and now is as good as a time as any 2) They are expensive and me being a SAHM money is tight and this will open up a lot more cash for other things 3) For our family and especially for our 2 year old precious girl. So he's been off them for a little over a week. I'm so proud of him and I don't know any of you that have kicked and are in the process of kicking the Subs but I'm proud of all of you. This is a really HARD thing to do no matter how long you've been on them!
I've never been addicted to anything and I don't know how that "drive" feels or the WD so I can't even relate, but seeing it first hand the damage it does to a relationship I can relate to your families'.
This might be a TMI but Subs reduce a man's testosterone...low testosterone means lower energy and NO SEX DRIVE, which causes a HUGE problem in our relationship and I'm sure others. He's 28 and I'm 30 and to have sex once every 3-6 months for 15 seconds is TERRIBLE! He has absolutely no drive to have sex, any kind of sexual activity, at all. The TV and pills are a higher priority than me (TV helps him Zone out). I don't care what anyone says, Subs and drugs are literally "the other woman", IMHO, that he cheats with and prefers over me.  I pray and HOPE that this changes in a month or two when he's fully clean to finally be functional.
The second is that it kind of makes them zombie like, I feel like it almost makes him a little depressed. Not a ton of energy, and distant, like he "forgot" how to open up and share without prodding. He used to tell me how his day was and surprise me with a cute card or a text, he used to be flirty but since he's been on the subs it's literally like that ALL stopped. I hope I get the flirty, open guy back.

Sorry so long. But I wish the BEST OF LUCK to ALL!

[chode54]

i have been shooting subs probably 1 to 1.5 mgs a day and now in day 3 of extreme withdrawl (withdrawal). what can help to slow it down and when will it stop??? im in so much pain right now

[BalminGilead]

I am grateful for this forum.  I was looking for information,  advise,  help,  support... getting off subutex,  long term user.
First what a great drug.  For opiate abuse,  addiction,  this is truely a life saving drug.  Right off the bad stuff to a drug that can sustain your health,
is not 'addicting'  in the sense that you do not need more to maintain the benefits,  (though Im sure some addicts have people convinced that subutex is like an opiate...to justify their increased dosage)  but it does not and my story will illustrate.
  I got hooked on pain killers in early 2001,  and by 2003 was buying them over the internet.  It was bad,  and just as I knew I was on the verge of a real disaster I read about subutex in the NYTimes.  I got on it right away,  and have been on it ever since.  I started on 8.  millegrams,  and got down to 2 within three years or so.   I have been on 1. a day for a long time.   I cut the 2.  in half.  Then I cut the half in half,  trying not to get a buzz and to spread the pill to a morning and evening dose.  I do a get a bit of a buzz, and worry about the dependency on taking something.  
I read some of these posts and am going to start pulling myself off the 1. m.   The idea is to stay off the real opiates,  and if I feel in danger I will go back on subutex for sure.  But the resolve to be drug free can take you over that ... if you are resolute.  I am not sure what this many years of subutex has done to my receptors... IM sure,  considering I take so little,  that its not going to be the worst thing,  or that I am damaged.. hopefully.
   The symptoms though,  I do think this drug eliminates kinds of emotions,  that have to do with largeness,  large feelings,  big feelings,  thats the
impotency factor,  or great sorrows,  or great joys.   Its like you were manic depressive and this is your lithium.   But with that is a great cost,  no real creativity,  no real 'feelings'   to contend with,  and certainly sex is strangely catorgorized,  the homoginous feeling of the orgasm is simply taken away.   I guess this is how,  or part of how the drug is able to attack the painful things that make us crave opiates in the first place.  It can address the brain,  or hormones,  or glands,  whatever,  and control impulses which affect behavior.  I know its 'coating'  receptors,  but I think the effect if more than that.  This is not an opiate high,  though it is akin to it.   I think it could be a good drug for kinds of mental illness,  or kinds of depression.   The side effects we are experiencing,  we who use it for a long time,  well we are the guiney pigs...  and we can decide if we feel its costing more than its helping.
I have decided I want to feel again,   the scope of what I feel.   I hope that the withdrawl (withdrawal) RLS does not go on too long,   but I have had that from time to time anyway.  And I hope the terrible heebie jeebies dont last long,  thats the worst,  the creepy edge of the universe nothing fits feeling...
Just the other side of the everything fits and you can do it feeling..neither of them is true.   We just live day to day,  fitting what we can,  going to sleep at night,  laughing with our friends.   We have a reason to live,  even though sometimes it seems like we've lost it.   These drugs may have helped at the moment,  but they are complicated cost ..   and I mean to leave this part behind.

I will let you know how it goes.  IM going to go half of my dose three or four days a week for a few weeks,  and then .. maybe cut that in half again.  

im excited.  

god bless you guys.  

[vicki595]

Thanks for sharing all of that and good luck with the plan.  We'll be here for support and to offer a suggestion or two...Can you start your own thread when you check back?  I'm afraid this may get overlooked here...on an older thread.

I've heard others talk about the flatness in personality and outlook with Suboxone and I think it's sad to not feel but agree that Sub has its place in our medicine cabinets.  Keep in touch!

[arg78]

everything is written down here is realy helpfull.. sorry for the bad english ,i m  watching  from europe. After a long period of heroin use i did the withdrawll using small amounts of suboxone.I was taking everyday and less ammount of the sub  reaching the point even at 0.2 maybe mlg. I did everything bymyself without prescription.. now  i m in the 9th day of taking really NOTHING AT ALL. My biggest problem is RLS or "kicking the habit" and the really small time of sleep everynight.Please can anyone tell me what can i do for the RLS without taking clonidine or diazepam medicines. Is there any herbal way .Is it possible to have some relief by making my body tired by going to the gym or running around the neighberhood??

[arg78]

everything is written down here is realy helpfull.. sorry for the bad english ,i m  watching  from europe. After a long period of heroin use i did the withdrawll using small amounts of suboxone.I was taking everyday and less ammount of the sub  reaching the point even at 0.2 maybe mlg. I did everything bymyself without prescription.. now  i m in the 9th day of taking really NOTHING AT ALL. My biggest problem is RLS or "kicking the habit" and the really small time of sleep everynight.Please can anyone tell me what can i do for the RLS without taking clonidine or diazepam medicines. Is there any herbal way .Is it possible to have some relief by making my body tired by going to the gym or running around the neighberhood??

[methadont78]

I have worked in pharmaceutical buissness since leaving school now im not a scientist I just work with them glorified tea boy .....but during a disscission on opiate addiction he said there is a way of synthesizing an opiate but it will do what an opiate does but will not gain any tolerance so no withdrawel from it .........its completcated as its fooling the brain ...but when I asked why hasn't something like this been brought out as people could do a couple of months on thses tablets but no pain but have same results if they gone cold turkey for couple months an he said it wont make much money there is more money in any opiate that is manufactured an causes physical dependence ......they make too much money too come up with the treatment I was looking into an trust me its possible

[las12]

Hi, I just needed some advice on how to get off subutex for good, I've been on it for about a year doing 2mg a day, once in the morning, once at night. I'm still on it and don't know how to get off. I feel so crappy when I wake up in the mornings so I do peice of my sub. Then I feel better, But I don't want to be achy anymore and I need my strength back. I am so weak, more than ever. But when I do subutex I get so much energy and I don't feel weak anymore. What's a good tip to get off of them for GOOD? It feels like this is all in my head. please help, thank you!

[JustaJunky]

I Just Came back from detox unit been on subitex for 3yrs, jumped off 1mg. Had only one really bad night when i been runing around thinking to leave detox house.. Worse symptom for me is RLS. They been giving to me baclofen 10mg+Diclofenac 50mg works for rls, Lofexidine/Britlofex takes most symptoms away help u sleep but dry your mouse and make huge discomfort in ur head it is analogue of Clonidibe but designed special for opiate detox. Zopiclone b4 bed will give u 2-3h sleep. On day 6 i started Naltrexone to flash out that subitex quicker. Im now on day 16 sleeping of but a bit of diarrhea, no energy and discomfort in my head still here. Anyway im nearly there... Hope it help someone..