Why I believe Suboxone worked for me

[sw9281]

I wanted to share my recent thoughts as I enter week 7 off the subs after a 5 year battle with Percocets.

I am 6 weeks off the subs and feel great. I have a few down periods but I am feeling strong both physically and mentally. I  thank Subs for getting me off the road to nowhere. I see now what the subs did for me and why I could not taper off of the percs but could with the subs. The reason is probably twofold:

1-I did not crave the drug during the Sub taper as I did during my many failed perc tapers

2-What I will call the placebo effect. – Mentally convinced myself before I started I would not fail at this. I never had this mindset when I tapered from the percs, in fact it was the opposite – I expected to fail. So I am not sure if the subs or my brain is what allowed this taper to work, probably a combination of the 2.

I HAVE ZERO CRAVINGS FOR PERCS – you can and will get to this point too – just keep on doing what is working for you. For it is the result that is the only thing that counts in this game, not the path we have taken to get there.

Good luck and again I thank the folks on the board as I did this by myself and you guys. I has no other help!!

Steve

[10356]

Congratulations Steve on your recovery.. I was very pleased to read this thread and just had to say.. sounds as if you did well for yourself and I'm Proud of you.. So glad you found us.. Your experiences will be helpful to the many coming in behind you.. Have a wonderful summer and a good life.. Take care lesa

[theeagle]

Yes....Congratulations!!  We need some more stories like yours about sub. Your story will help others.

[RANDO88]

I have always it seems craved opiates. After 5 times at the methadone clinic (a waste of time for ME) Suboxone was almost a miracle drug. I was clean in 3 wks. I know others will post some horror stories about Suboxone--but it really helped me. Withdrawals are gone but I know that I will always crave the opiates.  A day at a time I guess.

[sw9281]

Let me make one more comment. Nothing is free. The w/d process after the taper ended was 10-20 days of hell for me.

Just spend the time and educate yourself on the whole cycle that is required to go the sub route. most of these Pain Drs that take the 8 hour course are not well versed on a sensible and realistic taper period. They very little more about the w/d process. I beleive from my first hand experience from my Pain Dr. and reading comments of others on this board that these Pain Drs. are paid big $$ for writing Suboxone RXs. The drug sold almost 1/2 BILLION dollars in 2008 in the USA alone with a profit margin of 60%.

If you want to read my previus postings over the last month or so to get much more detail on what I state above, the information is on this board.

Just know that if your pain doctor does not provide you with a taper plan when you start taking suboxone and prepare you for the potential side effects once your taper period is over (I fall into this group), you really need to spend hours reading this board and learning this stuff for yourself. This will prevent many of the "horror stories" circulating about subs - as you will be prepared, taper off in a period that makes sense for you and are prepared for w/d symptoms and remedies.

Best of luck to all and if anyone ever wants to communucate with me one on one feel free to private message me even if its 2 years from now.

[indiana2008]

If everyone listens to what sw9281 has to say about subs......he has an awesome taper plan and really has things figured out.  He was a big help to me coming off of subs.  I will say I did taper much quicker than he did as I felt no difference at all after tapering a few days, tapering a little more for a few days then I stopped.  I was prepared to have to start taking the subs again to taper more but I was surprised I had no w/d symptoms---other than a few days of little sleep (I have bad insomnia anyways) so I dealt fine with that.  I am so happy to say I am sub free, no desire for norco and living life.  I will tell everyone this is coming from someone with a 30 + 10/325 habit a day.  That is the gods truth.  I never thought I would be where I am at and wouldnt be without the subs.  I entered treatment April 8, 2009 discharged April 15, 2009 and am not turning back.  I am still in Intensive outpatient program and attend NA regularly so that helps too.  But for anyone that questions if subs are the right drug......it sure has my vote.  I was only on them a little over a month and my life is so much different.  If anyone has any questions I can answer please feel free to ask.
I will sign my post happy to have found subs.
Scott

[worried878]

I think alot of it has to do with being ready to let go...u r lucky u did so well and i think anyone who is ready can get clean..most without sub...to me i dont look at being on sub as being clean tho..i have used it in the past and definitely wouldnt count it as clean time cos i know it is a narcotic and i could feel the effect...would someone say they were clean on methadone?  some would and i do think either sub or methadone is much better than chasing pills and stuff...gives u time to get the work done that needs doing ..but i would not say i was clean if i were on either..but well on the way for sure and a much better alternative than massive amounts of illegal substance....good luck to u and stay tough

[indiana2008]

I am sorry you have such a negative outlook on subs.  If you "felt" something from the subs, were you taking them properly?  I have not felt the slightest effect from the pills, just the simple desire to not use or no craving.  
I will say at the max dosage I took (16 mg) it has such a small amount of opiate in it, that it wasnt even picked up on a drug test.   You have your opinion about it and I have mine.  For me like I said before it headed me in the right direction, and I honestly dont think I would have been on this path without it.  One of the other reasons I took it was because I have a rotator cuff tear and it really took care of my pain.  I am experiencing the pain all over which is such a concern for me and my date for surgery should be the middle of July.  I am so afraid of taking that first pill again as I am afraid it will awaken my disease.  It really has me scared to death.
Sorry if my prior posting upset you. Hope your day is a good one.
Take care
Scott

[theeagle]

I dont think worried has a negative outlook.....just different than yours. We all respond differently due to legitimate biological grounds. What works for some may not work for others. Need to educate yourself and do what works for you. For some this will be sub or meth. Some will attempt cold turkey or a taper and make it out. Some will attempt and fail. When I tried sub it didnt do a thing for my legitimate pain....and I had high expectations from something thats really strong like sub. And it also did nothing about my desire for narcotic meds. It took me to get that part right. And I dont care one bit about the semantics of whether you are "clean" or not when you use a replacement therapy. Just get back in the real life.......

[sw9281]

Well said - the goal and focus is the result, there is no right or wrong journey to get there. What works for me may not work for you and vis versa. You just need to keep focused and mentally strong and believe you are on the right journey that will work for you. Sub, no subs, detox, God, cold turkey etc..... differerent strokes for different folks. As Nike says JUST DO IT