back to the sub ?'s My Dr. said it is not harder to come off Suboxone after 6 weeks. same 3 wks or 3 mnths.?

[got2bfree]

Hi everyone.....I was here a few weeks ago, physcing and getting ready to switch to the sub. every attempt failed for some reason preventing me from starting....then I heard from a few here, and ohter places too that if I as using the suboxone to get off the mscontin 200mg/day and I wanted to be opiate free, I should get off the sub by 6 weeks or the longer you are on it the harder it becomes to get off.......that made me reconsider the timing as I want off everything and I was using the sub as a transition drug, but my life right now is so hectic with tryiong ot selll my house, a large country property, keeping the gardens nice, and house clean to show well, and then if sold I would have t look for a new place and move, that this was not the time to switch....my Dr. is a doubing man re I would be okay with pain issues...I don't really think I have pain issues any longer...I did at one time and really needed the morphine, but those are gone....I'm confussed a bit...not confussed so much as will the sub help with pain, (he says NO, he says it helps with addciaton only), and he says the time thing is just online chatter and I shouldn't listen....he was quite annoyed iwthme...He has just been prescribing a few months, as just available in Canada, and only has  6 patients on it...but feels he is hte expert.....I don't believe that, he may have theory but it is you guys who have lived it....I learned the very hard way not to trust everything the Dr. says....he shouild have gottenme off the morphine years ago...I feel like I'm at a point I have to reclaim my life soon or either give into the fact I will be on it for the rest of my life....I went through so many scares with my meds, that I ahve become compulsive obessive over having everything in order....I've been left to hang out to dry so to speak too many times and since live alone, I don't have anyoneto help me...living in the country isolated from any real fast help also is a challenge or adds to my need to know exacatly what is what.

SO AGAIN   IS IT HARDER TO GET OFF THE SUBOXONE AFTER 6 WEEKS...... can anyone point me to a site that can confirm this medically....so I can take it to him and say see.....look youi are not an expert.......DOES THE SUBOXONE HELP AT ALL WITH PAIN? he says no.....he says it is only good in getting people off a destructive drug lifestyle...., the lesser of two evils....

I think I told you all I'm a Christian, and I posted a while back about a "Healing Revival in Lakeland Florida" a month ago...gee i got blasted by a few for posting that...and it bleeped out the website people could watch it live...but I was so desperate, and I felt so weak that can't do this all on my own that I booked a flight to Tampa, rentd a car and booked a hotel.....for a week    leaving monday....I belive in miracles, and I'm expecting one in Lakeland...people have been instantly set free, so if they have I can too.....listen guys you need faith for this to work.....the revivalist, or young man who was preaching in Lakeland 3 mnth ago, and they started to notice people getting healed from al sorts of stuff, real ntable miracles, was an ex addict himself......he said he was struck with Power of God one night 12 years ago in his drug dealers trailer and set free on the spot and never had any desire, no w/d symtoms and has been clean since....He is young Canadian man, who's minstsry I have watched grow for the past 5 years, (I've followed what has happened with him, and is he th ereal deal or not) and I believe in him.....I find Dr.s so limiting....so discouraging...and htey use you like guinea pigs....and can abandon you, or not are if you are stuck sick because of a mistake they made....

Anyway got off the topic....but i would greatly appreciate any clear guidance of Suboxone addication...how long yoiu have to get off it easily versus it then becoming tough......and the pain control it gives..

Thanks to all who have written to me, all your messages are so geatly appreciated.....and this is a battle of which noone can understand unless they have lived through it.....I'll let you know my news of Lakeland when I return...the 28th  leaving here the 21st.

best to all
Deb

[flmagi]

My 2 sisters and myself are on Suboxone. I can tell you that Suboxone IS addictive if used longer than (approx) 21 days, which means you will have to do a very slow tapper off it, or cold turkey (and suffer big time).
Short term Sub use is great to get past the withdrawels. What people must realize with the short term use is that when you stop the Sub after say 21 days, you will experiance left over withdrawels from your drug of choice. Not the really bad withdrawels, but the fatigue, lack of energy etc. Same as if you had gone cold turkey and were at 21 days.
But if you have had a history of relapses, longer use may be needed. So that you have the time to get your life back in order and get outside support, etc.
Suboxone is a tool not a cure for addiction.
There is really no way around going thru some kind of withdrawels. If you use Sub long term and start to taper, the withdrawels can be very mild, if done properly. With Sub, you can decide when will be the right time for you to deal with that.
Short term use is for some one who can't deal with the really bad withdrawels and may not be at high risk for relapse after stopping the Sub.
I'm sorry, but your doctor is wrong. There is a big difference between 3 weeks and 3 months on Sub. I'll give you my phone number if he would like to talk to me and my sisters. lol   The proof is in the people that use it.
As with any drug, people can have different reactions to it.
If you have any questions, I'd be happy to help. Just PM me.
Magi

[worried878]

I agrre on the fact that people under estimate their dose many times when they first come to the forum...i did...it was hard to even admit it to myself at that time...one of the first rules of assessment i learned in nursing school was that on the questions  concerning alcohol or smoking...add some to the anwser as a rule...but i believe after people/most people adjust to the honesty of the forum and that the forum is here to help...people fess up and tell the truth to get the help they need...again, most and i did...i was lying to myself and not just the forum when i said 60 mg and not 80 mg as on the average it was 80mg.....i also honestly believe that after people quit and are helping others that 90% of the people on this forum are honest...again.. a margin for error... but they end up screwing themselves in a post as i saw recently by someone i havent seen post much since the screw up who before the screw up  was a regular poster...people on this forum can tell when someone is fibbing after a while on dose or the different drugs they were using...i believe that most/especially the sub community/on here are very honest and they aim to help....it seems that way to me...but i may be a overly trusting soul...can be guilty of that for sure  LOL

[NautyOne]

Thank you to the one who clarifies for me......:-))))  Are you trying to say gracefully that i am old......lol.  And, are you going to now be my translator .....hehehehe

Nauty.........hehehe

[GoingToMakeIt]

Naughty is not saying all. I think she is saying to read between the lines. She has been around long enough to have seen this sot of thing go on a fairly frequent basis.

[122 Tactical Fighter Group]

The sub did not even think about doing anything for my pain...and at that time I wasnt interested in quiting the narcotics that did. Dont rely on it for pain relief. And dont use it very long at all for detox. I bet your Doc could learn from the internet - although he is correct in that anyone can post anything they wish on the net- - -

[NautyOne]

My persona opinion is he is right to a certain extent.  My doctor told me the same thing, was pretty harsh about these forums, basically with disgust on his face.....said the people on here are losers, and just a bunch of drug addicts......I was like...wow!

Anyway, back to my opinion.  you can't always trust what you hear out here either.  There are lots of people that abuse there sub and don't tell you this, and are giving mis-information.  Many people give mis-information about withdrawal because they are not always truthful about what they are really taking and how much.  You know what I mean when someone comes on and says "I'm taking 4-20 per day.....OK.....when someone says that .....I take the highest number and probably throw in a handful.

In summary:  You can't always believe what you hear out here either. Don't get me wrong ......there is amazing information out here !!  But, you have to be skeptical to a degree.....This is the internet, you know?

There is only one person out here that ever gave clear and accurate information regarding sub, and that is Fladdict.  Check out here journals.......You will find probably the best info. on sub there.  She is the real deal and a trustworthy source.

I wish you the best.

Luv,
Nauty............

[cattalina]

First of all - friend999 is right.  No one should blast you for your faith.  What path you take to stay clean is your path only and essentially is nobody else's business.  I'm always dumbfounded as to how many addicts are so intolerant to others choice of faith/recovery.  

Second - I have been on suboxone since April 2007 due to misrepresentation on my physician's behalf and not taking the initiative to research beforehand.  Since then I have compiled a large amount of information I have found online.  Although much of it is very vague, I would love to share it with you.  
I also wanted to say - unless your doctor is an addiction specialist, or was involved in formulating buprenorhpine itself (even they aren't) - he is certainly not an expert!  Rarely are the prescribing doctors "experts"... in all honesty, I'm not sure there is one out there.

Ok, I'm long-winded!!  Basically - If you're interested I'm be more than willing to share what I know with you.   :)

[Friend999]

Deb,

He says "on line chatter", huh?  As you said "you guys have lived it".

The people who have lived it are, or were, on this forum.  Those that still are will surely be along to advise you.  It is the weekend, so be patient. Weekends are slower.

The theories as expressed by many on this site are:

A. It's just another opiate.  You're just replacing one with another, and one must still detox from suboxone/ subutex.
B. Suboxone/subutex has a place in detoxing.  It gives one, especially those who have tried tapering and/or cold turkey that have many relapses, a time period of clear thinking to "get their thoughts and a plan in order".

Use of suboxone/subutex has two theories also:

A. Use short term only to defeat withdrawals, usually 21 days or less. In that time period the physical withdrawals of the original drug go away, but one is not addicted to suboxone/subutex in 21 days. During the 21 days, after starting with the lowest dose possible to combat withdrawals, begin the taper off suboxone/subutex, coming down quickly after the first week.  Usually mild physical withdrawals exist, but the mental withdrawals will still occur.
B. Use soboxone/subutex for a longer period of time and begin a slow taper down to crumbs before jumping off (.25 mg). I have read that even then, many will experience bad withdrawals.  I have also read on here that many doctors suggest this longer period because the success rate is around 72% (truth unknown).  Aftercare during this period might be the reason.

I have tried to relay all that I have learned about suboxone/subutex on this forum.  Everyone is different. You will probably receive numerous replies in agreement and disagreement.  It is a controversial subject. Keep reading these posts and form your own plan, with knowledge as the key.

No one should "blast" you for your faith, and what you believe in. What you do to defeat your addiction/dependence is your choice.  If your mind and heart is determined to get off the pills, and your mind and heart is reinforced by your belief and faith, who are we to judge.  Faith in yourself, faith in a higher power, or both combined is your choice.  My very best to you in your endeavor.

Friend999

[worried878]

Doctors receieve a 12 hour course on sub in order to prescribe it..some know alot more about it than others it seems...sub is a narcotic..so the longer u take it and the more u take each day  the harder it would be to stop it...everyone is different so an exact amount of time before someone became addicted is hard to say....but most are ok for 12 weeks...it is 6 months and longer that i see on here that people have trouble..that is just from reading posts and researching the drug,,,then they taper down to a crumb and even then may not have a problem....0.3 mg of sub = 10 mg of morphine....the user does not feel the full effect of the sub if any effect at all ,,,i would read the health pages and then go to the sub website and read as much as I could