First day of Suboxone films

[norconut]

This is my first time posting although I've 'lurked' on your forum for years.  I finally have the courage to start putting my addiction to bed once and for all. (Although I'm not foolish enough to believe that it won't be lurking to rear its ugly head if i let it)  Yesterday was my day to take my last pill.  I had some norcos and took 2 around noon yesterday.  I waited it out as long as i could and went ahead and took the sub about an hour ago.  (23 hrs into w/d)  I am already feeling so much better and am confident that I am on my way to freedom.  I only have 2 1/2 8mg films to work with.  I took a 1/2 (4mg) film today and within 40 minutes I already felt energized and normal again.  Tomorrow I will tak another half and will break the remaining strips into 1/4s and should be done all together with the subs by this time next week.  Does that sound reasonable to those of you who have done this?  Through reading many of your stories I see that this medication is nothing to mess around with and has the potential to just trade one addiction for another.  Any advice that anyone wants to give I would appreciate the feedback.  Thanks and God bless!

[dominosarah]

I have a couple concerns with this.  First you are taking a very powerful narcotic from a friend who was in rehab and should know better.  Keeping this from your husband also worries me.  Our secrets keep us sick.  Recovery care is so important and i am not sure how you can hide that nor should you have too.  

I know wd's are wicked but there are things you can do to make them easier.  Have you looked into the amino acids at all?

I am happy you want to get your life back.  You have that in you to do this.  Make your recovery the No1 priority in your life as you are worth it.         sara

[Jaybay]

Congratulations for making the decision to quit!  Please correct me if I assume incorrectly and you are under a doctor's care.  If your Suboxone is not prescribed by a doctor along with some kind of aftercare support like NA or AA, I think you may be making things worse for yourself.  Suboxone is a narcotic, which is why you feel "energized" again.  Sub withdrawal can be a whole lot worse than withdrawal from norco or other drugs of abuse.  All you're doing right now is putting off the inevitable withdrawal misery, and may even make the whole experience a whole lot worse.  

Suboxone is supposed to be used as a tool to stop cravings while you get your emotional house in order and put a stop to the chaos of chasing a high.  It was studied and FDA approved for a short-term, 21-day detox program - along with psychological support.

Can you tell us a bit more about yourself?  How long you've been abusing norco and in what amounts?  Other than picking a quit date and getting on with it, have you made any other plans for your recovery like meetings or cutting off all your suppliers?  Do you have any support from family or friends?

[norconut]

I didn't get them from my doctor...  over the past few months I've been buying my pills from some hussler in town and draining my bank account after I go through my monthly presciption too quickly.  My close friend went to rehab the day after Thanksgiving and she gave me the strips she had left.  She only needed 2 1/2 and they sent her home with 5.  I have gone to some NA meetings with her this month and definitely want to do this... but I can't be 'sick' and take care of my kids.  What has kept me from stopping long before now is that I can't take the W/D sickness after more than a day and always end up going back to my friendly neighborhood drug dealer that is all to eager to take my money.  The guilt I already feel for having gotten this far in is even worse when I don't have the ability to suck it up and keep life normal for my family.  My bank account can't take any more of this nonsense and I'm pretty sure that if my husband found out about all of this we'd be headed for big, big problems.  This probably all sounds like a cop out... but i do really just want my life back.  

[IBKleen]

Hi,

Your doctor only gave you two? that sounds odd. When do you go to see him/her again? Did he/she set you up with counseling or a support group to go along with the Suboxone program? If the doctor is simply prescribing it as a way to get over the withdrawal period, you may run into problems if you are not engaged in aftercare. It is a program, not just a pill, or strip in your case, and it is a chance to get your life back together.

I sound like a hypocrite because I did go on Suboxone as withdrawal was a health risk at the time for me. I stayed on it a short 16 days.That being said, I was already in a support group and already working a program of continued recovery. I had a doctor that just wanted to prescribe the pills so he was a bit scary and the outside support was my own idea and done prior to taking the Suboxone.

So, bottom line, I guess I am asking what sort of program are you in?