suboxone -- pro's and con's

[Kevin_Bacon]

I got lucky(?), and have an appointment Monday morning with a sub/meth clinic  -- they want me to lay off on Sunday, and show up in early w/d's for a 2-hr assessment, followed by dose. I got a very graphic tale of someone who lied about their last dose, and the immediate full-blown w/d's the misinformationist went into, so I got the point.

Please, sub (including ex-) users, state your case, the good, the bad, and the ugly -- I thank you in advance.

A really disturbing thought for me is that I've been prescribed Valium 20mg at night for five years -- will the assessment end with that disclosure? Any tox screen will show benz40mg oxy, just in caseos, so lying about it is pointless. I know a Methadone doc who sez: "No Valium with Methadone. I don't kill people." He's brilliant, but not about to change his mind on that, so I'm apprehensive about hearing the same thing re Suboxone + Valium. I'm bringing a 40mg "O" (if I can connect) just in case ... then I'm back on this garbage till I lose everything.

So, please spend a minute or two on the topic ... I'm just getting too old to c/t again -- the BP thing could climb to the outcome of popping a pipe in my head, and I'm sick of this imitation of life. Time's running out on games.

Thanks.

[NautyOne]

Hey Kev,

I would get your question into Dr. J  asap.  before you see the sub doctor.  My understanding is that you are NOT suppose to take Valium w/ suboxone, so you may have a problem.....not sure.  Don't lie ....they may Drug test you and then your sunk.

The doc doesn't always take questions due to daily limits, and can take a day or 2 to answer..

I wish you the best.......

luv,
Nauty.........

[worried878]

i dont think the sub/benzo combo is as dangerous as the methadone/benzo combo....and benzos r rx-ed with sub at times..not usually with methadone tho unless closely monitored...but either way, if u r going to a clinic and do not have the scrip for the benzo..it will be a NO GO....if u have a scrip for the benzo i dont think it is gonna be a huge problem...and tapering off a benzo after that long of a time would be the only way to get off of it and these people u c should know this....if u have a scrip all will go well....but if u test dirty for stuff u dont have a scrip for it will cause problems...honesty is the best policy and the best of luck to ya!

[avisg]

If you go into the health pages there is an article of many peoples experiences with sub the good the bad and the ugly there is a little of everything. If you want honest unbiased opinions on how they have handled the sub take a look at it.

[Kevin_Bacon]

Thanks so much -- I'll check out the sub guy's page when I have the energy -- I just take about 120mg at his point, 'cause it doesn't the depression and the BPre higher amounts -- no"high," no big boost ... maybe a handful for 2-3 hrs. of "Everything's fine" and then it it isn't. Can't remember the last time I enjoyed the stuff; just staving off the worst of it.

Normally, I wouldn't touch either substitute with a ten-foot dung-pole, but, as I mentioned, the c/t approach, which is the best if you can do it, isn't an option this time 'round. Might not get through it.

Happy times, indeed.

[GA Guy]

You have a great "Suboxone" resource right here on MedHelp. The addiction specialist on the Doctor's help page is a big supporter of Suboxone. He's also one of the most knowledgeable Sub docs out there. Go to his MedHelp homepage and check out his Suboxone Blog and Forums. There's more info there than you'll get in 2 years here.

[TysonRed]

I know of people who are on suboxone and benzo's at the same time, most sub doctors dont tend to prescribe both, but some will. Buprenorphine the active opiate in sub is a powerful drug, so taking valium or other benzos can be very dangerous. Whatever you do be completely honest about when your last dose of any opiate was, you have to be in a moderate-severe withdrawal in order to start sub treatment so be honest. I was on sub for 18 wks switching over from methadone after tapering down from 120mgs to 30mgs. I started at 8mgs of sub and it took away all of the w/d symptoms and also gave me the energy just like other opiates had, but I really wouldnt call it a "high" maybe just a slight buzz. One of drawbacks of suboxone is that its still an opiate, basicly just a newer version of methadone that is harder to abuse. In the end I was just as addicted to the suboxone as I was to other pills, the w/d's were tough, definetely not as hard as methadone/oxy w/d's but for sure harder than short acting opiate w/d's like norco or percocet just because the length of time sub w/d's last. I think sub is a wonderful tool for some to use, I tend to think short term use is the way to go, my doctor full intended on me being on it for years, if I hadnt found this place and tapered down and off myself I would still be taking it. The reason doctors dont like to prescribe a benzo with methadone is that over 90% of methadone overdoses are due to the mixing with xanax mainly, but also other benzo's like valium and klonopin. So your sub doctor may not like the fact that your taking valium, have you ever considered tapering off the valium, whatever happens just make sure that you are honest with the doctor. Trust me the last thing you want to do is take sub to early and go into precipitated w/ds, I watched my friend take sub just hours after he took methadone and he was sicker than Ive ever seen anyone. The whole reason was that he only had about 1/10 of his regular meth dose and it was before I knew anything about suboxone, but he said that it was the worse experience of w/d's he'd ever had, so be honest. I wish you the best with your sub treatment, let us know how things go. One last thing I would try to start on the lowest dose possible, I see way too many people starting out way too high and all that does is make it longer and harder to taper down. I actually felt better when I got down to about 2mgs, its weird but with sub the more I would take the worse I felt, the less I took the better I felt until I got under 1mg then it became a little harder on the taper. Again best of luck, take care.

[IBKleen]

A minute or two? Okay, I better hurry up.

I do not of a doctor who will allow the Valium with either Methadone or Suboxone.

If it were me, and since I have taken both, I would go with the ...ooopppssss...ran out of time......