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suboxone withdrawl and taking it again

been on 12 mg suboxone for over a year..stopped taking them 15 days ago with no tapering and it wasnt that bad and its almost over i just still have bad cold sweats and little energy and little sleep. if i took 2mg of suboxone just to get a great nights sleep for one night would that make the withdrawls worse again or prolong the withdrawls or would i just go back to how it is now on day 15?
Best Answer
1472850 tn?1290125172
Hey,

To answer your question, no, if you take a couple mg. to sleep it does not put you back to day 1 on wd.  You would just go back to where you are.  However, that will add to the temptation to do it again, and again and you know where that goes.  I am amazed that you did not get sick after 15 days, but everyone is different.  It took me almost 30 days to get right after 1.5 years on Sub and taper down to 3mg. b4 I quit.  Another guy is still suffereing after 17 days.  He stopped at 1/2 mg.  I say quit while you're ahead..........
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1682501 tn?1305046988
Long story to how i got on subs, got sucked into it to be honest and that was that. I do the ' take a line thing' when i cant sleep, but havnt taken any in 4 days now. My energy level during the day is very low and have trouble getting any sleep. But as ive been down this path before with alcohol etc subies... i Know when our body eventually thinks 'I now need sleep', it will, even if its just 2-3 hours then I know im getting there so be patient and go with it and get all the natural remedies everyone is advising. It will come, maybe not straight off but it will. jez c
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
the low energy thing is the last symptom to kick in and it takes about a week or so before you get your strength back.  you are almost done.  don't underestimate the psychological aspect of this.  your brain is adjusting back to normal.  I take SAME 400 mg a day, it is a natural aid that helps your brain out of the depression.  it really helps!  try to get counseling and a 12 step program will be a great support system for you.  hang in there!
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Avatar universal
yeah it ***** its like day 18 .. the cold sweats arent really an issue anymore and the no sleep i can deal with ill take unisom and sleep for 4 hours a night and be good but im not getting my energy back and i have no motivation like i gotta push myself to do little **** and its getting anoyying as hell
Helpful - 0
1311839 tn?1282480602
I come off subutex some years ago and was'nt right for a long while.I nearly drank myself to death,and on the advice of my doctor I went on to a low dose of suboxone.Im only on 2mg and life is good.For some reason high doses of buprenorphine make me very unwell and depressed,but low doses do the trick.In my experience coming of subutex or suboxone is pretty bad but not near as bad as methadone as I have come off that too.The problem with withdrawal is the long time the symptoms go on,especially the insomnia and the restless legs...it gets better in time.To the guy thats off sub 15 days.You've got to remember suboxone is a powerful drug and 2mg may knock you flat on your face after being off 15 days.I dont think it would set you back any or prolong the withdrawals but only you will know if you,re taking 2mg to ease withdrawal or to get high as after 15 days thats the effect the suboxone will have on you.
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Avatar universal
the sleep thing is the worst. i am 9 days today and i sleep restless. waking up here and there. i hope that gets better. i guess for years the pills have always put me to sleep and now my body is just trying to get back into normal rhythm of sleeping, that will probably take awhile. but it is annoying i understand. i take melatonin occassionally but dont want to depend on it every night to get me to sleep.
Helpful - 0
1472850 tn?1290125172
Hey,

That's good news taht you have not taken any in two days!  Keep on going!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
hey just wanted to let you guys know i took 2mg saturday morning and had an amazing day slept the same then sunday didnt take anymore and tonight monday didnt take it just taking unisom sleep aids they knocked me out last night. but that one day was good for me just to feel normal and i really think it helped my body out thanks for all the advie though1
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Avatar universal
DON'T TAKE THE SUB.  You are almost done.  Hang in there!  You can do it , and post back often.  If you can get a Dr. to give you a few days worth of valium or klonipin that could help greatly.  Or Ambien for sleep....As said above Melatonin can work well as can Valerian Root both of which you can get at the health food store.   it sounds like you are SO close!! When I was WDing from Sub i just went out and walked and one day i power-vacuumed my house! It really helped and it made me tired so i could sleep. Hang in there!!!
Helpful - 0
1506051 tn?1317731817
I don't wanna come across harsh here but this is what I try and think.
Us addicts always try to come up with excuses to use. But how valid are my excuses?
There are people on this forum who have started taking meds for serious pain issues and when they stop have to deal with all sorts of extra problems.
I saw a guy on tv the other day, only 18 I think that had both his legs, his left hand and part of his face blown off in afganastan. He has to take morphine everyday for the severe pain he's in. How is he going to ever stop taking it? There was also a mother of a girl on here that suffered from fibromyalgia that managed to stick it out.
Thinking of these people makes me think, what excuses have I got that these people could deal with.
Dunno what you have to deal with but I sure have it easier than some myself!
Don't fool yourself, try and look at the bigger picture and see how good things could be if you stick it out.
Helpful - 0
1148241 tn?1294052796
You have one person (you) thinking its a good idea and all the rest of us thinking its a bad idea.  Hmmm.

I agree with Wolf in that if you do it once then you think "Well, I need just one MORE good nights sleep".  Then you'll do it again, and again, etc.  Just hang in there.  Have you tried Melatonin or a generic sleep aid with Doxylamine succinate?  The sleep aid is what I use and you can get it cheap at Wal-mart or any drug store.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
also when i stopped taking the subs i stopped smoking pot i moved to a new place new job so its not even about feeling normal its about giving my body and brain a break since these last 15 days ithink personlly it would help the recovery cause the more stress i put on my body the worse it has to be so i think this will be good for the overal picture
Helpful - 0
1472850 tn?1290125172
Hey D,

Think about this, you are not in bad shape now.  The longer you move this out, the more likely you will be.  I understand the work aspect....but I would not wish on anyone (sans maybe my worst enemy) what I went through and what Rich is going through (he's who I referred to earlier).  Again quit while you are ahead and have comfort meds to help you through.  Let us know if we can help.  Best.

WM

PS:  Rich, your'e Awesome!  Seat back and tray table in it's full upright and locked position.  Prepare for Landing.
Helpful - 0
1148241 tn?1294052796
Have you ever looked at someone and thought "Gee, I wish they could learn from my mistakes"?

I'm not sure how old you are so I don't know if you get that yet?  We're really trying hard to keep you from making a mistake.  

Just a little while longer, friend  ....

Good luck to you.
Helpful - 0
1506051 tn?1317731817
If it's not that bad, stick it out!
Good luck
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Avatar universal
thanks for all the advice guys im not sure what im going to do yet if i wasnt ready to stop i wouldnt have but yeah i kno what u mean on having that one good day then back to the **** house after but like i said its not crazy bad just anoyying cause of work and everything..well see what happens tomorrow when i make the desicion
Helpful - 0
82861 tn?1333453911
Don't take it! That one night of sleepwill only make you want another one... and another... and another.  Not worth it!  That 2 mg sounds like such a small amount, but where Sub is concerned it's big enough to set you back.  

Nyquil probably isn't the best thing to use for sleep either since it interferes with REM sleep.  Give melatonin a try.  It's great for actually getting you to sleep but won't keep you asleep.  You'll still have premature awakening, but the time you actually do sleep will be restful sleep - if that makes any sense.  Generally speaking, you need about 90 minutes to reach a REM cycle.  If you can get a good 3 to 5 hours of "real" sleep you'll feel better than you do with Nyquil.

My husband (Wolfmedicine in the above post) took melatonin at bedtime and another when he woke up and slept another 3 hours or so.  Worth a test drive anyway.  If you try it, read the label and get the 5 mg tabs.  Melatonin is available at pharmacies and most grocery stores that have a good selection of vitamins and other supplements.  They're also available in a sublingual tablet that seems to work a bit faster.
Helpful - 0
1506051 tn?1317731817
Hi
I also quit 17 days ago after nearly 10 years using subs and also an ex heroin addict.
My opinion would be to try and stick it out. Yes you would get a good nights sleep but once the subs ware off you would only pick up where you left off. What happens next time you want sleep?
The wd's off subs are a strange one some people seem to be ok-ish and others have it bad. In my experience not as intence as heroin but last way longer.
The last two nights for me I have slept a bit better so maybe you will be ok? If you start using them again to help you sleep, before long you will be back where you started. And, the next time wd's probs won't be as easy! I tried a few times to get off them an this time has been much worse. I've never gotten half this far before and I would never turn back now.
Hope you stick with it...
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
i got sick after day 2 to like 10 but it was bearable not like heroin withdrawal i was taking some librium and muscle relaxers to help now its just anoyying cause i work everyday and i get like 3 or 4 hours of sleep a night with nyquill and when i get to work i get cold sweats and cant really be comfortable but then i get home and its not bad just lingering pain i mean i can deal with that i just want one day this weekend to get some sleep and i wont keep taking it cause i cant afford it to be on this **** everyday again
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
HI welcome to the forum....count yourself lucky coming off 12mg of sub and it not being that bad.....as for taking more the general rule of thumb is you cant take any thing narcotic wile going threw withdrawals without prolonging it...this is more true for drugs like methadone and sub because of the long 1/2 life.....you may try a few different things for sleep
some people use melatonin or vlarian root...others have had  success with a couple of benadril...others have tryied nyiquil  use anything but the sub...you dont want to mess up what sounds like is going surprisingly well...........Gnarly  
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