suboxone withdrawl

[MissMel]

Hi everyone! I have been a member for a while and had a really big problem with roxys and oxys that lasted for about 2 years. I then got off roxys and switched to methadone, I was on methadone for about a year and was taking about 120 mg every other day. Sometimes I could take up to 160 or 170 mgs in a day all at once. Needless to say, I knew I just wanted to be off of everything. I generally don't have an addictive personality, but the withdrawls are so bad that I always relapse. Within the last six months I have tapered down to 30mg of methadone a day, so I decided to switch to suboxone to finally get off everything(or so I thought). I started taking just 8 mg a day a month and a half ago, I am now down to less than 1 mg every other day. I still go through really bad withdrawls, I honestly think these withdrawls are worse than methadone withdrawls. I have been feeling like **** for about the last 9 days and I was wondering: Should I just stay off of suboxone all together? Am I causing the withdrawls to linger because I am taking like .05 to 1 mg every other day? Can I take like a 30mg roxy once a day for the next 6 days to skip the withdawls from the suboxone? If anyone can help I would appreciate it greatly!!! I don't know what else to do! I have been forcing myself to walk on the treadmill everyday because I heard that helps..How long will this go on? Please someone help me.

[dreamer576]

  I've been on suboxone for 3 years.  I've been at 2 mgs/day for over a year. I've made it down to 1 mg/day for a week at a time, many times, but it's really difficult to work and take care of family when it seems like W/Ds are still getting worse after 5 days, so I've never gone beyond that and go back to the 2mgs/day. Many times I've had to call the doctor a few days early because I've used them up before the month was out. Even after being on 2 mgs/day for over a year I feel like I'm in mild W/Ds a good part of the time, so I have asked myself the same question; is continueing to take a small dose dragging out the W/D process? I really wish I could be off of them, I certainly don't get any enjoyment out of it. For a while I was staying on it just for the naltrexone - to keep from relapsing. I'de like to get about 10 days worth of valium from my doctor to break out of this, but afraid to ask. The more I read these forums, the more I see of people in similiar situation. Some say 2 or 3 months will get you there. I fear I would loose my job if I tried going to work sick for that long. I wonder sometimes if the people who were successfull quitting just don't post here anymore - or maybe there's just not many who have done it?

[dreamer576]

  I would be really cautious about trying to use roxys to quit. They have much greater affinity for opiode receptors and shorter half life - thus stronger addiction potential and need to re-dose more often - that slippery slope. Sub may have longer withdrawel, but it keeps you much more stable, less abuse potential.

[worried878]

have u talked to ur sub doc?   sub is a powerful drug...in reality more powerful than methadone....it is a partial agonist so it is thought to be safer...many would question that...it is a p agonist but it is so frickin strong.....a long slow taper is the key with ur drs help.....add8cts as a rule suk at tapering....but u have done great....it may be time to jump off....1 mg of sub is equal/in theory/to 30 mgs of ydro....20 mgs of oxy....10-15 mgs of methadone ... cant really compare cos the mechanism is different....u r doing good..many taper to a crumb/sliver/and jump off.....there is not really a way to stop opiates without discomfort....if someone said u could do so with sub, then i am sorry u were misled.....as u have found, using one opiate to quit another doesnt work...keep posting

[bullygirl3]

your story is very similar to mine..... i was on suboxone for about 6 months from 16mg daily down to 1 mg. If you want to get off of everything there is no real way to aviod withdrawal. If you try to take a roxy everyday to get off suboxone you will just go right back to the roxys or prolong your withdrawal. its great that you are only taking a small amount of suboxone every other day but if you are already feeling the withdrawal why prolong it? just get it over with..... i am currently on Day 13 clean of suboxone and i am feeling pretty good.... the withdrawal is bad but if you can get over the first 3 days everyday gets alittle better. the only issue that is still here is the insomnia and low energy on some days. I quit from 1mg daily and if you are already under 1mg your withdrawal MAY  not be as bad.i say go for it, you can do it, you just have to be strong!!!
best of luck!!

[spacejam1]

Please do a slow taper! And my experience with trying to get off Sub, ended with me shooting H again to get off the Sub! Talk about insanity! The Sub turned on me and I started thinking about doing H again. So my solution, and at the time it made total sense, was to get on H because the w/d were shorter and not as bad as Sub. So basically I got on H to get off the Sub, so I wouldn't do H!!! Thats as insane as it gets, and I hear some of that insanity from you as well. Not trying to be an a** but just trying to help so no one has to do what I ended up doing.
I finally went back to speedballs and crack and went into the hospital where they weaned me from 8 mgs to nothing in THREE days!! Not suggested!! Pure hell I tell ya. I am still going thru PAWS 2 mths later.
Hang in there and wean from the Sub. It can be done and I have faith in ya!

[salsinator]

MissMe, my story is so much like yours.  I had a vic habit for years and went on suboxone for over 3 years.  I could only taper down to 2-4 mg and the severe w/d kept me from being able to successully get any lower.  A couple of years ago, I ran out while on vacation and with w/d was 100 times worse than my DOC.  I finally bit the bullet and completed an 8-day professional detox two months ago and I can honestly say it's the best thing that I ever did.  It was fairly expensive, but well worth it.  I was comfortable on a combination of meds during the detox and was tired for a few days after it was complete, but now I feel better than I have in probably 10 years.  I would be happy to share the information with you on where I completed the detox.  I started the detox abruptly from 4 mg without any trouble.  Best of luck.