Aa
subutex
Hello everyone !!!
I have been talking subutex just for one month. i was talking 2mg per day. now i decide to quit and i want to get some information about it... please if anyone can tell me, how many days after i will have withdrawals and how long.. also it will be really nice if someone can also tell me what is best to take or do during withdrawals...
Thank you so much and god bless
I have been talking subutex just for one month. i was talking 2mg per day. now i decide to quit and i want to get some information about it... please if anyone can tell me, how many days after i will have withdrawals and how long.. also it will be really nice if someone can also tell me what is best to take or do during withdrawals...
Thank you so much and god bless
Some people choose to stay on a replacement drug program for life (Methadone or Sub), and in some cases, that's the right decision for them. If you have decided to stay on a low maintenence dose long term, then you need to stop being so hard on yourself. While you''ll always be an addict, if you're compliant with the sub program, then you're NOT actively using or in active addiction.
Sub IS a crutch in a lot of ways, sure, but it is also a useful tool in recovery. Not many people decide to stay on it indefinitely, but some do. We had patients at the clinic who recognized that staying on a low dose of sub was a better option for them than coming off and risking another relapse. Those people were usually more hard core cases...addicts who had been using for 20, 30 years with SO many relapses and rehab stints they lost count. For THEM, the benefit of staying on sub outweighs the risks. Sub absolutely keeps cravings at bay for most everyone, that's one of the bigger benefits....for that reason alone, some people choose to be a "lifer". You don't have to decide one way or another right this minute, but just know you have options.
Just don't be too hard on yourself. If you want to come off sub, it CAN be done. Don't get hung up on the horror stories, or stuck on your own past experience. It's not discomfort-free, but if you take part in a proper taper, it absolutely can be done. You sound like you're doing well on the subs, you're stable and functioning well. Remember that the aftercare aspect of recovery is vital, whether a person is on a replacement drug therapy or not.
The doc I worked with in the sub clinic was great at encouraging everyone to at least TRY to come off and give it a go without the sub. She would say "sub is a crutch, to help you walk, but you must LEARN to walk on your own again. Once you learn to do that, you won't need the crutch anymore". Very very true!
Good luck!!
Sub IS a crutch in a lot of ways, sure, but it is also a useful tool in recovery. Not many people decide to stay on it indefinitely, but some do. We had patients at the clinic who recognized that staying on a low dose of sub was a better option for them than coming off and risking another relapse. Those people were usually more hard core cases...addicts who had been using for 20, 30 years with SO many relapses and rehab stints they lost count. For THEM, the benefit of staying on sub outweighs the risks. Sub absolutely keeps cravings at bay for most everyone, that's one of the bigger benefits....for that reason alone, some people choose to be a "lifer". You don't have to decide one way or another right this minute, but just know you have options.
Just don't be too hard on yourself. If you want to come off sub, it CAN be done. Don't get hung up on the horror stories, or stuck on your own past experience. It's not discomfort-free, but if you take part in a proper taper, it absolutely can be done. You sound like you're doing well on the subs, you're stable and functioning well. Remember that the aftercare aspect of recovery is vital, whether a person is on a replacement drug therapy or not.
The doc I worked with in the sub clinic was great at encouraging everyone to at least TRY to come off and give it a go without the sub. She would say "sub is a crutch, to help you walk, but you must LEARN to walk on your own again. Once you learn to do that, you won't need the crutch anymore". Very very true!
Good luck!!
Your reply is pretty spot-on. I can't say much for myself, as I spent 10 years with an opiate addiction and when I found Suboxone treatment..I have basically traded off opiates (or full agonists) for this partial-agonist drug that I take daily now.
Am I doing well with it (suboxone) yes. My family and I have things we've never had before. My wife has a GREAT job that enables me to be a stay-home parent (for now, until the youngest is in school)...and for the first time in our 15-year marriage, we have 3 vehicles...two of them paid for completely. We never had ANYTHING when I was on pills...I spent everything we had on my addiction. Now, with insurance to cover suboxone, and ability to afford seeing a doctor once a month, I can live a normal life again.
But....
I'm still attached at the hip to a drug of some sort. I wouldn't say that I'm unhappy with myself (otherwise, I would be trying to escape reality by self-medicating with opiates to get away from life)...but I'm not totally addiction-free either. I know that I have to stay on the Suboxone to keep what I have, and for the past 5 years, and until ....some time in the future, that's how I want things to be. My mindset and the way I feel about coming away from Suboxone isn't healthy...because I'm not confident that I could do without opiates altogether. I would MUCH rather have this safety net in place which guards and helps me than to have nothing, and all it take is a dentist visit (which I need MANY of ..because of the opiates I ruined my teeth and I'm having to slowly get every tooth pulled) to throw me back into that spiraling trap that is "opiate addiction" all over again.
As bad as I became with Oxycontin towards the end of my active addiction, I don't think I could live through it again if I were to pursue that path now...I was at the edge, and was teetering on jumping...and by that, I mean that I was ready to end it all to get away from the addiction that I had brought on myself, and the pain I had caused my family. I came back from that point, to where I am now....and never want to be in that scenario again, as long as I live.
Am I doing well with it (suboxone) yes. My family and I have things we've never had before. My wife has a GREAT job that enables me to be a stay-home parent (for now, until the youngest is in school)...and for the first time in our 15-year marriage, we have 3 vehicles...two of them paid for completely. We never had ANYTHING when I was on pills...I spent everything we had on my addiction. Now, with insurance to cover suboxone, and ability to afford seeing a doctor once a month, I can live a normal life again.
But....
I'm still attached at the hip to a drug of some sort. I wouldn't say that I'm unhappy with myself (otherwise, I would be trying to escape reality by self-medicating with opiates to get away from life)...but I'm not totally addiction-free either. I know that I have to stay on the Suboxone to keep what I have, and for the past 5 years, and until ....some time in the future, that's how I want things to be. My mindset and the way I feel about coming away from Suboxone isn't healthy...because I'm not confident that I could do without opiates altogether. I would MUCH rather have this safety net in place which guards and helps me than to have nothing, and all it take is a dentist visit (which I need MANY of ..because of the opiates I ruined my teeth and I'm having to slowly get every tooth pulled) to throw me back into that spiraling trap that is "opiate addiction" all over again.
As bad as I became with Oxycontin towards the end of my active addiction, I don't think I could live through it again if I were to pursue that path now...I was at the edge, and was teetering on jumping...and by that, I mean that I was ready to end it all to get away from the addiction that I had brought on myself, and the pain I had caused my family. I came back from that point, to where I am now....and never want to be in that scenario again, as long as I live.
There is a doctor who runs a forum, suboxforum if you google it...Dr. Junig. On there, you can find a LOT of information regarding coming off of suboxone/subutex...I will tell you this, 2mg is a large amount to jump from. It may not seem like a lot, but you wouldn't believe how strong this medicine is. I've been on Suboxone for quite some time, and I know exactly how strong the medicine is, and what it's capable of doing. I also have read some horror stories from folks who've tried to jumped from 16mg/day or even 8mg/day. You are probably below the ceiling dose at 2mg/daily, but that is still going to cause some discomfort, which you may be able to subside with small amounts of clonidine and immodium. I'm not a health prof, and I don't recommend taking anything you aren't prescribed though. Talking with an addiction specialist would be your best bet to see what they think you're options are, and if they are willing to give you some neurontin/clonapen/etc to help if you jump cold turkey.
Hello and welcome! If you could give us some more background info, that would be great. That way we could better advise you and be more specific. For instance, what was your DOC, how long were you using and how much? Have you been compliant with the sub program? Are you doing the sub through a clinic or doctor, or on your own? Have you started working on any aftercare (addiction counselling, NA/AA meetings, etc)?
The first thing I'll tell you for starters, while I wait for more info from you is that you really don't want to jump off sub at 2mg, that's a significant dose, and w/ds will be much more bothersome (intolerable most likely). The sub doc I worked with recommended that her patients taper down to at LEAST 0.5mg/day or lower before making that final jump off...and even at that low of a dose, there were still some level of w/ds for most people. The people I've seen try to come off at 2mg or more typically had a very rough time. That's just for your information.
Also, with sub tapers, it's best to go SLOW. When you're reducing at doses under 2mg, the effects will be much more noticeable, therefore in order to minimize the w/d symptoms, it's important for the reductions to not be severe, and for there to be a stabilization period of at least 2 weeks in between dosage reductions. Going from 8mg to 2mg is MUCH easier than going from 2mg to 1mg. The drops starting at the 2mg range become more difficult.
While lots of people go much quicker, slow and steady is usually more tolerable, although the process is certainly longer, obviously. Some people prefer just to get it over with (like ripping off a bandaid) and either just go cold turkey or taper much faster. PERSONALLY, from my experience, I don't recommend that...I recommend a slow and deliberate taper.
If you are working with a sub doctor, sit down and formulate a taper plan that works for you. We will certainly help you through the symptoms and the process as much as we can from there.
Also, I will caution you, you've been on sub for only one month...that's not a very long time. IF you haven't done any aftercare work and have only taken the sub, I would really recommend you give some thought to addressing that before being in a big hurry to get off the sub. Without that work, your chance of relapse will be high. Don't fall into that trap of thinking that you MUST not stay on sub longer than "x" amount of time. Most successful sub programs are 6-12 months in length. For some people, they prefer a more fast track program, which is fine......but again, the important part is the aftercare, the sub is basically only a tool. People can use sub to their benefit, as part of a more comprehensive recovery program, or use it as a substitute, or a way around w/ds (which of course we all know is impossible). How a person uses sub largely dictates their outcome...and whether they succeed or not.
Lastly, if you're not getting your sub through a doctor or clinic, I would advise you to do that. Using sub off the streets, even with the best intentions, and even with knowledge of how it works, most times doesn't facilitate recovery like it should. The accountability aspect that a clinic/doc adds to the sub is HUGE, plus it reinforces addict behavior.
Best of luck to you,...looking forward to your next post!
The first thing I'll tell you for starters, while I wait for more info from you is that you really don't want to jump off sub at 2mg, that's a significant dose, and w/ds will be much more bothersome (intolerable most likely). The sub doc I worked with recommended that her patients taper down to at LEAST 0.5mg/day or lower before making that final jump off...and even at that low of a dose, there were still some level of w/ds for most people. The people I've seen try to come off at 2mg or more typically had a very rough time. That's just for your information.
Also, with sub tapers, it's best to go SLOW. When you're reducing at doses under 2mg, the effects will be much more noticeable, therefore in order to minimize the w/d symptoms, it's important for the reductions to not be severe, and for there to be a stabilization period of at least 2 weeks in between dosage reductions. Going from 8mg to 2mg is MUCH easier than going from 2mg to 1mg. The drops starting at the 2mg range become more difficult.
While lots of people go much quicker, slow and steady is usually more tolerable, although the process is certainly longer, obviously. Some people prefer just to get it over with (like ripping off a bandaid) and either just go cold turkey or taper much faster. PERSONALLY, from my experience, I don't recommend that...I recommend a slow and deliberate taper.
If you are working with a sub doctor, sit down and formulate a taper plan that works for you. We will certainly help you through the symptoms and the process as much as we can from there.
Also, I will caution you, you've been on sub for only one month...that's not a very long time. IF you haven't done any aftercare work and have only taken the sub, I would really recommend you give some thought to addressing that before being in a big hurry to get off the sub. Without that work, your chance of relapse will be high. Don't fall into that trap of thinking that you MUST not stay on sub longer than "x" amount of time. Most successful sub programs are 6-12 months in length. For some people, they prefer a more fast track program, which is fine......but again, the important part is the aftercare, the sub is basically only a tool. People can use sub to their benefit, as part of a more comprehensive recovery program, or use it as a substitute, or a way around w/ds (which of course we all know is impossible). How a person uses sub largely dictates their outcome...and whether they succeed or not.
Lastly, if you're not getting your sub through a doctor or clinic, I would advise you to do that. Using sub off the streets, even with the best intentions, and even with knowledge of how it works, most times doesn't facilitate recovery like it should. The accountability aspect that a clinic/doc adds to the sub is HUGE, plus it reinforces addict behavior.
Best of luck to you,...looking forward to your next post!
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