subuxone Questions??

[blueyz]

Hey guys....Been awhile since I've been on.  I have relapsed big time.  I was doing so great and had been sober over the summer.  It was great and I had clarity.  Well, I ended up having 3 surgeries in a row in the last two months and needless to say things aren't going well.

I have been looking into the subuxone route.  It's the first time I've thought about doing it.  I've never experienced bad w/d's before, but this time I have (between refills)  and think this might be the way to go for me.

Here are my questions about it...

Do they inform your physicians you are taking it?
Does insurance typically cover it?  If not, what's the average price for treatment?
How "private" is their policy?
Do you really not experience w/d's as they say?  I'm not so worried about cravings, at this point, I want to be off, I just get so sick.  I think if I felt close to normal I wouldn't want them.


I'm looking forward to your replies.

Blue

[Stacy79]

You mentioned that you aren't physically ready yet because you are still in post-op pain, but I think someone else on this forum talked about how Sub turned out to be a better pain reliever than their last medication.  I know Sub is used for pain too, you might want to look into that aspect of it.

[blueyz]

WOW...Thanks so much for all your helpful comments.  I am REALLY going to look seriously into this now.  I'm not quite ready for it yet..(mentally, yes, but physically no..Still too much post-op pain to quit yet).  But I'm looking at about two more weeks.

I started therapy in the summer and have continued with that twice a week.  So I already have a great support system and we have been working on all the facets on how I got here in the first place. Good god is there alot.  I was primed and ready for addiction to take hold of me.  It's amazing what therapy can do.  

Thank you again for all the great advice and keep em' comin!  I wish you all well in your recoveries!

Blue

[addictedme]

Alot of people take the sub route now. I think you and fladdict are models for the correct way to use it. I"m sure others have had success using it short term I just havent seen there post. For all those times I ct"d 16 days sounds pretty good,,,,,,gee,,follow that up with a program and ya got a pretty good chance for recovery

[Stacy79]

For me, I was in horrible horrible day 2 withdrawal, and when I took that first dose of Sub, after an hour I felt completely normal.  My treatment was $125 for the first visit, and $60 every other visit, and they are just to get the scripts.  How often you pay for visits depends on how many miligrams you need and how often.  My doc wrote me for 30 of the 8mg pills.  On my first day, I tried a 4mg dose and it worked perfectly.  Therefore, 30 pills are lasting me 2 months.  I have to make another appointment for a new script, but when my insurance kicks in from my new job, it will cover my doctor's visits.  I checked with my Sub Dr. first to make sure she took the insurance I was going to choose.  So, if you have insurance now, you want to find a Sub Dr. who takes it.  Suboxone.com has a provider list where you can call around and ask.  As for the pills, my Dr. works with a pharmacist who gives deals, so my first 10 pills were $50.  This is the expensive part, but if you have a prescription plan, just call and find out if they cover Sub.  It is so worth it, because as you said if you felt close to normal you wouldn't want them... The first week or so I felt a little too good on them, (they are an opiate) but after my body adjusted to the dose I just feel normal.  It keeps me out of withdrawal, and it gets rid of the addict behaviors like splitting up doses.  You just take one in the morning while you get dressed or something.  Once the med stabalizes you, that's when you work on the inner problems.  Therapy is helping me to learn why I am addicted and how to live sober after I stop the medication.  One thing I must mention, though, is to please wait at least a full day (24 hours) between your last pill and your first Suboxone dose.  A lot of people don't wait long enough for their drug of choice to be out of their system, because they are afraid of the withdrawal, and the Suboxone makes you feel worse if that happens.  Then it will take longer to start helping you.  It is better to wait and be absolutely sure, and to suffer just a bit, and the Sub can only make you feel better at that point.  Good luck.

[IBKleen]

Welcome back!

You are covered under the HIPPA Act and they will not inform your doctor. Some doctors except insurance..most don't. Shop around. I payed $250 for the first visit and $90 a week thereafter. the pills themselves were $6 a piece. Again, shop around. It is PRIVATE. I had a good experience with Suboxone. I used it short term to detox and stayed on it 16 days. I started tapering on day 3 and on down from there. I did not experience cravings at all. I am fitting this all into one paragraph as I am reading your questions.

If you will be using it short term, which I personally recommend, then start wth the dose that is most comfortable for you. After it is in your system (it has a long half-life)...2 or 3 days..begin a taper down. Once you are off, I highly recommend a strong support system to KEEP you clean and to begin your recovery.

Any other questions, ask away. Good Luck and keep us posted.