tryin to kick oxy

hi.im 52 and been takeing 90-100 mgs per day for 2 years.i dont have a good doc in this rural area so ive aquired my own basically by dealing.thank god they were all users 1st,i started none of them.i had a quad heart bypass in jan. of this year.other abdominal problems.i want to go back to life without it.i hear subutex is the way to go.hopefully very short  term.
looking for suggestions,Freddie

[vicki595]

No,they wouldn't. It doesn't work that way.  The Sub only covers the receptors for as long as you take it. It works for people when they're on it for a longer period of time,start off at say 16mg per day, and then slowly and I mean slowly,taper down to 1mg. Even then there are some withdrawals but they're much more tolerable. The thing is, when the Sub is gone,you will have withdrawal. It's only postponed. It only works well because of the slow taper off and all the therapy and recovery care folks get during that process. I know you really want to do this and you can,of course. I'm just trying to tell you what I've learned.

[atthebeach]

hi freddie and welcome to MH. you will find encouragement and support here.
you have admitted you need help and that is a huge step.
is this the first time you have every abused drugs? or is it a relapse?
dont think it is a great idea doing oxys without doctors advice after a quad bypass.
there are different schools of thought about sub. most doctors dont prescribe it for short term. i would advise you speaking to your heart doctor and to be honest with him.
debbie

[freddie153]

its way to late to speak to doc.i was takin it 18 months b4 bypass.i got myself here.i did need the meds and perhaps still do.i guess ill get a couple 8s and cut them 2 quarters,same way i take oxy.hopefully thall work.
ty Freddie

[freddie153]

oh,i was a bad alcoholic till 97.

[vicki595]

Hi- That's really not the way to get off the oxy. Have you used Suboxone before? You should read as much as you can about it. All it does is cover receptors in your brain so you don't feel withdrawal. You don't withdraw! Used the way you're suggesting is really like taking another opiate to get off an opiate. Sub should also be taken at a dose that's appropriate for you and dosage can be tricky.   Once you stop the Sub,you'll go right into withdrawal just as you would have from the oxy.  It's not really a panacea;but more of a "program" to end addictive behaviour.

[freddie153]

how about an 1/8 of 1 4 times a day for 3 days then drop a 8th a day till zero?What im trying to do is c if i can live a decent life W/o any.If i found it was as unbearable as it was a year or 2 ago i guess i would resume oxy.however if i find i can eat,walk and live close to a normal life then i would take nothing.i believe the oxy has aggravated abdominal issues as well as covering them up.The research ive done has shown so many differences that ive been left w original ideas.Its hard to explain but im on my own.looking for a starting point w the subutexnext morning after last piece of oxy night b4.i have valiums ive been prescribed 30mgs per day for 40 years.whenever i drank i didnt take it till binge was over.just looking to detox from oxy.not to switch.
ty,Freddie

[vicki595]

Okay...I understand. Really, I think just taking less oxy and weaning down  to a small amount would do the same thing. You could gauge how much you really need. It takes time to do that. But,honestly,I don't think the Sub is really going to do what you want it to.  Another way(and many people do this) would be to just stop the oxy,go through a detox,and then evaluate your pain level.

The plan you suggest with the Subutex will only postpone the oxy withdrawal but you'll still go through it. It would be much better for you to have a doctor on board with this. I know you won't do that but it's hard to advise you or suggest much because of your medical history.  I'm not even sure if a cold turkey detox or a brief stint of Sub would be safe for you!So,I don't suggest that either.

Maybe some one else has a better idea....we'll see!  Good luck!

[freddie153]

do u think that around day 4 i could slowly cut the sub out?Wouldnt the oxy wdrawls be cancelled out?

[vicki595]

No,they wouldn't. It doesn't work that way.  The Sub only covers the receptors for as long as you take it. It works for people when they're on it for a longer period of time,start off at say 16mg per day, and then slowly and I mean slowly,taper down to 1mg. Even then there are some withdrawals but they're much more tolerable. The thing is, when the Sub is gone,you will have withdrawal. It's only postponed. It only works well because of the slow taper off and all the therapy and recovery care folks get during that process. I know you really want to do this and you can,of course. I'm just trying to tell you what I've learned.

[ImDONENoMore]

vicki's right - and it makes me really nervous to hear you say that it's too late to see a Dr.  With your health issues, you should have a strong relationship with the doc.  It is NEVER too late!!

Good luck to you - :)

[freddie153]

im
in a rural area with a public low income clinic.no insurance.there has 2 b a way i can do this.ty,freddie

[freddie153]

best answer yet.i thought subutex from what friends have said was much stronger.i didnt think i could take 16 mgs in a day.sounds like the way it will be.   a lil nervous cause sounds like alot.
ty,Freddie

[ImDONENoMore]

Maybe you could start with the Dr. who you dealt with during your surgery and after that.  Might be a good place to start?  I just hate to see you not reach out to a caring professional who could truly help you.  I definitely don't think it's a good idea to begin a program like suboxone with a Dr.'s guidance and direction.

Please reconsider finding someone?  :)

[overopiates]

Freddie why dont u wanna just taper off the oxy instead of switching to something else?U can taper off the oxy&then jump a lot faster than sub.I get u dont wanna feel AWFUL none of us do but I would see if i could drop the oxy dose everyday few days and see if thats doable.Dont get me wrong u wont feel ok like u would if u just swith to sub but then when u go off sub u will feel even worse than if u do the oxy taper and jump&it takes a lot longer to get off sub.U have a benzo to help w/ur anxiety,get the supplies from the thomas recipe(immodium works amazing,the vitamin cocktail,drinks,light food,the lotion for RLS etc)get the vitamins n ur system now cause I believe they take a few days to work and just started dropping ur dose(not too quick or drop so much that ur n full w/d)but Its so much faster&easier.Your one of the very few that seems to have the will power to do a taper correctly.I wish I had been able to.I quit from150mg+hydro daily c/t.For me clonidine was awesome.Google it.Its  a BP med but Its also used for opiate w/d.Alot of people here used it and it helps w/tons of w/d symptoms.If ur honest about quitting2ur doc from surgery it even the er they will prescribe it for ur detox.Sry such a long post but I just dont wanna c u end up w/worse,longer detox from sub

[quitinoxys]

I agree with overopiates, by taking subs you may just be prolonging the agony as you will still have w/d from the subs which can sometimes be worse than w/d from oxys. As I read your medical history i don't think it would be good for you to do C/T so why don't you try to taper down the oxys. You can try to taper at 10% increments so you don't go into full blown w/d. You need to find a dose that can work for you while tapering so like I said try 10% taper for a few days and if that's tolerable then go down another 10%. Your body while let you know how fast you can taper. If you start experiencing bad w/d then only take enough to make you feel comfortable and then try to taper again. It will take time but at least you won't feel horrible albeit you will still have to go through some mild w/d as that's the only way to get down enough to jump off. I will pray for you and hope you can get rid of the evil oxys that are controlling your life. God Bless---Rick

[freddie153]

70 yesterday,try 60-65 2day.just dont want that pulse skyrocketing

[vicki595]

Freddie-   I wasn't suggesting YOU take 16mg of Sub per day!  That was only an example I was giving to you. But,folks do start out at that amount.  There are conversion charts all over the internet so you can check what amt of Sub equals what amount of oxy. If you're interested...

I guess this is going to be just you doing a taper and as I told you,we can't give any schedules on the forum. But,I'll remind you to drop small amounts over long periods of time. In other words,when your body is comfortable drop a little more.

Please get your BP checked frequently. With a rapid heart rate comes increased BP...Force fluids (not alcohol! LOL) and eat a decent meal everyday.

Keep checking in!