Getting off methadone switching to suboxone.

[Doom8]

Hi i know people aready asked this but i have some different questions that i couldnt find. Anyways i been on methadone for 2 years taking 10 mg a day. Now ive tapered to 5 mg thinking about cutting that to whatever i can cut it down to since its wafer form. Just to help ease my process to SUBOXONE. Would that help and when i switch to suboxone (which ive done b4 whike taking methadone which didnt really put me thru withdrawls right after taking it) would it be better to try and see what 1mg of SUB would do or just take one in the morning and 1mg of SUB b4 i go to sleep? Oh and how long should i take SUB for and when i try to get off of SUB could i just do one dosage every two days for a while and then finally stop. Sorry about all the questions its just im tired of being a slave to my own minds addiction i was so stupid for trying nethadone not really knowing what it was and havent been addicted to anything an im 23 years old. I know what your thinking  lol  please help me once im off this... no more of anything that will put me thru a livi g hell

[Julia M Aharonov, DO]

Switching from Methadone to Suboxone is like going from one devil to another. One is an addictive opiate and another one is just as addictive an opiate. Yes, Suboxone is an opiate and is extremely addictive. People find it just as difficult to taper and quit. One of the patients in our clinic, who we had to detox from Suboxone, was so addicted, that no matter how far down she titrated this drug she could not get off. At one point she was literally just licking the 1 mg strip, but she could not give it up. I find that most have the same problem with both of these drugs.
In case you are curious, it takes us about three to four days to get a patient off of any opiate including Suboxone, and feeling well.
In your question it is unclear to me as to whether you are ready to quit taking Suboxone or want advise on how to get you doctor to give you more. Suboxone was approved as a substitution treatment for opioid addiction specifically because the patient was not suppose to develop a tolerance to it and need a higher dose. Obviously, this fails to be the case in many instances. The way it is "suppose to be" used is to switch to Suboxone and than gradually but aggressively titrate the patient off of the drug. You can certainly talk to your doctor and tell him about your experience and your concern. Tell him that Suboxone is failing you as a treatment drug and you want to be titrated (weaned) off of it. Below are some suggestion as to the medications that can be useful with the withdrawal symptoms you will experience.
See if your doctor can write you a prescription for some Requip for restlessness, Neurontin for anxiety and malaise, some Flexeril or Soma for a few weeks for muscle spasms and maybe some Seroquel low dose, for sleep and Klonopin which will be helpful for sleeplessness and anxiety. It will make your withdrawals easier.  Valerian and Magnesium is sometimes helpful remedies over the counter.
The residual symptoms of insomnia and depression can last another few months. Thus, it is not easy, but it gets better and better over time and you can look forward to a drug free healthy energetic you in the future. When you take opiates for a long time like you have, your body's physiology has been altered. Your central nervous system has created a multitude of opioid receptors that all are screaming for endorphins (opiates) to fill them, but your body has now forgotten how to make them by itself.  It will take time - two to four weeks at least, for your receptors to downregulate (for the brain begin to heal) and to start making its own endorphins. Brain heals pretty slowly, so it may take you as long as a couple of months to get rid of feelings of sluggishness, restlessness and depression. The best thing you can do is take good care of yourself, eat healthy food, stay hydrated, keep active and busy. Stay away from sugar, soda, and simple carbs. Do not consume caffeine at least 6 hours prior to bedtime.
Take a look at my blogs about options for detox and recovery. You may also take a look at my clinic website where I also have my blogs and a lot of other info about drug addiction and recovery. Look especially into the blog and the info on Naltrexone therapy after getting clean. It really improves your chances of staying clean for good by cutting down your physical cravings. Look into my clinic website as well. All this can be done by clicking on my name in blue.

[mheadey]

I would suggest not taking suboxone period, I am still suffering anxiety and stuff after 9 months of being off it, however since you sound like you only want to take it for a minute to ease your methadone withdrawls you may ne ok, just remember your body cannot fully heal, etc untill all of the poisons are out of it. I know its scary, but dealing with life problems and issues while clean completely, will male you feel more accomplished and stronger than you ever realized was possible. You got this, life is beautiful again once your body forgets the dope.