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Avatar universal

from Methadone to Suboxone....

I was on methadone for over a year, every single day. i quit at 19mgs about 5 months ago. I started taking suboxone a month after i stopped taking methadone. so im currently still taking suboxone but im taking such small pieces that a whole strip lasts me a while. i take a small piece every morning around 4 am - 6 am then another small piece around 2 pm - 5 pm. my question is every morning when i wake up im in such bad withdrawals that i cant understand why i feel like this. now i just thought maybe its because my body was so used to waking up every morning and taking the methadone at 6 am for a year. so how long does methadone stay in the system for if i took it for over a year? could that be why i feel so horrible in the mornings? or is it the suboxone? im just so tired of feeling the way i do when im not even using drugs i shouldn't feel that way. i want to stop taking suboxone because im so scared i wont stop i just cant keep feeling like that every morning and not take a suboxone because after an hour or two after i take that sub in the morning i feel fine.
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Avatar universal
I'm currently on 40 mg methadone.  I was up to 70. Tapered to 10 couldn't do it came back up.  I am scared to death but I have got to come off of this I'm not who I used to be. I was a better version of Myself on the stupid fifteen mg roxy I used to take a day. ... I do have chronic pain however I'd rather live with it than to live like this.  Rose please keep  posting your progress... I despratley need to hear some reasuring stories.
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Avatar universal
Hi,
I just wanted to respond to your question and wish you the best of luck in getting off the Suboxene!! I was on methadone for 2 and a half years. I got up to 75 mg. and kept hitting a wall when ever I got to 40 mg. I finally got down to 23 mg. and went off of it completely for the mandatory 72 hours. I was feeling okay until the last night when I had horrible muscle tremors and "charlie horses" all through my body. The next morning, I went to the clinic and got on Suboxene and have been feeling fine ever since.
My plan is to just stay on Suboxene for a month. One, I am paying out of pocket and can not afford to stay on it any longer and two, I do not want to get hooked on Suboxene. I will update you on my progress, I hear too many horror stories on these message boards and people seem to just write the horrible stuff. Methadone should have been out of your system by the 72 hour withdrawal period.
I firmly believe if you stick your mind to something, anything can be overcome! Again, I wish you the nothing but the best, I have big hopes, too for myself that I can get off the Suboxene and finally be free of it all. here's to freedom!
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Avatar universal
i guess this is what you get for free. thanks for saying the same thing over and over with everyone's questions haha.
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1684282 tn?1614701284
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
I am so glad that you  quit Methadone, but you are absolutely correct, switching to Suboxone is just going from one devil to another. 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.
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.
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