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How long does suboxone withdrawal last?
by gunsnstaleys, Jun 02, 2007 12:00AM
I've been abusing opiates for about 3 years. I was clean for 4 months, about 5 months ago I started getting high on the weekends, etc. Luckily, I haven't shifted it to a full blown addiction, but it is very scary to think that I'm so close to being right back where I was.
Basically, a friend of mine gave me 2 8mg Suboxone pills about a month ago. i was so happy, knowing that bupe totally masks the w/d symptoms. well, I used about 90% of my first pill to detox the first time. I wanted to keep my bupe dose very low so the suboxone withdrawal wouldn't be hard. (I've heard stories of bupe withdrawal lasting weeks to months!)Well, after staying off the BUPE for 4 days, (after being ON it for about 9 days) I made a foolish mistake and got high.
So, I used for about 4 days, then decided I had to stop. I'd given some suboxone to my friends, just because they were curious, and i didnt think id need it anymore...(haha..) so i had about 5 mg's left. my pill now has about 2 mg's left, i've used the other 3 over the past 3 days. I'm now at 43 hours freom my last suboxone dose, and im wondering, if i just DONT take anymore, how long will the withdrawal last? i dont feel too bad right now...just getting the cold chills every 30 mins or so.
Basically, a friend of mine gave me 2 8mg Suboxone pills about a month ago. i was so happy, knowing that bupe totally masks the w/d symptoms. well, I used about 90% of my first pill to detox the first time. I wanted to keep my bupe dose very low so the suboxone withdrawal wouldn't be hard. (I've heard stories of bupe withdrawal lasting weeks to months!)Well, after staying off the BUPE for 4 days, (after being ON it for about 9 days) I made a foolish mistake and got high.
So, I used for about 4 days, then decided I had to stop. I'd given some suboxone to my friends, just because they were curious, and i didnt think id need it anymore...(haha..) so i had about 5 mg's left. my pill now has about 2 mg's left, i've used the other 3 over the past 3 days. I'm now at 43 hours freom my last suboxone dose, and im wondering, if i just DONT take anymore, how long will the withdrawal last? i dont feel too bad right now...just getting the cold chills every 30 mins or so.
fladdict are you still going to get on it??
if you do i will..The only thing is i have to taper better than i am now...So confused
don't know what to do anymore..but i will call the doc and give it a shot!!
RB
I remember you from many months ago -- like last spring and summer when I started checking out this forum -- right after my radical hysterectomy in April. At the time, weren't you finished with your taper and about to start on sub back then? I remember you got married and all. The reason I remember you so well is because you were such an awesome inspiration and a great help on here to so many. I was so inspired by you, and you made it all sound so easy!!! What was your process? Did you decide to quit tapering and go cold turkey? Did you go back to opiates for a little while? When exactly did you start on the suboxone?? More than anything, just curious. I like to follow fellow posters who've been around for awhile....
Blessings and best of luck to you during your journey....
p.s. your posting of all the aminos and such was always extremely helpful!!!
~K.
Let me see here. None of you guys seem to have much experience with long-term Sub use, so since I was researching this as I have just gotten off the Sub from using it for 9 months I will explain what I am dealing with.
Before the Sub I was using mostly Heroin. Then during different forms of "clean" I tried Methadone (the worst **** ever). Then started chewing the Vics, then Roxy, then of course Oxy 80's before quitting cold and then finding good old H yet again this last year. Mind you all of this drug use was in a two year period. So, we are not talking some lifer here, or at least I hope we aren't.
I was on 32mg of Sub at first, went down from their in blocks of 8mg until I stayed on 8-12 for about 4 months. Then the financial burden of spending nearly $400 a month w/o health insurance was a bit too much and I figured 9 months was just plenty anyhow. So, I started my own taper quick, and went from 8 to 4 and stayed at 4mg for about 10 days, then went down to 2mg for about another week. Then, because I am an idiot, I used at the 2mg point. So used the remaining 2.5 pills I had to get through that... Not sure if the break from sub with short-term opiates helped or hurt this process, but I think it was irrelevant considering the half-life of all involved.
OK, this is not getting to the point. I have now been off the Sub completely from 2mg to none for 3 days, and I don't feel so hot. Not horrible, but not good either, I am getting the mild dopesick feeling with goosebumps, chills, sneezing. Keep in mind it is all mild, but not exactly pleasant. It's definitely hard to focus and I have a lot of work to get done, but I will tell you that today is MUCH better than yesterday, and I would predict that I will be fine by Friday...which is a total of 6 days, so with that said...
Bottom line
-----------------------------
If you go down to a low enough dose slowly (or slowly based on your overall length of treatment) it should not take more than a week to be back to say 85%. Probably a full two-weeks before you sort of forget you were even on it I guess.
Obvious PS-
Don't rush it if you are still worried that you might use, I am definitely worried about this. Anyone that has used for long enough knows how good it feels to get high again from zero tolerance, and that is a powerful force. Especially if you are around people/places that remind you of using. Especially if you have insurance covering this, TAKE ADVANTAGE. Also, any of you worried about getting ON suboxone, stop it. It's the best thing out there and you will be very glad that you did it, even I know that as I am sitting here typing, freezing, and sweating. :) - At it's worst Sub only was a 3/10 on the withdrawal misery meter.
Hope this helps.
Hope my sister reads your post, I think she has a real fear of the withdrawels.
Thanks again.