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Detoxing off methadone and switch to Suboxone. How long do you have to stay on sub b4 starting detox from that?
I'm getting pretty close to the 30mg mark on Methadone and want to jump to Suboxone, then finish my detox on that. I do not want to do any sort of maintanence on sub, just finish my detox. Has anyone done this, and if so, how long did you have to stay on Sub, before starting the detox off of that? If I stay on methadone, @ this dose it's gonna be another year on this crap if I don't want to kill myself with the w/drawals of detoxing too fast. Plus, I hate the drive EVERY day. If you're on ANY psych meds at my clinic, prescribed or not, you don't get takehomes, and I'm tired of driving in the snow every winter.
I'd like to do something like the 21 day detox. Maybe even drag it out to a month on the low doses. Sounds a lot better than another year, (that would make it 10yrs if I stay). I understand the most important thing is to walk off on a very low dose, (1/4mg).
I'd also like to hear peoples experiences of doing this, like, what dose did you start at when switching from methadone to sub? I know everyones different, but if I could get some #'s, I'd have a general idea of what it's gonna cost me. I know the dr's initial fee plus the by-weekly fee to see him, but I don't know how much the med will cost until I get an idea of my daily dose.
Thanks, in advance.
I'd like to do something like the 21 day detox. Maybe even drag it out to a month on the low doses. Sounds a lot better than another year, (that would make it 10yrs if I stay). I understand the most important thing is to walk off on a very low dose, (1/4mg).
I'd also like to hear peoples experiences of doing this, like, what dose did you start at when switching from methadone to sub? I know everyones different, but if I could get some #'s, I'd have a general idea of what it's gonna cost me. I know the dr's initial fee plus the by-weekly fee to see him, but I don't know how much the med will cost until I get an idea of my daily dose.
Thanks, in advance.
Oh and another thing is I made sure I stayed on sub long enough to make sure the methadone was completely out of my system.
Hi well I hav actually done what ur trying to do. I got to to 17mgs of methadone and went to suboxone. After I was on subxone for 1 week I started tappering after that. I did it slow and was off of it n 3 months. I made the jump at 2 mgs and the only withdrawls I experienced was a lil tired and a lil weak for the first 4 days. I could deal with that. It was nothing compared to what I went thru when I ws tapering off of methadone. That was h&ll! I wish I had started on the subxone to begun with. Today i'm at 44 days clean and sober. Thanks to the suboxone! If u have ne questions let me know!
I appreciate that. Thank you, Vicci. I do not have a dr. now, but a couple months ago, I was below 30mg,(long story of why I had to go back up), but during that time I sent out an e-mail to dr's in my area, looking for one to take me, and within 5 minutes I must have had 10 choices w/in 25miles of my house, (lucky I live near Boston). 50mile round-trip isn't so bad when my daily one is almost 40miles. I also hear that, because they DO give you more than a days worth of pills, when you do get low, you can use either a pill-splitter or rasor to cut off tiny pcs., to really work your way down, so the w/drawals are as easy as possible.
That's nice to here you having a good time with your mom. These are, I think, the best times, age-wise, because both people are all grown-up and you can understand that not only are they your parents, but also just regular people, trying to do the best they can at living life, and I'm sure mine want their son back, just like I want to be back. For some reason, methadone kinda zapps all your feelings, and you just walk around in a haze. Hard to explain, unless you've been on it.
Yeah, we had a dr. that use to meet people behind a bread store, called Pannera Breads, and all his patients used to call him Panerra Tony because he would write prescriptions on the hood of his car. Another reason I want off the clinic, my councilor not only had heard of him, it sounded like he knew him, and actually tried to stand up for what he was doing, saying he wasn't making any $ doing it. That's hard to believe, but even so, he go arrested and left my friend to detox off 8mg's of Suboxone. So he MIGHT have not made $, but he sure left my friend between a rock and a hard place.
Thank you again.
That's nice to here you having a good time with your mom. These are, I think, the best times, age-wise, because both people are all grown-up and you can understand that not only are they your parents, but also just regular people, trying to do the best they can at living life, and I'm sure mine want their son back, just like I want to be back. For some reason, methadone kinda zapps all your feelings, and you just walk around in a haze. Hard to explain, unless you've been on it.
Yeah, we had a dr. that use to meet people behind a bread store, called Pannera Breads, and all his patients used to call him Panerra Tony because he would write prescriptions on the hood of his car. Another reason I want off the clinic, my councilor not only had heard of him, it sounded like he knew him, and actually tried to stand up for what he was doing, saying he wasn't making any $ doing it. That's hard to believe, but even so, he go arrested and left my friend to detox off 8mg's of Suboxone. So he MIGHT have not made $, but he sure left my friend between a rock and a hard place.
Thank you again.
Oh boy...I hear you loud and clear. My only experience is with the folks here on the forum. Overall it seems to me that BOTH drugs are a bear to get off of. Not that anything is EVER easy but with the long half life etc...it's hard.
I sent a message to Henry for you. He is the premiere sub guru in my opinion,very bright guy,and just tapered off sub. I think he's been clean for over 2 months now.
Do you have a sub doctor lined up? Do your checking on him/her also. Some are only in it for the money. I think your plan is well thought out. It's hard to know what mgs. you'd start out at because every doctor tweaks the sub a little differently. I've read somewhere between 8 and 12 is the average. And you really need to get down to slivers when tapering. But you probably know that.
I wish you the best. I totally understand about your Dad. My Mom is the same age with the same condition. She lives 2,000 miles away from me and I just got back from a 2 week visit with her. It was precious!!
Vicki
I sent a message to Henry for you. He is the premiere sub guru in my opinion,very bright guy,and just tapered off sub. I think he's been clean for over 2 months now.
Do you have a sub doctor lined up? Do your checking on him/her also. Some are only in it for the money. I think your plan is well thought out. It's hard to know what mgs. you'd start out at because every doctor tweaks the sub a little differently. I've read somewhere between 8 and 12 is the average. And you really need to get down to slivers when tapering. But you probably know that.
I wish you the best. I totally understand about your Dad. My Mom is the same age with the same condition. She lives 2,000 miles away from me and I just got back from a 2 week visit with her. It was precious!!
Vicki
I've done as much research as I could find, but I need to hear from REAL people and their experience doing this. Unfortunately, I can't find answers to this specific question.
I do know the basics, like, you need to be 30mg or lower to start Suboxone and you need to feel w/drawals to get on it, (usually 3 days off methadone), but what I don't know is what most people who just want to continue their detox start off with as a dose. I read about the 21 day detox on the main page on the lower right-hand side, (that's what got me thinking, but again, that's just one person giving their advice on how to do it. 21 days just seems REAL quick compared to detoxing from methadone). Is a 5-8mg starting dose normal for someone coming off 30mg of methadone? I'm trying to get an idea of the cost. Either I spend another $5,200.00 and another year travling to the "clinic", or spend "X" amount of money, and get off this sickening ride in a month or two. I know the ride doesn't stop when the mg's end, but I hear the w/drawals end sooner than coming off methadone. Talking to friends that are on methadone but were on Sub the first time they quit, they so wish they didn't get onto this horrible drug, (methadone), but they went straight from heroin to Sub, so I can't use their experience as an example. I did have a friend detox off of 8mg of Suboxone because his dr. got arrested for having too many patients. He said it took 15 days of hell on his moms couch, then another month of minor w/drawals. But like I said, I can't use him as an example. I'm hoping to hear from someone who did what I'm thinking of doing. I still have 1 1/2 months before I can even see a dr., so I'm trying to load up on as much real info first.
I'm just looking for the lesser of two evils, not an easy way out, because there isn't one. Whenever I hear of a med that's considered methadone "lite", I'm all ears. I've been detoxing for almost two years from this stuff and am running out of $ and time with my father. I would like to spent as much time DOING stuff with him instead of being sick and only being able to do stuff real early in the a.m. after getting dosed. He's a worn-out 75yrs old with COPD. I'd just like to go fishing or play golf, but not when the sun hasn't come out yet.
I do know the basics, like, you need to be 30mg or lower to start Suboxone and you need to feel w/drawals to get on it, (usually 3 days off methadone), but what I don't know is what most people who just want to continue their detox start off with as a dose. I read about the 21 day detox on the main page on the lower right-hand side, (that's what got me thinking, but again, that's just one person giving their advice on how to do it. 21 days just seems REAL quick compared to detoxing from methadone). Is a 5-8mg starting dose normal for someone coming off 30mg of methadone? I'm trying to get an idea of the cost. Either I spend another $5,200.00 and another year travling to the "clinic", or spend "X" amount of money, and get off this sickening ride in a month or two. I know the ride doesn't stop when the mg's end, but I hear the w/drawals end sooner than coming off methadone. Talking to friends that are on methadone but were on Sub the first time they quit, they so wish they didn't get onto this horrible drug, (methadone), but they went straight from heroin to Sub, so I can't use their experience as an example. I did have a friend detox off of 8mg of Suboxone because his dr. got arrested for having too many patients. He said it took 15 days of hell on his moms couch, then another month of minor w/drawals. But like I said, I can't use him as an example. I'm hoping to hear from someone who did what I'm thinking of doing. I still have 1 1/2 months before I can even see a dr., so I'm trying to load up on as much real info first.
I'm just looking for the lesser of two evils, not an easy way out, because there isn't one. Whenever I hear of a med that's considered methadone "lite", I'm all ears. I've been detoxing for almost two years from this stuff and am running out of $ and time with my father. I would like to spent as much time DOING stuff with him instead of being sick and only being able to do stuff real early in the a.m. after getting dosed. He's a worn-out 75yrs old with COPD. I'd just like to go fishing or play golf, but not when the sun hasn't come out yet.
Hi~ First,I have no experience with these two drugs but I wanted to reply to your post.
Usually,the Sub doctor you see designs the plan. It's an entire program of sub,therapy,couseling etc...
I do know you need to be a bit lower on the Methadone and in withdrawals before you can begin sub.
There are a few folks who have a lot of experience in this area. I'll put some messages out to them for you.
Also,have you looked in the health pages,upper right of this page? There's a lot of info in there on this subject. Do some research on your own so you can make a good decision here...
Vicki
Usually,the Sub doctor you see designs the plan. It's an entire program of sub,therapy,couseling etc...
I do know you need to be a bit lower on the Methadone and in withdrawals before you can begin sub.
There are a few folks who have a lot of experience in this area. I'll put some messages out to them for you.
Also,have you looked in the health pages,upper right of this page? There's a lot of info in there on this subject. Do some research on your own so you can make a good decision here...
Vicki
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