HELP, NEED FACTUAL INFORMATION ON SUBOXONE

[irishlass700]

I am a 38 year old female who has been addicted to norco and vicodin for the past 3 years straight.  (Before that it was just recreational).  Anyway, I took 30-40 pills a day depending on their strength, I am tired of the lies and "double life" I lead because my husband does not know.  I am surprised that I am not in jail for doctor shopping so many, many times.   I want to be done and I am sick of it so, I went to see a psychiatrist on Thursday who put me on 8mg of suboxone and I took 12mg yesterday, and I am supposed to take 16mg today and from now on.  What I need to know is if I were to take Suboxone for a week to help with the withdrawals from the pills and then stop will I go through withdrawal from Suboxone when I was only on it a week?  I have researched about Suboxone and I know it is addictive and I don't want to trade one adddiction for another.  Also, even though she prescribed me to take 16mg a day, once in the morning and once in the night can I take less?  Or can I take 4mg in the morning and then say 4mg in the late morning or early afternoon?  It gives me bad headaches and makes me jittery which I hate,  wouldn't it be the same as long as I take it?   One more question, why do people go on suboxone for 1-2 weeks and then get off to go back on pills?!!  That makes no sense and it is supposed to make you sick doing that and not work.  That seems pretty stupid.  If anyone can help me with my questions I would greatly appreciate it..  Thank you so much. :)

[avisg]

If you Go into the "health pages" you will find members experiences taking sub read threw it it has some great info.

[Zeuss]

I am doing exactly what you are doing but at a much lower amount. I also was on painmeds for 3 years, the last4 months at 60 milligrams of oxycodone(4-15 milligram tabs and two 7.5 vics mixed in). I am just starting my 7th day and have taken a whole 8 milligram sub in those 7 days. Averaging about a hair over 1 milligram a day. I dont want to be on them any longer than 10-14 days, but I am only on my 7th day and I know I still have some wds left as I can feel them, but definitely much, much better. As Wildwoodone said, you are still propably going to have some WDs but very tolerable. And as Eagle said, only take what you need to get by.  I only had three 8 milligram tablets so I decided on a milligram a day. So hopefully I wont go through but 2 of the 8 milligram tablets and at the most 3 as its all I have. Good luck to all of us  ZEUSS

[wildwoodone]

Exactly eagle, the lower the dose the better!  And I am 100% on using it as a short term fix, 2-3 weeks at the most.  

[122 Tactical Fighter Group]

Different things work well for different people. In my opinion, sub should be used for three weeks only... not the maintenance drug that methadone is ..... but it has its place in therapy. You always need to speak with your doc - but surpisingly many of them arent fully informed..... I was in your league as far as consumption of pills goes  and I tried methadone - just another drug to detox from as far as I am concerned. When I knew it was time to quit, I did it cold turkey and was quite surprised that methadone acted like that. If I were you I would I would tough out the cold turkey with the standard stomach flu complaint and get this done in a week - weigh your choices carefully ..... sub does have an abstinendce syndrome as well as meth and the other narcs........If your lower sub dose does not produce withdrawal syndrome why raise it any further?

[wildwoodone]

You are correct that it is wrong to go on Sub for a week or two then back on pills.  Some people wrongly use them to hold them over until they can get more of their pills.  If you can take 4mg twice a day and be comfortable then go for it.  I am doing a short term detox also as I see no point to stay on for years.  I took the 16 mg a day 8 in am 8 in pm for a week and now am doing 4 and 4 and seems to be doing okay.  You will probably have some withdrawal no matter how you taper it down but hopefully not bad.

We shall see and I will keep you posted.  I felt no problems going from 16mg a day to 8 mg a day.