How does Withdrawal from Sub last

[redrodeo]

Hey I ve been on and off sub and other narcotics for a couple of years. Last sunday was the last time I took any suboxone. I got down to around 2mg/day. The withdrawal has not been bad but I am losing patience. How long does this last?  I sure would appreciate any info. Does anyone know a time line for withdrawal. Thanks. Red

[lioncode]

get a hold of some kradom it will lessen the serverity by 80 % belive me it works.

[Quki73]

Here's interesting advice.. Looks like you would need 2 weeks off tho
http://youtu.be/6tBAIsuwKS8

[BlueOpiate]

This is a an old thread.  How long have you been on 32mg a day?  You could probably stop taking it for a couple days and not feel any WD.  That is a huge dose and there is no reason for that.  I am not a doc but what people have learned is that less is more.  My sub doc suggested 8-16mg per day, thinking I would be around 12mg.  I thought to hell with that and inducted at home for a total of 6mg and felt fine.  You are taking way too much IMO, do some google research, you might be surprised at what you find.

[missviolet31]

I've been reading the posts just trying to get an idea of this whole subutex thing, I was on the inter-muscular injectable version years ago and it didnt turn out well for me. My concern is from what I've been reading the max dose I've seen so far on this blog is 16mg a day, I'm on 8mg, 3 times a day = 32mg a day! That seems like WAY TOO MUCH in comparison to what everyone else is on. Any Feedback would be great

[Htownnofrown]

Yeah they say most of the physical withdrawl symptoms of opiates are finished within 7 days, but with Subs and Methadone it can be twice that long due to their super long half life. It sounds like if you get a little bit better understanding of what your dealing with you won't have a problem toughing it out, 7 days is a long time! Don't worry, it wont last forever. Good Luck!

[GA Guy]

The reason it took so long for withdrawal to set in was the Buprenorphine's long half life. As you found out, it can take 5 days for the worst of the withdrawals to kick in. I've been off the Sub for over a year, but I relapsed shortly after I stopped. I didn't get any aftercare of any kind and assumed the addiction was gone. The addiction just picks up right where you left off.

[redrodeo]

So Ga Guy you got down to a quarter of a 2mg tablet every other day? Well I am trying to get an apt with my md today to talk about it. I am really pissed off. But your right about the long withdrawal. I was very comited the first 6 days but that 7 day and 8th day made me crazy I started thinking it would never get better, you probably know the feeling. It is a catch 22 situation. How long have you been off of it?
Thanks to everyone, it all helps. I just want my old self back    Red

[GA Guy]

Even though 2mg sounds like a small dose, it's equivilent to around 40mg of hydrocodone. The problem is that the withdrawal effects from Buprenorphine seem to be much more prolonged than those of typical agonist opiates...along the lines of methadone due to the long half-lives. I had a fairly easy detox from Suboxone, but I was taking .5mg every other day. Most people use dosages and time to ween off of Sub. They will get to .5mg, which is a quarter of a 2mg Sub pill (cut with a razor blade or pill cutter), and then when stable on that dose, they will start taking doses at longer intervals. The half life of Sub makes it easier to take the doses longer apart. You're in a catch-22 situation here. You've been off of it a while...and, have gotten through a bit of the withdrawals. I'd suggest talking to your Doctor and see what they have to say. I'd say that going back on Sub and devising a longer taper would be much preferable to going back to mainline opiates.

[chloe802]

You can do it- Taper... That's what I'm doing. Besides tapering or if you are off, these are a few things that help me. I take a mult vitamin and a super complex B- The B helps w/ the nervous system and is a vitamin that DR's recemend to anyone w/ withdrawls (My husband is an alcoholic that has been in the hospital w/ DT's) Vitamin B also turns food into energy... A vitamin D also helps w (besides bone health) w/ depression. Sunshine craetes vitamin D in the body which produces endorphines (happy brain cells) Lack of sunshine makes ya lose your vitamin D, so a replacement helps. EXCERCIZE majorly helps... No matter how weak you feel, just by starting w/ little walks everyday helps raise your energy level and helps the mind. These are the things that help me w/ the weening process... AND- If you went for a week, you got through the hardest part!!! AA meetings/NA meetings, therapy, talking to friends, anything... take it one day at a time. Do you have any hobby's? I throw myself into my gardening and school. It's been 2 years since I touched a pain killer, and I am getting off the suboxone program... Being on what you're on is better than any other thing, but it is also a subsitute, and something else to get off. But, the way I look at it, it's a step up from anything else... Oh- I just read you do go to AA. If you feel weak- boost your energy level w/ excercize and vitamins... Check out your health store for other things that can help. And get a super complex vitamin B. Take care...

[redrodeo]

So jumping off from 2mg/day is alot? My md prescirbes Subutex 2mg tablets. Originally I was using Suboxone but he changed it because he felt the presense of naloxone was contraindicated in my case because of my hx of liver disease. Anyway if I am stable on 2mg/day how much and at what rate should I detox. And how do people actually take such small amounts.  Considering people take 16mg/day I felt that 2mg/day was pretty low.  And the symptoms were never super bad they just didnt seem to improve. I am 56year old and I am not naive enough to think I am just going to have no wd but after 8 days I felt like I was getting weaker. Thats when I started to panic.  I work in the health care field extremely close to controled drugs and I see the affects of drugs in our society.  It seems like everybody is on something. Even in AA, which I go to about 5 times weekly, even there I bet 60 to 75% of the regular attendies are on some antidepressant or something.  Maybe I should just surrending and accept I am addict and will always be on something.....I just cant do it.
Red

[abritt121222]

It all depends on how you go about getting off the meds to are u goin to taper Down to like .5 or .25 mg and then quit or are u just going to just quit cold turkey from like 2mg that all makes a diferance in how severe and how long withdrawals are to
good luck and godspeed

abritt

[redrodeo]

With all the other drugs there is a pretty clear time line of withdrawal symptoms to be expected.. Can anyone share something like that with me please

[redrodeo]

Thanks for the encouargement.  Couldn't hang in I was panicing. I called a "friend" who takes it and he gave me three 8mg tabs. I took a half tablet.  What to do? I've been a addict for so long. Lots of the time I have been in recovery. Before I started this I had been sober for 10 years. But have been unable to get free of this for the last three years.  It started out over medical issues. The why is not important.  What I do know is the last 3 years have been empty. The only good thing is I did manage to get rid of the hepatits c which started this whole thing.  I thought I was gona die with hepatitis so the treatment worked but I haven't been able to enjoy the benfits. So now what do I do? My mind tells me its gona be ok. But I have no experience with this suboxone stuff.  After 8 days I stilll felt bad and just started panicing.  My symptoms were, fatigue, yawning, cramps, emotional, lots of fear, loneliness. mild craving, isolation.  The main that was bothering me was not knowing how much longer this was going to continue.  From everything Ive read wd symptoms really range from different people.  Some people had very minor symps others had massive syms. Over the years I've been addicted to xanax, methadone, dilaudid, herion. I cant imagine that suboxone withdrawal can be anything like those but I dont know and I just gave up.  Sorry if I disappointed anyone.  But if anyone can help I am keep trying.
Thanks

[pharma9]

Wow..its been a week since your last dose...Good for you.
I would not go back for more pills now.You have lasted a week and no sense in starting all over again.
If you can stand it hang in there and keep taking tylenol and ibuprofen and soon you will be feeling better
If the WD 's have not been bad I would just stay off and keep plugging.
Things will soon improve

[LeaAnn807]

Oh, and what are the symptoms you are having? Maybe we could suggest things to help????

[LeaAnn807]

Oh honey!  I am not a doctor, but I want to give you some advice from someone who has done this on and off for years and years and years and........well, you get it.  

If you haven't had one in a week, is that right?, then you will only set yourself back.  Maybe you should have done it slower, but does that really matter now?  You are A WEEK OFF OF THEM.....YAAAAAAAY!  You said it's not that bad.  Do you want to go back on something and start the whole thing over again?  And then it will be bad.  "Normal" pain pills are harsh to wd from.  Ask anyone on here, me included.  You are doing well.

Try to have patience.  That is the advice I have been given a lot. It's hard.  I'm struggling with it now, but I do know that reality is that it will get better.

If you get something tomorrow, in my opinion, you are starting the vicious cycle over again!

Good job so far.....keep it up!

[redrodeo]

I just don t know what to do. Over the last week I haven't been able to do much at all. Just sit around the house and take tylenol or motrin. This is the eigth day and I was hoping to feel better then I do. If I go to the doctor tomorrow and get more suboxone is that a good idea? Or should I just get some normal pain pills and go from there. Lordie this is a drag.

[avisg]

you jumped at 2mg you could be in wd for a while normally it best to taper all of the way to a crumb but if as you say its not bad then I would keep going however it may be awhile