Life is good

[poetrygirl1960]

This is my first comment in this forum I just signed up so I am new as well.  I had an injury 15 years ago and was injured badly 5 years after that.  I've been a pill popper this entire time and even had a two year dependency on heroin within that time period.  I've never been a big drinker and the only other drug I had this problem with is Xanax, and even though my run with that wasn't as long it wreaked havoc on my body and nervous system.  I have also battled depression the entire time I have been addicted to opiates, which I don't know is or is not related to my addiction.  I tried several times to quit c/t, to taper off, and went to rehab 6 years ago.  I had resigned to the position that I was forever going to take narcotic painkillers, that I would eventually die and be free from my addiction and pain, and I believed 100% that nobody else could understand opiate dependency but me.  Not only is that incredibly stupid, but it is no way to live.

I had never heard of suboxone until 5 weeks ago when I entered treatment again.  This time I did it because I had a husband that cared about me.  He was very distressed over my addiction and on and off bouts with depression, so he finally spoke to our family physician about it who then referred me to a doctor that I am so blessed to know who specializes in pain and opiate addiction.  I spent 1 week in the hospital detoxing from darvocet, percocet and xanax.  I learned so  much in that one week of time.  Toward the end of my stay he prescribed suboxone to me and my life has changed in a million and one ways.  I have energy, I get things done, I am not in pain all of the time and even when I am in pain I deal with it.  My husband, kids and other family members have someone they can depend on now, who is there and not in "la la land" (as my mother put it) all the time.  I take 12 mgs. a day right now.  I'm still fresh in to this so I'm not looking to wean off any time soon, but I have been reading some of your entries here and it has been really encouraging.  You are all very brave and generous to help people by telling your stories.  It gives me hope which is a very new word in my vocabulary I'm using a lot of lately.

I do have a few questions if someone wouldn't mind answering:

What does RLS stand for?
What is PAWS?
How do you get to the point where you know when you're ready to start coming off of suboxone, because I'm not feeling even close to that point yet?

[ILoveLukey]

Your plan sounds like a great one. Thanks for the inspiration.

[flmagi]

Well, everyone is different and what they want and need from the Sub. Some people just want to get past the withdrawels from their doc (drug of choice), so they may just take the Sub. for 7-21 days. Some people who have had a very long history of addiction may choose to take the Sub longer to, lets say, retrain their brain and get away from the cravings for a while.  I'm sitting somewhere in the middle there. I plan on being off them by April or May, And am doing a very, very slow taper. I want to get to the point of takeing 1/2 mg every other day and hopefully wake up some day and realize I haven't taken it in a few days and then be done. We'll see!

[toxictome]

Welcome .There are lots of caring people here to help and support you.
I have no experience w/ sub..but many have used it successfully.
Good luck and keep posting!

[newmanagment]

i have a different DOC, so i cant answer your ?s, but flmagi knows her stuff, and so do others on here. i just wanted to tell ya welcome to the forum!! its great you have a man that cares and is helping you thru this!! best of luck to you, you came to the right place for support.

[poetrygirl1960]

Thank you so much for the words of encouragement!

[ILoveLukey]

Hi.  I am fairly new as well. I just joined about a week ago after spending two weeks reading posts.  Everyone here is wonderful and so helpful and caring.  I started Subutex last Monday.  I went to an addiction psychiatrist.  I started at 8 mg per day. Day three he told me to go to 6 mg a day.  I go back to see him tomorrow night and he is putting me on Suboxone.  I can say that I have not felt this good in years.  I have had no desire whatsoever to take a vicoden.  I too have read wonderful things on here about Sub.  My concern is how long to use it.  I have read several posts that say not to stay on too long because of the w/d.............the longer you are on it, the harder the w/d.  So I am thinking of telling my dr tomorrow that I would like to be off of it in a few months so he can get me on the right taper plan. I have heard of people being on it for at least a year.  I would also appreciate some advice out there about when to start coming off the Sub.  Good luck to you and keep us up to date.

[flmagi]

Welcome to the forum! I'm on Sub too.
RLS = restless leg syndrom
PAWS = post acute withdrawel symtoms
Hopefully you"ll know when your ready to start tappering off the Sub. All in due time, my dear. Just enjoy your new found freedom for now.