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MS Contin Addiction
I'm new to this list, but I am a 69 year old male who has a serious addiction to MS Contin. It started when I had stage 4 colon cancer back in the 80's. Since then I've also been diagnosed with Diabetes, COPD, High Blood Pressure, and Heart Disease, and Rheumatoid Arthritis. After I went into remission from the cancer, the R/A was so painful I stayed on the pain meds and so here I am today. I take 74mg of MS Contin every 8 hours and can take 1 oxycodone(10/325) for break thru pain twice a day if needed.
I have been seeing a psychiatrist for some PTSD issues I have from Vietnam. I happened to see a sign on her desk that read - "This office works with suboxone". So I asked her about it. I am now considering asking her to work with me on it because I am so tired of my life belonging to my next prescription of pain meds. What can any of you tell me about what I can expect from going on suboxone? Will I still go through withdrawal symptoms? Am I too far gone to even give this a shot? I'm so desperate to get my life back, even if I don't have many years left!
I would appreciate any information and/or advice any of you can offer me.
Thanks so much
J
I have been seeing a psychiatrist for some PTSD issues I have from Vietnam. I happened to see a sign on her desk that read - "This office works with suboxone". So I asked her about it. I am now considering asking her to work with me on it because I am so tired of my life belonging to my next prescription of pain meds. What can any of you tell me about what I can expect from going on suboxone? Will I still go through withdrawal symptoms? Am I too far gone to even give this a shot? I'm so desperate to get my life back, even if I don't have many years left!
I would appreciate any information and/or advice any of you can offer me.
Thanks so much
J
sounds like an excellent plan. hopefully your doctors will find the BEST solution for you and the least painful.
I like what I'm hearing from this site. Big Daddy has been extremely helpful as has Jinx and yourself. I am not writing off the suboxone way and I'm going to research it more before making the decision I need to make. I have an up coming appointment with my pain doc and I can talk to her and she really listens to me. I want to get her advice on what's the best way for me to go. Also I will talk to my Psych Doc and search out the same info. From there. You guys are all an inspiration to me. You probably have no idea how many people's lives you touch! Keep it up!
In the the OP's case suboxone does not sound like to me like a good option. It's for when you're buying off the street and just going crazy with it. Because now you don't have to be constantly chasing the next hit and often wondering where it's even coming from. Then stabilize and taper down. For a controlled situation like the OP sounds like he's in it does not fit the intended purpose because he is already semi-stable and just needs to either C/T or taper down before jumping off with the help of his doctor who is already involved.
Suboxone would be adding an extra step in the whole process, plus coming off fully synthetic opiates like suboxone/subetex/methadone is far more time consuming than a semi synthetic like Heroin/Oxycodone/Hydrocodone.
Suboxone would be adding an extra step in the whole process, plus coming off fully synthetic opiates like suboxone/subetex/methadone is far more time consuming than a semi synthetic like Heroin/Oxycodone/Hydrocodone.
i am sure that is because most people come here for help getting off of them or whatever. i have read some good stories
I love this site and it has been very helpful to me. The thing I don't like about this site is it seems like everyone is really, really negative in regards to Suboxone. I'm not really referring to the posts above but I've only read mostly negative posts about Suboxone on this site. I agree with the folks here that you need to research it. I would suggest that you Google Suboxone Success Stories as part of your research along with all the general stuff about this drug. I can honestly say Suboxone save my job, my marriage, and my life. It allowed me to get my head on straight when I was a runaway train heading for a brick wall. It allowed me to feel normal, to function, to live, and to re-find happiness. I believe that people may have negative experiences with this drug and I guess we are all different but I know for myself that it saved my life. In the U.S. Suboxone is used mainly for opiate dependence whereas I've read that it is used to treat chronic pain around the world. I've read peoples horror stories about getting off Suboxone but the one thing that I've found in common with these horror stories is people who jump from 16 mg to zero or 8 mg to zero, or even 4mg to zero. I know two people personally who have been on Suboxone and when they went off they followed a slow, slow taper and did not have WD's. I've also read a bunch of stories that are similar. One thing I struggle with is folks like myself will abuse opiates for several years taking a daily amount that would kill a horse. They decide to get off and think that it will take 3 days to be free and clean.
Wow, your posting sure did open my eyes. I was ready to jump into a suboxone program out of desperation, but now I think I will heed your advice first and do some reading up on that program to see if it really is for me. I actually did call my pain Dr. Last night and she did call me back. She told me to drop back to 60 mg of the MS Contin because sometimes when they up the dosage, our bodies will respond negatively to it and I might actually be having panic attacks, which I've been susceptible to since my return from Nam. So for right now I will keep reading these posts and searching for information and not make a hasty decision.
Your post has been most helpful to me so I thank you so very very much. I am going to talk to my Dr. Regarding your recommendation and read up on the suboxone to get educated.
Thank you so much!
Your post has been most helpful to me so I thank you so very very much. I am going to talk to my Dr. Regarding your recommendation and read up on the suboxone to get educated.
Thank you so much!
it could also be an option for your doctor to wean you from the mscontin and change you to hydrocodone which is a much easier withdrawal than oxycodone. a taper plan would be way better because you will be trading a shorter detox for a really long one with the subs.
if you are in pain there is NO SHAME in taking meds for it. you were a hero in nam and thank you for that, but there is no need to be in pain.
taking a 'opiate vacation' is a good idea sometimes.. get off them and re-evaluate your true pain. if at that time you feel your pain is great enough to interfere with your quality of life, by all means try something that helps,,BUT educate yourself before taking any med. stay away from fentanyl. doctors love to prescribe it, but it is a BEAR to get off of.
if you are in pain there is NO SHAME in taking meds for it. you were a hero in nam and thank you for that, but there is no need to be in pain.
taking a 'opiate vacation' is a good idea sometimes.. get off them and re-evaluate your true pain. if at that time you feel your pain is great enough to interfere with your quality of life, by all means try something that helps,,BUT educate yourself before taking any med. stay away from fentanyl. doctors love to prescribe it, but it is a BEAR to get off of.
Jdove hello. No one is too far gone. Even if you have tried many times before maybe this is the one time it will work. The worst that can happen is that you don't get clean but hey that's where you are now so go for it. I have no experience with subox. But I do have plenty at feeling desperate and controlled by pain meds!!!!
Hi there J and welcome to the forum~
First let me say....you are a SURVIVOR....and you will make it off these addictive pain meds! It's great that you are wanting to be free and seeking answers on all the options out there. Not only are you are Nam survivor (praise you for that!!) but you are a cancer survivor too. And to say you don't have much time left....hey who of us knows the answer to that one, eh?? You could still have 30 yrs ahead of you...:):) Time to start thinking POSITIVE....our bodies believe everything our brains tell them~
I would suggest that you read ALL you can about suboxone before you make a decision about going on it. Will it and can it assist you in getting off the oxy? Yes....but there is a price to pay for that, too. And one you may not choose to pay. I was on it for 28 days.....I was NOT educated or informed prior to being referred to the psych dr who prescribed it I was such a sick,not mess, I didn't ask questions which is NOT me at all. I was on A LOT of hydrocodone but hydros are a short acting opiate (as are oxys) and subs (suboxone) is a VERY long acting opioid. It is VERY strong, a totally synthetic drug, VERY sticky (binds to opiate receptors to block other opiates) and has it's own set of w/drawal symptoms. I was on 100 mg of hydro when I was referred to this sub dr. He put me on 16 mg of sub??? which is equivalent to about 480 mg of hydro???? NUTS....just plain nuts. My experience doesn't have to be yours, of course. But I hadn't found this forum until I was 55 day in.
And I knew NADA, nothing, zilch about subs going on them...OR going of them. They have their purpose....and help some people. But you have to decide if that is a road you want to travel.
With all your health conditions.....it would be the safest and best to check with your primary care dr and discuss a taper. It would benefit you to read and read and read....all you can about suboxone before you decide how you want to get off oxys. Equip yourself.....like you are by joining this forum and asking questions. You will hear just about anything you'll ever want to hear....from ALL kinds of people. That's why it would be wise to educate yourself and make your OWN decision.
I can only share from my own experience...and if I was only on 74 mg/day of oxycontin and at the most 20 mg/day of oxycodone....I would talk to my dr about tapering me down off the oxycontin FIRST and then the oxycodone.
One last suggestion....in the search bar at the top of the forum....just do some searches on subutex/suboxone.....and read thru some threads. You will be amazed at how much you can learn doing that.
I wish you well.....let us know how you're doing, ok?
First let me say....you are a SURVIVOR....and you will make it off these addictive pain meds! It's great that you are wanting to be free and seeking answers on all the options out there. Not only are you are Nam survivor (praise you for that!!) but you are a cancer survivor too. And to say you don't have much time left....hey who of us knows the answer to that one, eh?? You could still have 30 yrs ahead of you...:):) Time to start thinking POSITIVE....our bodies believe everything our brains tell them~
I would suggest that you read ALL you can about suboxone before you make a decision about going on it. Will it and can it assist you in getting off the oxy? Yes....but there is a price to pay for that, too. And one you may not choose to pay. I was on it for 28 days.....I was NOT educated or informed prior to being referred to the psych dr who prescribed it I was such a sick,not mess, I didn't ask questions which is NOT me at all. I was on A LOT of hydrocodone but hydros are a short acting opiate (as are oxys) and subs (suboxone) is a VERY long acting opioid. It is VERY strong, a totally synthetic drug, VERY sticky (binds to opiate receptors to block other opiates) and has it's own set of w/drawal symptoms. I was on 100 mg of hydro when I was referred to this sub dr. He put me on 16 mg of sub??? which is equivalent to about 480 mg of hydro???? NUTS....just plain nuts. My experience doesn't have to be yours, of course. But I hadn't found this forum until I was 55 day in.
And I knew NADA, nothing, zilch about subs going on them...OR going of them. They have their purpose....and help some people. But you have to decide if that is a road you want to travel.
With all your health conditions.....it would be the safest and best to check with your primary care dr and discuss a taper. It would benefit you to read and read and read....all you can about suboxone before you decide how you want to get off oxys. Equip yourself.....like you are by joining this forum and asking questions. You will hear just about anything you'll ever want to hear....from ALL kinds of people. That's why it would be wise to educate yourself and make your OWN decision.
I can only share from my own experience...and if I was only on 74 mg/day of oxycontin and at the most 20 mg/day of oxycodone....I would talk to my dr about tapering me down off the oxycontin FIRST and then the oxycodone.
One last suggestion....in the search bar at the top of the forum....just do some searches on subutex/suboxone.....and read thru some threads. You will be amazed at how much you can learn doing that.
I wish you well.....let us know how you're doing, ok?
I'm 15days clean today and I'm not going to lie I'm in horrible pain but everyone says once you are off all the pain meds the pain gets better. Even tho I wish it would of got better the minute I stopped taking the pills lol but it don't work that way. Lol. I was at a hospital to detox and that's the way they did it there with the suboxones. I have a friend who just took her last suboxone last night and she's doing great but they do have an after life up to 72hrs I do believe. Now in my case once I got to hospital/detox they explained how I had to wait until I started to withdrawal before they would give me the suboxone. I waited and waited and never had any bad withdrawals. Honestly idk why. When I tried to stop at home I literally thought I was dying (which you can't die from opiate withdrawals but you can from alcohol). My son has Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis so I know that can be painful, he wears splints on his leg but he also is allowed to play football. During football season he never complains once about the pain so I think him moving around actually helps him. And I rub his legs down at night. Good luck and I understand how you're sick of living off pain meds I think almost everyone on the forum feels the sameway
Hi jdove, welcome to our community, and thank you so much for your service to our country. You can find lots of advice and support here. Jinx gave you some good advice about researching Suboxone. There is a ton of information here, and I would learn as much as you can before you make any decision regarding starting a Suboxone program.
I would have a serious discussion with your prescribing doctor about your MS Contin addiction. It may be better to have your doctor slowly taper you down and eventually off of the MS Contin. I do not have any personal experience with Suboxone, however I have read that eventually you will have to detox off of that as well. Plus, you will need to speak to your doctor about alternatives to address your pain.
Take care, I wish you all the best. Keep posting here with any questions or if you would like some support.
I would have a serious discussion with your prescribing doctor about your MS Contin addiction. It may be better to have your doctor slowly taper you down and eventually off of the MS Contin. I do not have any personal experience with Suboxone, however I have read that eventually you will have to detox off of that as well. Plus, you will need to speak to your doctor about alternatives to address your pain.
Take care, I wish you all the best. Keep posting here with any questions or if you would like some support.
I just recently went to rehab/detox. I was on oxycodone (roxys) At detox they give out suboxone but you have to start having withdrawal symptoms first or the suboxones won't work. Not until you feel like dying symptoms but the cold chills nausea ect then they recommend to start out with 2mg just to make sure your body can handle them. Then 12hrs later 8mg then another 8mg 10hrs then the last dose of 4mg. Suboxone is something you do not want to take for very long. The withdrawals are worse then opiates.
it is usually recommended to be off all opiates for at least 24 hrs before starting suboxone and make sure they don't start you off on too high a dose. there are MANY posts on here about suboxone and i would put that in the search bar on this site and start reading. learn all you can about it so you can make an informed decision. do you still have pain??
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