My Story and Suboxone induction

[werdna]

I have been on either oxycontin, dilaudid, methadone, or heroine IV for pretty much the last 4 years.  I have tried many times to get clean...the longest I went "clean" was almost a year at the deathadone clinic.  Methadone was so hard and so long to get off of that by the time I got through the nearly half year taper off I decided to use dope just "1 time" - hey I deserved it, right?  NO.  1 time turned into just twice turned into HELLO, welcome back to Heroine addiction.  So the half year of pain and suffering I endured to get clean from methadone was all for nothing.  I am sure many of you understand the psychological bliss that was my reality.

Interestingly enough, I am one of those very functional addicts.  I have always kept a full time job, finished from a top college, and on my way to graduate school in a different state.  I feel that if I don't kick this habit now, it will haunt me for the rest of my life.

I have been using a moderate to high level of heroine for the last 6 months ($300/day).  I went to my suboxone doctor because I like the idea of having a take out prescription and have heard that buprenorphine easier to get off of when the time comes.  My doctor told me to wait 48 hours before taking a half tab, then take another half an hour later, than repeat until 1.5 max tabs have gone under the old tongue.  Even with the tranxene and colonidine the dr prescribed to help me get through the 48 hours, I still could not manage to get there.  Finally on the third try, I dosed the suboxone after ~36 hours.  I did an 8 mg tab in the beginning and it didn't do a thing!  It may have even worsened the withdrawal (although this may have been in my mind)  I later took another 8 mg and it didn't help either.  So even though I knew my recepters were jammed up with the bup, I took another $160 out of my account and bought a bag of dope.  Surprisingly I still got somewhat high from the bag (considerably less than normal though) and the WD symptoms went away for about 6 hours.  After this experience I got angry that I spent money on the suboxone doc and the pills because they didn't do a damn thing.

About a week later I come back to my senses and decided to try sub again.  I read on the net that 24 hours hsould be sufficient after dope to induct.  So I took my last shot yesterday at 9am and when I woke up this morning I dropped 2 - 8 mg tabs under my tongue.  I still don't feel any different and am in a mild/moderate state of WD.  Some chills, sneezing, runny nose, aches, general anxiety.    

My question:  Is this normal to still feel some WD your first day of bup?  Will this go away once I dose tomorrow?  Should I dose more today?  My doc gave me permission to take up to 3 tabs for my first couple days.  I am worried that if I don't get some releif soon I will be back on the phone to my connect.

Thanks for reading my long post and for all the help...I really went to get through this and I think I can handle the psychological part if only the physical pains would subside.  

[werdna]

thankyou liscamdave,  you are giving me some hope.  As for today, have I already screwed myself over as far as precipitate withdrawal goes?  Would it help to take any more?  

I know this is the last thing in the world that this forum would suggest, but would doing a small amount of h just to fight out the day  (and prevent total relapse) be an option?  Or would that screw me over for tomorrow?  Right now I am just not sure what is making me feel bad.  Must be some sort of moderate precipitated withdrawal.  So now that all the dope as been knocked off my recepters, shouldn't another Suboxone help?  This makes sense to me, but I am not going to try it unless I have some assurance.

Thanks again.

[liscamdave]

Usually, 24 hrs is what we are told to wait. But that all depends on the addict and their dosage. Heroin is the mother of opaites and if you were taking that much, then you may have needed longer to take the sub. If you wait the allotted time, when you take your first sub, you should be completely or darn near, out of w.d. Maybe you need more, but in my own opinion, I think you may have needed to wait a little longer. Everyone is different. Most docs will tell you 24-36 hrs, if not 36-48, that is way too long. When I first tried to quit Oxy's, I was eating about 12 80's a day, and when I started sub the first time, I waited about 24 hrs and was still in w.d. The next time, I waited about 32 hrs and took it and was out of w.d within the hr. By tomorrow, at 9am, you should be ok. If not sooner.

[mom_of_two136]

It took me about a week for my body to adjust to suboxone. Give it a few days you should be feeling much better. Stay strong and don't give in to your addiction. It will get better.
Best wishes