Restarting suboxone at a low dose

[Kera109]

Hi everyone. For those who don't know me, I'm a 32 year old mother to 2 amazing sons, ages 14 and 4. My drug of choice was Percocet and I took 4-5 10 mg a day. For some reason, I went and fell for suboxone, and was started at 8 mg which I now know was way to high for me. I have spent 3 years on it, in an either depressed state or always anxious state. I have no quality of life right now.

In July my parents found out I had a problem and out me in rehab to get off suboxone. I left 2 days later, scared to death because they just stopped the suboxone after 3 years, no taper.

Fast forward til now, I had tapered down along working with a great new Sub doctor. My last doctor felt that lifelong maintenance was the only way, no matter what your story.

This new doctor is great. Last Friday I had a cyst that I didn't know about turn on itself and rupture, and extremely painful situation and I refuted emergency surgery. They cut from my belly button to my pubic bone because the cyst was 8 cm, and I have 33 staples.

I was given Percocet 5/325 2 every 4-6 hours for the pain, and I gave them to my husband to dispense. I am able to feel fine with just ibuprofen, well not fine but I'm ok with just that. I want to flush the Percocet tonight and resume my suboxone taper.

My doctor and I have decided to try and go back on but to a lower dose. We are going to do 1 mg in the am n 1 mg in the afternoon. Then continue a 90 day very low taper.

So this is the plan. My last Percocet was 11am do now I'm going onto the 24 hour wait to be in withdrawal and I'm not looking forward to trying to sleep tonight:(

I am determined to get off this medicine and get my life back. I've been hitting 5 meetings a week up until surgery and I'm going to try to toughen up against the withdrawal and make one tonight.

Thanks for your time!

[ariley13]

Ok, I understand now. I don't think it is ridiculous to taper down that far. Subs are an extremely powerful drug and they are very difficult to detox from. It sounds like you and your doctor have a great plan in place. Keep up all of the hard work and you will be free in no time!

[Kera109]

Hi and thank you for responding!

I'm sorry I wasn't very clear in my post. I had tapered down to 4 mg when the emergency surgery interrupted.  I took the Percocet's , about 4 mg per day, during post op. I was in withdrawal hell in the middle of the night, the doctor said it's because it's actually day 6 of Suboxone withdrawal that I was feeling. Anyway, our plan was to start back on it, but at 1 mg in the am and 1 mg in the afternoon for a total of 2 mg per day, and then continue a slow taper.

When withdrawal was so severe last night that I couldn't take it anymore, I took my Suboxone, but I took about .5 mg instead of a whole 1 mg. That helped tremendously, I was able to go to sleep around 6 am, and I still feel no withdrawal at this time.  

I called my doctor, and he said that maybe we can just start that low and not go up to the 2mg. My plan and hope is to go through the rest of today and not take anymore, and just start back on .5 mg in the am. I know it sounds insane to even be on it at .5 mg but I have been on Suboxone for 3 years and the withdrawal last night was unbearable.  That .5mg made all of the difference in the world for me.

He called me a little while ago and asked me to come in tomorrow so that we can write out a new plan with the lower dosing. He said alot of people tapering will start to skip a day, then skip 2 days, and so on, to get off of this drug. My main problem with Suboxone and the reason I want off of it (Besides wanting to be truly clean) is that Suboxone makes me a complete shell of who I am. I am almost emotionless on this medication. Sure I laugh, I cry, but not really. I don't feel emotions the way I once did. and to me, that is no quality of life. I want to be me again, whoever she is, I wanna find out.

[vicki595]

What dose were you on when you stopped the Sub and when was it?  You may be able to taper off with the Percocet that you have...instead of going back on the Sub. I guess it just depends...

Let us know and good luck to you-

[ariley13]

Hi there! I am so sorry that you had to deal with the cyst. I get them all of the time (big one's just like yours) and they are a killer. I hope that you heal quickly and can move on with your life. I am having a hard time understanding why you are starting the subs again. (I'm running a little slow today, so please forgive me!) Is it because you have been taking the Percocet post op? Or were you not totally tapered off of the subs before your cyst? Either way, I wish you the best of luck with this. I am glad that you have managed to find a doctor you like. Please stay strong and know that you can get through this. We are here for you.

[ROSYouralright]

Good for you!! Sounds like you have a good plan in place! Stick with it..