Suboxone Help

[BoZephus]

I have taken 2mg of Suboxone everyday for about two and a half to three months roughly and I am just wondering if anyone can tell me what I can expect as far as withdrawals.  The Suboxone I took was the strips and I have not tapered down.  I started out taking 2mg a day and roughly 3 months later I took my last 2mg strip and just hoping to know what is ahead of me so I can be better prepared.  Please and thank you.

Bo

[BoZephus]

First day has been fine as all have suggested.  Still very nervous for even mild symptoms however.  I imagine the third and fourth days are when I will really see what I got myself into.  Thanks again for all the encouraging words and knowledge each and every one of you have provided.  Some truly wonderful people here!

Bo

[BoZephus]

Hi Evolver!  I took my last one yesterday and this is the first day without since I started.  Thank you also for your encouraging compliments.  I think of people who may going through something like this without such support and can't help but worry.  Hopefully this place is finding new people everyday and soon, no one will have to suffer alone.  Thanks again.

Bo

[BoZephus]

The exercise I get is at work.  I walk about a mile and a half, sometimes 2 each night, which I only work MWF so it helps to have a day in between to recuperate, otherwise I may not be able to handle this job like all the others.  I can do anything for a day or two, it's day after day and week after week when I start to be in pain constantly and toss and turn in the bed all night with no sleep for lack of peace.  The judge says I can stand and walk so I should be able to work, and I have to eat and pay bills so I do what I must.  I just wish I could find something that isn't illegal, expensive, or addictive to help cope with this as I know I will have to deal with this for the rest of my life (I'm 32), but my daily pain is nothing like what I've read other people go through.  Thanks again Weaver and I will keep you posted.

Bo

[EvolverU]

Hi Bo & Welcome :)

Congratulations on your decision to come off Subs. May we ask if you consider yourself to be 'medically dependent' of addicted? The difference being that an addict will exceed their prescribed dosage & obsess over the how & when of their next use.

Please, though it's good to plan ahead & make realistic allowances, try not to plan on suffering as it can make it worse. As my friend Weaver mentioned, you'll probably have mild withdrawals if you have any at all. Everyone is different. It's a good sign that you had no ill effects after stopping the Lortabs. (& yes, they certainly can cause w/d's!;))

So, when was the last time that you took a Sub? This info will give us a better read. Are you experiencing any symptoms so far?

You've got a great attitude (your so right when you say that you'll gladly suffer in order to avoid the hell that addiction entails. I think you might be one of the lucky ones & that this will be easier rather than harder. A Big Well Done to you on doing the research & putting the brakes on! Smart man. ;)

[motye51]

Your analogy of the "train" is right on point.....get off the tracks!  You can do this....strong will, determination and WANT really make a difference.  And really, you should read up on that hyperalgesia. A lot of people on here claim that the pain meds (and subs) make your pain actually worse than it really is.  Again, with the subs long half life, it is going to take a little time, but you sound like you got this!  Remember, when you feel like ****, POST!

[weaver71]

One more thing, don't think the pain that you may feel is your actual pain level. Opiate induced hyperalgesia is very real and our pain is often worse for awhile, before it gets better. Mine is better now than it was the last few years on opiates. Your last dose of sub is out of your body in 21 days, that is when I think you will feel some real progress. Also, that long life draws out the healing, so give it enough time before seeking new drugs for your pain, do you swim or do any other therapy for your condition? Keep us posted.

[weaver71]

A total guess, but I think you may have issues with sleep, anxiety, maybe some RLS, but it should be mild and pass quickly. Just so you know, 1mg of sub is approx equal to 60mgs of Lortab, and yes, Lortab can cause intense withdrawals. We all make mistakes, but not everyone learns from them, way to go on realizing pretty fast what you were getting into. Your constitution and obvious control over the drugs is a huge factor. If you can handle the flu, you can handle the physical withdrawal. Metabolism, age, diet, general health, all kinds of things play a role, so that's why this is a total guess. I think you will handle it just fine.

[BoZephus]

Thanks Weaver!  I was never prescribed anything other than loratab 7.5.  I took them regularly for about 3 years and I don't know if this is odd or not but when my insurance ran out and I could no longer afford my doctor visits and cost of medicine, I never suffered from anything more than my knees aching.  As far as withdrawals, that was it for me with them (I don't know if loratab even will make you withdrawal or not).  It has been several years since I had taken them regularly.  Every now and then a kidney stone would send me to the ER and they would always send me home with about 15 of them that I would usually stash in the cabinet and take one here and there when I did something to aggravate my back and cause it to ache, but again, not on an everyday basis.  The job I have now isn't rough on my back but I do have to walk quite a bit and that causes me to ache night in and night out but not like the physical jobs I've tried in the past.  My friend convinced me they were harmless and they were better than anything I could get over the counter so I used them for this short amount of time until I found out just how terrible they can be.  I thought they were meant to prevent addiction and in that sense, not addictive.  Since I've found otherwise I don't plan to use them anymore.  Do you still think I can plan on some sort of suffering?  Thanks again.

Bo

[BoZephus]

Thanks again for responding.  I guess I was just hoping that I could exclude myself from the tragic symptoms I have been reading about.  The way I look at it, if I see a train coming, I'll be able to acknowledge the train and step off the tracks.  Thankfully my curiosity lead me here so I could see where I was inevitably heading and hopefully avoid a full blown derail.  I will happily suffer for a couple of weeks to avoid the miserableness I have read about.  This was nothing more than a wolf in sheep's clothing.  Thanks again.

Bo

[weaver71]

I do not know your previous drugs or dosage to subs, but after such a short time of use and at a reasonable dose, it should not be so bad. Try not to compare what will happen for you by what happens to others. A guy I know who used 16mgs for 3 months just stopped, he had some restless sleep, felt some mild flu symptoms for about 2 weeks. Again, we are all different. If you are not an addict, but only dependent, then I think you will be fine. The anxiety and mental part is one of the biggest battles, and no sleep is likely the number one complaint. If the reason you used medication to begin with is still there, it will flair up to try and get you to take more, whether it's for pain or heartache, withdrawal amplifies it all. Hang in there, you will realize how much the sub effects you after it is over. True freedom is way better.

[motye51]

Definatly employ your wife to help!!! U will need her! I hear ya, a lot of people use the subs when their out of their reg doc. I used them to get off of opiates but became addicted to them as well. U are going to go through some pretty decent w/ds but as long as u are aware, you have some help(wife), and u want it, then you can do it.
BTW....that was supposed to be 1 1/2 weeks...again I'm guesstimating b/c I jumped from 16 mg and it took me 4 weeks for the physical, so with your dose being lower it shouldn't take as long...but it will be a day or two before they really kick in. Stay near a bathroom!!!! People told me to try and keep moving during detox which I found impossible! Stay hydrated or it will feel much worse than it needs to. It's going to suck *** but once its over and u come out on the other end u will need a plan for aftercare!
BTW..  love the name!!! LOL

[BoZephus]

Thanks for replying!  Yes, I have a wonderful, super supportive wife that would fight a grizzly bear with me.  I don't go to the doctor (no insurance) a friend turned me onto this.  Don't get me wrong, I'm not a user that gets high or anything.  About ten years ago I had major back surgery and haven't recovered well over the years.  I've not had luck finding work that I can continue to do on a day to day basis, week after week and month after month until recently.  When my insurance ran out I could no longer afford my normal medication and this was a "cheap replacement.  My conscience no longer allows me peace paired with the fear of possibly losing the one job I have found that I can do and still sleep peacefully at night plus the information I have found in my brief research about this drug I have decided to discontinue use.  I made a dumb choice, I know.  I am just hoping there is no extreme consequence for my action as I only used this for 2 1/2 months.  Thanks again.

[motye51]

Welcome to this forum. It's still kind of early so more people will be on soon.
Did your Dr have u quit on 2 mg or are u doing this? I ask b/c a lot of people on here that took subs taper even lower than the 2 mg before they jump off? Subs do have a pretty long half life so it does take a little while for w/ds to kick in. I would go get some immodium, gatorade, epsom salts, vit c and potassium. I would think u can expect these w/ds to last 1/2 weeks since your mg was 2.  If this is what you want to do it can be done. I w/d off the subs as well, so I know u can do this. When u don't feel good, post, when u think u can't go further post, do u have anyone around you that could help?