Suboxone, Ritalin, Klonopin, Lexapro is getting me clean from Vicodin. Is anyone in the same situation?

[orthodox1024]

I'm 24 years old, and I had been taking Vicodin for 2 years for back issues and migraines. In the summer of 2009 I began using opiates heavily. I had several friends who were pharmacists, and pharm. techs. I started shooting up morphine when I could get it, taking norco, taking morphine tablets, etc. in September of 2009 I found a guy who was selling Vicodin 5/500 tablets for $4 a pill. I was spending every dime I had to buy them. On top of that I was getting 60 a month from two Doctors. By November I was taking 15 a day, and eventually in February I was up to 30-40 a day. I had to take 15 just to get out of bed in the morning. In early March I had decided that enough was enough. I had no money, bills piling up, and I had blown through all of my student loan money, and had borrowed hundreds of dollars from family and friends. I knew all about Suboxone, and how much it helped. I found a Doctor who prescribed it, and made an appointment. I started on a low dose of 4mg twice a day. It has been 2 months now, and I take 4mg 3 times a day. After the first visit with this Doctor I was sent home with several scripts. Suboxone 2mg and 8mg. Klonopin for the anxiety of WD, Robaxin (muscle relaxer), Clonodine (to help with night sweats) The first week was horrible. No energy at all, and constant sleepiness. Im a full time student, and work two jobs. The energy I got from the opiates was now gone. He started me on Provigil 100 mg. It seemed to help, but not enough. I suffered from ADD since I was 15, and I addressed this to him. It has been almost two months since I stopped taking opiates, and I have narrowed down what I take daily. I'm now taking Suboxone 4mg 3x a day. Ritalin 3-4x per day (20mg), and Klonpin or Ativan when needed. I know that the Klopin/ativan and suboxone is a bad combination, so I will only take those benzos when needed, in small doses, and long after the suboxone. I started taking Lexapro two nights ago. 10mg before bed. I have been having severe reactions to it. VERY vivid dreams, hallucinations at night, waking up drenched in sweat, violently throwing up. I obviously stopped taking it. Does anyone have a good recommendation for an anti-depressant while taking suboxone? Id anyone taking a similar cocktail? The ritalin is really helping with overcoming my wd from vicodin, and replacing energy/focus. I know it is addictive so Im very careful with it. I want my body to feel normal again, but I can't even remember what that feels like. Has anyone had a severe reaction like that to Lexapro? Also, my sex drive from the suboxone is totally gone. Achieving an erection is pretty much impossible, and if I do, orgasm never happens. Anyone else out there with similar problems? I have been clean now for 2 months, and I want to limit what I take. I will be on Suboxone for 6 months to a year the DR. said. I will slowly be weened off. Im scared, and would like some advice.

[Mandapanda17]

Hi, so HAPPY to hear you are getting a second opinion. :) That makes me the happiest after reading through your post. Now, I wanted to tell you this, Suboxone & Benzos, have a Moderate to Moderate drug to drug interaction, it is NOT deadly unless you are elderly, or have certain heart conditions, in those cases you would need to be monitored by a doctor. I'm not saying that those things aren't playing with fire, russian roulette, etc, but your doctor wasn't trying to kill you, with that combo. at least. I successfully got clean from a bad oxy contin/painkiller addiction, using Subxone and Xanax. (GASP) I also successfully tapered off of both within 5 months. :) Maybe I am the exception here, so I did want to tell you that I was in a similar situation, my doctor also wanted me to take Celexa (another anti anxiety med) and I refused to take a 3rd med. The Ritalin sounds unnecessary to me, ESPECIALLY if it wasn't prescribed for ADD or ADHD? Anyway, just wanted to tell you my thoughts and experience. Hope you are well, and let us know how things go please :)

[cathy5841]

Thank goodness u posted, I was worried bout u. Glad u r seeing another doc for a 2nd opinion. Keep us posted on your progress!

[orthodox1024]

OK. So, all of your responses are wonderful. At the time I was majorly desperate to find a Doctor to help me. I didn't do background checks or anything when I was trying to get help. The only thing I was thinking about was getting off of the Vicodin. I don't want to make excuses for myself, or for the Doctor, but I do know a bit about what I'm taking. I know that initially he did over prescribe me. I have narrowed down what I take daily hugely. When I ran a check on him just now, it turns out that he had a patient die two years ago because he wrote too many scripts for him. He was my age which is really scary. I'm going to my primary care Doctor TODAY to get my lab work done. Liver Enzyme/thyroid/kidney/CBC/EKG. Im going to talk to her about all of this. Again, Im not stupid with the meds I take. I DO KNOW that taking Suboxone with a BENZO can kill me. I know when I can take it, and when I cant. I DO NOT take BENZOS every day. I would say that I take a KLONOPIN maybe once or twice a week when needed. It is scary to see that response of trading one addiction for another. I know that Suboxone is addictive. I just dont know how long I should be on it.. I started treatment 2 months ago.. Should I still be taking the SUBOXONE? According to my DR I should be on it for at least 6 months then he is going to taper me off of it.. That doesnt sound right to anyone? I take the Ritalin daily. I also know that Ritalin is addictive. I dont want to get hooked on that, of course. I have really narrowed down my scripts, and with your responses Im going to go to another Doctor for a second opinion. I kept telling myself that everything he was writing was correct.. I knew that he was over prescribing, but again, I never took everything he wrote me. It's funny because I called the pharmacy yesterday, and they checked everything I was taking to see if there were interactions. The Pharmacist said "none that I can see" I mentioned the Suboxone/Benzo interaction (which I have known about) and he said that as long as I wait at least 4 hours from my last Suboxone dose it IS safe to take a low dosage of Klonopin. Again, Im not risking anything with this stuff. The addiction I had to opiates ruined my life. I never again want to be hooked on anything. I'm NOT taking the LEXAPRO at all anymore, and Im not even going to consider an anti-depressant until Im off of the Suboxone. So as of today, I'm going to get my labs done, get a second opinion, lower my suboxone, lower my Ritalin, and stop the BENZOS completely. I will say that the Ritalin has helped me ALOT. I don't abuse it at all. I take it as directed. I'm really trying to get better. You guys have really sent me a WAKE UP CALL for a second opinion. I thought that everything I was on was normal. I will post updates soon. Any other advice is very welcome. Im really glad I posted.

[nuredshuz]

wow your doctor doesnt sound like he paid attention in the classs that doctors have to take to prescribe suboxone... you shouldnt need any of the other meds that help with the wds... especially benzos... its DEADLY to take benzos with suboxone! the sub should take care of most of the anxiety and really most of all the wd symptoms... too bad he is upping instead of tapering your sub dose too~ if you dont go to treatment and you have enf sub to do a 2 week taper that is what i would suggest... stop taking everything else and taper with the suboxone... if you taper all the way down to crumbs in a short quick taper you SHOULD feel pretty good... good luck to you!! :)

[gnarly_1]

HI and all I can say is wow to....they got you sideways on stuff right now it sounds to me like you walked into dr feel goods office im suprize he still has a license...I had a dr feel good once...do yourself a favor and dump him I did ...good luck and God bless...Gnarly

[dominosarah]

Please get some help from a different doctor......sara