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Suboxone Withdrawal...

It all began with vicodin 7.5/750mg of acetaminophen. I took on average 13-15 of them a day for 2 years.  Then, I discovered suboxone and was on it for a little over a year...never relapsed. I got down to a quarter of a 2mg pill(0.5mg). Why am I still experiencing such harsh withdrawals? I just want to be off the suboxone and done with it for good. I stopped going to my doctor 3 months ago. I haven't ran out of suboxone either. Just wanted to quit...but, I guess it will leave me no choice but to take it again. The withdrawals are causing me body aching pain, loss of appetite, and I can't sleep. I've never liked how suboxone has made me feel. That's my biggest reason for wanting to be done with it.

Any suggestions, tips, and comments would be greatly appreciated.
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Avatar universal
i have taken sub. for 3weeks to get off perks. i am down to a crumb a day , but by 5 pm im ready for bed? how do i get off these completly?
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Avatar universal
I've never posted a comment here before but...I'm in  tough spot and would welcome suggestions from anyone.  I started taking Suboxone to detox from Percocet, which I had taken for two years until I could afford neck surgery.  My pain medicine specialist advised that it would be wise to continue taking it as a pain management med to treat my other spine-related symptoms.  Since then, I've switched doctors twice.  One retired, the other just "fired" me, giving me 10 days of 8/2 tablets - a 10 day supply. I was fired due to marijuana use.  I'm 56 and have been using medical marijuana to taper off the Suboxone and also as a sleep aid. I got my medical marijuana certificate about two years ago state law still prevents it here.  Anyway, can't make the story short now, can I?  After many calls I found a Suboxone-certified doctor who can see me in about 3.5 weeks.  Any suggestions on what to do, and how to do it in the meantime to prevent severe withdrawal?  I could sure use some help.
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Avatar universal
thank you. I am an RN too. my son is struggling with suboxone addiction withdrawal. I want to continue to correspond with you. I am familiar with holosync, etc. My name is Karen Maria
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Avatar universal
Please don't listen to this dribble. The "Law of attraction" is not a real thing. The only thing spiritual that can help you is God the Holly Bible and lots of support around you.If you don't want the Lord to help you than you will have to rely on yourself. You can still kick it that way, but you will never be able to fully heal from the pain that youve experienced in your life and you will never have inner peace. I hope that whoever reads this gets better and finds there purpose.
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Avatar universal
I made some major mistakes while abusing methadone and now it's time to pay for those mistakes.  That doesn't bother me so much as being thrown in a cell without any of my medications, including Subs and klonopin.  I have severe debilitating migraines and the Suboxone helps stave off the worst of these as well as treating my addiction issues.  Klonopin, though used for anxiety, is also used off-label for migraine treatment.  It too can cause severe, even life-threatening, withdrawals.  I have no time to slowly taper from anything before my sentence is supposed to start and I'm scared to death about what's going to happen to me.  
Does anyone have any suggestions, ideas, anything that might help me get through this with my sanity and health intact?
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Avatar universal
How many ultrams a day did you take and for how many days after quitting suboxone? What mg of subs did you jump off? I'm taking 2mg once daily and just started taking the 1 mg today. I also have a script for ultram due to kidney stones and have taken 2 today. I tried jumping off at 2 mg before and a day later had restless legs and high blood pressure. I'm now also on a blood pressure pill called bystolic. Do you think I should ween 1 mg each week until I'm down to like a. Crumb then jump? Thanks and hope to get anyone to reply.
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Avatar universal
I've had 2 failed cervical fusions, deg. disk disease , arthritis in my whole spine and not to mention the problems in my lower back . Suboxone has made me pain free , the best I've felt in years . I was on opana er and opana ir for 6 years and miserable !! suboxone has done wonders for me.
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Avatar universal
I have read on here and other sites about how bad suboxone is,as in long term use.I am here to tell everyone its the only way i could have kicked a terrible pain pill addiction.I was sick and tired of being sick and tied,ten years heavy pain pill abuse,20 to 30 lortabs or what ever pain pill i could get.Life was terrible ,had very good jobs but could not keep one for more than a couple a year .Before pain pills I had the same job for 14 years.  When I didnt have pills would do meth,coke or anything to get though.The heart of it was the pain pill addiction.Then when I knew thought there was no hope a friend of told me about suboxone.Went to the doctor in the worst withdrawl ever,took the first half,4mg,it was like the haze of a world that the pain pills had cause was lifted.The problem was I tried to stop tosoon and found myself looking for painpills. to make a long story short I got back on suboxone,it gave me hope.For 3 years I took just enough to get by one halfa day.Though those year God opened my eyes and I hated pain pills.    I was ready to get off suboxone.like everyone says taper down,U will withdrawl,a little pain for a big gain.I am here to tell u ther is hope it can be done ,everyday will get better,prayer and honesty is the key
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610505 tn?1329603723
Ultrum is very addictive...believe me, I know from experience. Good luck
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983679 tn?1276833336
wow..i truely enjoyed reading your post. I feel that in "short" words you were saying "mind over matter" and i find this very true. You have to put your mind in a good place before and during w/ds
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hello, I have went for 12 perks 10/325 a day to 4. Along with PRISTIQ, It has helped me so much. I have had 2 failed Lumbar back surgeries. I have been on Morphine & perks for 5 years. I am off the morphine I went cold Tukey & I was doing really bad. even with the 12 perks a day until the doctor gave me PRISTIQ. then those withdrawls went away. I still have alot of pain but there is no hope I broke my tailbone & now I have nerve damage & artritis really bad. The doctor wants to put me on suboxone. I am so afraid to go on it, I have hear that the withdrawl is worse than with perks. Why are doctor pushing this drug so much? I am doing good on the 4 perks a day. I went from 12 a day to 4 a day in one 3 weeks. I still a bit fo pain but the pristiq did really help me with withdrawls & pain. I am almost back to my old self again. I wold suggest this drug for withdrawls & it makes you feel good!!!! Dee
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495284 tn?1333894042
COMMUNITY LEADER
Tramadol is very addicting......Be very careful with this stuff and make sure you taper down as there is a risk of seizures.
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Avatar universal
Withdrawals are not fun no matter what you are coming off of. I have been an addict most of my life even though I am a professional and own my own business etc. It can happen to anyone. My drugs of choice are heroin, roxicontins, oxycontins, cocaine, etc. I had recently started taking Suboxone but ran out and started taking Ultram to curb the Suboxone withdrawals. So far, so good. Hopefully I can go the next several days without losing my mind from Suboxone withdrawals. From doing a lot of online research, it appears that Ultram which is a synthetic Codeine, is used for withdrawal systoms anyway, so I guess I did the right thing. So, anyone who is withdrawing from any type of opiate, try taking Ultram, it may work for you. And this is coming from a MAJOR hard core drug addict. Good Luck!
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Avatar universal
The half-life of Suboxone is 37 hours I believe, so with regards to an 8mg tablet, 4mg will be used within 37 hours, then 2mg over the next 37, then 1mg over the next, then .5mg, etc etc....Which means that one lil ole sublingual can last upwards to 6 days...It is claimed that for a compound's half-life to be near non-existent (which half-life's never hit zero), it takes about 5-6 cycles or breakdowns, so Suboxone will take approximately 9 days for it to be at a dose very close to zero, about 0.0125mg's worth.  That is why it is such hell to try to come off of it!  When you combine tablet after tablet, day after day, that 9 day mark is no where near approximate!  I remember getting nose surgery and being on suboxone.  The doctors told me to stop taking it so that I could take the appropriate pain meds.  I was hesitant because of my propensity towards abusing any drug, but I tried.  I was taking two 8mgs pills daily for a few months and I went down to zero a week before surgery..Needless to say, I not only felt like hell, I also STILL didn't feel the narcotic painkillers!!!  That Naloxone or whatever it's called is some potent stuff!  Also, I read that bruprinorphine is extremely strong and it will bind to the receptors very tight but will not stimulate much...therefore, that is why taking vicodins will not work while suboxone is in one's system. Anyway, I went back to suboxone and used that for pain with advil, which is what I shoulda done in the first place;)

These are only my opinions.  Nothing in here is a necessary medical fact, just some stuff that I have researched, read, and experienced over the years.  Thank you.
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Avatar universal
My only question is how long currently have you been off since your last dose, or have you already started up the sub again. If not depending on where your at it may be better to just gut this out and be done with it. I was one of those who got down to just a tiny piece .25mgs or so, then I quit. The first week was tough just like any other opiate detox, but I was through the worst of it within 10days. It for sure does help to try and keep yourself as positive as possible through this process, its not gonna be easy but trust me you can get through this. My biggest problem was sleep, I could handle all the physical symptoms just fine but it was really hard to sleep. Just for information purposes I was on sub for a total of 18wks stemming from a bad methadone/oxycontin addiction. I had to ween my dose down before starting sub, but I only started at 8mgs because I think too many people are started on too high of a dose. Anyways I tapered rather quickly after 2months at 8mgs down under 1mg, then it became a little harder. I took the last remaining taper kinda slow to get my body adjusted. Just like the above posts have stated theres no way around the inevitable w/d's, were all different so we experience varying degrees of w/d. I wish you the best of luck, you can do this, trust me the temporary agony is well worth the feeling of being free from pills. Stay positive, research and learn from others and when your ready just go for it. Again good luck, take care.
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Avatar universal
I agree with your posting on tapering slowly.  I dont nessesarily think it takes upward of a year.  You can, but if you have the correct attitude, mindset, and self disipline it CAN be done faster.  Everyone has there own needs, I am not here to criticize.  However, your statement about withdrawal depression being "pretty significant" I think can be a self-fufilling prophecy in many ways.  If you read my other post on the power of positive visualization and the law of attraction, you will see that if you expect it to be an issue, then it will be, without a doubt.  However, if you spend some serious time focusing on how wonderful it is going to feel to be pain free, and keep pumping your brain full of positive and uplifting messages, you can make this whole process alot more manageable. Life is 5% what happens to us, and 95% how we react to it.  

People (not on this site! ) have been pretty harsh on my advice and have called it psycho babble, totally impractible, and fluffy rosey colored ramblings, and I have two responses to them:

1. With that attitude, how could something like what I explained above ever work for them?  All they do is explain why things in life wont ever work for them, and yet they are all surprised when that is exactlt what they get! The universe is only responding to your thoughts and energy and giving you exacty what you focus on.  

2. What do any of us have to lose by trying to take a positive outlook on our journey?  How could worrying about the future and expecting the worst bring you anything but the worst? The universe is simply giving back to you what you choose to focus your time and energy most on. It doesnt care if it help you or hurts you, it is indifferent. It does what you tell it, like a computer.  A wise man once told me, "worrying is the same as praying for what you don't want..."  That always puts things in perspective for me.

Helpful - 0
480448 tn?1426948538
Suboxone has a VERY long half life, which makes detox pretty difficult.  Your opiate receptors have been chocked full of goodies...from the Vicodin to the Subs.  It's a hard process on the body to all of a sudden NOT have that be the case.

What you have to remember (and accept) is that you will experience some level of withdrawal, it is really unavoidable.  Take the advice above, and taper AS SLOWLY AS YOU CAN.  Literally until you are using a crumb, then skipping one day, then two...so on and so forth.

People who have successfully gotten off Sub have usually done it VERRRRRY slowly.  I'm talking 6 months- a year or more.  There are all kinds of things you can do to ease the pains of withdrawals....but it isn't going to be pain free.  Make sure you have aftercare in place....and pay as much mind to your emotional needs as your physical ones.  The resulting depression of withdrawal is pretty significant.

You can do it and there is WONDERFUL support here....priceless.  Keep posting as you go thru the process...you will help yourself, as well as others who need it.

Best of luck.
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Avatar universal
I've never liked the way sub makes me feel as well. That foggy, detached feeling just *****. The slower you tape the easie it will be. Be patient with yourself. Time can be your best friend or your worst nightmare.
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Avatar universal
Hi!

Bear with me and read this, I truly think I can help. As a former RN, recovering IV fentanyl addict, and a suboxone user currently weaning off, I have interesting advice on how to make it through this.  Please do not dismiss this information as fluffy, idealistic, psycho babble. It cant be, because I am proof it is working. It is the only thing in my life I believe in without doubt, fear, or hesitation (Besides God LOL). And also, just because of what you are about to read, it does not mean I say forget about all the other ways to make this easier such as supplements, exercise, and other medications. I can discuss those options too, I wouldnt suggest a detox or self induced withdrawal without them.  As you will read below, I just think the first step is a spiritual one. If this step isnt taken, then nothing else matters.

First and most important, you have to sit down, take a deep breath, and make sure your mind is 110% focused and convinced that you CAN and WILL beat this.  You cannot go into this half heartedly, this is your life, and it matters!  Worrying constantly about your situation and all the reasons it will difficult, hard, and painful with almost certainly cause you to fail.  It did for me many, many times.  A wise man once told me that worrying is the same as praying for what you don't want.  I am very knowledgable about cognitive behavioral therapy (The Secret, Law of Attraction, Holosync, you might have heard of these), and I cannot emphasize enough that you must VISUALIZE as much as humanly possible how beautiful your life will be once you complete your journey.  Literally force yourself to FEEL how good it will be to when you can live a life free of pills, crutches, and anything else we all use to make ourselves feel "normal."  The one thing in this life I know for certain is that whatever you focus your time, thoughts, and energy on, WILL BE ATTRACTED INTO YOUR LIFE.  This is a law, like gravity, and it works without fail. Trust it. Everything we all are experiencing right now in some way shape or form has been attracted into our lives by the way we view the world...the way we think!  YOU and only you have the unbelievable authority to control your thoughts, and since everything in your life began with a thought, you can control and make it through anything if you learn (and in the beginning force yourself) to only think positively about your expereince.  

I have read true observational studies about men in India that beg on the strrets for every meal, have no money or possesions, and nothing we in America would call "going for them," yet this study reported these men are not only happy, but in a state of drug free bliss every second of everyday!  Wow!  Why? Because they are masters of doing what I am begining to discuss here for you.  Those beggars never view their lives as miserable, hopeless, or lacking.  They meditate and focus all their energy on bringing happiness into their lives, and so it has unfolded for them.  Nothing in this world or universe for that matter has any meaning to it at all...except what we give it!!!  Let that sink in, it really took me for a loop when I finally understood it!  We give bad, good, and indifferent meanings to everything in our life, and that means, (you already know what coming) you can consciously choose to change the meaning of all these supposed "bad" expereinces such as withdrawal into a positive expereince that is going to make you a pillar of strength.  

During withdrawal, if you consuistantly focus negatively on how hopeless it is, how you might relapse, how horrible your body feels, how you may never lead a free and happy life, and how this nightmare will never end....then that is EXACTLY what you will attract into your life.  You will never escape this circus of addiction.  From your thoughts come your feelings, and from feelings come your emotions, and in the end, this leads to your behaviors. The beautiful revelation I stumbled across and that you must come to realize and accept completely is that YOU have the CHOICE about how to view this challenge, so why not take a chance and choose to think positive and uplifting thoughts about your upcoming success? You WILL SUCCEED my friend! Believe it! How could negative thinking ever serve well you in the end?  We are all so used to thinking in terms of "coulda, shoulda, woulda", and in general feeling powerless over everything that happens to us in our lives.  And look, that is exactly what all of our lives have become at certain points - feeling powerless, hopeless, and miserable.  Its easier said than done, believe me, I am no guru or master. I may have some of this knowledge, but I am human and struggle everyday to make it work for me.  If you spend some time and analyze your thoughts and force yourself to think positive thoughts about yourself and how good it will feel when the journey is complete, you CANNOT fail.

I personally write down positive statements on post it notes, and have jotted a couple paragraphs on exactly how wonderful my life will be when I beat this addiction, and then force myself to keep reading it over and over, until it becomes engrained into my subconscious.  And do you know what, IT WORKS!  I would say I used to think about 90% negative thoughts, and 10% positive.  Currently, I am only at about 50/50, but every part of my life has changed, yet nothing in the external world has changed.  My circumstances are the same, but how I view them is changing, and it so beautiful to know I can change my life at any moment, by just changing the way I think.  Live your life as if you have already beaten your addiction and the withdrawal, then, let the universe and God to do the rest.  If you start this way, you absolutely, positively, CANNOT FAIL. I promise!  

If you read through all of this, I thank you. It means alot, it is cathartic to get this all out.  Think about all this as you go through the day.  I am not trying to be pretentious or preachy, I am just so inspired and optimistic about how my life has changed, and I want to impart this to you so we all can conquer our addictions  I can elaborate and help anyone else who wishes to learn more or has questions of any kind.  May God bless you and give you the strength to realize the amazing power you hold within you that can change your life. Only if you so choose...

~Fentanyl_Fanatic
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1 Comments
This comment was left in 2009 and it is as applicable today in 2016 as it was back then. My daughter is now in recovery for Suboxone and chrystal meth.  She has gone through detox and after 4 weeks is looking like the daughter I remember before she was taking drugs.  Her use of the suboxone was to keep her off her drug of choice she said.  The comment above is one I will share with her as I too believe " What you think about you bring about" . Through withdrawl and all it's symptoms I hope you will keep reminding yourself you never want to experience this again.  I'm an alcholic and non smoker....there isn't a month that goes by that i don't somewhere along the way, WISH I could have a smoke or a few drinks....but when that happens I immediately remind myself I am drug and alcohol free and I  will stay that way. Whatever works for you is what you must continue to do.  
867096 tn?1252202513
Your going to have some withdrawal symptoms. No way around it. I was able to taper off after a year of use and at the end I was taking a crumb and skipping days. I will tell you that I had tried to taper off at about 6 months and had alot of trouble (physically). Looking back, I can see that 'mentally' I had not made enough changes for me. I was not going to therapy. Once I kicked it into gear and became very involved in understanding my addiction and making some changes, the tapering became easier for me. The medical community has clearly shown how 'stress' and our mind can effect us physically. I think once I was mentally ready to taper off it became easier for me. I put no time limits on myself and I think this helped me mentally. This has just been my experience. Now that I have been several weeks off suboxone, I have no cravings at all. My life is so different today. You can do this! You may have some minor withdrawal but you can push through this. Good luck!
Helpful - 0
942290 tn?1252618549
the reason you dont relapse and the reason you have wd's is because its a narcotic opioid.......


what you described is not uncommon,

theres some people here that have tapered off it to the size of a crumb, successfully with somewhat less wd's, others have not. seems to be your only option now, because teh longer you are on it the worse it will be for any opioid
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Avatar universal
Hello.  Suboxone has a pretty long drawn out withdrawal.. Unfortunately many of us suboxone users dont realize this until its time to quit.  My best advise is to get down to even smaller amounts.. Like a quarter of a quarter.. or tiny crumb of sliver..then every other day.. You will probably have some withdrawal no matter what you do.  Just brace yourself and hang in there.. All the normal tips for easing the withdrawal - lots of fluids, advil, hot baths, and exercise.. the exercise will help a LOT with the aching, etc.  Benadryl is pretty good for sleep.. Also, try talking to your doctor.. Make it clear you want off and need help.. Maybe he can give you some clonidine (a blood press med that helps some of the worst w/drawaal -- skin bumps, sweating and sleeplessness)..I  Just be determined and you can beat it.  Dont let it beat you.  It will get better, give yourself some time.. I have lots of sub detox experience, so dont hestiate to ask me anything ok.  Good luck and God bless.
Helpful - 0
306867 tn?1299249709
How long have you been off it ?   I've heard it's best to get to a crumb and go every other day and then every third day etc.  Hang in there
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