Suboxone for Methadone withdrawal and time off work

[KristenV]

Can anyone tell me how long I'll have to miss work while detoxing off methadone with suboxone. I know I have to wait until I'm 3 days into withdrawals before starting the suboxone. Also, does the doctor prescribe anything else for RLS and sleeplessness along with the suboxone?

[wait2long]

this is from naabt..which is a strictly suboxone/subutex information site...

What is the Naloxone for?

(In relation to the Buprenorphine/Naloxone Combination product(Suboxone®))
Because of reports of misuse of buprenorphine by injection in other countries, the buprenorphine/naloxone combination was developed for the U.S. market. This combination was thought to decrease the potential for diversion and misuse of buprenorphine because, if injected, the naloxone should precipitate withdrawal in the patient.

Sublingually, naloxone has a relatively low bioavailability while buprenorphine has good sublingual bioavailability.
Both have poor bioavailability through the GI tract. Taken sublingually, as directed, naloxone is clinically insignificant and has virtually no effect. (Except in rare cases of an allergic reaction or naloxone hypersensitivity.)

[worried878]

wait2long knows her sub but the narcan/naloxone in the suboxone will make peole sicker if drugs are still on board than subutex..unfortunately people can even use on subutex they just have to take more/alot more to get high...it is given to people whom the doctor feels are at lower risk for abuse/the naloxone can also cause headaches more so than the subutex...and some have a problem tolerating that...naloxone/narcan  is a reversal agent and what we give patients when they have overdosed at the hospital...and not all doctors do this induction where u can go in and not be in wds..only some and my friend was luck enuf to find a doctor here who gave her a small amount of subutes then 3 hours later another dose and off she went...but tapering down is a good idea as u ned to make urs last until ur appt and it will not be that bad as methadone stays in the system for so long..it would be a good idea to taper like wait2long said..get on down to 20 mg pronto

[wait2long]

my advice  is to cut back to 20 mgs asap, like starting at your next dose , even if its only for a few days, it will help some...you have to be in withdrawals from methadone whether it is subutex or suboxone...it is the buprenorphine that is in  both that will put you into precipitated withdrawals if you dont wait for withdrawals to start before you take it, not the naloxone...the naloxone is only in suboxone to prevent being abused by IV drug addicts, it is its only purpose.
i switched from 30 mgs of methadone and it is tough, but doable...just make sure you are REALLY sick before you take that first dose of sub ...its real easy to talk yourself into being sicker than you really are, which is what i did.  i was told 2-3 days and i should be in  withdrawals and start the sub on the 3rd day...thats not how it went for me...i went almost 5 full days before i was really sick, and i still wasnt sick enough, i was put into precipitated withdrawals IMMEDIATELY...but started to lesson in effects the more my doctor told me to increase my dose. it took about 6 hours to feel ok., not great but ok and able to function.
2 big questions i have for you is...how long have you been at 30 mgs?  and what was you dose before that?  this is important because of the half life methadone has...

tapering off methadone is a very difficult and long process...its sounds like you really dont have that kind of time on your hands, it takes some a year or more to complete a successful taper off methadone...you will do fine with the transition to sub and it is worth it to get off methadone...
i started out at the full dose (not at once, gradually increased) of 32 mgs and was there for about 6 weeks... i am now down to 6 mgs...
also i dont know what kind of plan you have or have discussed with your doctor...but with methadone, withdrawals can last up to 6 weeks, so in my opinion and what i experienced, i would say 6 weeks mininmum on the suboxone or you may still be feeling the withdrawals from the methadone once off the suboxone...
also there are other medications your doctor can prescribe to you to help with the transition, the most important one is clonidine (not klonopin), clonidine is a blood pressure medication that helps lesson your withdrawal symptoms...please write it down and ask for it, it is cheap and non addicitve...and does wonders...
i will check back here in a while to see what your answers to my questions are...or you can send me a private message...i will watch for it...
good luck...and keep us posted...i'll be waiting to hear from you...
W2L

[Penelope14]

If for some reason, { as things don't always go in our favor sometimes?} maybe you could begin tapering what you do have left, I'm only implying to do this if something should happen & you don't get onto sub. Regardless of what you do, your gonna be just fine, I came off of methadone 5 1/2 months ago, I detoxed off of 90mgs & tapered down to 2mgs, with some problems, but nothing to horrible. Think positive & keep posting on this forum to let us all know how ya do. Good Luck Penelope

[KristenV]

I have no choice but to totally quit. I only have enough methadone to last til this Friday. I don't know anyone else in NC foothills that takes methadone so I can't buy more and taper. I have to keep my job so I can't go cold turkey. Sub dr. seems to be my only answer.

[worried878]

and a slow taper off the methadone may be ok but i can not guarantee u wont feel wds at the end when u get down below 10 mgs as many do....