Suboxone

[ufindme2008]

I made an appointment with a clinic that treats opiate addiction this morning.  Im scared to take Suboxone but then I cant seem to get off the Vics on my own.  If I am on Sub for a short time (2-3 months) and taper slowly, will i go through a worse withdrawal than I would just going off of vicodins?  The nurse I spoke to told me that I will go through some withdrawal but its not the same (as bad) as it would be withdrawaling off of oxys, percs or vics.

Thanks
Ellen

[sarahsmiles1244]

Just wondering how your appt went???

[ufindme2008]

Thank you everyone!!  I mean that from my heart.  Yes, I am scared to death to start Sub.  I have made up my mind that no matter what I will not be on it for more than 21 days, and this includes tapering.  The nurse at the clinic told me that they would start me out at 3 mgs.  She mentioned that i could take 3 mgs 3 times a day.  I just want to take it long enough to get the vicodin out of my system.  I am not claiming to know anything about taking Suboxone, because I never have before.  Ive suffered from benzo withdrawals and Ultram, and those two were hell.  10 times worse than vic.  However this time around Ive attempted to taper so many times these past several months off the vics, only finding myself right back where I started because of the severe nausea and other symptoms that we all know about.  I was taking anywhere between 6-15 vics a day for the past 2 years.  I know how powerful this disease is and I really do not want to go this route, but I know I need some help.  Just keep me in your prayers.  I go tomorrow morning for my first visit.  I am going to tell this Dr. that I want to do a very short detox....no more than 21 days.  Why not take it for only 14 days.  Just a thought.  Again, thank you for your honesty.....everyone.  I will keep you all informed.

Ellen

[sarahsmiles1244]

I started Suboxone in April 2008....stopped taking in October when I was down to 2mg a day.  I was able to get to day 6 and couldn't take the withdrawals anymore.  So...I started back on Suboxone again.  I am now taking 1mg morning, 1mg night.  I will stay on this for about a week and then go down to .5 morn, night.  I have heard that getting down as low as you can go with dosages and then just taking every OTHER day will eliminate alot of the withdrawal feelings.  That's what I'm planning on trying.  I have heard from other forums that some people experience very little withdrawals and others experience withdrawals that last for MONTHS.  My feelings during the 6 days off were, restless leg(mostly at nights), sneezing, aches, runny nose.  The restless leg was the worst.  I often wonder if tapering off Hydrocodone would have been easier than the Suboxone.  I truly agree that I traded one drug for another.  NOW I see that.  I'm glad that Sub makes me feel "normal" but it really bothers me that I have to be "dependent" on it for such a long time.  

Ufindme - Don't be scared...I was too because I didn't want to feel any withdrawals when first getting on Suboxone.  I was taking about 10-15 Lortab's daily, Suboxone doctor told me that I could go in "high" to the office for the first visit.  I left the office to get the Suboxone and felt "normal" with no side effects.  NONE.  The only scary thing about Suboxone is getting OFF of it.  But hopefully...as I'm hoping to learn....tapering off at a low dosage can hopefully give me my life back with no withdrawals.  Good luck and let us know how you do!

[Lynn79]

I recommend Suboxone for ANYONE as a withdrawal tool, no matter what they were on before, if you start at 2 or 4mgs and taper down immediately.  If you feel high at first, you are on too much, if you feel withdrawal, you are taking too little.  Shave it down every day for two weeks, and by then your previous drug will be out of your system, and the Sub hopefully will not have been enough to get addicted to.  This, like all drug plans, takes a lot of self discipline.  But for the person who can use it this way, I believe it can be the miracle drug it was marketed to be.

[feelingblue222]

In my opinion It depends on how much of your DOC you currently take.  If you are taking severly high levels then Sub might be an option.  Once on Sub. you must be dicipline to taper over  a 6 week period.  I was taking 90mg of roxicodone 3 years ago fro about a year.  I decided to go to a Sub Dr. and next thing you knew I was on it for 2 years and it was hell to get off.  The other thing about taking Sub is alot of Dr's who perscribe it dont know diddily about how to properly administer it.  I would have been much better off had I gone c/t 2 years ago then go down the Sub. route I did.  If you are not dicipline to taper off your DOC now it might be a better idea to just go c/t.

[CBS426]

That's what I was trying to say- Because it was able to get me high and I was using opiates for some time... that's it's obviously strong enough to cause wd. I don't think people quite understand what it is they are taking. I did not understand when I was taking it. I just thought it helped out with wd and blocked the effects of dope. I didnt realize (at the time) that I was substituting one drug for another. I just thought that it was great that I was getting off dope, and still had a buzz. That was the addict in me. If given the opportunity I would probably abuse anything. That's why I'm here:) Anyway,I don't have my whitts about me today, so I'm probably now just rambling, but I'm just trying to say if it's possible to do it by tapering with the vics in my opinion that would be the best route.

[liscamdave]

Well, no offense CBS..but it's not supposed to get you high. If it was, your dr should have immediately dropped your dose or taken you off of it altogether. I have heard of it getting some people high, but that is also extremely high amounts of sub. I was eating anywhere from 10-20 Oxy 80's a day...and my dr started my on 16mgs a day of sub and I dropped to half that the next day. It has worked for some and some it has not. But its definitely not supposed to get you high.

[CBS426]

I so have to comment. I am personally against suboxone. I know it's worked wonders for some people, but I truly believe that it's a decision that should be taken sersiously. I'm a heroin addict. When I first got into heroin, I snorted it. I remember after using (snorting a couple bags a day), I thought my withdrawals were SO horrible. I couldn't fathom it getting any worse. I had some friends who were perscriped suboxone, but sold them to support their dope habits. I bought probably 20 suboxone pills from them, and I LOVED the suboxone. It actually got me high. I could have easily traded my addiction to them. They eventually lost their script for them due to the fact they weren't taking them. Then I was introduced to the needle. I got put on suboxone myself, and for me- it didnt even take the edge off, atleast that's what I told myself at the time... and I started selling my pills to help support my dope habit. I guess what I'm saying is- sub was strong enough to actually get me high when I was detoxing from snorting dope. When it probably could have actually helped me I was too far gone to allow it to. I was determined to be a junkie at the point. If you can ween yourself off the vics, I would.

[refusingbondage]

I agree. Be very careful.  2-3 months is somewhat of a long time.  Tapering off the vics would probably be way less painful.   It is definitely a personal choice and I dont want to push you in one direction or another as getting clean is top priority.  But I have to tell you that from experience suboxone withdrawal, for me and others, was no walk in the park and in fact much worse than coming off of vics, percs etc.  Just dont be fooled into thinking there is a way to do this without any withdrawal because there isnt -- unfortunately.  Many people, including myself, were enticed by thinking suboxone would prevent withdrawal all together.  It prevents withdrawal while you use it, but its not easy to come off of either.  Short term is definitely the way to go with suboxone and Ive heard many positive things from short term (for detox only) suboxone users.  The least amount for the least amount of time to avoid getting hooked on suboxone.    

[avisg]

I agree with lisa how much are you taking dalily and for how long how many mgs a day

[liscamdave]

2-3 months..most likely your w.d will be worst then that of Vics. If you are going to taper, why not do it with the vics. I mean, the w.d will be minimal compared to what it will be with sub. If you want to do a short treatment with sub, then you need to do a 21day treatment. Once you start the sub, you immediately begin to taper. The least amount of sub you start with and end with will determine what your w.d will be like. Sub is very strong and powerful stuff..Be careful..

[esteeruth]

Hello-
I heard the same thing but I have not used it.
Please keep us posted of how you are doing?
esteeruth