Suboxone withdrawal

[Bennito]

I have been taking Suboxone for 3 years, I tapered down to 2 mg a day from 24 mg a day. I want to quit. I took 40 10 mg norco's from 80 mg to 30 mg to maybe kick the suboxone off the receptors. I am on day 6 with no sleep and RLS. Do I really have to do two months of this to get clear? I do not think I am strong enough for that. Should I go back on suboxone and taper down a lot lower.? Thanks, I am in misery. Ben.

[RNdublelife]

My doctor had me on 32mg suboxone for two years, kept telling me "you think you're alright but really your not". Didn't give me a lot of confidence. Now I've quit on my own, tapered down, last dose was yesterday, took only an 1/8 of a strip for many days, 1.3 a day before that and so on. Well now here I am, almost 10pm and I am jumping out of my skin. Can't sleep, RLS so bad I can't even sit still for more than 5 seconds, diarrhea. Seriously I can't do this! I just want to die!

[Bennito]

I took 40 Norcos over 5 days. Before getting on Suboxone I was snorting 160 mg's of Oxycontin a day for months. Then suboxone, 24 mgs aday down to 4 mgs a day. But I would abuse sometimes. I took 2 mg's a day for a week, then jumped off. Then I took the 40 norco's for 5 days thinking I would just go through the usual 4 to 6 days of pain and be free. Not so. I had a heart attack in 2009 and the suboxone helped me gain about 25 lbs and edema in my ankles and other places. Plus I started having dull ache occurrences in my chest that scared the hell out of me. When I stopped taking Suboxone I lost weight and my edema left, plus no more dull aches in my chest. I am trying, but if I had a 2mg film right now, I would take it. I am a ex-marine, I feel I wouldn't do so well in a prisoner of war camp, because I am so willing to submit. I hate what psychiatrist do with this medication. They Lie. Thanks    

[Bennito]

Thanks, I will keep you informed. Ben.

[ariley13]

You are not weak. This is a very hard thing. One of the hardest things a person can do. Please know this is temporary. As horrible as you feel, in a week or week and half you will look back and be amazed how far you have come. Please hang in there. We are here for you and know what you are going through. Have you thought about after care? Like NA or counseling? Might help a little. Just keep posting and try to keep your head up. You can do this!

[Bennito]

Thanks for your comments, I don't know if I am that strong. I shouldn't have jumped off at 2 mg, I have already sent a message to my psychiatrist to please give me some 2mg films I am ashamed and want to die. I told my wife I could do this. But after 6 days with no sleep, and my stomach problems, I am sorry I am so weak. If I could get a 2mg film I am sure I would take it, it embarrasses me. but I am going bat **** crazy. I want to ride my Goldwing to the Blue Ridge Parkway being completely straight before die. But These Doctors I feel are not in your best interest. I am a intelligent male, like Many of us abusers. I should of thought this through better. Thanks for your support. Ben  

[AnastasiaSteele]

Evolver is exactly right.  Unfortunately, once you've been on Sub long term, your receptors get so used to being filled that they don't care what's filing them.  Trying to replace one med with another won't help much, because it's still activating the same receptors.  The best thing to do is bite the bullet and detox, from everything.  Or else you will end up like me, and just switching addictions for years and years, because you're trying to find a way to avoid withdrawal.  (However, the ceiling dose of Sub is 32mgs, not 16.  And from personal experience, it can most definitely still have an effect at those levels.  Unfortunately.  Lol)  This medication is soooo strong, as evidenced by the fact that I maintained a 32mg per day dose for months, and then was able to cut it down to only 1mg per day.  And I STILL feel the same effects some days.  It's crazy.  

[digger1976]

Hey friend, I know it's hard believe me, subs are no joke for real! Please take care with the additional pills, you will send yourself through more misery than you can possibly know, plus it's so dangerous like my friends mentioned above, be carefull!

I successfully jumped from 4mgs of Subutex, it can be done, if you want it enough anything is possible. Your on day 6 now, that's quite an achievement in itself, well done! Now for the upsetting news, you are going to be unwell for a while yet, you must prepare for this. I would think you should start to feel a little better around the 2 week mark, you will get bits of sleep here and there but not much, please don't worry about it though, it's just part of the course. Your body will sleep when it truly needs it and not before, as long as you don't try and fight it you will be fine. Listen to music, watch funny shows/movies anything other than waiting it out. Force feed yourself, even if its the last thing on your mind and drink plenty water, I mean loads! These will help you so much in the coming days, if you can just keep eating a little at a time your appetite will return so much faster. You should try and exercise this will help your body fight for you, once you start you actually enjoy it, honest you do, it helps with the RLS so much to, my RLS went away really fast as I truly pushed myself. The biggest tip of all for any detox is just go with it and don't fight it, do anything to keep your mind active my friend. When things start to get to much for as they did for me, jump in a hot bath, it helps to get you relaxed. I was in the bath at least 4 times a day in the first 2 weeks.

This is very doable my friend, stick with it, you deserve to be free! Way to go on your 6 days, keep it up!

[EvolverU]

Hi there, Bennito! & Welcome. Thanks for posting.

I've got to agree w/my friends above. You really should've be under a Dr's care on your taper not only because Subs are rough to come off of but because you're a bit misinformed & have definitely embarked on a dangerous course here. 400 mgs of Norco? To come off of 2 mgs of Subs. (That may sound like a low dose of Subs but it's not.) I'm not sure if you were ever prescribed the Subs or not but 24 mgs. is an over-the-top dose. Suboxone has a 'ceiling' dose above which you won't feel any additional euphoria/pain relief. This ceiling usually ranges between 12 - 16 mgs.(& personally, I bellieve 16 to be high) Above the ceiling dose, all you do is exacerbate the side-effects of Suboxone & put your liver in jeopardy.

You can't really 'kick the Suboxone' off the receptors w/ Norcos. Subs have a much longer half-life than Hydros. You were on Subs for three years. It's not just a question of getting the Subs out of your bloodstream. You've actually changed your neural chemistry & it takes time, time , time to readjust & heal the body/mind. Suboxone is wildly fat soluble & therefore is stored in your tissues. This is why a gradual taper is in order -- to allow it to leach from your body.

Unfortunately there's no magic bullet. You can't really replace one opiate w/ another thinking that because you never took the second one that it will help you kick the first. They have the same basic action & you will still have to go through withdrawals. Usually, when people try something like this on their own, they end up simply replacing one opiate with another. It's so important to research these medications & to design a sound detox plan.

As to your question, yes, It'll probably take a while to sleep properly but the RLS & the worst of the acute w/d symptoms should start to abate within a week to two weeks. Please, check the 'Thomas Recipe' @ the bottom left hand corner of this page for some tips to help you ease your symptoms.

You're already 6 days in & that's quite an accomplishment!! (Congratulations, YOU!!) I'd say stick with it -- particularly if you did this taper w/o a Dr. (You don't want to go back -- break those shackles!!) Don't waste all your hard work & suffering only to have to go through it again.


There are lots of folks here who came off of a dose that was higher than optimal & made it through (I'm one of them.) You're DOING it!! & you've lasted a lot longer than many people do. You CAN do this. Please, let us know what you think & how you're doing. Keep posting for support. There are many wonderful people here who'd be happy to share their hard-won experience with you & lend you support throughout your detox & beyond. We're here & we're in your corner! Hang tough.

[marycarmel]

Just agreeing with ariley on this.  You really should be doing this with your doctor.  I don't have any personal experience with it either but you were on it for a good amount of time and at a pretty high dose.  And how long of a period was it that you took the 40 norco?  That's very dangerous.  There are lots of great people here who can help you and will give you great suggestions that will help with the withdrawal symptoms.

[ariley13]

Hi there and welcome! I don't have any personal experience with subs, but a lot of people on here do. Hang tight and someone who knows more will be along. I just have a couple questions for you. Are you doing this under a doctor's care? Subs are a very strong opiate and should always be taken under a dr's care. Them being so strong, and their very long half life is the reason you must taper very slowly to avoid the long withdrawals. Now, are you saying that you took 40 norcos??!! If so, that is extremely dangerous. Not only would it be extremely easy to overdose on the opiate, that much tylenol could easily throw you into liver failure. Please, be very careful taking the norco in an attempt to get off of the subs. This is very dangerous and could kill you.