a good length of time for sub

[oxygirl487]

as some of u guys know i started sub tuesday ....i have a couple ?'s.....first of all my dr said that he would want me on it for 2 yrs......everything ive read on here and elsewhere says thats a bad idea...what do u guys think?......i have relapsed many many times from oc's and i feel good about the sub i just dont want it to turn into my DOC......what is a good amount of time to be on sub without becomming to dependant on it? ive read the sub facts on here but i just need to know from someone on here maybe that has been there done that kinda thing.....for me i think i may have to be on it longer than 21 days im sure.......i take 8mg twice daily.....i still feel like im w/ding some ..is that normal?...im sorry i have so may ?'s about this.....i asked my dr alot of ?' s but u guys know as well as i do that he doesnt know how i feel......he knows all the studies and scientific  stuff but he doesnt know real life stuff .....ok im rambling lol...time to shut up.....any replies would be appreciated..love u all

[NoMorePills500]

I was addicted to K4's (Dilaudid, Hydromorphone) for about 2 years. I would shoot up an average of 40-120mg a day and spend around $2000 a week on pills toward the end. Suboxone was the ONLY thing that helped me. I was on it for about a year and I just recently got completely off about a month ago. I started off taking 3 8mg a day and then after a couple months went to 2 and then down to 1 and then to 1/2 and so on. I think the reason that tapering off worked so well for me is because I stayed on each dose for a pretty long time. Still, even with the Suboxone I managed to relapse a couple of times, which is normal in most cases. Anyway, it really isn't just getting used to not doing pills. You have to understand why you did them in the first place to be able to truly stop. Still, 2 years does sound like an excessively long time. But it also depends on the person. And for anyone worried about withdrawals from Suboxone, know that I had very very slight withdrawals after tapering off like I did and now I feel like my old self again. Oh, and BTW, you don't have to take it for the full 2 years just because your doc said to. I was the one that told my doctor I was ready to come down on my dosage and eventually stop. Good luck!

[allaboutmary]

I've been on sub for 6mo now. I had good intentions of getting off it in 3.  I think, if I had I would have relapsed a few times. What I would recommend is getting down to the least amount you can and maintain there until you are comfortable going off. Even though I only take a crumb, and feel it would be easy physically to get off now.  I'm not mentally ready. If I have to take it another year, I still feel it's much better than what I was doing.

[LONESOME]

Two years I think is a long time, but I saw my doctor today and he said studies show that is best a year but how knows I told him I wanted of soon is been 4 months now and doing good so far.

[worried878]

Someone else on the forum just started sub and the doctor recommended 2 years....that is the stats he said....since the drug has not been out that long...i am not sure how they could know that for sure...everyone is different.....i have heard that people who r not ready to quit continue to want to chase the high even while on sub...so it has to be upstairs/u have to be mentally ready   and until then i am not sure that a quick detox off sub is gonna help u...but i sure hate to say longterm use of sub...ouch!...perhaps u just have to be like really ready....deep down...just want it really bad.....i would think u do as u have been posting for a long, long time girl...best of luck 2 u!

[triedeverymed]

2 years sounds very long but I don't know the extent of your addiction. I was on sub for an 8 month treatment period. Everyone is different, they want you living good and clean before taking you off completely. Your doc may be using the recommended weaning schedule based on how much and how long you were using. There are schedules for taking and weaning off sub, it's not always a doc's discretion, many people don't know that.
The soonest you can come off 8 mg is 30 days but you do need to be on a steady dose for a bit to get used to not being on drugs. I do think a 2 year detox sounds like a long time but I am not a doctor only a former patient
I would consult with another Sub doc for a 2nd opinion if you feel that's too long. It never hurts to have another opinion.

[SOCAL742]

I am tapering down to a crumb and only on day 15 today. I already feel it when I dont take it and the whole reason I was excited was I thought i skip right over the WD but now I just have to WD from the subs. atleast it gave me some time under my belt before I jump off because I was a chronic relapser before the sub and this was the only way for me.

[avisg]

This is just my opinion I would not stay on it any longer then 4 to 6 months. That gives you time to get counseling and relearn how to live without your DOC .Getting therapy is very important !!! Getting to the root of your using will help prevent relapses.I think any longer then six months you are going to a good amount of withdrawal coming off of them .Also I have heard tapering all of the way down to a crumb when you do decide to jump off is the way to go ...You can do this Sub is a wonderful tool for getting drug free ,just keep in mind its only a tool .There still will be alot of work that you will have to do ...