A Suboxone/Subutex Warning

[xru11]

I am looking for someone who has quite using Subutex or Suboxone and is past a one month mark or more and feels great or at least pretty good.  Preferably someone who had taken subs for more than six months.

In the mean time I want to proffer my persONAL experience to others.  This is just me.....other might have had a different experience, but in researching this on this site and others I find similarities between my experience and others.....

AS ALWAYS SEEK A QUALIFIED AND CARING DOCTOR'S CARE NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO!!!!!

I was on and off hydrocodone for about 3 years never more than 2-3 10s a day.  In january 07 I tapered and went cold turkey. It lasted about 3 months clean when I got hit with a tremendous amount of stress in my life and found myself working late nights.  To keep focused and energized I got back on Hydros.  Then in Oct/ Nov. of 2007  I did some research and found out about subutex.  I seemed to be a miracle drug!!!!! NO WITHDRAWALS!!!!!  NOT TRUE!!!!! Well I didn't know that then.   I got on Subutex and it seemed like a miracle drug!!!  It worked just as promised!  I had an easy time getting off hydros with little or no withdrawal effect.  Unfortunately I developed a Subutex habit instead!  Almost a year later (September 25, 2008)  I decided to quit.  I started to taper.  I goT down to a little less than .5 a day for a week from about 1mg the week before.  On October 2, 2008, I jumped off.

The first 4 days were horrible.  In desperation I found this place, set up an account and started posting.  People like RefusingBondage  gave me some hope and some tips.  But the more I learned about this Sub thing the more I realized I was in for long and rough ride.  This Subutex has quite a grip on you (37-hour half-life).

Well today is Day (6) for me.  I rode a bike 7.5 miles this morning at 8:30 am.  I have been doing everything I can think of to make this easier nothing really really works completely.  I STILL FEEL KINDA BAD ALL OVER AND NOW I HAVE AN EVER-PRESENT HEADACHE.  Lots of things work a little,... like:

Exercise
Lots of water
Vitamins
Veggies Fruits
Aminos
Hot baths with scented oils
rest
sex (ENDORPHINS)
IBUFROFEN
dark chocolate
motivating music
crying

But really, this IS BAD. Getting off  Hydros was rough but for me after 5 or 6 days I was over the worst of it.  Come to think of it it took me 11 days before I was totally okay after hydros!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Wait a minute!  There's hope, may on day 11 I will be okay this time too!  I hope so....


Problem is,...search this site for subutex withdrawal and you will find that the consensus is that subutex really *****.  Its a good way to get off hydros IF AND ONLY IF YOU STICK TO THE THREE WEEK PROGRAM THEN TAPER AND JUMP OFF!!!!! DON'T GET HOOK ON SUBS!!!!!  As always seek out a good Doctor and take his or her advice. uNFORTUNATELY I didn't realize at the time that the Doctor I went to in Vegas was pretty much just a pill-pusher.....or maybe he just doesn't know how rough Subs can be.... but him and his over-tanned and leathery receptionist just kept telling me to tak your time no rush, let your body heal take as many as you need,....etc.  I am very angry at this so-called practice.  But look,  I'm no Doctor... But I really care about you folks!  Went I had nowhere to go you people gave me solace and courage and some comfort.  I feel obliged to share back for others!

One last thing,...... Clonodine!!!????!!!!???  I have heard that this blood pressure medicine is quite effective in easing withdarwal symptoms without any significant adverse effect.  Is this true?  Can ANYONE tell me anything they know about clonodine????

[refusingbondage]

Thanks xru.  Its truly amazing how many of us have the same story regarding suboxone.  Like eagle said earlier - almost all of the positive things said about suboxone are said by people who are still on it.  I am hoping that by these posts people really get informed about it.  I didnt know about this forum when I started the subs. I definitely would not have if I came here and read all these experiences.  Just my opinion though.

[ochooked]

Hi Xru -- Thanks for writing your experience with Sub.   I could not agree with you more - on each point you make.  I was only on Sub for 21 days and started at 2 mg twice a day -- a pretty small dose ----  then I tapered for 20 days and jumped off at a crumb.   That is when my real heavy W/D's began----   I have been off now for 42 days and I can tell you that the W/D's get progressively less intense and less frequent but they really didn't disappear until day 40 for me.   I have now had about 48 hours with no symptoms like tremors, hot/cold sweats.  However, the extreme lethargy and tiredness still persists but is getting a little better.   I have read one or two positive posts on here over the past two months but by and large, most everyone else has reported the same thing you learned.  I too was totally deceived by Sub and thought I had found the perfect and painless way to kick a 140 mg/day Oxy addiction.   I did taper and switched from Oxycontin to Percocet and Hydrocodone - down to about 70 mg during a two week period before I got on Sub.  If I had only known what Sub would do to me, I would have been so much better just continuing to taper and gotten off that way.  Well, hind sight is 20/20 and now my only motivation is to help others who come to this site for some honest answers along with encouragement and advice.  I don't think I could have made it through this nightmare had it not been for the kindness and caring of others on here.  Again, thanks for posting.  Oh yeah, Clonodine is a BP med and it does help --- you can take a little pill .1 mg and it will help some --- I wish you well --- keep posting.