Which is worse?

[kittysmom63]

I am a grandmother who has been on methadone for 8 years for chronic pain.  When I wanted off, I started tapering down from 70 mg. to 17 mg.  When I tried to go lower, the pain and withdrawal were so awful that I returned to the 17 mg./day dose. Even so, the pain is still there 24/7.  This has been going on since December of 2008, but the withdrawal never seemed to get any better even though I took every vitamin and amino acid known to man. Finally, in desperation because I cannot eat or sleep much, I went to a doctor who wants to put me on suboxone this coming week.  Let me tell you, I am terrified of the withdrawal yet to come since I have to be totally off the methadone for 2 days before beginning the Suboxone.  She did, however, prescribe Vistaril and some blood pressure medication which she says will help a lot.  

My question is:  am just trading one awful thing for another?  This new doc says that I'll be able to just quit the Suboxone with no trouble at all, but after doing a lot of reading, I think she's not telling me the truth.  Please, I've been lied to before (like methadone won't hurt you).  Will someone please help me?  My husband says I should "tough it out" and just go off the methadone, but I know from what I've experienced this past little while, I cannot do this.  I hope I'm not sounding like a whiney, old lady, but what I want is to feel better and stop putting such a strain on my husband and grandson (oh, not to mention, myself).   Thanks for any and all information.  

[pitfighter66]

I have been on heroin 11 years than methadone, then relaps  to heroin fortwo years. because withdraw from methadone is awful. Then subuxone. This is ADDICTIVE  drug but......from my personal experience i made couple stops for sergury and for training camps. Let me tell you this i had very light withdraw which seems like easy walking after heroin or methadone seeking. But i was on really law dosage which is 2 mg every 24 hours. Specially i you fave light opiods like darvon you will stop subuxone prrety easy. I understand that it works diffrent for everybody but thatr is it.
P.S First month i was on 24 mg of sub and when i tryed to stop i had harrible with draw , then i tappered to 8 mg then 4 and lost months i was on 2 mg. Tappered sub is very easy . IMHO 2 mg feels much better and more comfortable for everyday life and if you miss dose it's not  big deal. Good luck and anyway SUB IS MUCH SAFER THAN METH for you health too. Also, after sergury i noticed it works for pain too  

[flmagi]

Your doctor isn't being truthful with you. You cannot just come off of Suboxone, it is addictive and must be tapered off of very slowly. This is a fact. Suboxone is also extremely expensive. I've been on Sub for a year now. I really think you'd just be switching one for another. Try tapering the methadone more slowly. There are a lot of people on the Addiction Abuse forum that can help you threw this. Good luck to you. I'm sure Dr.J will have more great advise for you soon.