Getting Off Suboxone Or Not? After 18 Months?
Jan 30, 2016
I've been on suboxone a little over 18 months and I wouldn't even question getting off suboxone but I feel like it's taking away all of my emotions by this point and making me irritable. This week I wanted to do h so bad but I didn't and I haven't had a problem with cravings on Suboxone.. I'm also a junior in college so I'm worried getting off will mess up my studies and focus. I know I'll be at risk but I miss having emotions and feeling things. My doctor also holds over my head and won't let me off of it if I don't go to meetings but he knows my problems with them and I feel like he won't do it because of the high check of prescribing suboxone. My cravings also scared me this week and what's the point of being on it if I just have to wait like 48 hours and I can do dope which is super easy to wait.
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I've been an addict for many years on and off, but over the last 2 yrs I've mostly been doing the suboxone treatment daily. I so want to get off of these once and for all,and if I scroll back into the suggestions on here, I can probably find what I'm looking for,as to advice in getting off them.I can sure use some helpful advise or remedies from some of you that have been on suboxone and gotten off of them.
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I am taking suboxone for 6 months, going doing little by little. I am at a quarter a pill. but i got these percocet from the hospital, plus I have been really been wanting to get off the suboxone anyway. How would I go about doing that. I have some klonopin here as well, so I could take those as well. But I really want to get off of those suboxone.
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i want to know what is better to take first subo and after tramadol or first tramadol and after suboxone
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I've done Percocet for years now and I finally decided to quit , this is my second day without using any percocets. The first night was absolutely crazy and didn't even sleep one hour and I'm dead serious ! After tossing and turning all night getting hot and cold skin crawling restless legs etc, I had a my sister get me a 8 mg suboxone strip from a friend at her work. I cut it in three pieces so it's a little over 2.5 mg a piece. I took a dose of this at 5 am. When should I take my next dose of this ? How long does it last?
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So yesterday I went to see the RA and it appeared as if he cared. He explained that I was severe with FIBRO and that there isn't too much that he could do. He upped my LYRICA to 200 mg (not sure why as it gives me more issues than taking pain away) . He also suggested that I go to a Fibro Clinic in UF , some where in the panhandle of Florida, I can not do it (Finances, Insurance, I don't drive because of LYRICA) . He also gave me a referral for SUBOXONE This is a medicine that they usually give for people who have had problems with pain pills.The RA explained how he just read an article in how this could help me. Has any one else experienced this? Did it work?
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So I made the big plunge yesterday and went through with something I'd been tossing around in my head the last couple months. I went to a clinic and got a prescription for Suboxone.
Since I'm a school teacher, one of my biggest worries was actually walking into a Suboxone clinic and someone recognizing me. It would come as quite a shock to some (in my mind) to see Mr. B____, the local English teacher, lined up to get a prescription for his opiate addiction. Just goes to show that addiction doesn't pick and choose whom it affects. But I overcame my ridiculous fears and went on in today.
There are actually two clinics in the small city where I live (at least nearby). One clinic as open on Saturday, looked to be a nicer looking facility, but they don't take insurance. It would have cost $500 for the first visit, without even considering the cost of the drug itself. So I went with other clinic that did take my insurance, and I was only out 35 dollars (My prescription copay was to be $40 for the name brand strips, but the clinic gave me a discount card that took care of my copay, which was a pleasant surprise...this wasn't a one time deal...it will cover my copay each time I get the med). Being a teacher with a wife and three kids...every dollar helps for me. For those interested, the card will help those who are either pay in cash or use have insurance other than Medicare. The card pays up to $50.
The clinic is only open two hours (two days a week), so I was a little curious how they handled so many patients in so little time. The answer came to me as I was shuffled through the clinic cattle at a sale barn. Though there was a thick stack of papers to sign, some of which asked detailed questions about my addiction and health history, I got the feeling I was getting a product wrapped up and sold for the masses, not for me as an individual. It is sad for me to think of those who don't have the ability to educate themselves on what it is they are taking. Even I, after months of research on the internet, am still confused on quite a few contradictory opinions and ideals regarding Suboxone.
The clinic is located in a less than desirable part of town, and the waiting room did not exactly make one feel comfortable. It was hot, and everyone in there looked pretty miserable. I was comforted, though, by the fact that there were no familiar faces. It also gave me comfort knowing that we were all there for the same reason, and none of us had anything to hide. I could go into more detail about this experience, but I have jabbered too much already.
Long story short, I peed in a cup, the results of which I was not told. I knew coming into the clinic that there was no dispensing medication at the clinic, so there was no worry for me to stay clean for 24-48 hours. I took 40mg of hydrocodone at 7:00 the night before, so I wasn't completely miserable at the time of the appointment.
Strangely, my vitals or any other normal "clinic" methods were practiced. I went straight from peeing in a cup to talking to the doctor who was sitting behind this big beaten up wooden desk in a stale smelling office. The doctor thumbed through my file and asked basic questions about how much I was using and where I was getting it. I was in and out of his office in less than 5 minutes.
I didn't lie about my drug use, and I was prepared to share much more. I pretty much told him that I got hooked on opiate painkillers after multiple operations that required them. Also, I have had two DVT blood clots that required me to be on blood thinners, and thus not able to take most standard OTC painkillers such as naproxen or ibuprofen. I had been fed hydrocodone for years with few questions asked. My problem is that I like the way they make me feel and have spent the past ten years trying to get my hands on enough to manage my pain and feed my addiction.
I believe it us by the grace of God that I have not found myself in a worse predicament than I currently find myself. I have never injected anything, but I suppose that would have been the next stop for me. I had been doctor and pharmacy shopping for years and I knew how to work the system pretty well. Even in my heyday though I wasn't able to get my hands on quite enough. I was always counting pills and worrying about when I would run out. I soon found myself "borrowing" from my mother and other friends. I found myself doing things I never imagined I'd be doing. Shameful things to feed my habit. My wife discovered my problem years ago as and threatened to leave me more than once. To lose her and my children would have devastated me. One would think that I would turn my back on the pills considering all I had to lose. But that was not enough to stop me. I guess if my wife didn't love me (a lot) she would have left me tears ago.
I was fine while on my hydros,though, but when I ran out and became sick from withdrawals, I was miserable. I felt miserable , and I was miserable to be around. I made and broke more promises than I can count to my wife, mother, and father, friends, and family.
I have had many of those moments of enlightenment where it became clear that I could no longer go on with this. There have been months at a time where I was able to stay clean. But some kind of life event always drove me back to the pills. I would have a surgery or other physical problem, or life would become so stressful that I would choose to hit the exit door and insulate myself from the world around me by delving into the world of pills.
There is another component yo my story that is important to share. In 1995 I had a bad auto accident that broke several of my bones and kept me in the hospital about a week. Worse than the physical wounds, however, I found myself battling emotional wounds. By the time I turned 22 I found myself battling terrible panic attacks that marked the beginning of my struggle with chronic depression that has lasted until now (I'm now 41). I have tried. nearly every antidepressant known to man. In the end I settled good old Prozac and Klonopin. Neither of which has done a great deal to relieve my depressive symptoms. I currently take 40 mg of Prozac and 2 mg of Klonopin in the morning and 2 mg at night. No, I have never abused Klonopin in the way I have hydrocodone. I don't feel blissful on either medication. I only notice them in their absence. I have tried to quit both and have experienced hellish withdrawals with each. My sub doctor indicated that he would like to see me come off of both quickly. I understand that taking benzos with Suboxone is a dangerous combination, but quitting cold turkey, especially with the Klonopin can be equally dangerous. He said he would like to see me off of both within six months. I don't see this happening but maybe Suboxone will allow it?
Getting to my main point. I have not been drawn to opiates because of recreational use. They were, as I've written, prescribed for physical pain. But the best aspect about opiates to me was their positive effect on the symptoms of my depression. Nothing I've taken comes close to making me feel "normal" as do opiates.
Hydrocodone, oxycodone etc... do make me feel "not depressed" but they are a kind of fools gold. My body and mind quickly build up a tolerance for them, and I find myself taking more and more to feel "not depressed". So when I started reading more and more about Suboxone, I became very interested. The medicine might be able to help me break the cycle of pill addiction, and help me as a type of antidepressant.
There seem to be two opposing camps on this issue. Some believe it is ridiculous to even consider Suboxone as a long term treatment for depression. Some might say I'm making the same mistake as I did with hydrocodone...expecting a band aid to heal a much deeper disease. There others who see Suboxone as a type of synergistic agent that might be legitimate weapon to combat depression. I can understand the viewpoints from both sides, but as for me, I'm willing to at the very least give Suboxone a few days to see how it makes me feel. I can tell you this, that I can already feel the positive effects of the Suboxone on my depression. There was an initial semi state of euphoria a couple of hours after I took my first strip, but I don't exactly feel " high". I feel rather normal capable of doing things that I would ordinarily struggle with (like typing this ridiculously long post that most people won't have the patience to read!)
I'm not sure how things will go from here. I'm not sure how I will sleep tomorrow or how I will feel with my next dose. But I will say that it feels good to have some hope. I have been worrying all summer how I would be able to gut out another year in the classroom with my raging depression and addiction cycles. I don't know how it will end, but at the end of the day it is nice to be able to look back and say that I did the right thing, that I tried to make the right choice.
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will i have withdraws after taking suboxone 3 weeks? they put me back on pain meds because i having surgery soon
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Does suboxone have an effect on ur sex drive
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how is coming off Suboxone really? Im sixty three, been on Suboxone for four years. Need to know the truth about detoxing from it.
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I cant find current discussion on suboxone and headaches. I was on suboxone, by prescription for 3.5 years for back pain and to assist with getting off of the prescribed opiates for the surgery for the back pain. I detoxed from suboxone with methadone at our local hospitals detox unit for one week. That in itself was fine. No issues. Except on day two I woke with a terrible headache and it has been 8 months and I still have the migraine type headaches almost 24/7. I have been on a medical leave from work as they are so bad. Been to neurologists, they keep saying they are bounce back headaches due to the length of time on suboxone and will eventually pass. Have tried numerous drugs, most recently depakote and now nortriptyline without much success. I have read the posts about folks with migraines from this, but when will these ever end?? I do admit that the pain level as gone down a notch or two, but they still are there and driving me and my life crazy. Very frustrated that my neurologist and family doctor must think that I am some kind of hypochondriac. I have not seen posts about this length of time with the migraines due to the suboxone.
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I've been addicted to oxycodone for a few years and today started on suboxone. I took my last 15mg of oxycodone and then waited until I was in withdrawal (about 8 hrs) to take the suboxone (2mg) I felt like it helped the w/d symptoms for a while, but started feeling bad again after 3 or 4 hours so I took another 1 mg sub ( half a strip). I still don't feel that great and I don't know what to do. Do I just need to take more sub or did I not wait long enough after using the last oxy for the sub to work? when will i feel better?
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For all using suboxone for pain: what is your dose and how many times a day do you take it?
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I have been on suboxone for about four years now. Before taking suboxone I WAS NOT an addict, I never took pill or any other drug but either way here I am. I got addicted to suboxone then started using heroine & other drugs I did it all backwards but whatever like i said here I am. I'm off of the other drugs & only using suboxone about 3-4mg a day. I have a 1 year old daughter & I want to be totally sober not only for myself but for her. I am extremely motivated but extremely horrified about the withdrawal. I am 23 & I have no help when it comes to taking care of my daughter her dad works full time(also on subs) & yes he helps with her after work but I have to make it through 8-12 hours a day on my own. I need to find a way to make this manageable but at the same time I just want to get this over with. Any suggestions? I would like to stop taking the suboxone completely & immediately but I've tried & failed many times in the past.
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I'm so ready to get off everything and I wish I could hit rewind. I want to try Suboxone. I have an appt on Tues to get a script. I am currently on 50mg Norco, 150-300 mg Tramadol (usually 150) and 1-2mg Xanax per day. I was on 450 mg Tramadol for 10 yrs (150 mg day previous five years). Norco escalated up but daily last two years (sporadic before that) hence why I dropped down Tramadol. Xanax for 3-4 years.
So..with those meds will the doctor give me Suboxone? Will he take me off both Norco and Tram at same time (my hope)?
Also..if all goes as planned and I start on Suboxone, how long before I can stop Sub? A friend was only on it two months and then just stopped. I do not want to be on anything. At this point the way I feel is worse than the pain..and actually Norco in increased doses makes me hurt more.
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I have been in PM for over 6 years. Have a great PM Doctor, never had any problems with counts, UA, etc. But I am SO tired of counting pills, waiting for the next dose, insurance issues etc. I am actually thinking about taking a break from pills and asking for suboxone for a couple of month. I know the ingredient bunephrine is a pain med actually given to cats for pain. Will suboxone work for pain or will the Naloxone prevent it from suppressing pain ? If I do take it, will I be considered an addict as I know it is prescribed for addicts in treatment.
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I have been on suboxone off and on for 5 years full time for 3 years I am still on two 8 mg strips a day when I started I was on 4 strips a day so I have tapered some in the past couple years . I became on suboxone because I was put on pain pills for a long time by a dr and I found after a couple years I had a addiction to them and couldn't function without the pain pills so I put myself in suboxone clinic. Suboxone even though it's a addiction itself however has saved my life and gave me back a functioning life to where I can work and do everyday things . The past 6 to 8 months I started noticing that I have had fluid retention in my knees and legs at first I thought to much pop or two much salt or even to long standing . Now I have came to the point my belly swelled just like I'm 5 months pregnant and my legs swelling so bad they hurt and if you touch them they indent and stay that way . I am just wondering if anybody else has went through this fluid retention this bad ??? And what can you do about it because I no at this point I can't go cold turkey off suboxone I wish I could . Also I have had blood work done in liver and full panel it came back normal so I guess that's good but i fill as if my kidneys and bowels are not working right . I also have constipation all the time .. Can that cause the fluid retention ?
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I have an addiction problem with my prescribed Opana and I need some advice and help from anyone who knows about my situation.
I'm stuck in the middle between a legit need for strong pain meds and apparently a predisposition to addiction. I was on Fentanyl patches from 2005 to 2012 when I went to residential treatment for 30 days because I had been "cheeking" strips of my patches for over a year. Anyway, long story short, the plan there was to transition me from fentanyl to suboxone using Opana as a bridge med. I tried induction from Opana to sub twice and felt horrible. The day after the second attempt, the place was raided by the DEA so I chose to come home on the Opana for my pain.
Fast forward a year and a half and my pain doc has kept me on the Opana but the problem is that I've been snorting the IR for almost a year. I'm on the ER 20 mg twice a day which I take orally as directed, and I am prescribed the IR 10 mg 5 x day, those are the ones I crush and snort....10 mg - 5 times a day.
I want to stop doing this but I am so scared...I have read that Opiate withdrawal is very hard. And I wonder if the original plan to have me on Suboxone is a good one....if it will give me the pain relief I need. Does anyone know if the bupe is a good pain reliever? What about if it doesn't work well enough....I've heard that suboxone is a b**ch to come off of too!
So I told my psychiatrist (who does some addiction work) and she wants to refer me out to an addiction specialist. I've been with this psy doc for 14 years and she knows me well and how delicate my stability is. They want to do this switch in a detox center in town where I live which I am OK with if I can get my questions answered about the suboxone...and it may turn out the addiction doc (who does chronic pain as well) will want me off opiates to try and treat my fibromyalgia in other ways. I'm skeptical about that....but I digress
So. To sum it up I came to this board because I obviously am an addict. I need help getting off the Opana, which is coming...but I am scared. Terrified of the withdrawal and being left in pain. And to repeat my main questions.... does anyone know if suboxone is a good strong pain reliever? What about then being stuck on suboxone long term... is that done for pain? Sorry, I know,that's a bit off topic for these boards but I figured you here may know more about Sub.
Thanks in advance for any help. Oh...I forgot to mention....I am stalled at the moment with the new addiction doc....my psy doc called him while I was in her office and told him about me. He said I could go to the detox center but I want to have a consultation with him fist to get my questions answered...I've called his office twice in the past week to make an appointment and he hasn't called back. So I am continuing to gather info while I wait.
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I have been on Suboxone for about 5 years now with a great doctor who was very strict. Measured you levels and if you messed up or tested positive for ANYTHING you are out and the the next person is in. I really have to thank him the most because in the early phases I really had cravings and wanted and would use if I could, but his monthly appointments and drug checks kept me in check. pretty soon the craving went away and a strong urge to get my life back has come upon me. I worked myself from 8 mg at the beginning to 1/8th mg now per day. It still amazes the power of this drug. I still get symptoms when I try and stretch the 1/8 to more than a day. So tomorrow will be my last 1/8th then I am DONE!!
Has anyone on here jumped from an 1/8th and had severe symptoms.? Just want to prepare myself for the next week or so. The worst part for me has been my bowels at this point and can't sleep early in the AM. I have ample Clonidine from DR but can only take that at night cause it makes me sleepy and dizzy.
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Looking for all those who have tried subs as part of their detox from opiates. I failed everytime going ct. i will also be seeing an addiction specialist to work on my recovery. took my last hydrocodone at 2pm yesterday. Appt is at 6pm with a psychiatrist who will administer the sub. im so scared and emotional today. All feedback is so appreciated. i just want help so bad. im a single mom and need to be better for my daughter.
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I am on 600 mg Lyrica (yes max dose), 50 mg Amitriptyline, 200 mg tegretol, 5 mg valium, 10 mg baclofen, 1 g Chlorzoxazone, and phenibut when I want to take it. My pain is still not being helped much, even with all these meds. I was an addict and have been sober 8 years, but have been mixing my phenibut and valium to feel good 2-3 times a week. The dr is seeing this as addictive behavior and doesn't want me to relapse. So, he wants me to stop the valium, baclofen,and phenibut and replace it with Suboxone.
I am opiate naive and have never really gotten high on opiates before - I have no tolerance to them. He prescribed me 2 mg, 3 times per day. Now, I know this is wayyyy to high of a dose for an opiate naive person. What is a good starting dose for pain?
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