im off methadone for 5 days now..im using tramadol for 3 days,on day 4 and 5 i stop using tramadol and take suboxone..am i doing it right? i need advice,please reply,(sorry for my bad english)
hi and welcome.
I don't know who came up with that regime but if you ultimately are switching to suboxone or something to help you stop using opiates I hope it works for you.
good luck!
I don't know who came up with that regime but if you ultimately are switching to suboxone or something to help you stop using opiates I hope it works for you.
good luck!
To the individual trying to come off the methadone, then taking tramadol for a couple of days, then, ultimately suboxone.
The way I make sense of your description and question is that you are letting the methadone begin to flush from your system, however, because of it's half life, you won't feel withdrawal symptoms severely by day 3, 4 but it will still be active in your system. Tramadol has some type of opiate derivative (not a scientific explanation) and it will satisfy the dependency for opiates while the methadone is leaving, hence relieving the withdrawal symptoms.
The reason for the Tramadol in between is because Suboxen is a partial antagonist. It satisfies the opiate receptors. However, it also has another component that will react to opiate use/abuse by producing severe withdrawal symptoms. If you take Suboxen 3 to 4 days after you discontinue the methadone when you begin to feel withdrawal, the methadone half life is still in your system and will trigger the alternate component of the suboxen. Taking the tramadol in between allows the methadone to exit your body before you begin the suboxen but eliminates or significantly reduces the adverse side effects of discontinuing opiates.
The purpose for the transition at all is because the Suboxen is said to be much easier to discontinue.
So I don't know if I can answer if you are doing it "right" but what worries me is that if you are prescribed this regimen, I really hope it's under a Physicians care and that he/she has open communication if you have questions about it.
I'm tapering off methadone as well and have gone from 110mg to 55mg.....not sure what I will do at the very end.....possibly something similar.
Best of Luck
DifficultChoices
The way I make sense of your description and question is that you are letting the methadone begin to flush from your system, however, because of it's half life, you won't feel withdrawal symptoms severely by day 3, 4 but it will still be active in your system. Tramadol has some type of opiate derivative (not a scientific explanation) and it will satisfy the dependency for opiates while the methadone is leaving, hence relieving the withdrawal symptoms.
The reason for the Tramadol in between is because Suboxen is a partial antagonist. It satisfies the opiate receptors. However, it also has another component that will react to opiate use/abuse by producing severe withdrawal symptoms. If you take Suboxen 3 to 4 days after you discontinue the methadone when you begin to feel withdrawal, the methadone half life is still in your system and will trigger the alternate component of the suboxen. Taking the tramadol in between allows the methadone to exit your body before you begin the suboxen but eliminates or significantly reduces the adverse side effects of discontinuing opiates.
The purpose for the transition at all is because the Suboxen is said to be much easier to discontinue.
So I don't know if I can answer if you are doing it "right" but what worries me is that if you are prescribed this regimen, I really hope it's under a Physicians care and that he/she has open communication if you have questions about it.
I'm tapering off methadone as well and have gone from 110mg to 55mg.....not sure what I will do at the very end.....possibly something similar.
Best of Luck
DifficultChoices
