Hi Everybody! I wrote yesterday to say that I was starting Sub today - got a lot of encouragement from everyone on this board in the last few weeks- thanks to all. I went to my Dr. this morning at 9AM - deep into withdrawal - that was awful as you all know. I thought I would not have to wait as I was his first appointment but he was late getting in due to traffic so I had to wait a little longer. I was terrified. I thought this cannot possibly work for me - there is no way it works like everyone says. I had picked up my script on the way in. My doc prescribed 6 2mg Subutex just for my initial treatment this morning in his office. He had me take two first at about 10AM and by this time I was in full blown panic mode - I couldnt breath - I was sneezing - eyes watering and if I'd had a knife I would have cut my own legs off! But then by 10:30 a half an hour, I started to feel so much better! My breathing slowed down and I was not afraid I felt - dare I say - Normal? I could not believe this! After a half an hour he checked my blood pressure again and gave me two more and by 11:00 I was doing great. This stuff is a godsend! If it can work for me it can work for just about anyone. I have been in addiction for nine years and right now I could care less about ever taking another pain pill. I would say to anyone who is thinking about it - DO IT! I am so glad that I did - Controversy be damned! I dont care what people may think and right now I cannot think about trading one addiction for another - I tried everything in the past and nothing worked for me. This works! I hope this is not a "honeymoon phase" and I pray that this will continue to work for me and I am thankful to God and my husband and Dr. and everyone here for their support. I feel hopeful about my future for the first time in years. The only side effect I am feeling is that I have a terrible headache but that could be from the stress of the day - I was so scared that it would not work but it did - Thank God...... it did!
I have read that a lot of people have to go in every week but my Doc who is a Behavioral Specialist gave me a script for 45 4mg Sub and said that I do not have to go back in until Dec 27th but I could call him anytime and go in if I thought I needed to. He gave me 45 because he said to take 1 and a half per day.
I really hope this continues to work for me and I am so glad that I found this. I was so tired of my life the way that it was and I am so glad that it is behind me. I will go to my first NA meeting tomorrow and start couseling next week.
Thanks again everybody - have an excellent weekend! I know I will!
thankyou for sharing that story..
Ive been thinking about that as a last resort myself...
How long do you have to take it though???
Hugs,
Ali
Ive been thinking about that as a last resort myself...
How long do you have to take it though???
Hugs,
Ali
I'm sorry - I dont understand the question - How long did I have to take what?
I took pain pills on and off - (the last four years on) - for nine years.
My doc says that I should be on Sub for about a year. I know that seems like a long time but we both want to make sure that I do not go back to pills. I plan doing a lot of counseling in the mean time. I need to find out why I am addicted and what triggers my relaspes and work on that without being bothered by cravings and withdrawals while I am doing that. I have stopped before but my desire for that drug was all consuming and I just couldnt stay away. Hopefully this continues to work and I can get to work on figuring out my issues so that history does not repeat its self. My doc says that there are some people that actually should be on Sub for years or even forever.
Hope I answered your question!
I took pain pills on and off - (the last four years on) - for nine years.
My doc says that I should be on Sub for about a year. I know that seems like a long time but we both want to make sure that I do not go back to pills. I plan doing a lot of counseling in the mean time. I need to find out why I am addicted and what triggers my relaspes and work on that without being bothered by cravings and withdrawals while I am doing that. I have stopped before but my desire for that drug was all consuming and I just couldnt stay away. Hopefully this continues to work and I can get to work on figuring out my issues so that history does not repeat its self. My doc says that there are some people that actually should be on Sub for years or even forever.
Hope I answered your question!
Oops I just re-read your post and I see the question now. Sorry! I'm still a little shaky today! A year for me.
May I ask why you think that it should be a last resort? Have you heard negative things about it? Thanks!
May I ask why you think that it should be a last resort? Have you heard negative things about it? Thanks!
Deehat, Sub is an excellent recovery tool. I have been on it for 6 1/2 weeks. I was taking 150-170mg of oxycotin per day. My experience sounds just like yours. I had horrid headache on day 2 and 3, but have not had one since. I started at 12 mg. per day. My Dr. likes to keep the dosage high. After about 4 weeks I started getting a late afternoon "crash." Extreme sleepiness, bad attitude and general crappy feeling. If I laid down for 20-30 mins. it would go away. I adjusted my dose to 8mg per day and now am fine. I am going to start a very, very slow taper soon, probably after the holidays. Best wishes to you and your recovery journey. Atlas
Deehat,
Im sorry hon, I meant how long did your Dr. say youd have to take the sub??
Days? Months? Years? plan to taper off of it???
We just got sub in Canada and am trying to figure out if indeed its a magic
bullet..or just another narcotic....
Sorry I didnt make my question clear..
Hugs
Ali
Im sorry hon, I meant how long did your Dr. say youd have to take the sub??
Days? Months? Years? plan to taper off of it???
We just got sub in Canada and am trying to figure out if indeed its a magic
bullet..or just another narcotic....
Sorry I didnt make my question clear..
Hugs
Ali
DEEhat I am here to tell you that I ahve been on the subs for about 4 months now and it is still working that well for me ,I have not found it necessary to pick up ANY drug since I ahve started the subs and my life has finally got some meaning I have 2 jobs my own house and just bought a brand new moped (dont have a license) but need trans. to get to work 2 miles from home and to the store and meetings and so forth..Good luck I had headaches too the first week but when it got built up in my system they have been gone.Love to you and yours heres to a MERRY CHRISTMAS after all!!!! Cristina
Deehat,
So good to hear its worked for you.I belive sub. is a great tool for recovery.I have always been on a low dose no more then 8mgs ..I went down off 8mgs a little over a week.I felt better on less sub.
Then went to 6,mgs and a few weeks at 6mg down to 4mgs...
After a few days and it builds up in your system
you may not need that much.The headacha should go away in a few days ...The biggest side effect that i have is the constapation.After 2 months for me on it .....Just like Atlas ,has said the sleepiness ....Depression also hit me and i didnt think it was working after 2 months....I too would take a nap sitting up in a chair ....I would just be watching tv after my evening dose.the sleepiness would hit me...I dont feel as good like i did when i first got of sub. Ive been on it almost 6 months...Hopefully after the hoildays i can come off...i have to see a depresstion doctor the 15th of this month.Hopeing i will be put of something that will work for me.Do you feel like eatting ?When i got of sub. my appetite came back and craved alot of sweets..I have gain alot of weight since of sub. i have never weighed this much.....So,happy for you...Take care,crystal
So good to hear its worked for you.I belive sub. is a great tool for recovery.I have always been on a low dose no more then 8mgs ..I went down off 8mgs a little over a week.I felt better on less sub.
Then went to 6,mgs and a few weeks at 6mg down to 4mgs...
After a few days and it builds up in your system
you may not need that much.The headacha should go away in a few days ...The biggest side effect that i have is the constapation.After 2 months for me on it .....Just like Atlas ,has said the sleepiness ....Depression also hit me and i didnt think it was working after 2 months....I too would take a nap sitting up in a chair ....I would just be watching tv after my evening dose.the sleepiness would hit me...I dont feel as good like i did when i first got of sub. Ive been on it almost 6 months...Hopefully after the hoildays i can come off...i have to see a depresstion doctor the 15th of this month.Hopeing i will be put of something that will work for me.Do you feel like eatting ?When i got of sub. my appetite came back and craved alot of sweets..I have gain alot of weight since of sub. i have never weighed this much.....So,happy for you...Take care,crystal
Deehat,
Awesome! Yes..Suboxone works, no doubt. I still remember taking my first dose....and feeling normal. I wanted to cry..and kiss the Doc who gave me that chance to live again.
My experience is this: I was on it 2 years, (after being on percs and oxys for 3 or 4 years). Dr. downplayed the necessity of getting me off suboxone, and said it would be a simple taper when I was ready. Well, I was never ready! I was dependendent on it and was afraid to taper and get off it. They pretty much let me have my way, so I stayed on it waaaaaay too long. I AM an addict , after all! All that time I thought I was normal....I wasn't! Now I'm 14plus days away from it, and just getting a feeling of being OK. A drug is a drug...and a narcotic is a powerful one, even suboxone...though I didn't think so at the time. There's always a downside when you use a narcotic,(opioid), for a long period of time. Right now, for you, this is certainly the lesser of evils...and I'm glad that you're on it. And STAY on it for now. It was not a "simple taper" for me....life sucked when I got off the sub. for quite some time. Just realize that the sooner you can get OFF it, the better it will be for you in the long run. Or I should say, the better it would have been for ME, anyway.
I'm still de-toxing from it...but the worst is over! Thank God!
I wish you the very best.
Awesome! Yes..Suboxone works, no doubt. I still remember taking my first dose....and feeling normal. I wanted to cry..and kiss the Doc who gave me that chance to live again.
My experience is this: I was on it 2 years, (after being on percs and oxys for 3 or 4 years). Dr. downplayed the necessity of getting me off suboxone, and said it would be a simple taper when I was ready. Well, I was never ready! I was dependendent on it and was afraid to taper and get off it. They pretty much let me have my way, so I stayed on it waaaaaay too long. I AM an addict , after all! All that time I thought I was normal....I wasn't! Now I'm 14plus days away from it, and just getting a feeling of being OK. A drug is a drug...and a narcotic is a powerful one, even suboxone...though I didn't think so at the time. There's always a downside when you use a narcotic,(opioid), for a long period of time. Right now, for you, this is certainly the lesser of evils...and I'm glad that you're on it. And STAY on it for now. It was not a "simple taper" for me....life sucked when I got off the sub. for quite some time. Just realize that the sooner you can get OFF it, the better it will be for you in the long run. Or I should say, the better it would have been for ME, anyway.
I'm still de-toxing from it...but the worst is over! Thank God!
I wish you the very best.
Thank's everyone! This board is so awesome, so glad I found a place to be comfortable. Also glad to know that the headache is a normal side effect.
I decided this morning to just take 8mg and not take one and a half and do 12mg.
I'm going to see if that works for me, so far I feel great. I am just so Thankful that I am not doing pain pills anymore - that the stress of having to work so hard to keep a stock of them. I used online pharmacies as well as a local Dr. I am really fortunate that I never got arrested. I have way too much to lose to ruin my life like that. The scary part was a couple of weeks ago I took two norcos and about a half an hour I had forgot that I took them and took two more. I was terrified I was going to OD.I got so sick. It really got out of hand. It is also great to still have money in the bank from last payday and not be broke from spending it on pills!
I am not looking forward to the depression. When I detoxed the last time on my own at home I had a horrible depression wash over me after a few weeks. I think that that more than cravings was what made me go back to taking pills.
I really have to work on that before it hits me.
alicap - my doc said that for me I should be on sub for at least a year.
And for me yes it was a magic bullet. Everyone is different - some people can make it through rehab - some on their own at home, but I tried all of that and it did not work for me. Rehab is probably best but I could not stand being in a strange place away from my family and my comfort zone. I like most people cannot take off for 30days and risk losing my job.
Anyway - I too will have to deal with getting off Sub at some point but right now I am just going to focus on recovery.
Thats a bummer about the constipation - I thought that I wouldnt have to deal with that anymore! Also the vain side of me was very happy to see my pupils so large yesterday morning - my eyes looked so much better! That too is gone.
They are small again. I was also wondering this this morning --- since the pain pills only stay in your system for four hours - what kind of narcotic is in the Sub I wonder??
Thanks eveybody for the great words of encouragement! It helps so much to know that I am not alone. Its going to be a great Christmas! I took a long walk with my dog this morning ---counting my blessings all the way! I hope and pray I and all of you - make it! It sure does help to have freinds in recovery!
Have a great day!
I decided this morning to just take 8mg and not take one and a half and do 12mg.
I'm going to see if that works for me, so far I feel great. I am just so Thankful that I am not doing pain pills anymore - that the stress of having to work so hard to keep a stock of them. I used online pharmacies as well as a local Dr. I am really fortunate that I never got arrested. I have way too much to lose to ruin my life like that. The scary part was a couple of weeks ago I took two norcos and about a half an hour I had forgot that I took them and took two more. I was terrified I was going to OD.I got so sick. It really got out of hand. It is also great to still have money in the bank from last payday and not be broke from spending it on pills!
I am not looking forward to the depression. When I detoxed the last time on my own at home I had a horrible depression wash over me after a few weeks. I think that that more than cravings was what made me go back to taking pills.
I really have to work on that before it hits me.
alicap - my doc said that for me I should be on sub for at least a year.
And for me yes it was a magic bullet. Everyone is different - some people can make it through rehab - some on their own at home, but I tried all of that and it did not work for me. Rehab is probably best but I could not stand being in a strange place away from my family and my comfort zone. I like most people cannot take off for 30days and risk losing my job.
Anyway - I too will have to deal with getting off Sub at some point but right now I am just going to focus on recovery.
Thats a bummer about the constipation - I thought that I wouldnt have to deal with that anymore! Also the vain side of me was very happy to see my pupils so large yesterday morning - my eyes looked so much better! That too is gone.
They are small again. I was also wondering this this morning --- since the pain pills only stay in your system for four hours - what kind of narcotic is in the Sub I wonder??
Thanks eveybody for the great words of encouragement! It helps so much to know that I am not alone. Its going to be a great Christmas! I took a long walk with my dog this morning ---counting my blessings all the way! I hope and pray I and all of you - make it! It sure does help to have freinds in recovery!
Have a great day!
