Hi everyone. I have been searching all the message boards for stories of people who have started taking Buprenorphine/Subutex/Suboxone to help them get off their DOC and have then attempted to stop taking the Sub in order to be opiate free. I would like to hear ALL the stories, successfully completed tapers, on-going taper attempts, failed tapers, etc...
There are many stories of people who have just started taking Sub and are extremely happy with how it's working. My husband is one of them. I have also read many, many stories about how LESS IS MORE (I agree). Many stories about how people are able to taper down to 1-2 mg a day...but can't seem to go further than that. Found many posts on how people wished they were more informed by their Doctor regarding the potency of Sub and how if you are on the Sub longer than a few months, the w/d's are unbelievable and everlasting.
To be honest - I am hoping to hear many, many stories from people who went on Sub, then started tapering shortly after, then after a short time, ended up opiate free - and the w/d's were fairly painless because of the slow taper -hey I can dream, can't I?! We also need to hear the other side - from people who gave it their all but were unable to taper successfully.
Please include a brief history which would include your DOC including the amount, and how long you were taking it. Then include your Sub history including taper schedule and w/d's that occurred, etc...Then share with us if you are currently opiate free. If you are still taking sub - include how you feel on it - do you still feel great - or has the sub 'turned' on you and you are now feeling depressed, more pain, etc...
Little background - my husband was taking Oxycontin for 5 years - 340 mg a day. Five years before that he was taking Hydros at a very high dose. This was all prescribed for him by his pain management doctor but it got to a point that he was just tired of his moods constantly being based on when he was to take his next pain pill. Plus he started getting sick whenever he did any physical activity - nauseous, fever, chills, etc. He took many tests to find out what was causing these 'episodes' and the Doctor's found nothing except high triclyerides and cholestrol so we though perhaps the OC was causing it. The only way to find out was for him to stop taking the pills. So on June 23rd he switched to Subutex - we thought it was absolutely amazing that it took all his cravings away, as well as the w/d's he was in from stopping the oxy 24 hours beforehand. Now we've read about how hard it is to get off the Sub if you take it any longer than a couple of months and how people wished they were informed of that. He started at 16 mg, then after a week cut to 12 mg, now he's day two of taking 8 mg. And we are HUNGRY TO HEAR OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN THERE, TRIED THAT, WORE THAT T-SHIRT !!!!
So....my eyes are really blurry from trying to locate this information and I thought, hey, why not create a place where people who have gone thru a successful taper of Sub can post their stories and give hope to all of us. And the people who have tried to get off, and were unable to, can post their stories also. I believe these stories will help us all make better, informed decisions in the future. I plan on posting to as many of these forums as I can find - so if you are interested in reading all the results just google 'Suboxone Detox Message Boards' and check them all out to see more stories from people who were willing to share their Sub stories with us all! THANKS FOR SHARING!!!! RoyalSecret
Bumped for my own curiosity
I amon sub now for since feb...longer than I would like, actually. Now it has just seemed to turn into a crutch...and I want freedom.
I got down to 3 mgs, and now am still at 6...way too high.
So, once again, I will start a taper.
If I had to do it again, it would be no longer than 3 weeks max...and a very low dose. I would suffer the withdrawls then, because now it looks like I am in for them anyway...
Kerry
I got down to 3 mgs, and now am still at 6...way too high.
So, once again, I will start a taper.
If I had to do it again, it would be no longer than 3 weeks max...and a very low dose. I would suffer the withdrawls then, because now it looks like I am in for them anyway...
Kerry
Kerry, have you tried to get off the Sub? Are the withdrawlas just as bad? DO you think if you had only taken them for a few weeks following the "less is more" theory, that it woudl have worked to elininate or ease the WD's from your drug of choice as well as the Sub??
less is more...definately. I haven't tried to get off yet; I am scared of that...I think that is one of the reasons that I am holding onto it...
I did get down to 3 mgs, and it feels better than 6 mgs.
I am going to 6 for 6 days, then down from there...I will keep you posted or you can email me at mpmco@verizon.net
kerry
I did get down to 3 mgs, and it feels better than 6 mgs.
I am going to 6 for 6 days, then down from there...I will keep you posted or you can email me at mpmco@verizon.net
kerry
Hello, I am currently tapering off of 2 mg and am getting awful WD's on the 2 days I haven't taken it. I only have one more dose, and I am soooo scared about the WD's. My Dr. gave me a Clonidine patch and ambien short term to get through this. It was easy in the hospital when everything was managed. I don't have any cravings for opiates, my DOC. But the tapering has been hell! Any ideas how to get through this? The 22 and done is the number of knee surgeries I've had before I finally got a TKR. Now that I am pain free, after 18 years, I want to get off the drugs. I have literally been in a fog until now. I can smell the candle burning, see things I never noticed before (like my beautiful green eyes!) and just need support to know that this will pass. Anyone have any clue-will it be worse when I am done on Sunday? How do I get through this?? Thanks for reading this!
Well, if it helps here's my story (short version) : Used sub to get off 25-30 vics a day. After a few days on sub I felt completely normally on it, it really helped. After 2 months I started to lower my sub and found I could quickly go from 12-14 mgs a day to 4 (in a week). After that I went down to 2 mgs over the next 2 weeks also with no problems. It got harder at 1.5 mgs and I started to run short of pills and had to do 2 days at 1.5 mgs, 2 days at 1 mg, 2 days at 0.75 mgs, and 2 days at 0.5 mgs. I'm currently on my last 0.5 mg day and then will do 3-4 days at 0.25 mgs and be done. When I went below 1.5 mgs I started to get some WD, and they've been with me ever since. However, they're not that bad, NOTHING like a CT vic WD. At a slower taper I don't think I would have any problems at all but I decided to just get it over with instead of getting more pills (I'm not very good at tapering off anything). Anyway, I just feel a little sick but well enough to get things done and be productive. Hope that helps. One last thing, after the first 12-14 days on sub I strongely suspect I could of dropped down to 4-6 mgs a day, I almost certainly stayed on a higher does than I need to.
Hey Royal Secret, the Heroin site is a mine of info for Subs.
Take care.
Karen
Take care.
Karen
I tapered off Sub. with little problem. I wasn't easy, but it wasn't a nightmare like when I tried C/T. The problem I see with Sub is people get on it thinking it is an easy way out. That's not true at all. Sub. should be used as a tool for those who have tried everything else and didn't work. Getting off Sub is something that just takes time.
"Slow and steady wins the race "
- JohnDee
"Slow and steady wins the race "
- JohnDee
I think Marina "hit the nail right on the head". Sub can be very helpful but it shoulf be used VERY carefully and with great thought. All the best!
Royal and Darnell,
I was in your shoes a few months back and was very scared of the unknown. Many people on this board gave me advice (and hope) and now I am 39 days clean from Subutex.
My DOC was fentanyl. I took it for a medical reason to start but quite frankly it made me feel great and for the first time I was sleeping at night. Before you know it doing it one night a weekend became doing it every day. I did however control my dose intake somewhat but was still completely abusing.
My wife had the same deal which made it easy as we did it together. Well, we said enough is enough and went to subutex. I started at only 2mgs of sub and her slightly higher and had NO wd's off of the fentanyl. I stayed on 2 mgs for about a month then tapered to 1.5 and then 1mg. I just made up my mind that I didn't want to take any more and quit ct. My wife quit 5 days later.
Well, I had all the wd symptoms (flu, s***ts, leg issues, no sleep, etc). It was really bad for about 5 days. The fatigue and sleeplessness lasted a lot longer. Some on here are against it but I took ambien (as little as possible) to get sleep.
I am now 39 days and feel pretty normal except for occassional cravings. I am getting my life back and definitely dont miss all the bulls***. My wife actually had one really, really bad day but otherwise probably did better than me and she was coming off of more. I guess different people have different reactions.
Let me know if you have any direct questions and I will try to answer them. Bottom line...not easy but it can be done. You just have to want it bad.
Good luck.
SF
I was in your shoes a few months back and was very scared of the unknown. Many people on this board gave me advice (and hope) and now I am 39 days clean from Subutex.
My DOC was fentanyl. I took it for a medical reason to start but quite frankly it made me feel great and for the first time I was sleeping at night. Before you know it doing it one night a weekend became doing it every day. I did however control my dose intake somewhat but was still completely abusing.
My wife had the same deal which made it easy as we did it together. Well, we said enough is enough and went to subutex. I started at only 2mgs of sub and her slightly higher and had NO wd's off of the fentanyl. I stayed on 2 mgs for about a month then tapered to 1.5 and then 1mg. I just made up my mind that I didn't want to take any more and quit ct. My wife quit 5 days later.
Well, I had all the wd symptoms (flu, s***ts, leg issues, no sleep, etc). It was really bad for about 5 days. The fatigue and sleeplessness lasted a lot longer. Some on here are against it but I took ambien (as little as possible) to get sleep.
I am now 39 days and feel pretty normal except for occassional cravings. I am getting my life back and definitely dont miss all the bulls***. My wife actually had one really, really bad day but otherwise probably did better than me and she was coming off of more. I guess different people have different reactions.
Let me know if you have any direct questions and I will try to answer them. Bottom line...not easy but it can be done. You just have to want it bad.
Good luck.
SF
Royalsecret:
I am in your similar situation. About the same OC habit, mabye 200 a day or so. I started on 2mg of sub twice a day, morn and night. Was okay but went to 8mg a day, 4morn and 4night. Has been very comfortable. My work has gotten much better and I feel better. My production at work is wonderful and I am starting to feel like some of the old passions again. I know getting of the sub has to come some time but my Dr (who is an expert addictionoligist and x diludid (sp?) user) says to let it take time and not get in hurray. I think i can go back to 4mg or lower a day. no w/d symtoms to speak of, a little mental craving but nothing physical at all. It is alot cheaper and legal and feel better about myself for the time being. he wants me to continue getting adapted to life's existence without feeling "high" and then taper or quit. I also take Lexipro which has really helped I think. If you will stay posting I will too and let you know how i'm doing and what advice i am getting. I know it is going to hurt some but that is out price i guess. Dr. tells me the w/d from the sub will be bearable and I can be free of it all within 40-75 days if I try.
I did take some OC while on the sub as any good addict must. No major reaction but very little effect from the OC which was good I guess. I am going to keep trying and the side effects of the sub seem minimal. I'm sold on the plan. Nothing else has worked, never tried methadone but have cold turkey a couple times only to go back. I'm 34 and pretty active and that seems to help. I have just gotten in a grove of working really hard and long hours and going to some meetings. You guys will be in my thoughts and I hope it works for us both. Any questions at all feel free to ask, I will check your posts this weekend.
Thx for your post and honesty it is helpful to me.
I am in your similar situation. About the same OC habit, mabye 200 a day or so. I started on 2mg of sub twice a day, morn and night. Was okay but went to 8mg a day, 4morn and 4night. Has been very comfortable. My work has gotten much better and I feel better. My production at work is wonderful and I am starting to feel like some of the old passions again. I know getting of the sub has to come some time but my Dr (who is an expert addictionoligist and x diludid (sp?) user) says to let it take time and not get in hurray. I think i can go back to 4mg or lower a day. no w/d symtoms to speak of, a little mental craving but nothing physical at all. It is alot cheaper and legal and feel better about myself for the time being. he wants me to continue getting adapted to life's existence without feeling "high" and then taper or quit. I also take Lexipro which has really helped I think. If you will stay posting I will too and let you know how i'm doing and what advice i am getting. I know it is going to hurt some but that is out price i guess. Dr. tells me the w/d from the sub will be bearable and I can be free of it all within 40-75 days if I try.
I did take some OC while on the sub as any good addict must. No major reaction but very little effect from the OC which was good I guess. I am going to keep trying and the side effects of the sub seem minimal. I'm sold on the plan. Nothing else has worked, never tried methadone but have cold turkey a couple times only to go back. I'm 34 and pretty active and that seems to help. I have just gotten in a grove of working really hard and long hours and going to some meetings. You guys will be in my thoughts and I hope it works for us both. Any questions at all feel free to ask, I will check your posts this weekend.
Thx for your post and honesty it is helpful to me.
Hi everyone - Wow! I am so happy to see all the replies - this is great! :) Hi Brit - thanks for the info re the H site - I looked into it and you are right.
Littlebeach - You haven't been on it for too, too long yet and you have kept your dose low - from everything I've read the best road to the fewest w/d's is to taper slowly - especially when you get down to 1mg and lower. Please stay positive and keep sharing.
Hey Darnell - what do you mean when you said 'Bumped for my own curiosity'? Are you on Sub and also trying to get off? If you don't want to share that is totally fine though - no pressure! :)
Hi 22anddone - you are Soooo close to being 'done'! Hang in there! How long have you been taking Sub? How quickly have you tapered? You say you have one more dose - what mg will that last dose be at?
A really good forum that has a lot of posts regarding Sub is: www.heroin-detox.com and then pick theBuprenorphine/Suboxone thread.
From what I've read the worst of it will pass after five days from your last dose. Because of the long 1/2 life of Sub (37.5 hours) the worst couple of days seems to be 2-3 days from the last dose... YES YOU CAN DO THIS AND YES IT WILL PASS!!!! And everyone says the the w/d's are NOTHING compared to C/T. Please keep posting and check out the site I mentioned above - there are a lot of posts giving lists of otc medications that will really help you get thru this.
Your comment about not craving your DOC says it all! You KNOW what you want, you KNOW you are ready, you've BEEN THRU 22 (jeez) surgeries, gone thru the knee replacement surgery (wow!), worked liked heck to get your body painfree and are READY TO DO THIS!!! DON'T GIVE UP!!!! Keep sharing with us.
Hi Greenstone0 - you went from 14 mg to 4 in one week - WOW!! Way to get what you want when you want it! :) How did you feel when you did that? Was it more difficult 'mind' wise or did you feel it physically? That's amazing! You sound like you know exactly what is best for you! And your taper sounds like it will really work also - I agree that at .25 you're better off just jumping then keep lowering it. I've read where at those low dosages sometimes it's even better to just jump and get it done. Please keep posting (daily if you can - you are so close!!!) - sharing how you feel and what you're going thru - and WE in turn will give you all the SUPPORT and ENCOURAGEMENT we can!!!
Hi Marina - thank you so much for sharing. It's great to also hear stories from people who have successfully gotton off Sub. I agree with you that before anyone starts Sub they need to read these forums and do their homework so they respect Sub for how powerful it is, and how 'less is more'. If you don't mind, I'd really be interested in hearing about your Sub story - how long you took it, what mg., your taper schedule, how long you went thru w/d (how bad were the w/d's) when you took your last dose, etc. I really think hearing these personal experiences will be invaluable to everyone. Thank you!
Hi James80- thank you for saying that my post was honest and helpful to you! :)That made me feel good because I tend to go on and on (ok people, stop laughing - I know I tend to post long ones ~ :) but that's just me. In the future, once we've 'talked' a few times, I promise I won't be so long winded (lol).
It also sounds like you know exactly what you need right now and it sounds like it's not a taper plan yet. It is so amazing, the more I read, the more I realize how so many people learn to listen to their bodies and minds and just learn to know what is best for them. You sound like you are a very honest person, both with yourself and others, and you seem to know that you may need to stay on Sub for maintanence in order to get your mindframe ready to be strong and learn to fight those nasty cravings.
I applaud your commonsense and I've read many stories of people who have taken a low maintenance dose of Sub for a year or so and then if they do a very, very slow taper, they have been able to wean off it completely without the w/d's being so intense. But I respect that right now, you aren't thinking about tapering, your focusing on changing your mindset, going to meetings, working hard, getting your life back! :) Please keep posting and sharing.
Whew! Again, sorry for the long post but I just felt the need to respond to each of your posts because it really means a lot to me that you all took the time to share. In the future - I promise I won't take up this much room and I'll just let everyone share - no pressure to respond to each and every post.
Here is an update on how Ed is doing: today is day 3 at 8 mg. He is feeling MUCH better than he did yesterday. Yesterday he was very depressed, 'blah' feeling, no energy, and EDGY! I'm not sure if it was his mind telling him 'cutting down is BAD' (even though I've been showing him all the 'less is MORE' posts - old habits die hard) or if it was his body trying to stabilize at the lower dose but it wasn't a fun day for him.
But today, he was feeling better - had enough energy to fill a dumpster we rented to do some 'spring' cleaning and was able to dump about 5 years worth of junk! :) His back is sore, but it's always sore whenever he does any physical activity. He took 4 mg at 2:00 am and then waited until 6:00pm to take the other 4 mg- I am SO PROUD of him!! I know it was very hard for him, mindwise, to go from taking 3-4 doses a day to just 2!! If he feels up to it he may try to go down to 6 mg tomorrow - but if he doesn't...then he won't. We are trying to balance 'listening to his body' with 'ignorning his mind's cravings' - a VERY hard juggling act! Well, my fingers are starting to cramp so I'm signing off. Thank you all for sharing!!!! TGIF!!! :) RoyalSecret
Littlebeach - You haven't been on it for too, too long yet and you have kept your dose low - from everything I've read the best road to the fewest w/d's is to taper slowly - especially when you get down to 1mg and lower. Please stay positive and keep sharing.
Hey Darnell - what do you mean when you said 'Bumped for my own curiosity'? Are you on Sub and also trying to get off? If you don't want to share that is totally fine though - no pressure! :)
Hi 22anddone - you are Soooo close to being 'done'! Hang in there! How long have you been taking Sub? How quickly have you tapered? You say you have one more dose - what mg will that last dose be at?
A really good forum that has a lot of posts regarding Sub is: www.heroin-detox.com and then pick theBuprenorphine/Suboxone thread.
From what I've read the worst of it will pass after five days from your last dose. Because of the long 1/2 life of Sub (37.5 hours) the worst couple of days seems to be 2-3 days from the last dose... YES YOU CAN DO THIS AND YES IT WILL PASS!!!! And everyone says the the w/d's are NOTHING compared to C/T. Please keep posting and check out the site I mentioned above - there are a lot of posts giving lists of otc medications that will really help you get thru this.
Your comment about not craving your DOC says it all! You KNOW what you want, you KNOW you are ready, you've BEEN THRU 22 (jeez) surgeries, gone thru the knee replacement surgery (wow!), worked liked heck to get your body painfree and are READY TO DO THIS!!! DON'T GIVE UP!!!! Keep sharing with us.
Hi Greenstone0 - you went from 14 mg to 4 in one week - WOW!! Way to get what you want when you want it! :) How did you feel when you did that? Was it more difficult 'mind' wise or did you feel it physically? That's amazing! You sound like you know exactly what is best for you! And your taper sounds like it will really work also - I agree that at .25 you're better off just jumping then keep lowering it. I've read where at those low dosages sometimes it's even better to just jump and get it done. Please keep posting (daily if you can - you are so close!!!) - sharing how you feel and what you're going thru - and WE in turn will give you all the SUPPORT and ENCOURAGEMENT we can!!!
Hi Marina - thank you so much for sharing. It's great to also hear stories from people who have successfully gotton off Sub. I agree with you that before anyone starts Sub they need to read these forums and do their homework so they respect Sub for how powerful it is, and how 'less is more'. If you don't mind, I'd really be interested in hearing about your Sub story - how long you took it, what mg., your taper schedule, how long you went thru w/d (how bad were the w/d's) when you took your last dose, etc. I really think hearing these personal experiences will be invaluable to everyone. Thank you!
Hi James80- thank you for saying that my post was honest and helpful to you! :)That made me feel good because I tend to go on and on (ok people, stop laughing - I know I tend to post long ones ~ :) but that's just me. In the future, once we've 'talked' a few times, I promise I won't be so long winded (lol).
It also sounds like you know exactly what you need right now and it sounds like it's not a taper plan yet. It is so amazing, the more I read, the more I realize how so many people learn to listen to their bodies and minds and just learn to know what is best for them. You sound like you are a very honest person, both with yourself and others, and you seem to know that you may need to stay on Sub for maintanence in order to get your mindframe ready to be strong and learn to fight those nasty cravings.
I applaud your commonsense and I've read many stories of people who have taken a low maintenance dose of Sub for a year or so and then if they do a very, very slow taper, they have been able to wean off it completely without the w/d's being so intense. But I respect that right now, you aren't thinking about tapering, your focusing on changing your mindset, going to meetings, working hard, getting your life back! :) Please keep posting and sharing.
Whew! Again, sorry for the long post but I just felt the need to respond to each of your posts because it really means a lot to me that you all took the time to share. In the future - I promise I won't take up this much room and I'll just let everyone share - no pressure to respond to each and every post.
Here is an update on how Ed is doing: today is day 3 at 8 mg. He is feeling MUCH better than he did yesterday. Yesterday he was very depressed, 'blah' feeling, no energy, and EDGY! I'm not sure if it was his mind telling him 'cutting down is BAD' (even though I've been showing him all the 'less is MORE' posts - old habits die hard) or if it was his body trying to stabilize at the lower dose but it wasn't a fun day for him.
But today, he was feeling better - had enough energy to fill a dumpster we rented to do some 'spring' cleaning and was able to dump about 5 years worth of junk! :) His back is sore, but it's always sore whenever he does any physical activity. He took 4 mg at 2:00 am and then waited until 6:00pm to take the other 4 mg- I am SO PROUD of him!! I know it was very hard for him, mindwise, to go from taking 3-4 doses a day to just 2!! If he feels up to it he may try to go down to 6 mg tomorrow - but if he doesn't...then he won't. We are trying to balance 'listening to his body' with 'ignorning his mind's cravings' - a VERY hard juggling act! Well, my fingers are starting to cramp so I'm signing off. Thank you all for sharing!!!! TGIF!!! :) RoyalSecret
Hi SportsFanatic - oops! I'm sorry I thought I responded to everyone and I missed you!! 39 days off Sub - CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU AND YOUR WIFE - WOOHOO!!!!!! :)
It sounds like you guys had it rough, though. Did I read your post right - you never went above 2mg, was only on it for a few months (after the first 2 months at 2 mg - what was your taper schedule and how long did you stay at each dose?) - I'm sorry - it sounds like you two were one of the unlucky one's - even though you weren't on it very long and I'm assuming you gave your time to taper pretty low - you still went thru a lot of w/d's - and even after that 5 day window it sounds like you had a tough time sleeping and keeping your energy up - but WAY TO KEEP AT IT AND FINISH IT!!!! Are you at 100% yet, do you have more energy now than you did taking your DOC? When you were tapering did you feel kind of crappy the whole time? Sorry for all the questions it's just great to have someone share who has so recently been successful at getting off it. Please keep sharing. Thank you!!!! RoyalSecret
It sounds like you guys had it rough, though. Did I read your post right - you never went above 2mg, was only on it for a few months (after the first 2 months at 2 mg - what was your taper schedule and how long did you stay at each dose?) - I'm sorry - it sounds like you two were one of the unlucky one's - even though you weren't on it very long and I'm assuming you gave your time to taper pretty low - you still went thru a lot of w/d's - and even after that 5 day window it sounds like you had a tough time sleeping and keeping your energy up - but WAY TO KEEP AT IT AND FINISH IT!!!! Are you at 100% yet, do you have more energy now than you did taking your DOC? When you were tapering did you feel kind of crappy the whole time? Sorry for all the questions it's just great to have someone share who has so recently been successful at getting off it. Please keep sharing. Thank you!!!! RoyalSecret
Hi RoyalSecret,
Thanks for responding to each and everyone's post. Your words of encouragement had me crying already this morning! I went to an inpatient detox program on June 22nd, started suboxone then. They started by giving me 2 doses when I was in withdrawal. I think I went from 3 a day for 2 days, then 2 a day for 2 days, 1 a day for 2 days, then the Dr. discharged me with 8 total to take 1 everyday for 5 days, then 1 every other day for 3 days. The bottle says 2/0.5 mg. I don't know what that means or how much I am on now. THe pills are octagon shaped.But tapering this past week has been really tough. I just can't imagine what the first few days after tomorrow (my LAST dose)will be like. I thought this was going to be easier!! But I guess if you really want something bad you have to stick it out!
Thanks for responding to each and everyone's post. Your words of encouragement had me crying already this morning! I went to an inpatient detox program on June 22nd, started suboxone then. They started by giving me 2 doses when I was in withdrawal. I think I went from 3 a day for 2 days, then 2 a day for 2 days, 1 a day for 2 days, then the Dr. discharged me with 8 total to take 1 everyday for 5 days, then 1 every other day for 3 days. The bottle says 2/0.5 mg. I don't know what that means or how much I am on now. THe pills are octagon shaped.But tapering this past week has been really tough. I just can't imagine what the first few days after tomorrow (my LAST dose)will be like. I thought this was going to be easier!! But I guess if you really want something bad you have to stick it out!
Hi,
I thought I'd just add where I am with getting off of sub!!
At the mo' I've had to halt my reduction cos of the pangs of paranoia and anxiety are just way to hard to deal with!!!
I've been on sub for about 3 friggin years now!! and yup that is way way to long BUT at least I'm no longer trapped in that cycle of addiction and I'm living a relativley 'normal' life, my whole life is no longer consumed with the need for drugs, and I've done w/d's from heroin and methadone and yup the physical w/d's are way easier on sub but the mental side-for me-is the killer.
So if I have to stay on this tiny amount of sub for another 3yrs then thats ok cos at least I aint banging up silly amounts of smack!!!
so a word of advise to people considering using sub, try and use it over a short period, you know what they say, more is less..
GOOD LUCK EVERYONE
love
Gabbi
I thought I'd just add where I am with getting off of sub!!
At the mo' I've had to halt my reduction cos of the pangs of paranoia and anxiety are just way to hard to deal with!!!
I've been on sub for about 3 friggin years now!! and yup that is way way to long BUT at least I'm no longer trapped in that cycle of addiction and I'm living a relativley 'normal' life, my whole life is no longer consumed with the need for drugs, and I've done w/d's from heroin and methadone and yup the physical w/d's are way easier on sub but the mental side-for me-is the killer.
So if I have to stay on this tiny amount of sub for another 3yrs then thats ok cos at least I aint banging up silly amounts of smack!!!
so a word of advise to people considering using sub, try and use it over a short period, you know what they say, more is less..
GOOD LUCK EVERYONE
love
Gabbi
Hi 22anddone - thank you for your kind words - everyone is so caring around here - it's so nice not to feel so alone! It sounds like your doctor used the Sub for a very short term detox and that is really good - as long as your mindset is there and you have your cravings under control that is the way to go! It sounds like they kept you on a very lose dose and now you are only taking .05 (1/2)mg a day. I've read many posts that say it's best to just stop taking it when you get as low as that and struggle through the next 5 days - and I've also read where people really take a long time to taper - they would go from .05 to .05 every other day, to .25 then .25 every other day, etc. Since you only have one dose left it looks like your mind has been made up for you and since you've been on such a low dose for such a short time you w/d's shouldn't (keeping my fingers crossed for you!) be too severe. Please keep us posted on how you are doing!
Just to give you an idea of how little you are taking compared to Ed, Ed is taking 8 mg a day which is 16 times more than you - you are at .05 (1/2 mg). Please HANG IN THERE and keep posting!! It really sounds like you're Doctor knew what he was doing - you are lucky! :) Royalsecret
Just to give you an idea of how little you are taking compared to Ed, Ed is taking 8 mg a day which is 16 times more than you - you are at .05 (1/2 mg). Please HANG IN THERE and keep posting!! It really sounds like you're Doctor knew what he was doing - you are lucky! :) Royalsecret
Hi Gabbi - welome and thank you for sharing! :) It sounds like you are also listening to what your body needs right now. That is very wise - and like you have already realized it's better to be on a low dose of sub maintenance than to go back to your DOC!!! WAY TO GO!!!! Please keep sharing! RoyalSecret
Hi EVERYONE - how are you all doing???!!! Please post and let us know how your tapering is going - quite a few who posted here were EXTREMELY close to jumping! Even if you tried to 'jump' and it was too much and decided to take it slower - that's OKAY - we need to hear ALL the stories!
Ed goes down to 4 mg tomorrow, so Saturday won't be such a fun day. He seems to really feel each 2 mg taper on the 2nd day, but then he feels okay again after that...I'll let you know how it goes. RoyalSecret
Ed goes down to 4 mg tomorrow, so Saturday won't be such a fun day. He seems to really feel each 2 mg taper on the 2nd day, but then he feels okay again after that...I'll let you know how it goes. RoyalSecret
hi royal secret.
i came off subutex 23 days ago,it has'nt been too bad,i was on it from the beginning of february for heroin addiction,i peaked at 8mg and stayed on that for a couple of months then tapered down 0.4m every week.when reducing i had a bit of anxiety but the physical side was ok.my sleep is quite good as well,i only wake up once in the night but its hot at the mo' so it might be that.as you have probably read,try and keep the dose down and then coming off is easier.taper slowly and all should be ok.i suffered with a bit of depression when coming off but not to bad,i also felt quite lethargic as well but these problems are nothing like coming off heroin or any other opiates,so i would say,if you can keep yourself busy and get the first couple of weeks out of the way things will really start improving,,just be patient,a couple of weeks of being tired and grumpy was worth it for getting off heroin.i hope all goes well for anyone on subutex or suboxonei will post again to let you know how i get on.bye
ruprect
i came off subutex 23 days ago,it has'nt been too bad,i was on it from the beginning of february for heroin addiction,i peaked at 8mg and stayed on that for a couple of months then tapered down 0.4m every week.when reducing i had a bit of anxiety but the physical side was ok.my sleep is quite good as well,i only wake up once in the night but its hot at the mo' so it might be that.as you have probably read,try and keep the dose down and then coming off is easier.taper slowly and all should be ok.i suffered with a bit of depression when coming off but not to bad,i also felt quite lethargic as well but these problems are nothing like coming off heroin or any other opiates,so i would say,if you can keep yourself busy and get the first couple of weeks out of the way things will really start improving,,just be patient,a couple of weeks of being tired and grumpy was worth it for getting off heroin.i hope all goes well for anyone on subutex or suboxonei will post again to let you know how i get on.bye
ruprect
