My folks neighbors grandson is trying ot come off of herion. ( know nothing about it but scares me) he is taking methadone ( which I took for chronic pain and have w/d from it becuz it was BAD BAD BAD) I am hoping there is somehting else you can help me with to give advice as to what to do for him....how do you feel about the drug Suboxone...subutex...there are 2 drs I have found that rx that here in washington where they live......he is 19 yo so not to young for us to help...the grandfather will be here soon so I can show him this website and give a few pointers any advice like yesterday...LOL
Thanks
Krazi
AKA: krazishyone from pain pill site a year or so ago......
So I take it its either to early or everyone is buzy for a saturday......was just hoping for a little help....sorry to sound pushy but you know how it is when your trying to get help.....any takers for me??????
Hey Krazi... stick around as there will be people on later, sometimes it goes quiet but you will get some good advice/help/ positive feedback from floks on here. Not personally took subs, but heard only good things abut them. Congrats on your 2 years. Take it easy, Kev
Krazi...welcome to the board...you might not get input immediatly but stick around coz for sure you will get it.Is the person in question getting his methd.from a registered clinic or doctor?if so for how long and at what dose?was he an i.v user?you need to tell us a bit more and we can try to help ....im a l/t methedone patient 7yrs.and its helped me immensely i can have a normal regular life without smack...it has:normalised:me.I have never tried subs but have only heard good things they are less narcotic than methadone...giving a lesser depedance factor than methd.so more chance of a completly drug free life....post back with a bit more info.ATB........Davey
Hi Krazi, congrats to you on doing so well.
Sorry I don't know anything about Subbies either...........like the fellas said though others do..........I'm sure somebody will pop by and help ya out.
That's really a tough one for anybody to go through...........especially for grandparents I am sure.........I guess the gist of it is he has to want to stay clean..........and his dear grandpaprents will have to absolutely make boundaries............maybe you can help the Pop go on the Families/Friends forum part of the board as well.
Let these nice people know though that there is HOPE.........and so many of us here are clean..........and we'd be glad to help...........that's very kind of you to help these nice people, Krazi...........and you are so not Krazi........if having compassion and kindness is Krazi than I want to be a raging crazed lunatic....all good things to the entire family in the meantime.........just know that he can get through this and they can as well.
Sorry I don't know anything about Subbies either...........like the fellas said though others do..........I'm sure somebody will pop by and help ya out.
That's really a tough one for anybody to go through...........especially for grandparents I am sure.........I guess the gist of it is he has to want to stay clean..........and his dear grandpaprents will have to absolutely make boundaries............maybe you can help the Pop go on the Families/Friends forum part of the board as well.
Let these nice people know though that there is HOPE.........and so many of us here are clean..........and we'd be glad to help...........that's very kind of you to help these nice people, Krazi...........and you are so not Krazi........if having compassion and kindness is Krazi than I want to be a raging crazed lunatic....all good things to the entire family in the meantime.........just know that he can get through this and they can as well.
I did a subbies detox, over an 18 month period, and it worked, I'm still clean 18 months after taking my last subutex. But to be entirely honest with you, although subbies are somewhat easier to come off than methadone, the real difference was my attitude. I'd been on methadone for years prior to going onto subbies, and never successfully stayed away from heroin. The last time round, I really geuinely had had a gutsfull of life on heroin, and I truely wanted to kick it into touch and move on.
One way in which subbies are infinitely superior to methadone is that they are a blocker for other opiates. They bind very tightly to the opiate receptors, and make it impossible for other opiates to bind to them, so they have no effect, apart from to make you feel very sick. This is only true at doses of around 12mgs or more. What I have noticed is that in the states Drs seem to prescribe quite low doses of subs, but are willing to prescribe quite high doses of meth. In my health authority in the UK, the opposite is true. When I went onto subs from meth, I started at 16mgs and maintained that dose until I felt sufficiently confident to reduce, which was about 9 months later. I then reduced by 2mgs every month, but this was not set in stone, and some months I delayed my drop until whatever crisis is was had passed.
Another point worth noting is that it is not recommended to swap from meth to subs until you have reduced your methadone to 35mls or less. That said, I swapped at 40mls, and although I had about 3 sleepless nights, and felt quite uncomfortable for a couple of days, the swap wasn't that bad.
To me, the essential thing in any successful detox is to listen to your mind and body, and only do what you feel comfortable doing. It's not a race, there are no prizes for doing it quickly, so take your time and don't rush yourself. Although it took me 18 months to come off the subs, that was time well spent. You need to ensure that your prescribing Dr understands that and doesn't try to enforce a rigid reduction regime on you.
So the key points:
1) Prepare for the swap from meth to subs. Drop to 40mls or less before swapping.
2) Ensure that your subs dose is high enough for you. Don't struggle on too low a dose.
3) Take your time, and don't rush. Maintain until you want to drop. Use that time to sort out other areas of your life which may present problems later. In my case that meant moving house, and dropping all my addicted friends.
4) Drop slowly
5) Remember - heroin and subs don't mix.
best wishes
Diff x
5)
One way in which subbies are infinitely superior to methadone is that they are a blocker for other opiates. They bind very tightly to the opiate receptors, and make it impossible for other opiates to bind to them, so they have no effect, apart from to make you feel very sick. This is only true at doses of around 12mgs or more. What I have noticed is that in the states Drs seem to prescribe quite low doses of subs, but are willing to prescribe quite high doses of meth. In my health authority in the UK, the opposite is true. When I went onto subs from meth, I started at 16mgs and maintained that dose until I felt sufficiently confident to reduce, which was about 9 months later. I then reduced by 2mgs every month, but this was not set in stone, and some months I delayed my drop until whatever crisis is was had passed.
Another point worth noting is that it is not recommended to swap from meth to subs until you have reduced your methadone to 35mls or less. That said, I swapped at 40mls, and although I had about 3 sleepless nights, and felt quite uncomfortable for a couple of days, the swap wasn't that bad.
To me, the essential thing in any successful detox is to listen to your mind and body, and only do what you feel comfortable doing. It's not a race, there are no prizes for doing it quickly, so take your time and don't rush yourself. Although it took me 18 months to come off the subs, that was time well spent. You need to ensure that your prescribing Dr understands that and doesn't try to enforce a rigid reduction regime on you.
So the key points:
1) Prepare for the swap from meth to subs. Drop to 40mls or less before swapping.
2) Ensure that your subs dose is high enough for you. Don't struggle on too low a dose.
3) Take your time, and don't rush. Maintain until you want to drop. Use that time to sort out other areas of your life which may present problems later. In my case that meant moving house, and dropping all my addicted friends.
4) Drop slowly
5) Remember - heroin and subs don't mix.
best wishes
Diff x
5)
He's gotta really want it like Diff did. A close friend of mine is on subbies but has unfortunately discovered that he seems to be able to dip in and out of them, he does about three days on and three days off so he can use intermittently...which is very dangerous, much higher risk of OD. But he doesn't really want to get clean, he just hates the stigma of his drug use and the amount it costs him. That's not enough.
Good luck!
Maddy x
Good luck!
Maddy x
Kraz..................how's it going..........how's the Grandparents?
