finally off suboxone

kapinos · Newbie Joined: 22 Jun 2005 Posts: 17

Hi, I am finally off suboxone. I never thought I could make it. But, it finally happened. I am not dependant on anything, in the end.

medsker · Silver Member Joined: 28 Jun 2001 Posts: 290

Hi, it is very important when you are stopping Suboxone or Subutex, to follow your condition since many withdrawal symptoms may occur. These drugs can cause dependence, and withdrawal symptoms are quit severe if the medicine is suddenly stopped. Since buprenorphine is a partial agonist, withdrawal symptoms are not so severe like with methadone. These drugs are not for irregular use and must be applied as suggested by doctor. The usual approach is to reduce the dosage gradually, in order to avoid or minimize withdrawal symptoms.

Guest · Guest

I was on Suboxone for over 3 years. My dosage started out at 16mg per day, then increased to 32mg per day. The Doctor that I was seeing was way too easy, he was only in it for the money. I could practically get almost anything that I wanted out of him. Valium, you want it-you got it. This is not something that you do to treat an addict.
I had several friends that were also seeing the same Doctor, they too could get whatever they wanted out of him. We were all on Lortab and Percocet prior to the Suboxone and became very well versed on how to con Doctors into prescribing whatever we wanted. So I can't blame the Suboxone Doctor entirely, as an addict I was mostly at blame.
Now to getting off of Suboxone, this is how I finally did it. I tapered myself down to 4mg per day over a 1 month period. Once I was at 4mg per day, I maintained that dosage for 2 weeks. On the first day of the third week, I cut back to 2mg per day. On the first day of the 4th week, I started taking 2mg every other day. I did this for about a week and a half. It was hell, but the worst was yet to come. Going Cold Turkey off Suboxone was the worst experience in my life. After 2 weeks, it started to ease up. Finally after 1 month things got better. I can now sleep, eat and function normally.

My advice to anyone seeking Suboxone as way way out is to seek out a Doctor that will give you a set timeframe for your treatment. NA should also be a condition of treatment. I have done much research on this and combined with personal experience, this treatment should not last over 45 days. Suboxone is as addictive as Methadone. It may be easier for some to get off of as others, but it is still pure hell to get off of.

Now that the law has changed and Doctors do not have the 30 patient limit anymore, you are going to start to see more Doctors approved to write it. This is going to open the door to even more abuse.

Good Luck To All. Please do not let me discourage anyone from treatment, Just be careful. If you are seeking Suboxone, you obviously have an addiction issue and Suboxone is addictive as well. It is not the wonder drug that many claim it to be. Your treatment is only as good as you and your Doctor make it out to be. NA is helpful, there are chapters everywhere these days.

candywl · Newbie Joined: 28 Jan 2008 Posts: 1

i have been on suboxone in the past, went back on painkillers, and have been back on suboxone since the last two months. gotta say, though. i went off suboxone cold turkey years ago after starting 2 years before that on 40 mg/day, and just felt when i needed to reduce the dose on my own, as you begin to get a headache if you are on too much suboxone. now, when i went off suboxone years ago, my meds were stolen, and i dropped down to nearly 100 lbs.(i am 5'9"), almost died, was in hospital for 2 weeks, and my dopamine receptors never figured out how to make their own dopamine again, for i spent a year, putting my heels in the ground, saying, "it's gotta get better, it's gotta go back to normal, i have to be able to sleep again, i've come so far, yada, yada", however, it never went back to normal. i didn't sleep for a year, couldn't eat, out of my mind. so now that i am back on suboxone, i feel i am stuck for life, for i will never put myself through that misery again. by 6 months into suboxone therapy the last time, i was down to taking a quarter of an 8mg sublingual per day, and continued on that minimal dose for the duration. so, you, who are now free from all of these meds, please tell me how long it took you for your body to regulate your sleep and body temperature? also, did suboxone cause weight loss for you? i lost a ton of weight on it, and i must say that was my favorite part of it! so happy for your full recovery! please write back with any knowledge you can pass on!

Brat01 · Newbie Joined: 18 Feb 2008 Posts: 1

I have been taking Suboxone for the past year and a half, I've only been taking about 2mil. a day for the past year. Wondering will the withdrawals be as bad as coming off of methadone? Any advise? Should i just keep weining myself down until i can't anymore??
Let me know please & thanks! Confused

Guest · Guest

I am so glad to find this site - I have been on S for 6 months - started with 8mg and cut myself back faster than the d was telling me to - I have gotten down to 2mgs every other day and decided to see if I could go without. I can't believe how bad the withdrawal hits me on day 5. I am fine for the first 2 days, achy and sweaty day 3 and 4 but day 5 I can't function. The axniety i s unbearable to the point I feel like I am going to stop breathing, my heart races and the aching in my legs keeps me from getting compfortable in any possition. I have to break down and take 1mg and surprize surprize, I can function again. I feel so stupid - I should have just gone through the original problem -vicodin withdrawal( 3 to 4 days from what I've read) and been done with it.
I have felt for a long time that the d was keeping me on this stuff - and now I am so frightened that I won't be able to stop. Can't ask him of course -
Can anyone suggest something to help - cleases? suppliments? anything?

pace22 · Newbie Joined: 28 Mar 2008 Posts: 1

I also tried to quit taking sub a few weeks ago.. i originally took 24 mg a day for a few weeks and then came down to 3mg da day finally after 10 months of taking it and slowly weaning myself down and down. I used to be addicted to oxycontins and have been to 5 rehabs that didn't work...The suboxone works though for me.. i have smoked pot one time in the entire 10-11 months I've been on it and that's my only so called "slip". I have been doing so excellent... I feel so great, I'm making straight A's in school, compared to C's and D's. I actually and happy to wake up which is very odd for me.. I am enjoying life and I feel that the only reason someone would come off of suboxone completely is lack of money or feeling of remorse for taking a so called "opiate" and I feel if it is the remorse feeling that you need to buck up. There is absolutely no problem with taking suboxone for the rest of your entire life if you doctor feels the same b/c it takes away a lot of the anxiety and the feeling of unstableness that many of us addicts feel and it is a wonderdrug and I have never abused it once and I don't believe it can be abused and feel "that great" so accept it and it is GOD'S GIFT TO ADDICTS
That's how I truly feel about it
Hope this can help some people!

goingdownhill · Newbie Joined: 25 Apr 2008 Posts: 7

Wow, now I am very depressed reading these Sub forums. I have been procrastinating reading up on its withdrawal until now. I knew it would be enlightening, but not reassuring.

I've been on Suboxone for about a year now, in which I had originally promised myself (after all the negative things I've read on Sub) that I would only be on it a month or less. In the beginning, I had read that its NOT a good thing to stay on Sub longer than that. Due to the endless w/d symptoms, much longer than average narcotics anyhow.

So I started out at 16mg's a day, and that was giving me bad headaches. So I started taking just 8mg's after about 2-3 weeks. Well, I have found that even if I just taper to 6mg's a day that my body notices the difference. But what I WANT and NEED to do is "play" with dosages and see how long I can go without and at what low mg I can get away with.

My conclusions in reading forums *****
is that a taper isnt all that hellish until tapering to about 2mg. I am NOT going to put myself through w/d's of the kinds I had with Hydrocodone and Soma!!! If I have to work just to keep myself in Suboxone, then so be it. Unfortunately I do not have the luxury of having insurance or even prescription coverage, but am getting a $60 a month discount off of my Sub scripts with a prescription card I found online.

I am living in fear that I will never be able to function normally again without Sub. And even after a YEAR it doesn't work the same anymore anyhow. It was a G-d send in the beginning. I am getting tolerant now. Anybody else experienced this or have your teeth been going bad rapidly? Also, my vision is getting blurry. This I'm not sure is a side-effect though. But the teeth thing is unusual for me, cause I've never had problems until after a few months on Suboxone! Sad

**edited by moderator**

mel1526 · Newbie Joined: 26 Apr 2008 Posts: 1

im also currently trying to get off subs. my so called doctor wanted me to be on it for like 8 months plus never really giving me the time of day unless i had $200 then he would give me 2 min and another script. ive been on them just past 2 months and just started going from 2mg a day to 1mg. which was actually easy in comparison to me just trying to stop at 2mg. i lasted 3 days then cracked and took a 1mg. i was pissed at myself but damn when ur in so much pain its hard. i know its gotta come eventually so im not trying to drag it out too long. im gonna do 1mg for about a week and try to stop. the weird thing was on 2 mg i didnt feel that bad for 3 days. i tried to go as long as possible on the one before dosing and barely got a day n a half! im so disgusted. why give us a drug to help with wd if the subs are goin to be just as bad and LONGER! can someone please tell me how long they think my wds will last-a week? 2? i dont know if i can do more than a week without it at least easing up![/b]

subdevil · Newbie Joined: 12 Jun 2008 Posts: 1

finally off suboxone

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