Dear Friends,
THERE IS A LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL AND AT JUST 20 DAYS CLEAN, I AM FINALLY IN THE LIGHT!! THis is long, but if you are quitting or thinking of quitting, reading this all the way through may really help you in a new way, not because of me, but because of some things that I feel called to tell you.
I am starting a new post in light of my recent recovery from Subutex (Suboxone minus the Naloxone), although I was also on Suboxone. I am writing this so that you may ask me any questions you may have and so that I can try and help. I have been reading among hundreds of posts online and I have found little in the area of positive recovery stories. This made me so afraid of what my own process would be like, but in reality, it was not a three month journey by any means!
A little about me. I am a female in my upper twenties and I used Suboxone for 1 year and was then put directly onto Subutex for another 2 years after becoming pregnant. So a total of three years. I was started at 16 mg a day and immediately lowered myself to 8 mg the second day on. The last three years have been a rollar-coaster of upping my dose back to 12 mg and then slowly weaning down to 2 mg, and finally to 1 mg or less when I jumped off. I was put on Suboxone originally from a Percocet physical dependancy turned into an addiction.
The following is the truth of my journey with advice and things I tried written into the day by day log that I have tried to consolidate and then I have a recap in the end SOME BENEFITS TO QUITTING YOU MAY NOT HAVE HEARD OF YET. Now that I not only see the light at the end but I am also IN THE LIGHT, I have learned some things that I will pass along, some things that may help you and some things that may hurt you as found in your own journey (my opinion, sometimes paired with my Dr's opinion FOR ME, not to override your own physician's advice).
Day 1: On Friday, May 27, I took my last tiny bread crumb piece at 10:00 am. I was into full WD by that night b/c I had been weening a lot the prior two weeks, so my body was already upset with me. That night, I took one clonidine as prescribed by my Dr.
Day 2: The following day, the 28th was the worst. One of those days that you just hope you can make it through at any cost. I took so many hot bathes, couldn't eat, couldn't sleep, cold sweats, body aches, slight headache. Not much sleep that night
Day 3: May 29th was a TINY bit better, but not much. I pushed myself to go to church to seek prayer(had to be driven though), and I am really grateful I did because I saw more rapid improvement thereafter as I continued to lean fully on Jesus. Monday the 30th, a bit better from the day before. I was able to watch television without crying at every single happy or sad message and change a diaper to help my fiance' out.
Day 4: By Tuesday, the 31st, I was able to walk around outside for spurts. Each night through this night I only slept on and off for maybe three hours max. I also went to the Dr. on this day and he let me know that he did not reccomend taking immodium while in opiate WD b/c it acts as an opiate to some degree and may not help with the detox. Also, he told me not to take Ultram (which I had at home), or Xanax during WD (not to take place of your Dr's medical advice). The Xanax, however, he told me I could take only at night and only on the rare occasion when I HAD to. I can say that it didn't do a thing to help me sleep, but I only took one pill.
Day 5 & 6: By Wednesday and Thursday (June 1 & 2) the symptoms became managable. My appetite was returning well. The more active I tried to be, the better I felt (but don't push it too early, you'll know when it becomes possible-not easy, but possible). I still felt crappy for sure, but that prickly-jump out of your skin creepy feeling was going away, only returning at night when I was trying to sleep-blah. I tried to take trazodone to sleep, and it did help the one night, but I felt groggy in the morning. I recommend letting your body return to normal on its own. As you will see, your sleep cycle will return to normal, and it won't be so far away that you are lifeless and minus a million or more brain cells.
Day 7 & 8: By Friday and Saturday, (June 3 & 4) I was able to walk fairly far distances, it took effort, but I was able. I was also able to sit for extended periods without only thinking about my bodily symptoms. I still had trouble sleeping, but massage began to feel good again and finding a place where you can keep your mind occupied but don't have to overly exert yourself works wonders. I cannot tell you how much this helps. Try playing cards with friends. Your mind if consumed, you are forced to communicate (relatively effectively) and pay attention. Movies didn't cut it for me just yet, nit enough stimulation to override the neurotransmitters doing their best to force my focus on sickness.
Day 9 & 10: By Sunday, (June 5) I was able to drive well. I drove to Church with my family and was able to eat like a crazy person. I was able to eat so well in fact, that I wondered if Subutex didn't curb my appetite. Don't fear though, I think it was my body's way of making up for the weight I lost in my first week as opposed to packing on the lbs, it leveled out.
Day 11: By monday, (June 6) I started to think that I was learning what normal felt like again, just 11 days in. I was laughing again and able to go out. I was still very lethargic though and motivation was given by divine intervention when God knew I needed it (I can't even explain how amazing it is that when God says He will never give you more than you can handle, it is true!)
Day 12-Day 15: Tuesday-Friday, June 7-June 10: The next several days I saw constant but slow improvement. That is not to say that this was a bad thing b/c I was feeling quite good in fact. I was still having trouble sleeping, but by Friday night, I was sleeping nearly 6 hours, waking only to use the bathroom and then able to fall back asleep. I would compare these days with being just at the tail end of a cold, where you are ready to be totally better, but you can see that from where you came from, you can totally deal with some tiny minor symptoms, bring it on!
Day 16, Saturday, June 11th: On this night, I feel asleep within 15 minutes after I laid down. No meds, no help, just reworking of the good ol' fashioned sleep cycle! GOOD NEWS, ONCE YOUR SLEEP CYCLE BEGINS TO COME BACK, IT SEEMS TO STAY THAT WAY! I pray at night when I go to bed and I find that I have been falling asleep mid prayer every night lately. It is truly amazing. I started praying for God to lul me to sleep with his hands and maybe at the word, "hands", Lights out.
Day 17: Sunday, June 12th. Went to church, felt good. Went to a museum, felt a tiny bit tired, but was happy! TAKING A SHOWER RIGHT WHEN YOU WAKE UP IS SO GREAT. YOU GO FROM FEELING LETHARGIC TO READY TO GO IN 10 MINS! I highly recommend pushing yourself to do this first thing, even when you don't feel like it right away.
Day 18: Monday, June 13th. Wow, I felt great this day. I will never forget getting up and cleaning the house, driving to do errands, carrying my baby around again with ease. I realized at about noon, AM I BACK? IS THIS IT, HAVE I REALLY MADE IT? I think that being on Subutex/Suboxone so long, we forget what normal was exactly like until we feel it again without drugs, and then it hits us, this is GOOD, this is it. Normalcy for me didn't last every minute of everyday, but I can say that by Monday, day 18, I was remembering what I was like before drugs because I was getting back to ME.
Day 19 and 20: June 14th and 15th, Tuesday and Wednesday. I have never done so much in one day the entire time I was on Subutex and Suboxone as I did on these two days. IT WAS LIKE MY MOTIVATION WAS BACK, AND MAN, IT IS SO MUCH STRONGER AND BETTER THAN WHEN ON SUBOXONE, EVEN AT DAY 19 & 20 OFF. I CAN'T WAIT FOR WHAT IS TO COME. I CAN'T SPEAK FOR EVERYONE, BUT THERE ARE MORE BENEFITS TO GETTING OFF OF SUBOXONE, SUBUTEX THAN JUST NOT TAKING A PILL! I AM A COLLEGE STUDENT AND I FELT LIKE A CLOUD WAS LIFTING OFF OF MY BRAIN. I CAN REMEMBER THINGS SO EASILY. MY INSTANTANEOUS PHOTOGRAPHIC MEMORY IS BACK! I AM ACTIVE AND WANT TO GET OUT AND DO THINGS ALL THE TIME. I WANT TO HELP OTHERS. I FEEL LIKE I CAN BE USED (FOR GOD'S WORK) NOW, AND THAT I AM REALLY READY AND CAPABLE. I FORGAVE SO MANY PEOPLE THAT HURT ME THAT I HELD ONTO FOR SO LONG ON THE SUB. MY RELATIONSHIP WITH MY FAMILY HAS GONE FROM OKAY TO HORRAY!!. I AM NOT WALKING AROUND IN A CLUMSY, DEPRESSIVE STATE ANOY LONGER! MY RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD IS STRONG AND I AM LEARNING TO TRUST GOD COMPLETELY IN THE GOOD AND WORST TIMES. I THANK JESUS FOR THE PAIN I FELT. HE ASKS FOR ME TO TRUST THAT HE MAKES ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD. WOW, IT DID WORK FOR GOOD. I ENCOURAGE YOU, IF YOU FEEL CALLED, TO ASK FOR GOD TO SHOW YOU WHO HE IS, TO GIVE HIM THE CHANCE TO LIVE IN YOU. MY LIFE IS NOTHING WITHOUT HIM, AND I THINK ABOUT HOW I COULD HAVE GONE MY WHOLE LIFE WITHOUT GIVING HIM THE CHANCE TO SHOW ME HOW REAL & MIRACULOUS & LOVING HE IS. WOULD HAVE BEEN THE BIGGEST MISTAKE I COULD HAVE MADE. I CAN'T BLAME GOD FOR THE BAD CHOICES I MADE AS AN ADICT, BUT I NOW KNOW THAT HE WAS WAITING FOR ME AND SAVING ME THIS WHOLE TIME. LOOK AT US, WE'RE ARE ALIVE, WHAT ARE YOU GONNA WO WITH THIS ONE LIFE?
I am now on day 21. I feel really good. I feel no bodily symptoms and far less anxiety than when I was on Subutex/Suboxone and before I began taking it. I feel like I was made new again. All this, and even though I feel really good, I am still feeling better every day! Don't rely on other's stories of horror. I feel absolutely terrible for these individuals that suffered long and hard. I know how powerful these meds are and how our brains are even more powerful. I also now know that if I want to sit an think about how sick I am and how this will never get any better, than that is how I feel. When I made it at least a week, I began telling myself a new story, I can do it with God's grace, I am almost there, I am not going to be a statistic with a horror story. I have a purpose and a reason to be here. I am getting better, not just every day, but every minute. It's like getting paid in normalcy and joy 24 hours a day, by the minute. No desire to take a pill. Big desire to take a step into a new life for me, my family and God's will for my life.
PLEASE CONTACT ME WITH QUESTIONS AND/OR PRAYER REQUESTS. I WOULD LOVE TO PRAY FOR YOU IN YOUR RECOVERY. I WOULD BE HONORED & HUMBLED TO DO SO, AND I KNOW IT WILL HELP. EVEN IF YOU AREN'T SURE OF THE POWER OR GOD.... I AM, AND GOD PROMISES TO LISTEN. THANK YOU FOR READING. GOD BLESS YOU. "AND THIS TOO SHALL PASS"
Psalm 121:1-2
“I lift up my eyes to the hills— where does my help come from?
My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.” (NIV)
2 Corinthians 12:9a
“But he said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (NIV)
Isaiah 41:10
“Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.
Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you.
I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.” (NLT)
Jeremiah 29:11
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (NIV)
2 Corinthians 5:17
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (NKJV)
Psalm 103:12
“As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” (KJV)
Hebrews 10:25a
“Let us not give up meeting together, …but let us encourage one another.” (NIV)
1 Thessalonians 5:11
“So encourage each other and give each other strength, just as you are doing now.” (NCV)
Isaiah 43:2
“When you go through deep waters,
I will be with you.
When you go through rivers of difficulty,
you will not drown.
When you walk through the fire of oppression,
you will not be burned up;
the flames will not consume you.” (NLT)
Isaiah 40:31
But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. (KJV)
2 Corinthians 12:9
And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (KJV)
Romans 8:1
“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” (KJV)
“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” (KJV)
I want to first of all thank you for your post, it is truly inspiring, I am also a true believer, I am trying to come off of opiates as well and man its a tough road. Can you please read my post so you can know my story and so I don't have to write it here on yours all over again? Thank you for the verses, it is always best to lean on the Lord and not on yourself. I just wanted to tell you I am proud of you and to keep reading and keep clean. Please pray for me too as I will for you, my name is moriah.
hi, i had a few questions for you if you want to anwser them it would be sooo helpfull. I am 8 months pregnant and i am so scared to have the baby and he would go through withdrawls. i have tried to stop several times and the last time i didn't take it for 7 days then i relasped. The pain was just so unbearable, the restless leg syndrome and backpain, the whole left side of my body just ached. i could eat but i got no sleep and horrible stomach aches with diarhea. i want to go to a rehab and see if they will detox me but idk what they will say and im feeling so helpless and horrible. I just want to be normal and have a normal labor. I'm desperate and idk what choices i have i wish i would of never started takeing them, if i had known you go through withdrawl and the outcome of it i would have never chosen to start subs, but it is a little to late and i dragged my helpless little boy into the middle of this without even realizing and now i feel like the worlds most horrible mother. please any advice is appriciated, i know theres a light at the end of it all but i want to no how i could reach that without going cold turkey.
Thank you for posting this. My oldest daughter recovered from a meth addiction. She completely turned her life over to God and witnesses to others about her recovery. She has been very involved in the Celebrate Recovery organization...it was a saving grace! I would like to ask for prayer for my youngest daughter (I have 3). She is 21 and is on suboxone and has been for a couple of years. She had been prescribed hydrocodone for nerve damage in her neck and shoulder. I'll try not to go into a long story, and I do have a VERY long one. But I would request prayer on her behalf. She is being very irresponsible and making some poor choices now. I'm an enabler and codependent, and am struggling not to be. I'm very upset with her because she had an opportunity to have some free dental work done this morning (she needs about $20,000 worth) and because of her irresponsibility and self-centeredness, she blew it off. I really don't want to go through what I had to go through with my oldest daughter, but I may. I pray for her to wake up, and for me to be strong to do what is necessary. I pray that we will one day see that light at the end of the tunnel.
Thank you again for sharing, and many blessings to you.
Thank you again for sharing, and many blessings to you.
Dear Friends, I wanted to let you know that I am praying for you and to thank you for your kind words. After quitting Subutex, I got a full-time job again (it has been a while since I felt able to handle that!) and I apologize for not replying in a more timely manner.
Moriah, Thank you for your kind words, I have been praying for you for several months..... that you would have divine strength and that God would give you direction & wisdom to make the hard choices at the right time and that you would have a support system when you make these choices to stay the path. I pray that He would heal your body and mind quickly so that you recovery fully. I pray for him to make things new in your life and for Him to guide you with a steady hand as to where you should go. I pray many other things as I think of you and I will continue to think of you, & I know that God is with you. Remember that you have the peace of God and the Strength of God backing you up all the time. Sometimes it may seem that things are getting too hard to bare, but it is at these times when God is right with you and he is giving you the strength to make up the difference to get through it. It will only be for a time, and then that time will pass. You can do anything through God! What strength you will have on the other side. I have come to see myself in a different light b/c of what I have come through, I see myself as capable and resilient. What can we not do with God on our side? NOTHING!
Dear CGT02, What a blessing you are to your daughter right now. We can't go back and change what we have done or how we have handled things, but we can pray that we can move forward and make the right choices from today forward with the good Grace of God on our side, just like you are doing now. God knows the hard road you and your family are facing, and as He says, He will make ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD. I know that Subutex/Suboxone can really make us feel lazy, even though we don't seem to notice it while on the medication b/c we feel that we are "Normal" as this is what many Doctors tell us. What is normal anyway when in bondage?? I never realized how far into a hole I had jumped until I got out and looked behind me. I pray that your daughter will being to see with new eyes. I pray that God will make way for a clear revelation in your daughter's life and that He would speak this to her. I pray that she would have the strength to overcome this addiction and the strength & wisdom to build a life separated from the temptations that would make a new start difficult. I pray that God will give you insight and wisdom in working with your daughter and the strength to do what you are called to do when the time comes. I pray for God's mercy in both of your lives and in the lives of all of your daughters. God will not leave you, Keep the faith that you have and keep praying, I will pray keep praying for the miraculous to happen in your lives.
Matthew 18:12-14 “What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost.”
Elizabeth, I asume that you have had your baby boy by now. I pray that he is healthy and happy. I certainly went through a similar experience. I eventually had to deal with the fact that this is where I am and the best choice for the baby was to stay where I was for a time. Through breast feeding and the eventual weening my baby off of it, I believe that my daughter did not suffer much because the weening was slow. If she did, I did not see it. I can say that once I got off of Subutex myself and felt the pain of WD, I did feel bad for my daughter, but I had to rejoice in what God had done for my family and look at the positive while letting the negative be a reminder of where I can never go again. God dod not give me any more than I could handle, and I trust that the same is true for you. Do not beat yourself up now over what has been done, you can be an inspiration in your son's life now and b/c you have suffered long and hard yourself, you can bring your children up separated from these things with the wisdom and insight brought about from your own experience that not everyone else will have. My daughter is 14 months and is happy, smart & healthy as heck! God gave us one of the greatest blessings in allowing us to be parents, and He sees everything and knows everything, so I do not doubt his plans for me and my daughter or the power of him turning the bad into good through our lives and through your lives too. I will continue to pray for you. God Bless you.
Thank you for your prayers. As it's turned out, my daughter was arrested on August 9. She had been using meth, and had some in her possession. She is in jail...I couldn't bail her out, and even if it would have been possible, I wouldn't have. I am making some progress on my enabling! We don't know yet what is going to happen. She could face prison time, but I'm praying that she will be required to go to an extensive rehab program. Thank you again for your encouragement and prayers. Blessings.
Hello,
This my 1st time posting.I have been searching myself for folks who are on Suboxone and are trying to get off this medicine and what they did to do it, survive it,etc....I have been taking this stuff(1 8mg twice a day) for about 3 years or a little more.I have tried to wean but really difficult.Well my world came crashing when my wife kicked me out of our house(been married for 10 plus years)Due to how the drug effects the love life and how you act while on it,sleepy or look high or no energy to help around the house, no sex drive, nothing at all in bed. This was on July 15th of this year.Well I knew this med was making tired but my gosh .So I had a full work out labs.No testosterone was really really low.I never knew all this chemical can do to a guy, both mentally and physically.So last Friday I got my 1st shot of 200mg of Test.No wonder Body Builders love it.The feeling it gave me was incredible. I even went an entire day on 1 8mg all day (24 hours) .The next day was kinda okay but had to ease back into the 16mg a day kick.So that is why I am here to get advice, to gather my facts, some info for the long haul and just see how others HAVE SURVIVED ! I put it like that because you who have made it really should be proud of themselves.I will be working as hard as the rest to rid ourselves of this demon called SUBOXONE. I do realize that there are some who do need this medication and I am not trying to give them a negative outlook.If this is a lifesaver for you , then it is what it is. I am not sure Doctors know what long term use of this will do.But really if it saved you from Heroin or something worse then I am glad it saved you.Some of us would like to stop.I can't afford this stuff and it is breaking me for one thing also.Even with insurance it hurts. I am also on LYRICA 150MG 4 TIMES A DAY.The LYRICA has stopped all this nerve like pain in my back, hips legs and feet.I also take Wellbutrin 150 mg twice a day. I am really medicated. So long story short, I will be watching everyone's post and drawing encouragement from them.
Have a blessed day
This my 1st time posting.I have been searching myself for folks who are on Suboxone and are trying to get off this medicine and what they did to do it, survive it,etc....I have been taking this stuff(1 8mg twice a day) for about 3 years or a little more.I have tried to wean but really difficult.Well my world came crashing when my wife kicked me out of our house(been married for 10 plus years)Due to how the drug effects the love life and how you act while on it,sleepy or look high or no energy to help around the house, no sex drive, nothing at all in bed. This was on July 15th of this year.Well I knew this med was making tired but my gosh .So I had a full work out labs.No testosterone was really really low.I never knew all this chemical can do to a guy, both mentally and physically.So last Friday I got my 1st shot of 200mg of Test.No wonder Body Builders love it.The feeling it gave me was incredible. I even went an entire day on 1 8mg all day (24 hours) .The next day was kinda okay but had to ease back into the 16mg a day kick.So that is why I am here to get advice, to gather my facts, some info for the long haul and just see how others HAVE SURVIVED ! I put it like that because you who have made it really should be proud of themselves.I will be working as hard as the rest to rid ourselves of this demon called SUBOXONE. I do realize that there are some who do need this medication and I am not trying to give them a negative outlook.If this is a lifesaver for you , then it is what it is. I am not sure Doctors know what long term use of this will do.But really if it saved you from Heroin or something worse then I am glad it saved you.Some of us would like to stop.I can't afford this stuff and it is breaking me for one thing also.Even with insurance it hurts. I am also on LYRICA 150MG 4 TIMES A DAY.The LYRICA has stopped all this nerve like pain in my back, hips legs and feet.I also take Wellbutrin 150 mg twice a day. I am really medicated. So long story short, I will be watching everyone's post and drawing encouragement from them.
Have a blessed day
Dear lania2001,
I am so sorry to hear about your experience with this drug and how it has affected your marriage. I cannot tell you enough how much I can relate to some of the feelings you are experiencing. (I am not a doctor and my advice should not replace a doctors)...As I took Suboxone and then Subutex, I thought that I was one of the rare cases being told that I would likely need to be on the drug for my whole life. I am finding that many individuals are being told the same thing, without need. Some do have need I am sure, but I would say that ratio of individuals is certainly a mere percentage of those being peddled the medication from doctors on a daily basis. I can tell you three things that I found in my own journey, one being that Subutex/Suboxone effects us so much more than we realize while on it. I am a different person than I was on it, in so many ways. I worry less now that I am off, I have so much more motivation, it is unbelievable, I think more clearly and quickly, I no longer have IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), I no longer have general body aches and pains, I have higher self-esteem, My grades have GREATLY improved in college and, drum role please, I HAVE NO DESIRE TO USE! Secondly, the process of getting off of Subutex/Suboxone is difficult but totally worth it. It is not only the pain of withdrawal, but it is also the responsibility that comes with living a clean life that makes it hard. There are no more excuses, thankfully, neither internally and externally. I cannot anymore say that I can't get out of the house today because of the subutex making me tired again, I have to realize that if I don't want to leave the house, than that is me talking, not the drug anymore, but this is truly a blessing in my life and has pushed me to do more and be more than I was. Also, I had to learn who I was, because I was not who I was before I took the subutex or became addicted, because so many years had passed since then, but nor was I who I was when on the subutex, I was something new, a new improved version, and I had to come to know myself and my talents, likes, dislikes, and capabilities again. This journey continues even now. I remember that my fiance would call me a "clumsy airhead" while on the Subutex- all the time, but I found that I am not clumsy nor an airhead while off of it (maybe a little bit of the airhead remains, but just what was there b4 the addiction-ha). Also, You have to be ready and once you feel it, go for it, because it is all too easy to say that you can't right now and that you will later and just let that window of opportunity pass you by.
I jumped off taking a smaller dose than you, but not as small as many others, prob about 2 mg a day is what I was taking when I quit. I recommend that you jump off at as low a dose as possible. Keep cutting back slowly if you have the time to. It is NOT as hard as people say to ween down, it is mostly mental, and I am sensitive to the slightest sign of withdrawal, which I hate. The withdrawal that you feel from weening by about 10% a week is minor and lasts less that a day. It is usually felt a bit the day you take less and then a little bit 2 days later, but it is nothing more than how you feel if you take tylenol daily for a week and then skip a day (minor). It is because it is SO EASY to take another piece that makes it appear harder not too. Try to cut back before bed or first thing in the morning. If you take your meds in the morning, take less in the morning b/c you already likely feel a little crappy in the morning, so even taking a lower dose than the day before will make you feel better quickly. Then, once you feel like you should take more, do something for as long as possible that will take your mind off of needing more. Make it as long as you can. Once you get to a lower dose and you feel you want to jump, just do it, and do not think about returning or taking just "a piece to get you through", it will seriously set you back. When you are ready to quit, find a doctor that will prescribe you Clonidine (a beta-blocker) if you can (I am not a doctor and my advice should not override that of a Dr.). This helps a great deal with the withdrawals. ****Also, if I can give you some advise that I feel called to share with you, Do Not Let Your Marriage Go!! Don't let your wife leave you. Do whatever you have to do to try to save your marriage. When we get married, it it almost always a difficult road, but the fact that you two made a promise to one another that God honors and cherishes shows that although He already knows your suffering, he also desires for you to stay together, even when it seems impossible. God never leaves us no matter how far we stray from Him, He is still there loving us, this is the kind of relationship that God wants our marriage to be. If you have an opportunity to be honest and open with her and to tell her that you want to do whatever it takes for her including getting off Suboxone for her, than please do it. Do what it takes humbly, this is perhaps the most important advice of all.
God makes the Journey of getting off of Suboxone/Subutex possible and tolerable. Because He already knows how much we can handle and promises not to ever give us more that we can handle, we can succeed by putting our trust in Him. No matter what you or I have done (I have done some pretty low, dispicable things) God forgives us and calls us to put all of our trust in Him and to lean on him in our times of need (and all the time). I prayed so much while quitting, and I could feel that he never left me. I did suffer some, but I stayed focused and everyday got better. I am fully recovered now. It has been almost 4 months and I am feeling so awesome, I was actually feeling awesome 3 weeks after I quit. I got a FT job while going to school FT three weeks after I quit and I have never looked back. Stay focused on getting your life back by staying focused on God. I will be praying for you. Please let me know if you have any other questions that I can answer for you.
I am so sorry to hear about your experience with this drug and how it has affected your marriage. I cannot tell you enough how much I can relate to some of the feelings you are experiencing. (I am not a doctor and my advice should not replace a doctors)...As I took Suboxone and then Subutex, I thought that I was one of the rare cases being told that I would likely need to be on the drug for my whole life. I am finding that many individuals are being told the same thing, without need. Some do have need I am sure, but I would say that ratio of individuals is certainly a mere percentage of those being peddled the medication from doctors on a daily basis. I can tell you three things that I found in my own journey, one being that Subutex/Suboxone effects us so much more than we realize while on it. I am a different person than I was on it, in so many ways. I worry less now that I am off, I have so much more motivation, it is unbelievable, I think more clearly and quickly, I no longer have IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), I no longer have general body aches and pains, I have higher self-esteem, My grades have GREATLY improved in college and, drum role please, I HAVE NO DESIRE TO USE! Secondly, the process of getting off of Subutex/Suboxone is difficult but totally worth it. It is not only the pain of withdrawal, but it is also the responsibility that comes with living a clean life that makes it hard. There are no more excuses, thankfully, neither internally and externally. I cannot anymore say that I can't get out of the house today because of the subutex making me tired again, I have to realize that if I don't want to leave the house, than that is me talking, not the drug anymore, but this is truly a blessing in my life and has pushed me to do more and be more than I was. Also, I had to learn who I was, because I was not who I was before I took the subutex or became addicted, because so many years had passed since then, but nor was I who I was when on the subutex, I was something new, a new improved version, and I had to come to know myself and my talents, likes, dislikes, and capabilities again. This journey continues even now. I remember that my fiance would call me a "clumsy airhead" while on the Subutex- all the time, but I found that I am not clumsy nor an airhead while off of it (maybe a little bit of the airhead remains, but just what was there b4 the addiction-ha). Also, You have to be ready and once you feel it, go for it, because it is all too easy to say that you can't right now and that you will later and just let that window of opportunity pass you by.
I jumped off taking a smaller dose than you, but not as small as many others, prob about 2 mg a day is what I was taking when I quit. I recommend that you jump off at as low a dose as possible. Keep cutting back slowly if you have the time to. It is NOT as hard as people say to ween down, it is mostly mental, and I am sensitive to the slightest sign of withdrawal, which I hate. The withdrawal that you feel from weening by about 10% a week is minor and lasts less that a day. It is usually felt a bit the day you take less and then a little bit 2 days later, but it is nothing more than how you feel if you take tylenol daily for a week and then skip a day (minor). It is because it is SO EASY to take another piece that makes it appear harder not too. Try to cut back before bed or first thing in the morning. If you take your meds in the morning, take less in the morning b/c you already likely feel a little crappy in the morning, so even taking a lower dose than the day before will make you feel better quickly. Then, once you feel like you should take more, do something for as long as possible that will take your mind off of needing more. Make it as long as you can. Once you get to a lower dose and you feel you want to jump, just do it, and do not think about returning or taking just "a piece to get you through", it will seriously set you back. When you are ready to quit, find a doctor that will prescribe you Clonidine (a beta-blocker) if you can (I am not a doctor and my advice should not override that of a Dr.). This helps a great deal with the withdrawals. ****Also, if I can give you some advise that I feel called to share with you, Do Not Let Your Marriage Go!! Don't let your wife leave you. Do whatever you have to do to try to save your marriage. When we get married, it it almost always a difficult road, but the fact that you two made a promise to one another that God honors and cherishes shows that although He already knows your suffering, he also desires for you to stay together, even when it seems impossible. God never leaves us no matter how far we stray from Him, He is still there loving us, this is the kind of relationship that God wants our marriage to be. If you have an opportunity to be honest and open with her and to tell her that you want to do whatever it takes for her including getting off Suboxone for her, than please do it. Do what it takes humbly, this is perhaps the most important advice of all.
God makes the Journey of getting off of Suboxone/Subutex possible and tolerable. Because He already knows how much we can handle and promises not to ever give us more that we can handle, we can succeed by putting our trust in Him. No matter what you or I have done (I have done some pretty low, dispicable things) God forgives us and calls us to put all of our trust in Him and to lean on him in our times of need (and all the time). I prayed so much while quitting, and I could feel that he never left me. I did suffer some, but I stayed focused and everyday got better. I am fully recovered now. It has been almost 4 months and I am feeling so awesome, I was actually feeling awesome 3 weeks after I quit. I got a FT job while going to school FT three weeks after I quit and I have never looked back. Stay focused on getting your life back by staying focused on God. I will be praying for you. Please let me know if you have any other questions that I can answer for you.
ThankGod wrote:
After a 10 year addiction to Percocet (10mg) up to 10 a day I went on Subutex. It worked great for me at 8mg a day. After a year I started to wean off of it and eventually down to 2mg and then to just a chip. I still take a small piece of one a day to keep the cravings away. I did completley quit for a while and only had minor withdrawals such as sneezing alot and goose bumps after I sneezed but gone after a week and minor at best.
My main problem which caused my addiction in the first place is depression! I have fought it for a long time! I did relapse back to opiates about a month after I stopped taking my antidepressant (Lexapro). Though a minor relapse I went back on the Lexapro and in about 1.5 weeks I started feeling better again and was able to control my opiate addiction so maybe you should look at the underlying cause which for me was depression. I don't believe in re-habs since they do not treat the underlying cause of addiction. I always at first felt like the percocet was an anti-depressant but after starting the Lexapro things came to light and was able to then treat my opiate addiction. Good luck and keep me posted on your challenges!
lania2001 wrote:
Hello,
This my 1st time posting.I have been searching myself for folks who are on Suboxone and are trying to get off this medicine and what they did to do it, survive it,etc....I have been taking this stuff(1 8mg twice a day) for about 3 years or a little more.I have tried to wean but really difficult.Well my world came crashing when my wife kicked me out of our house(been married for 10 plus years)Due to how the drug effects the love life and how you act while on it,sleepy or look high or no energy to help around the house, no sex drive, nothing at all in bed. This was on July 15th of this year.Well I knew this med was making tired but my gosh .So I had a full work out labs.No testosterone was really really low.I never knew all this chemical can do to a guy, both mentally and physically.So last Friday I got my 1st shot of 200mg of Test.No wonder Body Builders love it.The feeling it gave me was incredible. I even went an entire day on 1 8mg all day (24 hours) .The next day was kinda okay but had to ease back into the 16mg a day kick.So that is why I am here to get advice, to gather my facts, some info for the long haul and just see how others HAVE SURVIVED ! I put it like that because you who have made it really should be proud of themselves.I will be working as hard as the rest to rid ourselves of this demon called SUBOXONE. I do realize that there are some who do need this medication and I am not trying to give them a negative outlook.If this is a lifesaver for you , then it is what it is. I am not sure Doctors know what long term use of this will do.But really if it saved you from Heroin or something worse then I am glad it saved you.Some of us would like to stop.I can't afford this stuff and it is breaking me for one thing also.Even with insurance it hurts. I am also on LYRICA 150MG 4 TIMES A DAY.The LYRICA has stopped all this nerve like pain in my back, hips legs and feet.I also take Wellbutrin 150 mg twice a day. I am really medicated. So long story short, I will be watching everyone's post and drawing encouragement from them.
Have a blessed day
Dear lania2001,
I am so sorry to hear about your experience with this drug and how it has affected your marriage. I cannot tell you enough how much I can relate to some of the feelings you are experiencing. (I am not a doctor and my advice should not replace a doctors)...As I took Suboxone and then Subutex, I thought that I was one of the rare cases being told that I would likely need to be on the drug for my whole life. I am finding that many individuals are being told the same thing, without need. Some do have need I am sure, but I would say that ratio of individuals is certainly a mere percentage of those being peddled the medication from doctors on a daily basis. I can tell you three things that I found in my own journey, one being that Subutex/Suboxone effects us so much more than we realize while on it. I am a different person than I was on it, in so many ways. I worry less now that I am off, I have so much more motivation, it is unbelievable, I think more clearly and quickly, I no longer have IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), I no longer have general body aches and pains, I have higher self-esteem, My grades have GREATLY improved in college and, drum role please, I HAVE NO DESIRE TO USE! Secondly, the process of getting off of Subutex/Suboxone is difficult but totally worth it. It is not only the pain of withdrawal, but it is also the responsibility that comes with living a clean life that makes it hard. There are no more excuses, thankfully, neither internally and externally. I cannot anymore say that I can't get out of the house today because of the subutex making me tired again, I have to realize that if I don't want to leave the house, than that is me talking, not the drug anymore, but this is truly a blessing in my life and has pushed me to do more and be more than I was. Also, I had to learn who I was, because I was not who I was before I took the subutex or became addicted, because so many years had passed since then, but nor was I who I was when on the subutex, I was something new, a new improved version, and I had to come to know myself and my talents, likes, dislikes, and capabilities again. This journey continues even now. I remember that my fiance would call me a "clumsy airhead" while on the Subutex- all the time, but I found that I am not clumsy nor an airhead while off of it (maybe a little bit of the airhead remains, but just what was there b4 the addiction-ha). Also, You have to be ready and once you feel it, go for it, because it is all too easy to say that you can't right now and that you will later and just let that window of opportunity pass you by.
I jumped off taking a smaller dose than you, but not as small as many others, prob about 2 mg a day is what I was taking when I quit. I recommend that you jump off at as low a dose as possible. Keep cutting back slowly if you have the time to. It is NOT as hard as people say to ween down, it is mostly mental, and I am sensitive to the slightest sign of withdrawal, which I hate. The withdrawal that you feel from weening by about 10% a week is minor and lasts less that a day. It is usually felt a bit the day you take less and then a little bit 2 days later, but it is nothing more than how you feel if you take tylenol daily for a week and then skip a day (minor). It is because it is SO EASY to take another piece that makes it appear harder not too. Try to cut back before bed or first thing in the morning. If you take your meds in the morning, take less in the morning b/c you already likely feel a little crappy in the morning, so even taking a lower dose than the day before will make you feel better quickly. Then, once you feel like you should take more, do something for as long as possible that will take your mind off of needing more. Make it as long as you can. Once you get to a lower dose and you feel you want to jump, just do it, and do not think about returning or taking just "a piece to get you through", it will seriously set you back. When you are ready to quit, find a doctor that will prescribe you Clonidine (a beta-blocker) if you can (I am not a doctor and my advice should not override that of a Dr.). This helps a great deal with the withdrawals. ****Also, if I can give you some advise that I feel called to share with you, Do Not Let Your Marriage Go!! Don't let your wife leave you. Do whatever you have to do to try to save your marriage. When we get married, it it almost always a difficult road, but the fact that you two made a promise to one another that God honors and cherishes shows that although He already knows your suffering, he also desires for you to stay together, even when it seems impossible. God never leaves us no matter how far we stray from Him, He is still there loving us, this is the kind of relationship that God wants our marriage to be. If you have an opportunity to be honest and open with her and to tell her that you want to do whatever it takes for her including getting off Suboxone for her, than please do it. Do what it takes humbly, this is perhaps the most important advice of all.
God makes the Journey of getting off of Suboxone/Subutex possible and tolerable. Because He already knows how much we can handle and promises not to ever give us more that we can handle, we can succeed by putting our trust in Him. No matter what you or I have done (I have done some pretty low, dispicable things) God forgives us and calls us to put all of our trust in Him and to lean on him in our times of need (and all the time). I prayed so much while quitting, and I could feel that he never left me. I did suffer some, but I stayed focused and everyday got better. I am fully recovered now. It has been almost 4 months and I am feeling so awesome, I was actually feeling awesome 3 weeks after I quit. I got a FT job while going to school FT three weeks after I quit and I have never looked back. Stay focused on getting your life back by staying focused on God. I will be praying for you. Please let me know if you have any other questions that I can answer for you.
After a 10 year addiction to Percocet (10mg) up to 10 a day I went on Subutex. It worked great for me at 8mg a day. After a year I started to wean off of it and eventually down to 2mg and then to just a chip. I still take a small piece of one a day to keep the cravings away. I did completley quit for a while and only had minor withdrawals such as sneezing alot and goose bumps after I sneezed but gone after a week and minor at best.
My main problem which caused my addiction in the first place is depression! I have fought it for a long time! I did relapse back to opiates about a month after I stopped taking my antidepressant (Lexapro). Though a minor relapse I went back on the Lexapro and in about 1.5 weeks I started feeling better again and was able to control my opiate addiction so maybe you should look at the underlying cause which for me was depression. I don't believe in re-habs since they do not treat the underlying cause of addiction. I always at first felt like the percocet was an anti-depressant but after starting the Lexapro things came to light and was able to then treat my opiate addiction. Good luck and keep me posted on your challenges!
Thank you for your post. I was sober 2 years after 10 year methadone addiction. However after relapsing on vicoden I find myself on Suboxone and have been so for 8 months. I want off terribly. I am currently at 8mg once a day and I have a lot of fear of even just tapering to 6mg. Your post gives me hope and strength to push through this. I love the scripture you included in your post. I believe that detoxing cannot be done without the Lord. I am going to continue checking into this thread for some support. Thanks, Kelso
Hi, Ty for posting the truth.. I've been meaning to post myself to help others.. I'm on day 14. It wasn't fun. My question for you is, why and how is it bad to use Imodium?? Thanx again
Dear ThankGod, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your truly amazing post. I am going on day 6 of suboxone withdrawal and I held on to every word you wrote through these days. I've only missed 3 days of work and will be returning tomorrow. God is so good and I'm so excited to be 'normal' again! The feeling I have is so amazing. Not having to depend on a pill is the most wonderful feeling in the world!! I'm still pretty restless and weak but I've been able to get up and finish my Christmas shopping today. I feel so much happier. I hope you all know that you CAN get through this. And once you get past the first few days, you will be so proud you did. Sleeping is still a little rough for me but I can tell its getting better. MAKE YOURSELF GO OUTSIDE AND WALK AROUND FOR A FEW. I promise it helps. I've noticed the more I sat around, the more I felt I hurt. Even walking around my house helped. Drinks lots of water and try to eat. What ThankGod wrote to begin with was God sent. I am so thankful for your post and pray you and your family are doing well.
I promise you all can get through this withdrawal. Tell yourself you are strong enough!! May God bless you all this Christmas.
Merry Christmas. :)
About 20 days and I felt like a new man........ for about a week. Then it got crappy again. Im now five weeks in with no intent on ever going back. I without a doubt see the light. Am I there? No. Do I feel better? Yes. I think this is for sure a process that you have to include your family, friends, and God into. Ive battled many demons and this one has without a doubt been the most difficult. I wish anybody battling this the best of luck and I pray every night for anyone that is going through this to succeed. It is not easy. It is attainable though. Talking to people though has probably been my biggest help. My Dad, my sisters, my wife. That was huge. So I encourage anyone going through this to not take this road on there own. Your doctor can only take you so far. Family and friends is where the help is. The ones that truely care. Good luck to all.
Wow i have been on subutex for almost 2 years And I am ready for a change I am down to a quarter a day from doing about 8mg a day and it feels like hell my GF doesn't know we have been together 3 months and I am a chef so I have to work. One person in my life knows I am on this I was very impressed w what u wrote and inspired that there r people that can do it. I dont want rehab, I want to do on my own and really don't want people to know. What direction should I go about this and what helps the process besides Jesus Christ my saviour. I am a 28 and a male thanks for your help. Sincerely Carson
Armen ,,,,,,,,, i wish i knew you. Xx