He switched me from suboxone to subutex a week before my surgery.
He told me i didn't have to taper off the subutex before surgery. It is made that way in case your in a horrible accident and need to under go immediate surgery. I was still skeptical and planned on tapering off 24 -36 hrs before surgery just in case. But as im sure anyone who takes bupe medication can attest especially after prolonged use even after 24 hrs you start to feel a little chills and stomach ache, which to me indicates that the bupe is only staying in my system that long. Since i was having such a hard time tapering off i took my last dose (2mg) Sunday morning 24hrs before my surgery. I was a little uncomfortable that night but not bad. I used an anti anxiety medication to get through it and trazadone as a sleep aid. When I woke up that morning I was feeling fine, a little sluggish from not having my regular dose of subutex but i knew it wouldn't be long before i was in the hospital and they could give me something to relax me. I arrived at the hospital at 8 am and by 9:30 the anesthesiologist came in and gave me some Versed (sp?) to help relax me.
I had no issues with the anesthesia. I did wake up in excruciating pain.
I was given 1.5 mg of dilaudid in the stage 1 recovery area. It help a little. I was also given 1mg of Ativan since it usually helps calm me down enough to allow the pain meds to work. It barely took the edge off but it wasnt much worse than the other surgeries i have had so it was expected. Finally i was transfered to stage 2 recovery where i was given 15ml of loritab elixer 7.5/100 since i could not take tablets and another 1 mg of ativan. this helped immensely. i was finally able to lay back and dose in and out and be somewhat comfortable. I was still in pain but i had just had major surgery. Please don't get the idea that your are going to be pain free after surgery. The Pain med's only help alleviate the pain not get rid of it completely. I was released from the hospital around 4:30 that afternoon.
When i got home it was already time for my next dose of pain medication. I was given Loritab Elixir (hydrocodone) 7.5/100 and was perscribed 15- 30ml every 4-6 hrs. When i got home my fiance gave me 15ml which is equivalent to a 750mg Vicodin. I took an Ativan and went right to sleep. The pain was bearable and all week i have been taking 15ml ( equivalent to (1)750mg Vicodin) and a couple of time i took 30ml (equivalent to (2) 750 mg Vicodin) and it has worked to manage my pain very well. I plan on going back on my subutex in the next day or two.
Please feel free to contact me with any questions. I hope hearing someones real account and what they really did helps you.
Very Scared wrote:
I just have to reply to what I have read before and after I had major neck surgery. I have been on Soboxone for about 3 years and take two or three eight miligrams per day which is a heavy dosage. My addiction was from vicodin from chronic neck pain. I read one post after another and almost cancelled my surgery becasue of the fear of the pain, I was in a panic state for weeks and couldnt sleep, I had to get the surgery because I am on disability and have a family to support and didnt want my insurance to get cut. I read one post that said 24 hours, another said 36 hours, another said a week on how long I need to be off the soboxone. Everything I read contradicted the other and I was totally confused and my doctors didnt have any answers either. I am in a state of panic here, I am going to my neck fused and screws and plates put in my spine with the fear of having no pain meds, Imagine that? I had no choice because I have a family to support and just need to get this done. So what I am going to do is explain exactly what I did and how it worked for me. My surgery was scheduled for a Thursday and I quit my soboxone on the previous Sunday. I didnt experience any withdraw at all surprisingly but that made me think the soboxone was in total controll still. I decided with not much of a choice to get the surgery and I am scared as hell believe me, I am a 44 year old man by the way. I went to the hospital and got preped for the surgery and off I went but I was totally asleep under the anastesia. When I woke up after the surgery I was in nominal pain and it was very tolerable. They gave me vicodin in and muscle relaxers in recovery which helped with the pain and allowed me to sleep. I woke up the next day again with nominal pain which again the vicodin helped me with. I was so relieved that you cant even believe and even made me shead a tear. I scored all 5's in recovery and they released to go home the next day after surgery. The doctor prescribed my loratabs and muscle relaxers and keep in mind I have been off soboxone for exactly one week. Although the pain meds where not working like they should they helped make the pain tolerable. I am still recovering but I realized the fear was much much much worse than the reality. I will never ever go back to soboxone again and will go with withdraws after my pain is gone and be drug free. I read one story after another buy believe me I was on soboxone for long time and heavy dosage so if my situation turned out the way it did you need not be scared. I hope this maybe just helps one person to ease their fear. Good luck to all
10 years ago long before i ever had an issue with vicodin dependence or suboxone use i had spinal fusion on c4-t1 then 4 year later a discetomy on L5-S1 which led me to suboxone because i wanted off the vicodin since 90% of the pain was gone. I have been on suboxone for 5 years now and really wish i could get off it but still have some back pain and it really helps alleviate it. I am hoping with this last surgery and some weight loss i will finally be able to get off the suboxone for good. Part of me wants to try doing it now but i am AFRAID i will still have back pain. Fear it really is a powerful thing. I just wanted to say thank you your story is very helpful.
It you want to contact me directly, I will bear any experience I had good or bad with you to help you and me. ***this post is edited by moderator *** *** private e-mails not allowed***Please read our Terms of Use
Make sure you tell Everyone involved. Dr,. Anesthesia dept., etc...
So many people Don't know about Suboxone. I went off Subs 5 days before surgery. I went on Hydrocodone 3-4 times per day. It worked perfect for me. I stayed over night in the hospital just to make sure the pain was manageable. I was on a 6 minute morphine? pain drip @ hospital.
I did not feel the usual "high" of Vicodin at all so I wasn't tempted to relapse. As soon as I got home, I went back on suboxone.
It all worked out well. Just prepare & inform everyone!!!
Hey Shelly, I am the guy who wrote the post above about having neck surgery, Believe me you will be ok just make sure you tell the doctor exactly what you are taking, I have known people that didnt becasue if being embarrassed. If you want to email me direct I would like to talk to you.
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