suboxone addiction/withdrawal

Day four. The first night was the worst, no sleep at all screaming and crying , thrashing. Second night mch of the same put it simple.. It sucked! Third night (i apologize to the alkies if there are any) but I drank a bottle of wine and eventually fell asleep. So here it is the fourth day and I'm still week and blah, but you guys are stronger than you think. The human body can withstand a great deal of pain. Anyways i do notice a change for the better the worste is over. Just hope i took enogh time.

Sub W/D is real. Whoever wrote that it isn't a narcotic and non-habit forming is a complete and un-educated FOOL. One thing I don't agree with -- some people say the W/D is as bad as the "other" hard-core opiates. Nothing, I mean NOTHING compares to the W/D of Oxy, heroin, VIcoden. I damn near had the Suboxone W/D whipped by day 5 and then my DOC gave me another 'script. One thing I did in the first couple days that I read and didn't think would help--HOT SHOWERS!. Just get in there, set the temp to your desire, and just sit down. This is unbelievably effective. When the hot water runs out just get out, sit down on the couch, let the water warm up again, and repeat. It really feels good and gives you something to look forward to in this restless time that is W/D. I wish I had a gym membership 'cuz I would have had my butt in the sauna with a huge jug of Gatorade. I started out on 8 mg a day and am down to 4 mg now. I totally used my last 'script up like a week early and that is why I got thrown into the world of W/D. I was way tempted to just stay off of it 'cuz I really had the worst of it licked. I could actually feel my brain actually re-wiring itself i.e., Smiling, laughing, imaginative.

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I'm just getting done with my first week of Sub 12mg and it has been great. I was doing 60 to 100 mg of methadone daily and it was killing me. I tried quitting on my own and wanted to die. The suboxone is giving me my life back. The first two days on it were a little rough but now I feel like myself again. If your addicted to opiates please try Sub. You wont regret it!!!

to everyone with suboxnen withdrawls, i no how you feel because i myself are having them too. i was addicted to hydros and wanted off of them so i went and got on suboxene thinking i would never have those ugly withdrawls again. but was i wrong. i was on suboxene for only 3 months then he tapered me down every 4 days, well now that im off of it i feel like im goimng to die!! i went back to the dr. that put me on them and he said there is no way you are having withdrawls, it is anxienty and he put me on xanex. htats really something to be giving to someone that was addicted to hydros huh? well ive took some of them but all they do is make me sleep and i have a 2 year old boy and i cant do that! ive been takind a half of hydro for the last week hoping the withrawls go away and sooner than later i wont even need the half anymore. i wont let myself take anymore than that because i no if i do ill be right back in the same boat i was. it really helps me alot and makes the withdrawls go away but i just hope i aint asking for the same old stuff. i really dont no what to tell others because im going throughthe same thing and praying to god that all this goes aways because i thought i had all this behind me and was going to beable to lead a normal life like ive wanted to do for years. so to all of yal out htere, i guess just hang in there and hope it will get better. to anyone that says you dont have withdrawls coling off of suboxene is wrong.

I take Suboxone, and it was for coming off years of Methadone treatment (pain not detox!). It's helped my depression! Go to Wikipedia, and they have a full article about "Buprenorphine: An Antidepressant?" I have no insurance an it's so expensive, but saved my life, I want to take it, but I can't get a job because I've been blessed with LIFE LONG SEVERE PANIC DISORDER! Does anyone know if there will be any GENERICS? I need answers, and I need help! Please! God Bless All Of You!! Thank You!

I am an 11-year breast cancer survivor. Unfortunately, after my double mastectomy, I experienced severe, constant neuropathic pain at the surgical site almost immediately. I kept waiting for the pain to decrease over time, or just to "get used to it", but neither happened. After a couple of years, a friend (not my oncologist who developed a severe hearing impairment whenever I mentioned the ongoing symptoms) recommended me to an anesthesiologist she worked for who had begun a pain clinic. Over the next five years, I began a tour of painkillers (mainly opiates), culminating with fentanyl "suckers". They dealt with my pain much better than anything else. However, after three years of the suckers, I developed insistent itching, red rashes on arms and legs and decided it might be time to re-assess the situation. My pain physician referred me to an addiction specialist, where I spent another three years ramping down from the fentanyl, ending with a final 18 months of continuously decreasing subutex. My final dosage was .5 mg every other day. All the information available to my addiction specialist was that the subutex itself was not addictive. It now seems that the action of subutex varies widely depending on the person taking it. To date, I am the only person in her practice who has had extreme difficulty once I stopped the subutex - extreme fatigue, listlessness, severe sleep disturbances. It has now been eight weeks since my last subutex and I'm not out of the woods yet. Needless to say, carrying on an active life (two new grandsons, an energetic husband, friends and family, an ailing mother, you know - regular life) is an enormous challenge when you can't drag yourself out of the bed, much less the house. The tiresome, disruptive symptoms are at last beginning to diminish - but if you are taking subutex, be aware that you may be in the small minority which, for unknown reasons, finds it incredibly difficult to throw off the results of this drug. Here's hoping the whole thing will be over in, at most, four more weeks.

I just came off of suboxone after being on for about 8 months. before that i was on methadone. for pain because of a stomach condition. My doctor tapered me off I started at about 8mg twice a day but then after about a month 2mg three times a day. then 2mg two times a day. then eventually one time a day. then 1mg twice a day then once a day. Then every other day for about 2 weeks. then I stopped. for about 2-5 days you will experience withdrawal. How bad the withdrawal depends on how you tapered off. It was bad but not that bad. I've experienced worse coming off methadone. Now in 4 days it will be three weeks since i been off. I can function but I still lack energy. but it gets better each day. some days I feel more motivated than others. You will experience slight withdrawal symptoms probably for about a month but nothing compared to the first week. I do fine now even though i still have to push myself sometimes to do things. The symptoms can feel flu like and might have you going to the bathroom with diarrhea, and may not have a desire to eat much, and cant sleep but it's just temporary everything gets better. Just keep your mind on your goal which is to be free of medication for the rest of your life. different things motivate people. My husband and 2 children were my motivation. What is yours? Any questions I be happy to respond.

Rerese, I think that you were really brave to get off it like you did and it sounds like it was quite successful. Thank you for sharing your experiences. They were invaluable to anyone curious on how to get off suboxone. Thank you again!

I am going through the same thing and i been clean for 4weeks and 2 days and stopped takin sub. like 3 days ago and im going through bad withdrawls how long will they last? I don't no if i can take ne more of this so please help me out with this. I need to no how long this last.

Hi there, the withdrawals are always worst the first week and get easier as time goes on. How bad are you doing right now? Do you have friends who can help you out at all?

"Buprenorphine was first marketed in the United States in 1985 as a schedule V narcotic analgesic. Until recently, the only available buprenorphine product in the United States has been a low-dose (0.3 mg/ml) injectable formulation under the brand name, Buprenex®. Diversion, trafficking and abuse of other buprenorphine products have occurred in Europe and other areas of the world.

In October 2002, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved two buprenorphine products (Suboxone® and Subutex®) for the treatment of narcotic addiction. Both products are high dose (2 mg and 8 mg) sublingual (under the tongue) tablets: Subutex® is a single entity buprenorphine product and Suboxone® is a combination product with buprenorphine and naloxone in a 4:1 ratio, respectively. After reviewing all the available data and receiving a schedule III recommendation from the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), the DEA placed buprenorphine and all products containing buprenorphine into schedule III in 2002. Since 2003, diversion, trafficking and abuse of buprenorphine have become more common in the United States."



Yes it is. 1. What are Suboxone and Subutex?



Subutex and Suboxone are medications approved for the treatment of opiate dependence. Both medicines contain the active ingredient, buprenorphine hydrochloride, which works to reduce the symptoms of opiate dependence.



2. Why did the FDA approve two medications?



Subutex contains only buprenorphine hydrochloride. This formulation was developed as the initial product. The second medication, Suboxone contains an additional ingredient called naloxone to guard against misuse.



Subutex is given during the first few days of treatment, while Suboxone is used during the maintenance phase of treatment.



3. Will most prescriptions be for the Suboxone formulation?

Yes, Suboxone is the formulation used in the majority of patients.



4. How are Subutex and Suboxone different from the current treatment options for opiate dependence such as methadone?



Currently opiate dependence treatments like methadone can be dispensed only in a limited number of clinics that specialize in addiction treatment. There are not enough addiction treatment centers to help all patients seeking treatment. Subutex and Suboxone are the first narcotic drugs available under the Drug Abuse Treatment Act (DATA) of 2000 for the treatment of opiate dependence that can be prescribed in a doctor’s office. This change will provide more patients the opportunity to access treatment.



5. What are some possible side effects of Subutex and Suboxone?



(This is NOT a complete list of side effects reported with Suboxone and Subutex. Refer to the package insert for a more complete list of side effects.)



The most common reported side effect of Subutex and Suboxone include:



cold or flu-like symptoms

headaches

sweating

sleeping difficulties

nausea

mood swings.

Like other opioids Subutex and Suboxone have been associated with respiratory depression (difficulty breathing) especially when combined with other depressants.



6. Are patients able to take home supplies of these medicines?



Yes. Subutex and Suboxone are less tightly controlled than methadone because they have a lower potential for abuse and are less dangerous in an overdose. As patients progress on therapy, their doctor may write a prescription for a take-home supply of the medication.



7. How will FDA know if these drugs are being misused, and what can be done if they are?

FDA has worked with the manufacturer, Reckitt-Benckiser, and other agencies to develop an in-depth risk-management plan. FDA will receive quarterly reports from the comprehensive surveillance program. This should permit early detection of any problems. Regulations can be enacted for tighter control of buprenorphine treatment if it is clear that it is being widely diverted and misused.



8. What are the key components of the risk-management plan?

The main components of the risk-management plan are preventive measures and surveillance.



Preventive Measures include:



education

tailored distribution

Schedule III control under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA)

child resistant packaging

supervised dose induction

The risk management plan uses many different surveillance approaches. Some active methods include plans to:



Conduct interviews with drug abusers entering treatment programs.

Monitor local drug markets and drug using network areas where these medicines are most likely to be used and possibly abused.

Examine web sites.

Additionally data collection sources can indicate whether Subutex and/or Suboxone are implicated in abuse or fatalities. These include:



DAWN—The Drug Abuse Warning Network. This is run by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) which publishes a collection of data on emergency department episodes related to the use of illegal drugs or non-medical use of a legal drug.

CEWG—Community Epidemiology Working Group. This working group has agreed to monitor buprenorphine use.

NIDA—National Institute of Drug Abuse. NIDA will send a letter to their doctors telling them to be aware of the potential for abuse and to report it if necessary.

9. Who can prescribe Subutex and Suboxone?

Only qualified doctors with the necessary DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency) identification number are able to start in-office treatment and provide prescriptions for ongoing medication. CSAT (Center for Substance Abuse Treatment) will maintain a database to help patients locate qualified doctors.







10. How will Subutex and Suboxone be supplied?



Both medications come in 2 mg and 8 mg strengths as sublingual (placed under the tongue to dissolve) tablets.



11. Where can patients get Subutex and Suboxone?

These medications will be available in most commercial pharmacies. Qualified doctors with the necessary DEA identification numbers will be encouraged to help patients locate pharmacies that can fill prescriptions for Subutex and Suboxone.



12.Where can I go for more information?





see love...we wouldn't have to invent more..."MIRACLE DRUGS" if people could control themselves to begin with. Suboxone are addictive just like everything else. So before you go talking about something you do not know maybe you should do some research huh?

I agree that it's a tricky issue but let's try to keep it civil when someone says something inflammatory. Let's all admit that it's difficult to be addicted to something and everyone recovers in their own unique way and to not be judgmental. I think that's best. What does everyone else think?

I took suboxone for a little over a year. I had been using heroin for 6 years. It was nice not to have to hustle like I used to just to not be sick everyday. But it still costs a LOT of money for suboxone it is ridiculously expensive compared to other prescription drugs but not as much as street drugs. I got myself down to 4mg a day and got off it and went to a program for 6 months. The withdrawal was no different than any other time I went through it it just seemed to last longer I didn't feel like myself for almost 3 months. I would not recommend long term suboxone treatment it is just as addictive as any other drug. It has been almost 2 years now since I have been addicted to heroin so the suboxone did help. But getting off is the first step. Staying off is the hard part. You dont need some expensive pill just get to a NA meeting

So you think that Narcotics Anonymous is just as helpful as taking a different drug? I'm glad to hear that you're on the path to getting better. Let me know if you have any other insight to share. Thanks!

ive been taking pills on and off for about a year i started off taking lortabs then went to percocets then went to oxycodone 30mg for the last 4 or 5 months was taking about 5 of those a day everyday got way to expensive and was just tired of having to take something in order to get out of bed in the morning a friend of mine hooked me up with the suboxone and i think its great ive been taking anywhere from 4-8mg a day for the last 13 days but i want to quit taking them and im wondering what thw withdrawal is going to be like or will i even have one considering ive only been on them such a short time if anyone has any advice, comments, input, anything at all would be greatly appreciated