I also am suffering from acute depression and was glad to read the comments from others. I thought it was just me. I know it will get better in time but this is the absolute worst stuff I've ever been through. I forgot to mention, a week ago I had to take a thirty hour bus trip to another state, while in w/ds. Since I survived that I'm starting to feel like I can survive anything.
im glad i got on here, im kicking suboxone this week and only have two days off work, i have kicked opiates before but this time i am deathly terrified, i heard sub is horribol to wd from, i have kicked dope, ocs, percocet, methodone, just so scared bc i heard this ewd lasts forever. i have been getting depressed, which is the first sign for me, i also feel as though my heart is going to pump out of my chest.. does anyone have any tips to help me get through as comftorbol as possibol...
It's been one month to the day. I'm feeling better. I finally slept last night. Until now the most sleep I have had is maybe three hours a night. I'm still very depressed but trying to keep going. I have a script for Xanax and that has helped. I also admit to drinking some beer to alieve the anxiety. When it wears off though I'm back to the depression and anxiety. I try to keep posting to let anyone know whats ahead. I do feel better. The thing I am finding is, I now can remember all of the stuff I have forgotten over the years. I have clarity of mind which I haven't had for years. Good luck to all of you.
my fiancee took his last piece of sub yesterday. judging from what you all i have said i am really worried. i have never done drugs, not even weed, and i just cant understand this. i love him and i desperately want him to stop but it has been really hard. i wish you all the best of luck, and please send positive thoughts my way also. thanks
Hi Everybody.... I am on 7 mg and steady. Going down to six next week, then five and so on. I am very afraid of depression. My doc said maybe I would or should just stay on five for the rest of my life, but I want off. I am so depressed anyway..... It was advised to me to do it quickly.... so in three weeks I will go off the suboxone...... I have things to help. I hope it doesn't get bad. Also, I have chips to take to help. I'm really scared..... Please everybody post your progress. Thanks to everyone. Nine months is a long time. I went off suboxone for two months to start over. I hope this will be easy. I have hired someone to live here. I am too old for this. I am 61 and have hepc. If it gets too bad, I will just go on maintenance but I just hate taking drugs..... Every time I step down, I have a rough day. Clonidine, Valium, Xanex, Visterel, which is like a big benedryl are supposed to help and Bentyl for the tummy. Your docs will give you these things. OLD helps for detox. I hope the one month on Suboxone did not get me addicted. I cannot handle withdrawal. I thank you all so much for your experiences.... Please keep posting.... HK181, this lasts a long time. Do you have any to pinch or take when it gets rough? I have heard it can last for a couple of months but depending on your circumstances healthwise and stuff..... everyone is different....Go to a pain management or addiction doc to help you. going from 8 mg to zero after so long is going to be rough..... Docs will help. Again the trick is to only be on the suboxone for a few weeks or three months max..... and little pinches to get you through. I hope it works for me. Bless you all and keep posting. Thanks so much, Sub withdrawal is longer than regular opiates.... and google suboxone withdrawal and depression..... I wish you all the best.
i have been on suboxone for two years, i decied to stop at 16mg a day,day 1 an two wasnt that bad, it hit me on day 3, i couldnt eat sleep or ne thing for about the next 5 days, went to the er on day 7 becouse i was having chest pains but was only panic attacks,im on day 13 now an i think im close to being over it,thank god, its been bad but if i can do it ne one can,if you can get past ur first 7 days the rest is mainly not having any energy an being really weak,an a doctor did tell me that the more water u can drink the faster u will get over it,gook luck
I come from 6 years of abuse and 4 bad cycles of different drugs.(Mostly opiates) I have an extremely addictive personality.
My symptoms are Insomnia, cold sweets, headaches, low energy level. This is the first time I've gone cold turkey from a full dose to no dose, and so far its not as bad as everyone makes it out to be, but maybe it hasn't begun yet. I find the physiological part to be most detrimental to my success(I'm constantly thinking about Suboxone, and my addiction itself) I smoke weed to dull the symptoms and take my mind off everything, which helps tremendously. I'm going to take advice of others on here and grab some Motrin and 5htp supplements and see how that works out. Also I find going to gym and doing long duration easy cardio helps keep me motivated and focused on the end result.
Anyways Thanks to everyone on this post, I've learned a hell of a lot. Keep the feedback coming because it has a dramatic influence on others going through this kind of hell we call withdrawal. Stay true to yourself and keep on going. If this is the worst of it, then its not anything I haven't scene before and I know for sure that if I can do it, so can you.
Best of luck to you on your journey,
- Addict
Well, everyone, I wanted to check in to let you know that I am officially 8 weeks off of Suboxone and I am feeling normal now. I had to go back on Vicodan to get through it because of the emotional flatness and depression. Then coming off of 3 - 5 mg Vicodan a day was a breeze (1 day w/d symptoms). April was the worst month of my life and I never want to go through that again. Suboxone is the devil. And the devil is a liar. I thought it would be forever before I got my brain back but by the 6th and 7th week, then coming off the Vicodan (only took that for about 3 weeks) I feel myself again. I am not depressed and I'm back to my old, motivated self. I wanted to let everyone know a typical suboxone withdrawal experience so that you know what you're in for. Of course, everyone is different and on different dosages but the process is the same. Listen, because this is how your body works, pathways - - - the same course that got your there is the way back. No Drugs ---> Vicodan ---> Suboxone ---> Vicodan ---> No Drugs. Sometimes I think Gee, I wish I had some Vicodan and then I think "Why? I feel fine without it." That's what I want. Normalcy again. I hope all of you get through this hell.
So, My hubby and I have both been on subutex ad suboxone. Suboxone gives one awful bupe headaches, so subutex was better for us as it desn't have naloxone in it. We never used illicit drugs, just rx pain killers. We've been on for 3yrs. Varying from 6mg to 2mg to even 1mg per day. I know everyone is different but I have come off subs 3 or 4 times from 1-2mg cold. First time was easy after only 3 months, but the longer you've been on it, the longer wd takes. Think about this; it took you ____ long to get where you are today with your addiction, to build a tolerance, etc. It is reasonable to believe it may take that same amount of time t feel 100% yourself again. I don't care what anyone says, I've been on sub long enough to know for a fact that the affects of long-term use are BAD BAD BAD for you. Every part of my body is adversely affected, neurlogical, skeletal, my teeth are falling out, and sooo much more. Sub was not a drug meant for long term use, but there is littl knowledge or research about its long-term usage and effects. Anyways, I'm only on day 2 from about 1-2mg and as with all other times, I am experiencing WAVES. That is, times of discomfort, times of improved discomfort. But, perhaps I may add something that may help one of you stay the course and not give in to a craving or discomfort. We only have this one life. Narcotics f**k up your mind, make it foggy, take away your passion for life. Life is too short to go on this way, right? Plus, think of everything you have gone through to get your fix or stay "well" and I believe if you put as much effort into freeing yourself from addiction, you will succeed. The waves are temporary, and eventually will disappear completely. It's worth it in the end for the life you've been given to live, love, and create. Best of Luck to all of you. Blessed Be!
DAY 17 of WD for me
I was on Suboxone for a year and Subutex for two years, back to back (I got pregnant and was switched to Subutex). My Dr. weened me down so slowly, I think it would have been a 10 year process if I had not taking things into my own hands. I weened down from 16mg to 8mg right away & I highly recommend this to anyone starting out on Subutex or Suboxone. If you are prescribed 16 mg or more, cut yourself back a pill each day until you get to 8mg or even 4mg and save the rest for tapering at home, you won't even notice anything AT ALL if you ween right when you FIRST get put on it. WITHDRAWAL: I took my last bread crumb piece of a pill on Friday, May 27th, 10am. Maybe it was a mg or less. I went into WD by that night, likely b/c I had already been in a pseudo WD state b/c of weening a good deal there at the end. THe following day, Saturday, was the absolute worst. I took lots of hot bathes and vitamins, OTC pain relievers and clonidine (which helped, may have been the only thing that did much), but still, not far off from what I think hell might be like (Good thing I gave my life to JESUS!). The next day was not a ton better, but I could manage it. Sunday, again, not much better, but a little easier from Saturday. I didn't sleep much at all any of those days/nights. I became nervous just walking into bedroom b/c I started seeing myself laying there tossing and turning for hours on end, (not recommended if you can control you brain and paranoia better than me :)
THe next week, I felt better everyday, but it was a slow process, some days I had to ask myself if I really felt better than the day before, but I know I did now. By about day 7, I was able to drive and eat really well. I was still lethargic as heck, but I pushed myself. Much of the eebie-geebie feelings had subsided except at night.
By day 12, I was starting to feel some sense of a return normalcy, but not perfect. I still had that feeling of not wanting to get up but hating staying down. It was like lethargy meets the desire for motivation while having the end of a flu, kind of hard to do much for long.
It is now day 17. I can't believe how long I have made it! I prayed everyday for help and God carried me through when times were too hard for me to bear alone. I know that God didn't give me anything more than I can handle though, because that's what He promises me when I look to Him.
All that I feel now is lethargy, somewhat achey body, mild insomnia (but I am sleeping so much better-just on and off as opposed to straight through for 8 like on the SUB) and occasional muscle pain, almost like I just ran a 10k race and my legs are feeling it. Truly TRULY though, when I keep myself busy, go to a concert, go shopping, GO TO CHURCH, clean the house, go for a jog, go for a drive even, (watching a movie did not work well for me b/c it wasn't stimulating enough 'physically'), whatever you can do that is relatively active, These are the times that I felt nearly normal. Even today, typing on the computer kind of makes me feel a little blah, but if I get up and start doing something else, (which I will be here in a min.) I feel great, same thing when I pray in quiet for God to heal me and give me strength. I recommend getting up and doing as much as you can as soon as you can. I hope that you have someone to help you get through, I had my fiance' and he made it so much easier. If you do or do not believe in Jesus, I think that you should pray if you feel called to, even though we have been sinning with our addiction among other things, God loves us anyway and He is waiting for us to lean on Him, He will not forsake us or leave us hopeless, He comes with speed and strength when we have faith. If you feel called, ask him to show you who he is, ask him to lift you up. I wish you success and strength, This will make you stronger. I cannot imagine doing much in life that is more difficult. We are the ones that got ourselves here, but man, it sure is a blessing when we find out what we're made of in the end, when we do it. It is like we find that we thought we were weak, but in reality, we are among the strongest in the end. Fight for your normalcy, fight for your life, It will get better, And it will not take months....praying for you all. If you want prayer individually, let me know and I am here because God has allowed me to be.
Hi just a word to everyone. Follow your doc's advice on this. I goofed and listened to addicts instead of doc and did the detox in a matter of a couple of weeks. NOW I am in a real bind. Something happened to nerves in face and head and am in horrid pain. I did not want to go through withdrawal from suboxone. NOW I am going through hell..... first trying these injections.. then another type and then meds and then maybe surgery all with little hope of ever returning to normalcy. I am not saying this will happen to everyone. I am seeing a shrink, a pain management specialist and addiction doc alone with neurologist... all say same thing. MUST be done slowly. Could be my age and that I am not well. But trust me you do NOT want to suffer these think called trans neurologic pain..... I am totally numb and yet the pain is the worst ever. The doc put me back on oxycodone and it helps a little but only for short periods. I am on way for second injection. This drug is not all that well known yet and I wouldn't wish this on anyone. Then again, it may have nothing to do with it yet all of my docs feel it is from detoxing too fast. Please be careful. God Bless you all. When this subsides, if it does, I will follow doc completely. He thinks due to my age and other health issues, I will have to be on suboxone forever.... just a small amount. I really don't care at this point. Who would have thought something like this could happen? Again, NOT sure if it is due to withdrawal..... docs think so.... happens mainly in women and could be unrelated. But may be..... So, if I ever do get off pain meds again, it will be slow and I will suffer the withdrawals from suboxone and not try to be smarter than the docs. I am not a doctor. I just know I have NEVER experienced pain like this and hope it goes away...... All of the trying to detox just made me have to go back on a larger dose. Google and educate.... I have found most docs will not agree that this is caused from a rapid detox off long long use of opiates. I took opiates for forty years. Many accidents and surgeries and not since the sixties did I use them to get a buzz. NOW I have no choice. Just in case it is from the detox wanted to put it out there. Be well...... AND I am praying and hope beyond hope that this will subside. It has been three weeks now. I napped and woke numb and in severe pain. I hope this does NOT happen to anyone..... and iI had MRI and it is NOT MS .... It is NOT TMJ... the MRI only showed white fistulas and only my shrink and pain doc said it could be and I say again may NOT be from this only that it may be from the rapid withdrawal. I am 61 and been on opiates since first wreck where broke back and pelvis and shoulders when I was 16. I guess I was pretty stupid to think I could just quit so quickly. If you are older and have been on large amounts..... I know the detox centers do this quickly. I tried that and ended up in the ER where they promptly put me back on opiates. Good luck everyone. Off for another injection ***this post is edited by moderator *** *** web
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I am feeling like hell - heck I never knew it would be like this. I used to get them for free, people hook me up, no big deal. I am a drinker and user of subs. Currently on day 5 clean cold turkey and it seems like it will never end, and now after reading all of this [ and thank you ] I am just going to have to chalk it up and deal with it - though I know that I will lose a-lot of time working and actually being productive but I just stopped cold turkey and continue to drink [ which does not help much, in fact makes the anxiety grow but it gives me something to do while I ride out this crazy hellish ride]. The abdomen hurt is probably the worst of it all - if it wasn't for that and the lack of sleep I would just think I was trashed once again. You know that deep piercing pit in your stomach? Yeck!
After taking them for at least year daily, and previously experimented with all the yummy oc's/xanies that came my way - in small doses, I only sniffed a tiny line or two every day, heck a 8mg would last me about 3weeks or a month, but I was also smoking herb and drinking mixed drinks daily. I like to party and it gave me the ability to work non-stop without sleep and even exceed expectations from the constant nod-out of oc's or equiv.
There is nothing to cure the agony, it's just got to be fought through I suppose and believe that the end will come. I have not been sober from liquor and herb for 8-10 years, and only a few years ago started dabbling in any type of recreational use of pills. The price I pay for having fun. I have smoked crack and meth before, and got off those easily after a year bender. This is straight up devilish in nature, haha.
So now day 5, nervous wreck, not even interested in watching my favorite tv shows/movies, lost a little weight, don't even want to drink, but force down some brew or a mixer, I eat a sandwich every other day - but dont like it - herb makes it worse, and cigarettes cannot be smoked fast enough. Sound typical? Even some energy drinks in there every once in a while hoping to get some chemically influenced motivation. Also I can almost kill off a whole fifth of vodka without even feeling anything but the agony. So I know liquor is not the answer. lol
Most would say to taper yourself instead of going cold turkey, but I didn't have much of a choice - and to make it not apparent to family is hard to keep in sometimes, but I nod and still going to force myself to play tennis with the kid tomorrow. I have also been doing push-ups and things to make me sweat and see if some toxins come out with it, heck even the alchohol fits are probably kicking in too, but it all feels like hell. If I see the light at the end of the tunnel....we'll see.
One thing that has helped was driving around in the car with the windows up and let that sun/heat sweat the life out of me, was so hot that it seemed to keep me from being uncomfortable off for a few minutes plus I felt a little better afterwards momentarily as the cool air did it's deed. I guess like making yourself feel worse so that the normal is not as bad. This does not always work.
If you have a shower, steam it up. more warm than normal quick showers, twitching my leg up and down while smoking cigarettes and constantly flipping channels back and forth not even laughing at funny things. More typical?
this is the craziest experiment/experience. I have seen friends go to heroin and things but I can't bring myself to do it, that is when I know I have hit the bottom of the barrel. It's time to start doing something so writing this is at least letting my brain-storm continue. At this point I am kind of scared to even take any type of pills to ease the suffering
Glad to see other's are also going to hell and are beating it. I just don't know how I can keep this hidden for two weeks. LOL, I feel a little crazy but that's the sleep deprivation I'm sure.
Hi Everybody. I had sudden onset of TN.from detoxing too quickly as I think I told you.. please listen.... you guys are seems to me much younger and with a shorter history of opiates. Please do not withdraw suddenly, but the younger you are and healthier you are, the easier it will be. To those older just be careful. Now I am on more oxycodone than ever before and not to party which brings me to my last point. I read these articles and want to cry. I am 61..... MAN guys to party should not mean taking drugs .... AND after reading all of these horror stories like MINE and others older, I don't see how some can still say things like I like to party. Do you realize you are saying I want to die and suffer? I am no prude. I lost my liver to drugs and I wasn't a party druggie since the sixties, I lost my family and now I lost my lips and face which may never come back. PLEASE think and PLEASE find another way before your brain and body are so saturated that you will never be able to be off at least suboxone or subutex. This really is not a joke and after years and years there will be no euphoria, only chasing the once upon a time good feelings. Is it worth your life? I know this sounds silly but just stop please stop....... unless you want to be old and alone, with nerve damage and in and out of hospitals and lose everything NO ONE gets out of here alive...... but opiates are really not a way to go unless yu have a car wreck or surgery....... Also I feel like this is mainly a place to aid in staying clean and for those who are fighting the fight t o read I still want to party and snort and and and..... do you realize how that sounds to someone whose life was ruined from this? I mean no offense really and wish I had known more.... but like our once First Lady said.... please JUST say no..... If you have kids whichI messed up also so am sterile...... it is chld abuse to be high.... and there is no way of saying this... you will suffer unbelievable and trust me you are older much longer than you are young... sorry to preach hoping to reach maybe just one and please don't slam me, I am honestly trying to be of some help; as I would not wish my situation on anyone ANYONE..... Thanks for reading and please try and take this in the love it is meant. thanks to you all and God Bless, Sally, PSsalgal
sorry for the typos
sorry forgot...... YES there will be YEARS of the big D after long term suboxone use....... 8 mg of suboxone is like 30-40 mg oxycodone or methadone.,No reason to stay at that high dose more than a couple of weeks..... there are tapering schedules all over just make sure you are with a good doc who knows what he is doing re suboxone..... and most people will really never get off suboxone depending as i said on your age, length of use and amount used.... Anyway, God Bless you all. Bentyl for stomach, Visterel sp for anxiety and sleep, clonodine to lower blood pressure, compazine for nausea, the bentyl really helps the cramps.... just know the longer you are on, the harder to get off and the depression can last up and down for years and years and that is why most just stay on suboxone