Hi
I am an Oncology nurse who after 10 years of going from doctor to doctor for answers, grew tired and my final Dr visit was to a chiropractor. I have multiple joint problems, scoliosis in my S-spine, aching, restless legs, insomnia, rib pain etc. The chiropractor kept me out of the doctor's office nearly 15 years. I could not take opiates due to severe itching, and nausea. 4 years ago, I divorced and left my small town of 40 years to travel nurse. I started having back pain, leg and hip pain etc. I did not dare see a new chiropractor due to having a bad experience with one that covered mine on vacation. Travel nurses are not allowed to take time off and god forbid you get sick.
Against my better judgement and knowing it was against the law, I began taking 1/2 30mg oxycodone from my fiance whom has been on them chronically now for about 12 years. I was very ill at first and itchy but soon was able to tolerate the 15mg. I slowly graduated from 15-30 and 2-3 times a day. Since they were not my prescription, I found myself detoxing several times per year to take urine drug screens. I went to a back and pain specialist who prescribed 8mg dilaudid. This seemed like the best thing since sliced bread.
After a while, I was up to the 8mg 5 times a day and since I traveled, it was very frequent that I had to fly to see him because I ran out.
I was working nights and by that time, I had cut them into 4 and took only a fraction of my prescribed dose so they would last. I ended up having a stroke due to a hole in my heart and chronic dehydration because nurses do not get breaks and are not allowed to drink or eat in patient areas. I detoxed in a camper because I was homeless. That is where I decided that I would not ever go back to pain meds again. I wore lidocaine patches from my shins to my lower back.
After I was feeling better, I went back to work. The pain became unbearable again. I began taking those pills again. It would become the same old same old. Running out and no time to take off from work. I soon had another stroke. After discharge, I tried going back to work but the stress and the belittling due to my deficits coupled with the lack of breaks and the weight starting to come off again became more than I could bear. I was fired before I could quit. Not due to my nursing skills, but because I went over my boss's head to complain about not getting the 30 min. break that we did not get paid for and the belittling I received in shift report via the other nurses. The final 2 nails in my coffin were, 1) I told the boss of the mistreatment and the nurse was a good friend to her, and the boss over her head happened to also be a good friend of hers.
I was fired Nov.29th, 2012 and I am proud to say I have put 20 lbs back on, my back pain , leg pain etc. is tolerable, the hospital is facing a federal lawsuit for discrimination and retaliation. OK, you want to know what this has to do with detox? In my experience, I hate to detox. Hot vs cold, achy legs , restless legs, insomnia, irritability, increased pain. I have had friends offer suboxone but as a pain nurse, I know it can be far worse than the opiate. I take percocet on occasion. I break a 10/325 and only take when I need. I run out simply because someone always steals them. I taper as slowly as what I have left allows. 5mg 2x day for a few days, 5mg 1 time a day for a few days, 5mg every other and then stop. It is mild. Catapres helps with restless legs, irritability, sleep etc. Lidoderm patches for pain. regular exercise. Do not allow yourself to lye around and think about it. I take xanax for PTSD and that helps, also for memory problems I take dexadrine and that also gives me energy. methadone and suboxone are addicting in themselves. Slow taper and keeping busy are the only answer for me.
Watch your meds! Yesterday on my birthday, I was cleaning my moms cellar and my brother's girlfriend was here. She has been to rehab several times. I had 58 dexadrine, 28 2mg xanax, and 56 0.5mg xanax in my purse which I hid under a pile of clothes in my room where I am staying for this visit. I took her home and my brother whom has tourette's like me, was in a rage. I gave him 2-0.5mg xanax to sleep and saw the bottle was lite. I pulled over down the street and I had 10 dexadrine, 6 2mg xanax and 22 0.5mg xanax left! I am so mad I wanted to kill her but I refrained. I will NEVER be here and not lock my stuff up again. If she decides to kill herself for real this time, I will be the one in jail. My mother didn't want to set my brother off. That is precisely why I moved 1600 miles away! Sorry had to vent. Suboxone is dangerous, addictive and tapering is the only good way to do it. Try benadryl or atarax, clonidine or if your doctor will give it to you, a benzo. Be careful, they say they can be addictive too. I am lucky, I do not have an addictive personality, but I sure do become physivcally dependent on opiates.
subs r bad
Day 7 barley any goosebump cold chils still having the night sweats but I've never been a good sleeper anyways. I can feel myself getting better and honestly if your getting depressed after physical symptoms cease, that just means deep down you still want to use. You should be happy you made it threw the gauntlet. I'm having minor stomache aches, but huge improvement from yesterday. I think a few more days and ill be good enough to handle my responsibilities. It does NOT take 30 damn days. Iv been threw this before years ago. I think people just forgot what it's like to feel normal and are not use to it.
Okay, I'm gonna do you all a bit of a favor... What I'm about to tell you aLl may seem odd and counter-productive but it works. For those of you who have been on sub for a long period, you'll want to jump back on methadone. Hear me out. The mu receptors in your brain have been so badly gnawed down that methadone will not get you high, nor will you have symptoms of WD either. And I mean ZERO!!! But there is a trick to it. First, you must keep your dosage below or at 20 mgs. Stay on it for 2 weeks, a month, a year, it doesn't matter b/c when you decide to stop, you won't have the WD's due to that Doan not grabbing on to your receptors. The doan makes you productive and better but beware, DO NOT GO OVER 20 mgs or there is a chance you'll fall back into what you don't want! Now, I have been successful with this and I run into others who have also had luck with this. You can work, eat, sleep, etc on day 1 after quitting doan. You can even exercise! No exaggeration folks. Look it up, perhaps there are other posts out there in regards to this?
Good luck!
PatienceKK, There are many doctors who believe strongly that suboxone is necessary as a life long regimen because they think it is the only way for the addict to have long-term sobriety. I don't really appreciate the idea that once the patient stops taking suboxone, all the mental symptoms..like depression/drug cravings...come back because they were always there originally. Suboxone decreases drug craving by affecting the neurotransmitters in your brain, thus creating an imbalance. Once the patient stops taking suboxone, the brain is working to correct the imbalance that suboxone created. In other words...depression/drug cravings that increase after stopping suboxone is temporary and CAUSED by suboxone. Anyway, the doctors that have been to medical school know this...and yet they are altering the truth to keep patients on suboxone which is something I will never understand. Bottom line in my experience is that all the symptoms start getting dramatically better after a month. There are some lingering symptoms...like depression or anxiety...but it isn't overwhelming and it is easily remedied with other things(like exercise/shopping/whatever makes you happy when your feeling down). The first month is rough. Always remember you cannot give up and take little bits of suboxone..because even a small amount will start the process over again and you will suffer even longer. Anyway I am on day 43 without suboxone and my symtoms are gone...besides some lingering anxiety. It is easier for me since I understand why this happens..and the brain doesn't snap back to normal quickly, it will take more time. Which is another reason that falling asleep is difficult for a while. But like I said before, after a month everything gets so much better. And don't worry about the doctors that are lying to patients about suboxone...the truth will always come out and pretty soon more people will be aware of the side-effects of suboxone.
What a load of trollops...Many people never had depression prior to suboxone detox..The depression hits around the 4 month mark and can possibly last 10 years.
You cant take suboxone for life as you will become disinterested in life, bored, no emotions, no testosterone activity etc, its bad.
U r not too smart. u will not be depresed for 10 years. Silly
Day 12 and the only symptom is stomache aches that are constant all day no matter what I take for it. Few more days and it should be gone along with the diareah that took till week 2 to start affecting me.plus very mild wrestles leg syndrome, but I think that's a mental thing. I had to take another week off work because of my mood swings. It's not depression it's just anger and I found myself picking fights with people. I won't be depressed after all symptoms cease because I am very over all this and can say for sure ill never go back after this experience. I've withdrawlef off all opiates including heroin and nothing compared to how this was, so prolonged compared to real opiates. I'm so close and ill feel like if I can conquer this then why not anything else.
Leodude, Hey sorry about the stomach pain. I am on day45 without suboxone, but I remember the stomach stuff. FYI..if your having stomach cramps, don't take immodium. That made mine a thousand times worse...but it does help the diarrhea. Also, start taking magnesium supplements several times a day. It does wonders for muscle problems and helps with other symptoms. Also, I don't know how long you were taking sub, but many people will agree that the length of time a person is taking sub will determine how long the withdrawal will last. I would agree with that. I was taking suboxone everyday for 4 years...anyway my withdrawal symptoms were bad for about 3 weeks, but I didn't notice a significant change until after a month. Thats when everything was so much better. And I am still not sure what to think about the 'guest' who is always talking about this severe, life-long depression. He/she has been on here before talking about the depression thing. I can't help but wonder what else is going on with this person that they have such a severe depression after suboxone. Well. anyway it could be any number of things...like hypothyroidism, serotonin disorders, other medications..ect. Normally, you will feel goofy for a while...by goofy I mean mood swings and just not yourself. That does start to get much better after a month. For me...I am a daydreamer, And I found that after stopping suboxone that I would literally have daydreams all day long and could barely focus on other things. It was weird but I am glad that has stopped. Anyway..good luck leodude! You seem to be determined and you will be fine. Don't put a number on how long it takes ...it will get better when it gets better everyone is different.
Subs r bad
Day 25
I did the taper plan from withdrawal ease and a lot of people were curious how my symtoms stacked up against someone that Jumped off say 2 milligrams. I was at .5 every 3 days when I jumped meaning I would take .5 and skip 2 days. Anyway as far as my acute symtoms I say the taper plan helped big time. I never missed a days work but suffered from lack of energy, little diarea , and the restless legs but nothing like I couldn't get out of bed or eat. I never lost my appetite. But as for the PAWS the (post acute withdrawal symtoms) the taper plan didn't help. I am on day 25 and my sleep still isn't perfect. And my energy level is about 80 percent. But it has been so long sense I have been normal this may be normal energy. Time will tell. I hope that helps. If u taper the hard like days 5-15 won't be near as bad. But from day 15 on the taper plan didn't help the paws
Jeremy
Subs r bad
Jeremy, I have noticed that the energy/sleeping problems seem to come and go randomly. Some days I will feel 100% and then I get hit with days where I feel like I am back in the first week again. Not as bad as the first week...but it is still kind of discouraging. The bad days are few and far between now, which is good. Suboxone detox is very strange...much different then other opiate like drugs I think. Although I can't say for methadone, but I feel like methadone would be similar to suboxone. Anyway, your doing great Jeremy. It will get better and you will start to feel more normal as time goes on.
I am on day 40 off of subone after being on it for a year, I did the taper method and the first 3 days I just felt mild symptoms and thought wow I can get over this...after the 4thd day it keep getting worse, hurting, laying sneexing,vomiting, and chills, and each day got worse and worse until around day 18/20...litttle bearable...nut it has been Hell.....even at 40 days all the aches have not left, my energy has not came back and I am so irritable.
Subs r bad