I'm here to vent and maybe give some advice. Cut to the chase, I've been on subs about 5yrs (lost track). My story is different and complicated, but I'll shorten it.
my sub doctor is ALSO my employer, For the last 2yrs. He's awful. And knows nothing's about the medication. Took an 8hr class and got a paper sayin he could prescribe. He Tells me I'll fail and I should stay on for life. I had a small opiate habit, never should have been on subs. I have to BEG to taper. My boyfriend of 9yrs is also addicted to subs, by my supply(not Rx'd to him) hes never done opiates, he skipped all that and got addicted to subs. Not thru me but a friend who was a h-addict. When I got off opiates I got prescribed subs and now we both live off my Rx. No1 needs to tell me how messed up it is, I know and hate it.
he was unable to taper (he claims) and jumped from 8-10mgs last summer (I feel I can't Detox From this until he's off because he need my meds to function, so I don't have to worry about myself, but him as well.)
he was off for approx 4-6months, I thought longer until one day he told me he'd gotten back on and had been stealing them from me without me knowing. talk about a bad situation!!! I was planning to detox myself and tapering when I found this out, so that shot my plans out the door. this medication has me trapped in so many ways, between physically dependent, my employment, taking care of the Him. I'm so frustrated. Not to mention after August I have no insurance, hahah! GREAT! He claims he got back on it because he was still depressed after a few months. People give it at least 90 days!!! There's no miracle cure for what you've done to your body. You have to pay the piper eventually.
anyway to answer the general question because I'm a clinical assistant and employed by a prescribing doctor and know a good bit about this med *I*believe the key is (at least for long term use) a slowwwww taper. Some of you are going from 8mg to 1mg in 1month then jumping. not right, a proper taper would be at minimum for long term use because of half life AT LEAST 6 months. When you do that you are not jumping from your last dose, you're jumping from the last 3-6 months dose, again because of half life. I believe even with tapering it will suck, but it will decrease the severity and length of time The lower you can go. Also age, metabolism, and general health are a big factor. I have a fast metabolism and feel withdrawals after only 8hrs from last dose.
i wish everyone luck. I have never made it off this stuff more than 2 weeks in the past. I cannot fail at my next attempt. whenever that will be. I have been tapering with no jump date, gotta wait for the mister to kick it again first. But, this gives my body plenty of months getting rid of the built up in my system. I have heard great things about using NEUROTIN/LYRICA/GABAPENTIN the first couple weeks. If anyone has any experience with it plz reply here and let me know.
Hi, I'm Sam, i made a few last updates till DAY 38 off Subutex. Well thankfully my boyfriend is clean and supports me a lot, but i think, the real battle should be done by ourselves, it's a very personal experience. I myself experienced a month of hellish withdrawal from Subutex, but when i thought i'm out of the woods, just today, i relapsed on Codeine (my first opiate addiction). Today i understood a lesson, it's that addiction is like cancer or depression, you're never cured, you're just in remission, and get to be very careful. I'm deeply devastated today of what i've done, maybe it's not too late, and i won't have withdrawal with just one dose, but i gotta fight this develish temptation.
I was on them for four years, had chronic back pain from a car accident and wound up hooked on opiates. I was recently in another accident breaking my heel really bad, had to be pumped full of dilauidid until they maxed and pumped me with other narcs in emergency room. Had to get surgery and doc who prescribed subs was aware and ok that i was taking low doses of percacet. Then i lost my insurance and the doc for the subs dropped me stating it was because of ins and med records from my surgeon,(my surgeon is pissed at my doc for just dropping me even after the surgeon told them i was doing extremely well and not abusing. A 21 day supply of 5mg percs lasted three months.) The doc who i was getting the subs dropped me right before my next refill. Been almost two weeks and still feel like c**p. Trying to get through this and thankful for my girlfriend, understanding parents, close friends. Lot of stress and i am scared being off subs cold turkey. Recently separated from my wife i was with four 15 years, not having my children near as much as i need them(they are my grace) if i could go back i would have never gone on these things. They had me at 32mg a day down to 24mg, to stopped cold turkey. It isn't easy but i'm trying. Hope you all got through your ordeals as for me, i'm never going back to either. No opiates and no crutches like subs.
6 months to a year, sorry
I have read every one of the posts here, and I am finally feeling like I wanted to share my story. I have been an opiate addict on and off for ten years. This is the second time I have gone through withdrawal from Suboxone. I had been on Suboxone for 2 years. From my experience and from what I have read, the longer u are on it, the longer the withdrawal takes. I am on day 57 off Suboxone. At about the second week, I wound up in the hospital for dehydration. I was short of breath and unable to walk. I was also vomiting and had diarrhea in the hospital. After hospitalization and numerous Dr. visits, I ended up needing medication to slow down my heart and medication for erosions in my stomach (the beginning of ulcers) Last time I detoxed from sub about 8 years ago, I was also put on medication to slow down my heart plus I had a stomach full of ulcers. I did recover. This time it is taking longer. I am finally out of bed and doing a lot better. I am sleeping until about 4AM after taking about 2 hours to fall asleep. I take Vistaril and Seroquel which does help. The good news is that I am getting better. The main symptom that I still have is exhaustion. I force myself to stay off the bed until I go to sleep, although it is difficult. Another problem that I have is memory loss from the two years on Suboxone. I do remember everything that happened since I have been off of it. Everyone says that my personality is like a different person. I was on 24 mg. a day at first and cut down to 2mg strips a quarter of a strip. Cutting down did not help me with withdrawals after being on it for two years. The detox has been UGLY and LONG, and I will NEVER takethat POISON again, NEVER. ThaNK U ALL FOR SHARING. iT HELPED GET ME THROUGH SOME VERY ROUGH SPOTS.
I'm 75 DAYS OFF subutex, i took them only for 3 months, and when i quit COLD TURKEY, i experienced horrifying withdrawal symptoms for almost a month. But, beside the sleeping disturbance, i have now psychological craving for the initial painkiller that i was addicted to. (I relapsed 10 days ago, but i'm back on the track now). So is it normal to experience craving while off Subutex ??? Because i've never experienced that while on the Sub. Then does it take to be off all Opiates to be sober ?? cause when i took tramadol for migraine, i just felt really good again, then 2 days later, i like crashed and felt somme withdrawal symptoms.
I've just had an awful experience w/a a clinic group here in Middle TN known as Wellspring. They have done this to me twice. Last September I needed a new sub doc b/c my other one was retiring. I went to this clinic, they were supposed to be brand new, the first day. So the day before my next appt. the next month, I get a call telling me that they weren't able to get a full-time doc like they planned, blah, blah, so I wouldn't have my appt. for the next day. Suggested I call another dr. I did manage to get in to see her and saw her for a couple of months, then kind of "butted heads" with a member of her staff (really kind of silly) but the dr. asked me to find another dr. At that time, I had just about decided to go off, so I took my last rx and made a little detox schedule.
Well lo and behold, just when I was getting down to 1/4 pill 2mg, I get a call from Wellspring saying they were back in and did I still need a doc. So here we go again. And all was well. Until last Wednesday. I went for my regular appt. and there was nothing there. NOTHING! Frantically called the phone number and was informed that they closed the office 2 wks ago, that they hoped to open again in the next few weeks! Argued w/me that no one had appointments and that they had notified everybody. We had just had an ice storm. No one was open. They offered nothing. So I was just done. I was not about to pay $400-700 that some of the clinics demanded to start over. So here I went. cold turkey from 16mg./day.
Here's the shocker, though. I'm just fine. I have not been sick. I was already taking Trazadone and melatonin for sleep, so my sleep has been ok, except for waking up last night very early. But I'm really OK, not at all miserable. I am so grateful. And I'm just going to leave it alone. I really thought I was just going to be a lifer. I figured, why not? What does it hurt? But it was getting to be a real hassle, finding and keeping a dr. and jumping through their hoops. And I'm older than most of you. I don't want to do all that. I have been really blessed w/this easy withdrawal. Can't believe it. Guys, stay with it. I think a big key is sleep. Get some trazadone from your doc if you can, It's nonaddictive and it really helps. If you can sleep, you can face a LOT!
Thanks for listening. Tomorrow I'm contacting the state to see if any action can be taken against Wellspring.
You must be a one lucky guy not being in horrible withdrawal right now. Well for me, almost 3 months off Subutex and i'm still experiencing insomnia and lack of motivation. Although i don't exactly know your hole story, but it's wise to be prepared for drug craving and beware not to relapse into your drug of choice. Cause for me after the acute withdrawal phase have passed, i've been hit by intense drug craving that i didn't see coming, (which explains my relapse). I wish you all the luck.
Im on day 3 of withdraws it feels just as bad as coming off of heroin. I ve been buying my ubs rom a friend but i have 3 small boys who rely on me its hell i get up at take one 7.5 just to help it doesnt i feel like this is the last time I am going to withdraw either ill stay on subs for the rest of my life or ill beat it I got clean from doing 200 mg of morphine or up to a bag of heroin a day detoxed an was clean for a year someone gave me a tab 10 and the cravings hit like they did the first day i ever took a pill i started taking methadone nobody here understands what it feels like i have a great family but they are hard core you suck it up and keep going but mentally you cant its a b***h when you think a mind can control so much if we could just get it out of are minds then maybe it wouldnt be so bad I just want to give up so bad but i cant for anyone out there if you get clean stay clean it gets worse and worst everytime you relapse and get back on it
Get yourself some Kratom for Subutex or suboxone withdrawal, take it for like 2-3 weeks and then jump off that. You will make it through it, im on Day 24 of Subutex withdrawal and it was 1000 times easier with Kratom, its a wonderful plant. Cannabis helps too, more so if you ingest the oil. Hope this helps, good luck guys
I been on 4 mg of suboxone administered rectally. How much longer/severe is the withdraw going to be for me?