[WNY Addict]

Last time I relasped off opiates I immediately switched doctors & was lucky enough to find a PMD who was/is working with suboxone therapy & he's also in recovery. He's actually one of the very few "detox docs" that works at the county hospital in my area that sees more heroin/opiate addicts than anywhere else in the area. He told me that the worst bug-a-boos come when you get down to the 2mg range. He was @ that 30 patient limit when I first switched to him as a PMD but now with all the training & whatnot he's gone through he's allowed to have a couple hundred patients between private practice & through the hospital's program.

Per him he said the physical symptoms of withdrawl really peak once you get down to the 2mg or lower dose. After having someone on suboxone for quite awhile he'll dose them down a little bit over a months time until they get to that 2mg part... & then it may take some time depending on the person's ability to take some withdrawl symptoms, their involvement with a 12-step program/sponsor. He's big on the AA/NA. But basically, as in my case, it was 16mg to 12mg over a month, 12mg to 8mg, 8mg to 6mg, 6mg to 4mg, 4mg to 2mg, 2mg to 1mg & then off it completely. Some withdrawl symptoms from 2mg to being off it but not bad. I found that when I came off it I clung to my program, sponsor & NA friends real tight & I was okay after about 2 weeks. Wasn't all that bad... compared to withdrawl off of pills or IV opiates.