Going cold turkey from subuxone, need advice

[Jimba]

I am going cold turkey from subuxone after 4-5 months of use and abuse, I was up to 5-6 pills for a month 5 days ago been on three pills for about 4 days and going cold turkey with xanax to help 24 hrs into it I feel good but I have been sleeping a lot.

My script was for 2 8s a day up to 4 then back down to 2, I abused that. I need to get away from drugs.

My original habit was probably about the same length of time with vics and oxyies.

Advice please, I had a veteran poster give me a warning about what I was doing and probably going to try to get a DR appointment before fri..

I need feedback please!!!!!!!!

[jane_668]

Ok here's a quick feedback. Don't EVEN TRY TO QUIT CT. That would be pure hell literally . Go talk to your doctor and perhaps he'll work out a proper taper program for you. I think you should go to detox incase you can't taper. There's no easy way out here. You have to decide what you want. I detoxed off 1mg subutex and barely made it. The anxiety was too much for me even with xanax. The first week I couldnot even drag my body to the toilet.
Good Luck

[bugsmum]

hey jimba,

just wanted to check in and see what you decided and how your doing...

I'm currently on 3mgs of sub, started on 4... I wouldn't even dream of trying to stop cold turkey at this point, I don't think I'd make it.

Are you doing anything to help aide in your recovery besides the sub? I have found my NA meetings and bi-weekly appt's w/ an addiction counselor to be a life saver. I haven't shared w/ my group that I'm on sub but they are still able to help me w/ so many other aspects of my attempt at recovery. I do discuss the sub w/ my addiction counselor and that helps a lot. Keeps me accountable if I were to ever think of self adjusting my dose.

These are just my thoughts and what's worked for me... hope you can find a way that works for you as well. Please keep us updated.

Take care

[Jimba]

I am on my second day its basically more of the same just wanting to sleep s lot, but I have heard through the boards you feel fine for two days and then its like crazy. I am trying to get an appointment with my doctor right now but good luck with that he's an ass. If I can get away from the drugs I have gotten myself set up so I wont do street stuff . I do need to get involved in NA. Im in Downey CA anyone have any suggestions on doc or detoxs. Im out of Meds so I dont have many choices.

[Jimba]

My Dr. is going to write a prescription and I'm going to see him on the 21st. I cant function on the sub and when I have it I wanna take more. I need to detox and get it out of the house. My Dr. seems to think I need to be involved in a program, I've never had a problem with drugs that cause physical dependency, maybe this is the right way. Hope he will work toward the ends that I desire.

[Jimba]

Sounds like he is screwing around with me again. I flushed my perscript. with the idea that if I didn't have it I wouldn't do it. So my refill date is next wed. but and I have asked for extras before, boy who cried wolf and he has snuffed me telling me he would refill and didn't. So I don't know if I should be looking for other aves or roll the dice and try to survive until wed. I like this Dr. so I guess I'll see how it works out. CT I guess was a stupid choice.

[baggervance]

jimba i stepped off at 4mgs aday had been on about three months. First week wasnt as bad as the second this is 18th day and Im still having cold sweats chills watery eyes shakes so try an taper as low as you can wish I had tapered a little more but maybe I can hold out dont no. If it gets any worse dont knnow if I can take it.

[Jimba]

Here's the the thing Dr. Left town until wed.. He gave me a script of 2 8s a day. I was fine with out the Meds., I took one and now I want to take another one. I feel content to do nothing be nothing. I know that a week later it changes but I have either got to get the drugs under control and stick with the program or go through the pain. Every Dr has a different program with this stuff. I have a great deal of respect for him and hope when I see him on wed I can figure out how to be honest with myself and him. I have in my life been mostly involved in non physically addictive drugs save booze. This is a real bummer I just want to go to an island no smokes no coke sugar wheat cheese and cleanse my body maybe there is no such place its like once you pop your cherry thats it.

All I want is to love and be loved. Drugs don't love you back and things don't love you back and thats what I choose Things and Drugs.

You hold on you have come a long way. Your bulldog is a cutie and will always love you , you are lucky for that.

You can answer in private if you want I am curious as to what your history before the sub and age and stuff. Its hard to compare experience without backround.

[Sugah]

Originally Posted by Jimba

I cant function on the sub and when I have it I wanna take more.... My Dr. seems to think I need to be involved in a program, I've never had a problem with drugs that cause physical dependency

Jimba, I'm just curious... if you've "never had a problem with drugs that cause physical dependency," why are you on the sub?

Peace & Love,
Sugah

[christin1225]

Jimba,

I'm on my way to bed, but wanted to say a few words. I'm trying to follow what is happening in this thread but am having a hard time. I can't determine if you're dependent on the sub or not. It sounds to me as though you might be (you're afraid of withdrawal) and that you simply cannot stick to a schedule with the subs.

Am I correct? If that's the case, don't be ashamed. Just know that it means that you need to get to inpatient detox. Call a Substance abuse hotline and see where the nearest center is. Suboxone is only for opioid/opiate dependent individuals who can take the suboxone as part of a recovery program. If you have as much trouble abusing the suboxone as you do your DOC, it cannot help you.

I'm sorry that I can't stick around. I'm not feeling all that well tonight. So, I'll check your thread in the morning.

[Jimba]

I don't know that's my problem. Sub is a drug and I want to be sober, sober, i dont know how much damage I have done to my receptors. My dr is of the school that you take the sub to get set up in a recovery setting. There are options for me to pick up my meds once a day or week to detox, which i found today. I want the sub out of my house and life, and I do want to start a conventional cognitive recovery. I was going to cold turkey it when I found this forum and was warened of horror stories lasting up to 6 months after abstinance. Freaked me out but I had flushed the sub. So I am going either to a clinic on Monday that deals with a quick detox or on wed back to my old Dr. to work out a said same. You may be right about inpatient I'm going to go over all the details with my Dr. next week.

I do appreciate everybodies input and hope it keeps coming. The feedback has spured much thought and action, which is why my Dr. Has been pushing me to get involved in group.

[Jimba]

I 36 and have had problems with drugs on and off. Longest period of sobriety lasting 7 years. I have more of a binge manatlity. 6 months of shooting S then sober, 8 months of GHB over, a year of alcohol over. Most of those I just slept off for a month of 2 and dealt with some depression. Funny I didn't experience DTs from the booze I was a heavy drinker for about a year. But trying to quit OXYIES was like bloody hell I needed the drug hour by hour, not okay I can make it through work go home and have my 3 bottles of wine or fifth of tequila and pass out or wait for the weekend to shoot s and take some benzos on sunday to sleep before work on monday.

The OXY habit developed from popping 2 or 3 vics after work a guy at work had 30mg tabs of oxy I tried those after about 5 months of the vics got up to 2 or three of those a day for 5 or 6 months I had to have something every few hours sought out the sub. So my reference was to actually before my experience with opiates I had never done anything Physically Addictive used loosely. This time has been a bitch.

[Jimba]

You get your alloted 20 min with a Dr. and thats it.

A.) I guess what I need is a group

B.) To explore my options with a quick detox schedule I think abstinence is best for me

C.) Collect my thoughts so I can be as concise with my Dr as possible as to what I need.

[Tish28]

Hello Jimba!!

I will try to follow this thread closley. You seem to be making really good decisions with your last post. Be VERY careful with the Xanax, it is absolutely terrible to get off. I know from first hand experience, and is easy to replace one addiction for another. Xanax is a benzo.
When is the last time you took your Sub?
I tried to quit cold turkey, and it was like having really bad flu. Is that what you're going through?
All that my fiend Christin says is true. There's no point in taking your sub just like your original DOC, if you're having just as much trouble with it. Definately get to a group, and get feedback. It will help you, I wish f2f contact was available for me. This site helps enormouly for support.

Wishing you much luck and love,

All I want is to love and be loved.

Me too!!

Tish x

[christin1225]

Jimba,
I think that I'm finally catching on... although you have a history of drug abuse, your relationship with opioids (namely oxys) is the most recent and you've discovered that oxys don't play nice and won't let you maintain your binge mentality; it's all or nothing and you've flushed your subs. Eeeks! Or maybe not...

If your plan is to wait until Monday to do something, I'll assume that you're supplied with enough oxys to hold you over until then. It also sounds as though you have an appointment with your doctor. That's good. There's an important thing to consider, though, if you're looking at doing drug replacement therapy (suboxone or methadone). Eventually, you have to taper down and get off the replacement drug. Some will tell you that you can taper from Suboxone asymptomatically. Well, I'm here to tell you that is not true for everyone. It most certainly is not true for me. In fact, I woke quite sick today. So sick that I almost didn't make my AA meeting. Of course, I put a Sub under my tongue before leaving the house and just about the time that the meeting was over, I finally felt as though I didn't need to worry about puking in my coffee cup (which I took but was too sick to sip).

So, that's tapering. l will confess that I'm tapering a bit quicker than what would be recommended. Nevertheless, I also experienced withdrawal symptoms even with my first 2mg taper (from 12-10). I don't want to tell you NOT to get on Suboxone. I just want to make you aware that you may be one of those for whom getting off the Suboxone is no picnic and I'm of the opinion that someone should be well informed before they make a decision.

IMO, if you think that you can get inpatient to detox off the oxys, where they will give you some comfort meds and maybe even a very short course (days) of Subutex as an inpatient, that is the best course. You will receive in patient therapy and, hopefully, be referred to a good intensive outpatient program after discharge.

For very specific reasons, I went the Suboxone route. I wish that I could get to a place in my life where what I'm suggesting to you would be an option for me.

Ohh, and Jimba ... you may not have to wait until Monday if you want to get sober, sober NOW. Call a hotline and see if there is a place nearby where you can present in withdrawal and be admitted immediately.

I wish you the best!

[jane_668]

IMHO subuxone is supposed to help you taper down withou minimum discomfort. But when you abuse it along with your DOC then your only option would be inpatient detox. When abused sub can be just like any other drug and the worst is that you cannot high on it. That's why I guess you were shooting it . It's the only way you can get high on sub.

[Jimba]

Actually you can get high on sub if you are not that advanced with opiates, which I think is my case, but I dont want to keep going. I don't get junked on the sub but it knocks me out and makes me feel all good and wanta watch a movie and I even slur and sweet like OXYies. Thats why I think my doc has put me on too much or I shouldnt be on it at all. My DOC before was shooting speed mixed with GHB. Shooting S is were you got the shooting sub, I dont shoot sub and as I understand it you cant because of its agonist. I've actually never shot an opiate. I do apologize for my unclarity. C is right its hard not to do this F2F because there is so much more to language than words.

christin, I have already begun the sub treatment been on it for about 5 months.

Heres what I have done over the last few days I had gotten myself to 2 8mg a day, went cold turkey for 24hrs didn't feel much more energy less entertained more productive. I could tell something was coming pshycosematic or not. I at my last dose got involved on this board and was told it was hell unless you taper. Called my Dr. he got me 2 a day until Wed., when I have an appointment with him. I took three yesterday and one this morning I'm going to stick to one until I see him. Unless I feel weird or screwed up. I think my doc thinks I have done more than I have historically. Which I am going to try and staignten out Wed. My other choice is blowing him off and going on monday to an appointment with a Dr. that specializes in quick detox with Sub, 3 weeks with care and dispensary every other day.

I hope you guys understand more.

[Jimba]

christin or anyone who has insight into detox,

What is your schedule with the subuxone detox, how long how many MG and whats your history have you been involved with opiates for a long time or ???????? Just Trying to get an idea of where I am at. I know even with the same histories we would have different experiences, but I also know that with opiates length of abuse determines somewhat severity of recovery symptoms.

[Jimba]

Also important I am only on my blood pressure meds, xanax and the sub, no DOC. I want them all out of my life, including the BP stuff. But that one I know how to address. Its just as hard though running and dieting is a bitch.

[jane_668]

Shooting S is were you got the shooting sub, I dont shoot sub and as I understand it you cant because of its agonist. I've actually never shot an opiate. I do apologize for my unclarity

I'm sorry I thought by S you meant Subutex. I think it's better not to get into details since you're an IV user. Anyway, Subutex helped me alot. I weaned down to 1 mg before I quit. I'm now 51 days clean. I think you can wean down easily at doses higher than 4mgs. Instead of taking 2 8's you can try and cut them in halves and take them 2 times as normal. You won't feel the difference. The hardest thing is to stick to a certain taper schedule. This will help you feel as normal as possible. Try to take the pills same time every day.This will help you set a schedule you can stick to easily.

[Jimba]

just your opinion what do you think time frame wise. I think you are right. I see 28 day schedules on the net, and comfort is key to sucsess but I want it out of my life and to move on. Meetings of course are going to be key. Then I have to deal with the XANAX.

[Jimba]

Jane??

[christin1225]

Jimba,

I really have little experience on Suboxone. I started in February. Instead of repeating what I've written in by blog, I'm just going to point you to that. If you read the entry that I'm updating every day, you'll see how my tapering has been going so far. I'll warn you that it hasn't been going well.

This afternoon, I stopped into the office of another doctor and spoke with his nurse. I've been told to call the office on Monday. I'm hoping to find a doctor who will work with me and help me get a handle on this addiction-thing. I'm still struggling with that.

If you have the desire to get clean and don't need the suboxone to keep you from relapsing due to craving opiates/opioids (which sounds as though it might be the case), a quick detox might be what you're looking for. I can't tell you exactly what will happen because there are differences in detox methods.

If you prefer to forego the details in my blog, here's a short blurb: my addiction to oxys was less than three months. I've been on subs almost as long. I've tapered from 12mg - 8mg in two weeks and have experienced symtpoms of withdrawal during that period. The physical symptoms have been uncomfortable but tolerable. This morning was the first time that I was sick enough that I considered puking might be a possibility. This past week has seen an increase in craving and obsessing. Other sub users indicate that they have no physical symptoms until tapering from 2mg (all I can say is "must be nice!")

Considering that you thought that you "could tell that something was coming", within 24 hours of being off sub might indicate that you may be one of the more sensitive ones. I experienced w/d symptoms when I missed an evening dose (only 17 hours). I was as sick then as I was this morning.

I wish that I had more information specific to your situation. Hopefully something in my experience will help you. My greatest reasons for starting sub was anxiety and craving. If fear of detoxing is your major motivation... IMHO, plug your nose and take the plunge. Wading into the waters of recovery with sub is not necessarily the best way to go.

Need to go and feed my family. I hope that this helps some.

[Jimba]

THX KIT ILL WRITE LATER, I want to keep in touch with you CHRISTIN, sounds like we have similar situations. I need to test the waters to see were the bottom is so, Im going to try 4 mg a day until it hurts. I know Im going to have cravings thats part of the cognitive as well as physical process. But I have gotten away from the supply of my DOC, I burned the bridge hard, for the purpose of my recovery. I just keep thinking Ive only been on this stuff 4 or 5 months and the longer Im on on it at any dose is going to make it worse.

[christin1225]

Originally Posted by Jimba

I need to test the waters to see were the bottom is so, Im going to try 4 mg a day until it hurts.

Jimba,

Why are "you" testing the waters at all? I've been doing that, my friend, and I think that it's a mistake. As I posted earlier, I'm hoping that I might have found a doctor who will TREAT me and not just DISPENSE to me because, regardless of the outcome of what I am doing, I'm still managing my own addiction and my drug intake. Those are the bahaviors of an addict.

It sounds to me as though you have a couple good legitimate medical options. Be patient until you can have a doctor on board with your plan. I know that it only makes sense that if an addict is DECREASING his dose that he's not acting like an addict. WRONG! That thing between our ears can be the most dangerous weapon our addiction uses to trap us. My advice might be a little different if you had no recourse to a doctor who would listen to you. Please... don't play with your dose. Testing the waters to see were the bottom is and going on 4 mg a day until it hurts does not sound like a typical treatment plan to me.

When you said that you burned your supply bridge... I applauded! Awesome!

Please, do the next right thing. A couple more days taking the Sub as prescribed will not make a huge difference. It's easy to fool ourselves into thinking that it's okay to take control of our prescriptions. But, we are not doctors. All we've really done is hang a stethescope from the neck of an addict.