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-   -   Any advice or tips on getting off of suboxone? (https://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/suboxone-methadone-maintenance-detox/241370-any-advice-tips-getting-off-suboxone.html)

GeoffG 11-18-2011 03:49 PM

Any advice or tips on getting off of suboxone?
 
I have been on suboxone for close to 2 years. When I first started I was taking 8mg's a day and after a few months dropped to 4, then 2, and then began dosing at 2 every other day. Then I ran into financial trouble and it became hard to keep paying to obtain the suboxone "legally", so I began buying it from a friend that went to a doctor. I then quit skipping days, but lowered my daily dose to about .5-1mg a day. I am now undergoing marital problems and other stress factors and want to go back to a life where i am not dependent on ANY substances.

I was planning on just quitting cold turkey but still find myself struggling with being able to do everyday things like work, school, etc., while feeling miserable due to the w/d symptoms so I am trying to make this as easy as I possible can and was wondering if there are any tips or anything else I should know to help. I realize that its not just going to go away but do not know where to go from here.

Today I split an 8mg pill into 16 pieces and am going to start dosing myself every other day,then skip 2 days, then three, and so on....I am out of options and i need to get off of it for the sake of my marriage, and more importantly my well being.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Dee74 11-18-2011 03:55 PM

Hi Geoff
I have no experience with subs, just wanted to welcome you.

Sounds like you've painted yourself into a bit of a corner - I hope your plan goes well, but if you run into trouble, my suggestion is to consider professional medical advice.

D

GeoffG 11-18-2011 04:20 PM

I know what you mean, But since starting the suboxone and leaving the treatment center that i went to, I havent been able to find a doctor that knows enough about it to really help me. Dont get me wrong, they provide me with some help but I feel most doctors have a "one size fits all" approach. And i feel as if the treatment center i went to was very misleading about the long term effects and w/d symptoms that i would feel.

jaywal83 11-19-2011 04:57 AM

I know what your going through Geoff, I'm in the same boat right now ,I started on 16 mg or 2 strips a day and now I am down to 1 mg a day ,one thing that I noticed was that the lower you go on a dose it seems like it takes longer for your body to adapt. I have been on this dose of 1mg a day for almost two months now , and it is just starting to seem that I am ready to cut the dose in half agian , I guess what I'm trying to say is that it is very important not to rush the taper process , only drop your dose when you feel comfortable on your current dose , It seems like a lot of people get unpatient when tapering off and try to " rapid detox" and it never really turns out well .

chained 12-02-2011 03:34 AM

Succeeded in similar situation
 
I too was taking Suboxone for about a year and a half. The last six months, I had switched from the pill form to the strips and was down to 2mg. I did the every other day plan too to try and get off of them. My doctor had suggested that I take two months to get off of it, each week using less and less of the strip. Now I don't know if this made a difference, but I ended up being prescribed T-3s for an ear infection. I waited two days between stopping the Subs and starting the T-3s. I took those as prescribed, using less and less each day until I ran out and that was the end of that. I have to admit that I was emotionally off kilter for a month or two, but no physical WDs what-so-ever.
Depending on where you are living, the strips do tend to be more expensive, but the drug reps are really trying to get them out there so I received one box free and the rest at a significantly reduced rate with a card the reps give the docs to give to patients.
Ultimately I got off of the Suboxone and T-3's over the course of a week and a half. So there is one crazy possible solution for you.

CanUbelieveIT 12-09-2011 08:48 PM

Wow, your situation sounds eerily similar to what mine was a couple years back.

Now, I don't want to scare you, but being on Sub for such an extended period of time (2yrs, which was the exact case for me too) you NEED to be prepared mentally more than any thing else. And as I see you're going through some rough times on top of wanting to kick the Sub, the added stress may be the factor that could push you over the edge of sanity during this time of 'detox'.

I cannot stress this enough, your mental health is what is going to get hit the hardest during this time. I don't care what others may think, but if there's anyway that you could get your hands on some Benzos so sleep (as little as it may be) can be possible, that can and will be the game changer.

Insomnia is what sent me over the edge a couple years ago. I ended up in a psych ward for 2 weeks with limited recollection...I was broke completely mentally...

I didn't take the time to read through everyone else's reply to your post, so if I'm repeating anything anyone else said, I'm sorry. But please, insomnia is going to be a killer.

But it can be done, I did it, and was in the exact same situation as you, and I'm 100% sure that if I was able to get at least SOME sleep, I would have made it out just fine.

Good luck, and my thoughts are with you, friend.

tex36f 12-11-2011 09:58 AM

getting off suboxone
 
My experience sounds just like urs. I had a severe mental breakdown along with the physical withdrawal. I had to be put in a hospital. The docs said that the suboxone can mess with ur brain when taken for a long period.

irab 12-20-2011 05:55 PM

The sub detox , which should go very very slowly, should not be controlled by you, especially with external life agrivating factors. There should be only 1 source for sub and the dose decreased by a physician.
If this is not working out - you will need another method - perhaps inpatient detox. or hospital chemical dependency detox.
Sub has to be lowered very, very, very, slowly - and there needs to be a clinical decision by a professional adictionologist on how much to lower the dose and when.

Ira B

irab 12-24-2011 07:21 AM

Please remember that ANY OPIATE - detox is a rough kick !!!

Unless it is very very carefully controlled and the dose decreased very very very very slowly - by an EXPERT !!

rizlaman 12-27-2011 06:05 AM

Hi mate hope your doing well,I'm in much the same situation as you. I'm down too 2mg of subuxone and though I would stay on this to after Xmas, i get mine luckily prescrpted by the dr, I'm going to start shaving a bit of a tablet, but I'm worried about being ill.
I'll let you know how I'm getting on,I'm going to start cutting from tomorrow good luck mate,hang in there,I'm going to try my best

Britt26 12-30-2011 09:16 PM


Originally Posted by GeoffG (Post 3175705)
I have been on suboxone for close to 2 years. When I first started I was taking 8mg's a day and after a few months dropped to 4, then 2, and then began dosing at 2 every other day. Then I ran into financial trouble and it became hard to keep paying to obtain the suboxone "legally", so I began buying it from a friend that went to a doctor. I then quit skipping days, but lowered my daily dose to about .5-1mg a day. I am now undergoing marital problems and other stress factors and want to go back to a life where i am not dependent on ANY substances.

I was planning on just quitting cold turkey but still find myself struggling with being able to do everyday things like work, school, etc., while feeling miserable due to the w/d symptoms so I am trying to make this as easy as I possible can and was wondering if there are any tips or anything else I should know to help. I realize that its not just going to go away but do not know where to go from here.

Today I split an 8mg pill into 16 pieces and am going to start dosing myself every other day,then skip 2 days, then three, and so on....I am out of options and i need to get off of it for the sake of my marriage, and more importantly my well being.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I was on suboxone for right at 2 years. I also started at 8mg a day and managed to wean down 2 mg every few months. Every time I weaned down my dose I experienced wd symptoms I didn't expect and it took some time to get used to them. But each time I eventually got used to the fatigue and sneezing (which my doc said was also a symptom) and slight aches in my neck and back. I also got to a point where I wouldn't be able to afford to pay for the meds and was down to my last 15 pills...by that point I was down to half a mg a day so my doc wanted me to try a half every 2 days and then eventually every 3 days! I was so nervous! But once I realized that some of those symptoms were simply psychological and they'd eventually pass I just did it. I did start drinking Red Bull on the days that I didn't take my half mg cause I was scared of being tired but it actually got to a point where I felt better on the days I didn't take it than the days I did. The biggest thing I can tell you is to just be patient. It won't be easy even when you're on a small dose. Also, I would definitely sever ties with anyone dealing them on the street... I get it's the only way you can afford them now but maybe you could figure out how many you'd need to last til your set day to be done and then cut those ties. Knowing there are always some out there makes it harder to break the cycle of addiction. Ya know? I had to move out of state to get away from all of my people and make a point not to meet or associate with anyone who did drugs for that very reason. Just know that getting off suboxone is possible!!! And you'll feel so much better for it once you do! Good luck and you're in my prayers... also a big factor in my sobriety is a faith in Jesus.

Britt26 12-30-2011 09:20 PM


Originally Posted by CanUbelieveIT (Post 3200589)
Wow, your situation sounds eerily similar to what mine was a couple years back.

Now, I don't want to scare you, but being on Sub for such an extended period of time (2yrs, which was the exact case for me too) you NEED to be prepared mentally more than any thing else. And as I see you're going through some rough times on top of wanting to kick the Sub, the added stress may be the factor that could push you over the edge of sanity during this time of 'detox'.

I cannot stress this enough, your mental health is what is going to get hit the hardest during this time. I don't care what others may think, but if there's anyway that you could get your hands on some Benzos so sleep (as little as it may be) can be possible, that can and will be the game changer.

Insomnia is what sent me over the edge a couple years ago. I ended up in a psych ward for 2 weeks with limited recollection...I was broke completely mentally...

I didn't take the time to read through everyone else's reply to your post, so if I'm repeating anything anyone else said, I'm sorry. But please, insomnia is going to be a killer.

But it can be done, I did it, and was in the exact same situation as you, and I'm 100% sure that if I was able to get at least SOME sleep, I would have made it out just fine.

Good luck, and my thoughts are with you, friend.

I agree with part of this and that's the mental part of the detox. The benzo could be a bad idea. Taking benzos with suboxone isn't a good idea to begin with if I remember correctly. I ordered melatonin off line for over a year and took it every night to get my sleep regulated. It took some time but nothing too difficult.

goatsontrial 12-31-2011 03:35 AM


Originally Posted by GeoffG (Post 3175705)
I have been on suboxone for close to 2 years. When I first started I was taking 8mg's a day and after a few months dropped to 4, then 2, and then began dosing at 2 every other day. Then I ran into financial trouble and it became hard to keep paying to obtain the suboxone "legally", so I began buying it from a friend that went to a doctor. I then quit skipping days, but lowered my daily dose to about .5-1mg a day. I am now undergoing marital problems and other stress factors and want to go back to a life where i am not dependent on ANY substances.

I was planning on just quitting cold turkey but still find myself struggling with being able to do everyday things like work, school, etc., while feeling miserable due to the w/d symptoms so I am trying to make this as easy as I possible can and was wondering if there are any tips or anything else I should know to help. I realize that its not just going to go away but do not know where to go from here.

Today I split an 8mg pill into 16 pieces and am going to start dosing myself every other day,then skip 2 days, then three, and so on....I am out of options and i need to get off of it for the sake of my marriage, and more importantly my well being.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Hey man. I definitely do have experience with the subs, I have been a pill head 10 plus years, opiates being my staple drug with pretty occassional benzos. in 2007 I went to a sub clinic for 1 1/2 years on 16mgs. a day the whole time.....wrecked my only vehicle, etc. couldn't afford to go back....forced into DT's. They sucked! I lost my job due to how bad my performance and attendance was.
I stayed quit for several months, long story short, I'm in the hospital being cut open hooked up to morphine and relapsed.
This time I thought ahead, my wife has a medical card, so I send her back to the suboxone clinic, this will save me the expense of the actual medicine ($1). My wife is also as bad as I am. She has been going back for 2 years, and this time we have split the subs, so I have been taking 8mg. a day for 2 years, then about 5 months ago, I cut 'em in half to 4mgs. which is about the time my wife and I called it quits, but we did reach a mutual agreement, with the subs....so I wouldn't lose my job.
I never went less than 4mgs a day. Anyways, I am on the 6th day cold turkey. I don't want to be a slave to them anymore, I'm tired of busting my ass at work, just to be able to afford a drug that helps me bust my ass at work. I'm sick of it all.
I managed to talk my supervisor into laying me off! Knowing the sickness was in the mail. I really don't understand how I'm doing so good. but I will tell you what I'm doing.
I wake up, drink coffee, smoke, drink coffee, smoke, bitch a little, yesterday I even went on a 4 hour hike up a 750ft. hill. I'm taking immodium bout 4 a day, I'm taking NSAID about 4 a day. I have to stretch quite a bit. tonight is the first time, I haven't slept good though......2 hours, I knocked my 2 year old son off of the couch, couldn't go back to sleep, but you know my dad hasn't ever smoked, drank, or took any drugs....and sometimes he doesn't sleep good, maybe that's life. I will admit it's an emotional rollercoaster, but when that coaster seems like it's NOT so overwhelming, you're just living life the right way.
I think so many opiate users want to know how long until they feel normal again, but by normal, I think they seem to think normal is equivilent to being high on opiates.....that is not normal. that is high on drugs...lol.
well, I just read your post, I empathized for you.....I don't have it all figured out by no means, I really don't ever want to go back. I think the main thing that has helped me, has been separating from my wife, staying away from other fiends....Jesus, I don't need to hear their conscience crying for drugs along with my own.
oh yeah, I drink a few glasses of water at night time, to lube up my joints, carry oxygen to my muscles, and **** out all the day's impurities....sodas, coffee etc. trying to eat healthier when I do eat.
good luck to ya, and to me both!

tsmba 12-31-2011 05:08 AM

Can you read your own post and recognize the number of problems with what you are doing?

Shaina 01-20-2012 09:17 PM

Hey, I see you have a lot of replys so you might not get this. I see in your message that you have a high amount of stress right now. I TOTALLY understand that you don't want to be dependent on ANY substances or chemicals. But man, really look at all your external stressors and ask youself if you think now is the best time to stop your suboxone treatment. I beg you to find an psychologist who specializes in addiction so you have a plan. They exist. I got off with a clonadine patch and valium. It's just about two weeks, so taking valium, for me, was no biggie. Good luck man

meeka 03-13-2012 09:25 PM

:a108::a108::a108:

Originally Posted by chained (Post 3191257)
I too was taking Suboxone for about a year and a half. The last six months, I had switched from the pill form to the strips and was down to 2mg. I did the every other day plan too to try and get off of them. My doctor had suggested that I take two months to get off of it, each week using less and less of the strip. Now I don't know if this made a difference, but I ended up being prescribed T-3s for an ear infection. I waited two days between stopping the Subs and starting the T-3s. I took those as prescribed, using less and less each day until I ran out and that was the end of that. I have to admit that I was emotionally off kilter for a month or two, but no physical WDs what-so-ever.
Depending on where you are living, the strips do tend to be more expensive, but the drug reps are really trying to get them out there so I received one box free and the rest at a significantly reduced rate with a card the reps give the docs to give to patients.
Ultimately I got off of the Suboxone and T-3's over the course of a week and a half. So there is one crazy possible solution for you.


meeka 03-15-2012 10:37 PM

hello i cant figure this dam form out help please

meeka 03-15-2012 10:39 PM

i just wanted to thank...chained, you helped save my life and i wish i could talk to you....

CarolD 03-17-2012 11:22 AM

Welcome to SR meeka....:wavey:

I have no experience with subs however glad you found info here
I sure hope you and your doctor will work out something beneficial..:yup:

Olivia333 03-17-2012 12:03 PM

Hi Geoff!

I'm in the same boat too! I'm on 2mg of suboxone a day prescribed by my doctor. My plan is to wean off it very slowly when I'm ready. I've been taking it for about a year now and I'm ready to get off it.

You should talk to stopdropburn, he really helped me with his advice and he has been off suboxone for over 10 days now.

I think the main thing we have to realize is there is going to be some discomfort from anything we are taking into our bodies on a daily basis. Try to wean down to .5 a day and then just bite the bullet and stop, I heard the first week is not that great but once you make it past that you will get better.

Everyday will get better but you have to be patient. The first week off the suboxone will be hard but you can do it! There are many success stories on here so it is possible to do! It's what motivates me even more!

When I dropped from 4 to 2 I felt awful but now my body has adjusted. I think you just have to take it slow and try to be consistent.

You CAN do it! I wish you luck and I'm here if you need any support :)

Olivia


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