Wondering how to get off Suboxone/

[sherilee]

My boyfriend and I have been on suboxone for a year and now we have been clean and sober and never ever want to take another chemical in our lives.
Is there a way to get off THIS? Our DR. told us Good Luck your on it for life. I am going for surgery on a few months and do want to be on this any longer. We figure we are going to taper our self down from 8mg a day then 4mg a day then half . I have no idea he is working his but off so we can have $$ to pay the bills and more or less stay in bed and swet it out but I never want that feeling again. I missed an appoint ment once and my dr went on vaction and I had nothing...it took me to he** and back I was almost feee and then I wnet back to him...GRR..I wish I had a Dr who cared. Can anyone help?

[51anna]

Hi and Welcome,

I would suggest that you find a different dr who understands addiction and is able to offer advice to you. I would also say that there can be benefits and pitfalls if you are doing this with someone else. Recovery is a really tough road and not everyone is going to make it the first time or the second. Are you prepared for how you will feel if you or your boyfriend start using again?

I hope others will be along who can offer more specific suggestions, but please keep reading and posting.

[kelsh]

Hi Sherilee,

I don't know anything about that medication but it is my experience that you should have a doctors advice about tapering off a med that he said you may need the rest of your life.

Years ago I was on Xanax and decided to stop taking it not knowing that I would have withdrawal from it since I had been on it seven or eight years.

I thought I had the flu....and had my husband come home and take me to the doc. I then found out I was going through withdrawal and had to restart a small dose and taper off slowly.

I would see another doc if it was me. Your life might be at stake here doing it on your own.


kelsh

[nandm]

I am in total agreement with the other posters. Find a new doctor. A good doctor is willing to listen, they are there to help you. To tell you that you are on the medication for life without giving you a reasonable explanation is ridiculous. It may be true that it is a medication you will need to take for life. Below is what I found at the suboxone web site http://www.suboxone.com/patients/suboxone/faqs.aspx

How long will I stay on SUBOXONE?
A: The length of your SUBOXONE treatment depends on what your doctor, you, and, possibly, your counselor or therapist decide is best for your needs. Although short-term treatment may be an effective option for some, for others it may not allow enough time to address the psychological and behavioral aspects of their condition. The chance of relapsing can be higher with short-term treatment because patients have less time to learn the skills needed to maintain an opioid-free lifestyle.
In general, suppressing cravings with SUBOXONE (for as long as necessary), together with counseling, offers the best likelihood for treatment success.

Discontinuing SUBOXONE abruptly can cause withdrawal symptoms, so when you are ready, your doctor will gradually taper your SUBOXONE dose. You should be aware of signs of relapse or withdrawal symptoms. Discard any leftover pills to ensure that they aren't used by anyone else

Hope this helps

[sherilee]

Thank You all so much,
I guess i made my boyfriend sound leisurely..He and I have been together for 8 years where addicts together and became clean together and I know that we would never use again.Personal reasons ...We want off this medication because it to has become an addiction and I dont want that anymore. I am trying to find another dr who will give me answers or I ma going to taper myself off very slowly I have the will power to change my life I have gotten this far and the road has no turns in yet as far as I can see.
Again Thanks
SHERILEE

[indigo]

Yes I agree with the others go and see another doctor if you can. All good wishes to you. Welcome to women in recovery to both newcomers, I hope you'll both continue to post.

[Fluttering]

Ditto to what indie said

[recovering too]

As a counselor I am here to tell you that you can get off of it. As a recovering alcoholic/addict you can get off of it. This really makes me mad. They say the same sh-- to some of my methadone clients. Yes it will hurt and be uncomfortable of course. One thing you must be prepare for is the mental part of the detox. I am sure you know what it is like to detox off of an opiate. make sure you have a sober support network ie friends, meetings, sponsor. You will have to have a medical detox and it may require some time. Do not just try to cut it off in 3-4 days. Talk to another doctor about a small dosage cut per week/month. One thing you must remember addiction is big business and some doctors are in it for the money not to help you Good luck and my prays are with you. You can do it!!!!!

Recovering too

[joyhawk]

I know that no one has posted here in a long time, but I just came across this thread with questions about getting off Suboxone and thought I'ld throw in my 2 cents worth.

I took the drug following a 10-year addiction to pain killers, and over the course of 5 months, my doctor weaned me down to 1/2 pill (8mg/2mg) a day. That lasted for 2 months, then one month of 1/2 pill every other day, and then I was done.

Other then some mild discomfort the first few days (ibuprofen took care of that), I was fine.

Hope this helps and I hope you're on the road to recovery by now.
Joyhawk

[fizzyh2o]

WOW! Was I supposed to find this forum this week, or what?

Having a new sponsee who JUST ASKED ME THIS QUESTION, and having no personal experience to draw on, I can now show her this!

THANK YOU ALL!

Cilla

[RecoveryRed]

When I went to rehab 2 years ago, I detoxed off of opiates with suboxone. It was difficult because they only kept me on it for a week or so--with the amount of opiates I was taking and the duration that I took them, it should have been longer (in my own unsupported non-medical non-expert opinion!). But I did it anyway, and have managed to stay clean since (with a program, a sponsor, support, plenty of meetings and plenty of service of course).

I totally agree with finding a doctor who understands addiction, first of all. Some simple tips to help the discomfort: I took a million hot showers--so weird, but it helped so much. I was really achy, and couldn't sleep for a few days--as frustrating as that way, my counselor kept telling me "nobody ever died from lack of sleep." I hated him for it, but guess what? I'm still here. Heating pads were wonderful. And of course, I was completely emotional. Having as much support as possible is crucial. Talk about it, write about it, go to a meeting EVERY DAY you are weaning from it. Ramp up your program--it's like bringing in the back-up artillery, you know? Reinforce your foundation in recovery, and most of all, be GENTLE with yourself.

My best to you.

Red

[Evanna]

Hubs and i used together for long time and then cleaned up together. He took suboxone route and i did methadone detox. Taken slowly it was painless on both (about 18mths in our case).

Not advocating long detoxes. I am simply telling my experience that it doesnt have to be feared and doesnt have to be painful. I have also done short detoxes in the past that were pretty disgusting but appropriate for me at the time.

[Tinter]

I am currently coming off of suboxone. I was a narcotic addict for 6 yrs and have been on suboxone for over a year now. I am clean but I tried to stop the suboxone when I moved 3 states away from my doc. I could find nobody in my area that dealt with suboxone and finally did but he wanted $250 every visit ( every 2 weeks). WOW, I can not afford that with no insurance. So I tried to just stop and felt like I was going to die on day 3. I was taking 24 mg's a day and then I started reading online about how to come off of this drug. I finally got my old doc to do a one time call in so I could wean myself off. I have been doing this for a couple of months. It is not fun especially now that I am 2 days out from any. I slowly went down every week until i was just taking a qtr of a pill every other day. It sucks, no matter what you still feel like crep. Everything that I have researched and read about Suboxone is not good for those who are taking it. Trust me it caused nothing but problems for me the whole year I was on it. Sure I am clean but I just traded one drug for another. And now I am in withdrawals again! Oh well all I can do is pray and hope this is over soon. I just don't think I would ever recommend Suboxone, sorry if this doesn't help. Thanks!

[vegibean]

First of all I applaud you!! Being that I went through treatment I was on several different kinds of meds and was off the majority of them because of the way they made me feel. What's the point of getting off substances if I'm basically still using pills? That make me feel drugged??? I don't know about the suboxone but I only take my psych meds which do not get me "high" but I have found that I do need them because of all of my using I've damaged parts of my brain in ways that I'm off balance.

I suggest you call around and find out what other dr's policies are if that is possible and find one that's willing to work with you. The psych dr. that I had at the treatment center was a real JERK when I told him I didn't want to take the sleep meds he was prescribing me and looking back I still feel it was an excellent step on MY BEHALF for my recovery. Good luck!!!!

[juliet123]

Hey I am new to the forum. I was an opiate addict for about 5 years and thank god I have found suboxone. For a long time I wanted to quit but, I just didn't want to get sick. I started on 32mg. a day and have worked my way all the way down to 2mg. You don't feel a thing on suboxone. There is no high what so ever. For those of you who are saying that it's trading one drug for another are mistaken. And please explain to me how in the world you can be addicted to something that has no feeling. I was a daily oxycontin user and suboxone helps my cravings however, there is absolutely no feeling to it at all. If anyone is saying they feel "drugged" on it or anything then it is nothing more than a placebo effect. I mean get real!!

[Skayda]

Originally Posted by juliet123

Hey I am new to the forum. I was an opiate addict for about 5 years and thank god I have found suboxone. For a long time I wanted to quit but, I just didn't want to get sick. I started on 32mg. a day and have worked my way all the way down to 2mg. You don't feel a thing on suboxone. There is no high what so ever. For those of you who are saying that it's trading one drug for another are mistaken. And please explain to me how in the world you can be addicted to something that has no feeling. I was a daily oxycontin user and suboxone helps my cravings however, there is absolutely no feeling to it at all. If anyone is saying they feel "drugged" on it or anything then it is nothing more than a placebo effect. I mean get real!!

Hello, Juliet! I'm sorta new here, too, so from a fellow newbie: (((hugs))). Well, I've been addicted to opiates for over ten years or so and after two months of preparation work with my social worker, counselor, Doctor and Nurse I finally had my Suboxone induction day yesterday. I have to kind of gently correct you on one thing about it. Since everyone's body reacts differently to medication, including Suboxone, saying that there is no feeling to it, or that it's a placebo effect, isn't really true for everyone. While many people, including yourself, may feel no effects whatsoever from it, other people may feel sedation or even euphoria while on it. Though, I've heard that that goes away after a few months and you just feel "normal" on it. I've also heard that it depends on how high of a dose of opiates you were doing prior to the 48 hours of mandatory withdrawal and induction of the Suboxone. Some people, who've been on major amounts of opiates probably won't feel the sedation/euphoria effects from Suboxone, but, some, like myself, definitely will and do. It also depends on our individual body chemistry as I mentioned. Anyway, sorry to rant and ramble at you. I really hope I didn't offend you in any way. That was so not my intention. Remember to take good care of yourself. Even if you don't know it, there are people, even people you've never met nor heard of, who share your suffering and wish only the best for you.

With love, healing and

~Ami

[SunniDaiz]

I have been on suboxone for a little over a year as well. It has done wonders for me and allowed me the time to put some distance between my soul, my cravings and my sanity. And what I mean is, I have been allowed the priviledge of keeping my sanity and saving my soul. While it has helped tremendously, like all of you, I want to get off of it someday and not be comitted to this forever either.

And like the gentleman noted above, everyone will have a different reaction to the medicaation and I too felt some euphoria initially that was mild but also soothing in, it calms your nerves and allows you to think clearly. This does become more "normal" though and after a while, it is like taking any other long term medication. The difference is though, for me the fear of what will happen when I get off of them? I don't want to relapse and with suboxone, you don't even think about using! That is the beauty of it... you are allowed freedom, even if it seems false because of the "crutch" of the medication.

There is one drawback though, and I wonder if the makers now about this... don't use suboxone with nuerotin or gapatin (spelling is wrong), (for nerve treatment). Mixed together, the suboxone and neurotin will cause you to get "high" and it is a definite form of subsitution of opiates!

Best to all...

SunniDaiz..