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Old 11-24-2008, 10:48 PM
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sunflower1776
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Originally Posted by ShellySprinkle View Post
i visited my doc today for my first follow up since starting the subs. he said to take them only when i feel like i need them, and that i can lower my dose myself to suit my needs. he says the less i take the better as for when i come off of the sub.

i think i'm going to go with a quarter as needed. try to space it out at least six hrs apart. i definitely want to get off of them asap, because i understand the withdrawals from them can be pretty nasty!

ShellySprinkle---I just wanted to make a comment about your sub dosing. I do not agree with what the doctor is telling you about taking them only 'when needed'. Subs are not meant to be taken on an as needed basis but rather on a scheduled basis of sorts. Most users take them either once or twice a day. By taking them as needed, you are still acting as an addict would--when you start feeling like you want to use, you take a pill (sound familiar--when you started feeling down or whatever, you took an oxy or whatever your doc is). The point is, you do not want to be using subs the same way you would use your doc which would be whenever you felt you needed it. Does this make sense? The best thing to do, if you are going to take a quarter (2mg) at least 6 hours apart (for a total of 8mg per day if needed) then you really should take either 4mg in the a.m. and 4mg in the p.m. or you can dose all 8 mg at the same time (1 pill). In the beginning as you're finding out what dose works well for you, it is okay to take it a little more often through the day but just be sure once you find your right dose (the lowest dose to keep the wd and cravings at bay) that you make it so you are only taking the subs once or twice a day. The point is to get you out of the addict frame of mind of wanting to take a pill whenever you feel like it to make you feel better. BV will probably be along and he may explain it a little better than I can. There is nothing wrong with the way you want to do it, but just be careful. Also, the half-life of the drug is so long (upwards of 36 hours) that it really does not matter what time of day you take it, but it is important to get in a routine...IMO. When I started the md told me to take 4mg as needed every 2-3 hours. Once i settled on a dose, then I took it twice a day--when I woke up in the morning and right before bed at night. I wish you the best of luck--sounds like youre on the right track. Just please, be sure to add support groups, therapy, anything that will help you with your recovery. Subs alone will not keep you from using again....they are just there to help you through the physical wd and cravings...you must do the hard work, and I know you can do it!!! Keep posting and let us know how you're doing!!
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