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Old 04-16-2009, 02:37 PM
  # 14 (permalink)  
christin1225
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Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Upstate New York
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Tish,
Forgive me for hijacking your thread. But, I've met my addict twin

[QUOTE=Shellslove;2195460]
As I think you know, I am taking subutex as well...currently tapering, but definitely having some issues with that. I honestly feel w/d symtpoms, even when tapering a small amount off a relatively high dose. I've heard theories that it's 'all in my head' - and I admit, alot of it could be - but any way you put it - I'm having physical manifestations of w/d pain - and it stinks.
Shells... please... please, sweetie, read my blog on tapering, even if you read only the schedule. This is not in your head. I promise you!!

IMO - for me personally that is - being on the subutex right now, is better than taking a handful of pills.
We are so alike, it's almost scarey. This was my position... stay on the Suboxone until I got my head together to stay away from my DOC. Then, I read stuff on PAWS and how only a short time on buprenorphine (weeks and months) can subject a person to PAWS. I don't have a doctor who will discuss it, so I've taken my tapering into my own hands.

As far as subutex goes, I don't believe there is any clinical proof to show that it's any good for chronic pain
Some do use it for chronic pain at low doses. It has limited success, but some are definitely using it. However, after a few years on it, many speak about it "turning" on them.

As I mentioned above, the prospect of having to deal with Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome after weeks or only a few months on buprenorphine treatment, a condition that I learned typically doesn't affect someone unless they've been addicted to for many YEARS, has me quite concerned. I must rely on what I'm learning on my own because my doctor doesn't allow the time to talk about such things at our appointment. Besides, he's under the impression that there is nothing negative about Suboxone (earning $15 a minute for a maximum of 100 patients who meet with him monthly, I suppose that I see why he wouldn't.)

EDIT: I never read through the thread to see all the other posts before I posted this. Ooops! I'll read them now. Hopefully, I've added more. I did quickly read Penny's post. Penny's experience is what the hope is for all Sub patients. Subutex and Suboxone are exactly the same medicine except for the Naloxone, which is merely meant to discourage IVing of the med. The difference, Penny, is not in the medicine but in the addict, which is further complicated by the fact that, apparently, people must metabolize buprenorphine quite differently or else there wouldn't be such differences in experience. I am so glad that it's working well for you. I think that you are the norm -- or at least I hope that you are and the popularity of Suboxone and Subutex is not merely the result of pushy pharmaceutical companies taking advantange of desperate opioid/opiate addicts.
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