Bjodie33

I have read many posts that say taper taper taper, which if you have the self control to be able to do that it is going to make this process much easier.
However Iam an addict and the type of person that is all or nothing. I could not contain myself if I had a full sub I was going to take it all at once.
I jumped off at about 8 mg and the last two days I was able to take a quarter. I would say the first two weeks you have the physical symptoms, after that for me it was more depression, always being tired. That was hard for me I just wanted to feel normal.
I had to keep reminding myself that my body and mind was going through and repairing all the damage that I had done over the past 7 years. I didn't remember what it felt to be sober and I wanted it so bad. I wanted to be able to go to the store on my own energy, or clean my house without having to take a pill.
Iam glad to say that it is possible, I was able to do it. Iam on day 50 clean and sober. You will go through good and bad days, but just keep going. At 50 days I feel good.
To help your body and mind recover I suggest taking lots of vitamins. I took a multi vitamin, magnesium, super b complex, sublingual b-12, and drank as much water as possible. I tried melatonin but it did not help with the sleep, agian you just have to fight through it and let ur body recover. You can do it!!

finaltime

Thank you for taking the time to share. That is amazing, day 50!!!!

Forte

Thanks for that great post

Dee74

Welcome and thanks for sharing what worked for you Bljodie

Everybody's different though
I've known people here who could not jump off at 8mg, no way no how.

For some people tapering is doctor ordered as the best feasible option

D

AdelineRose

In the end you have to do what feels right for your body- physically and mentally.

I just want to point out that if someone is taking suboxone for maintance and not just to detox then the reason that everywhere says "taper, taper, taper" is because you are supposed to stay on it and work your recovery. You start to taper once you are stable in all areas of your life and you are ready to move one more step forward in your recovery. If the person goes to counseling, gets their life in order, and is truly stable..then they should be able to taper because they aren't still exhibiting addict behaviors of "it is all or nothing".

Like I started this post off with, you did what you felt was right for you and you were successful so congrats on that. I just wanted to add that tapering is possible and so is becoming stable. Suboxone has never made me feel anything but like normal so once I reconditioned the behavior of "the more I take the more I will feel it" then I was able to approach suboxone and lowering my dosage in a whole different light.

Everyone's journey is unique

RedManc7

I tapered off a nasty heroin addiction using suboxone but getting it from the street and tapered in 5 days. Wasn't feeling the best as you'd expect for a good few weeks (months really) and was in the absolute horrors to be honest but it allowed me to get over the very worst of the withdrawals while not being just totally incapacitated sick as sick can be & screaming for smack. I've seen other pals just replace smack for subs and they have usually lapses and relapsed again as their mindset has been if they miss the doctors & run out or whatever then they have to score to keep being able to work, be a husband, father etc - just seems to me to be ever decreasing circles that methodology & it just seems to be harder and harder for them to be proper clean. Papering over the cracks, use to taper of the hell of withdrawals but then knock them on the head is the methodology that worked for me, using subs long term feels like robbing Peter to pay Paul if that makes sense. Yes you might not be running round risking getting nicked & spending a fortune & lying to loads of people who love you but it's still papering over the cracks - what happens if you clean of smack but using subs long term and for whatever reason don't have any for a day or two - you ride it out or score? That's not a solution for me personally but I'm not exactly an expert in managing substance use over my life so what do I know? I still have the wolves howling in my head guess I always will even after the physical side of things has been gone for a while now (17 months in 3 days time) & the life/work/ financial/personal consequences are very much a work in progress still. Onwards and upwards folks X.