Finally got off the subs!!!
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: NY NY
Posts: 8
Finally got off the subs!!!
I first posted here last Spring, when I thought I would do a quick, 10-day detox from subs or something...it didnt exactly work that way.
This forum was a great source of support at the time, it made me realize that being clean was possible, so THANK YOU!
Here are some mistakes I made:
At the time, I was prescribed 16mg of suboxone per day, which was way too much. My first mistake was letting my sub dose get too high. I started off OK, taking 8mg max per day, but with all of the extra subs it was just way too easy to take more than I should.
I found that it was hard with the 8mg pills to titrate my dose down. I ended up running out of subs and found myself 2 days away from my doctors appointment! I found my dealer and slipped back into using for a few months this summer. One of my issues is that I have a job where i have to think and perform at a high level, and I have a toddler at home, so I couldnt afford to be out of it for too long of a period of time.
WHen I finally went back on the subs I got the 2mg pills instead of the 8mg. I went from 4mg, down to 3, 2, 1 and then .5, waiting about 1 or 2 weeks each time. I let my body tell me when it was time to go down, only giving myself as much as I needed to not **** my pants (lol, literally!)
The tough part for me was how long it took to come off them. I longed for the time when I wasn't dependent on them, and in the process I went nuts. It is important to be happy with your life, which is tough since being unhappy is the reason I became dependent in the first place. It takes a long time to come off the subs, longer than coming off other stuff, I think. Perhaps because their half-life is so long, I dont know.
Well, I took the last sliver of a pill on Saturday night. I for sure thought I would start feeling like crap the next day, but it never happened! Sunday and Monday were good, Tuesday I was a little exhausted but nothing unmanageable, and last night I had my first drug-free full night of sleep in a long time!
For those just starting this process, stick with it, there is light at the end of the tunnel.
This forum was a great source of support at the time, it made me realize that being clean was possible, so THANK YOU!
Here are some mistakes I made:
At the time, I was prescribed 16mg of suboxone per day, which was way too much. My first mistake was letting my sub dose get too high. I started off OK, taking 8mg max per day, but with all of the extra subs it was just way too easy to take more than I should.
I found that it was hard with the 8mg pills to titrate my dose down. I ended up running out of subs and found myself 2 days away from my doctors appointment! I found my dealer and slipped back into using for a few months this summer. One of my issues is that I have a job where i have to think and perform at a high level, and I have a toddler at home, so I couldnt afford to be out of it for too long of a period of time.
WHen I finally went back on the subs I got the 2mg pills instead of the 8mg. I went from 4mg, down to 3, 2, 1 and then .5, waiting about 1 or 2 weeks each time. I let my body tell me when it was time to go down, only giving myself as much as I needed to not **** my pants (lol, literally!)
The tough part for me was how long it took to come off them. I longed for the time when I wasn't dependent on them, and in the process I went nuts. It is important to be happy with your life, which is tough since being unhappy is the reason I became dependent in the first place. It takes a long time to come off the subs, longer than coming off other stuff, I think. Perhaps because their half-life is so long, I dont know.
Well, I took the last sliver of a pill on Saturday night. I for sure thought I would start feeling like crap the next day, but it never happened! Sunday and Monday were good, Tuesday I was a little exhausted but nothing unmanageable, and last night I had my first drug-free full night of sleep in a long time!
For those just starting this process, stick with it, there is light at the end of the tunnel.
Member
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Middle of MO
Posts: 666
Why did you feel 16mg was "way too much"? You went down, ended up relapsing, which would seem to indicate your methods weren't so great. What sort of recovery program are you working?
Glad you have stopped, and I hope it works out for you. When I stopped, the first week or two went fairly well....it was the PAWS that became problematic. Hopefully, your experience will be better!
Glad you have stopped, and I hope it works out for you. When I stopped, the first week or two went fairly well....it was the PAWS that became problematic. Hopefully, your experience will be better!
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: NY NY
Posts: 8
16 was way too much because it was more than i needed to get through the day
I'm not saying that that isn't a good dose for someone else, that was my experience. I relapsed because I tried to jump off from 4mg and wasn't in a position to take any time off from work.
I wasn't in a formal program, just had good family support. There is more than one way to get clean, programs aren't for everyone.
John
I'm not saying that that isn't a good dose for someone else, that was my experience. I relapsed because I tried to jump off from 4mg and wasn't in a position to take any time off from work.
I wasn't in a formal program, just had good family support. There is more than one way to get clean, programs aren't for everyone.
John
Member
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Middle of MO
Posts: 666
That "programs aren't for everyone" schtick has led to a lot of misery. Whether or not you end up with any particular one is up to you....but you will need a lot of support. Anything might work, for a time....but continuous sobriety takes a lot of work and change!
Live it
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: USA
Posts: 255
Keep going forward and don't use no matter what. I had one year off of Suboxone on November 24. It is an uphill battle but so much better than being dependent on Suboxone, or any drug, for that matter. Spend a lot of time reading about opiate addicts' struggles and learning from others' mistakes. Help people when you can. Volunteer in your community and remain engaged with healthy people, not hurting people. Learn from the healthy people. Keep an open mind. You can do it. I never thought I would live opiate-free, and now I am living both nicotine-free and opiate-free. Such a life is possible for a person.
Member
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Mc Donough, GA
Posts: 322
Originally Posted by SugarScars 
P.S. I celebrate two years off of nicotine on Jan. 1. Yes - I actually kept my New Year's resolution to quit smoking. Miracles do happen! :-P But they happen to people who do the work.
Currently Active Users Viewing this Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
