My husband is taking suboxone because he was addicted to hydrocodones and then he started taking methadones and oxycontin. I noticed that he was moody, irritable, and just plain mean most of the time and he lost interest in sex and i thought he was cheating. I didn't realize what was going on until it was too late and he was injecting oxycontins before i caught him. He has been on suboxone for 2 1/2 years and he seemed to do better for a while but we still almost never had sex. I am not trying to complain because the suboxone saved my husbands life and i thought it was a miracle drug, but now he is irratable, grouchy less considerate of my feelings and he will hardly ever have sex. It's just the same old things again. They seem to effect him just like the old pills did. So my question is if you take suboxone for too long is it going to make you act like you did when you were on the other pills before it. Idon't know what to do anymore we are only in our 20's and we were happy before all of this so i really need to know what to do because i don't think we can have a good life if this keeps going on. I love him more than i can say, but i do not want to be treated like this for the rest of my life. I want him back it feels like he is a different mean person and i just don't know what to do.
PLEASE
Somebody please help me understand and cope with this.
I am a wife trying to deal with my husband taking suboxone and acting like a different pe?
Question posted by concerned wife sub on 8 April 2011
Last updated on 11 April 2011
3 Answers
Several of the men on here who were subs patients have reported that their testosterone levels dropped really badly.Make sure he gets his checked. You can check on the internet for the symptoms of Low-T and see if he exhibits any other symptoms. I am not sure if other opiate use could be responsible for it dropping too, but it is possible. If he is not doing the counseling that is supposed to be required for staying on the suboxone program, encourage him to do so. Sometimes an antidepressant is needed for subs patients also, not all of them, but a significant number do report depression, and anhedonia, which means not being able to feel pleasure from anything, not specifically sex, but could include sex. If he is feeling anhedonia, he may need the antidepressants and also the counseling. Hope he gets to feeling better soon. Patti
Patti,
Finally the cavalry arrives!!! Where ya been gurl? I was so hoping you would answer her query!!!
Lara
Sweetlemon,
there have been times when I have been pleased to see her show up!
Dearest Billy,
I know, right, Pattishan is our sub expert and she gives great advice as she has sooo very successfully done a sub taper, she knows her stuff, I don't know much about subs, but I am trying to learn... from patti!!!
Your friend,
Lara
Hey concerned wife,
Sounds to me like your husband needs some addiction's counseling to go along with the drug therapy. Getting off the opiates is only part of the recovery process, the mental changes need to be addressed too.
Your husband could benefit from a support group like Narcotics Anonymous. The sister group called Nar anon is for family members such as yourself who are trying to deal with the addiction issues of a loved one. You can google "Narcotics Anonymous" and "Nar anon" to find meeting near you.
My doctor, an addiction's specialist, will only prescribe suboxone for a maximum of 6 months. He believes the brain has healed by then and there is no need to continue on the drug therapy. Talk therapy on the other hand may need to go on for some time. Learning to deal with the issues that prompted the addiction in the first place is critical to a healthy, new life free from addiction.
Try some counseling such as Nar anon or a private counselor. It really will help you cope with and understand the disease of addiction.
Best wishes,
Laurie
Hi concerned,
It sounds as if your husband is quite depressed. When one quits opiates, depression can set in, I mean clinical depression, not just a bit blue. You might want to take him to a psychiatrist.
Also, Suboxone docs tend to keep people on them too long, and at too high a dose. He may be taking too much, or too little. Can you add how many miligrams he is on? Also, please google Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome, it will provide you with info about what is happening to his brain-soup, even though suboxone prevents withdrawal, he may still be suffering from PAWS.
All the best to you and your husband,
sweetlemon
Related topics
oxycontin, suboxone, hydrocodone, methadone
Further information
- OxyContin uses and warnings
- Suboxone uses and warnings
- Hydrocodone uses and warnings
- Methadone uses and warnings
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