radicalra...I know it sounds a little dumb to be thinking it's somehow possible to get off the suboxone without withdrawaling but I truly need to. In the beginning before I started taking it, I was on oxycodone 30mg a day basically and the same thing happened -- I didn't want to withdrawal from the oxys so I got on suboxone. And I was extremely misinformed that suboxone helps you get off oxycodone and you have no withdrawals if you taper yourself off slowly. Obviously that's not true, because literally every forum i've read says they did the same thing and withdrew horribly. Suboxone is NOT a good drug no matter what people tell you, yeah it doesn't give you cravings to take opiates but the withdrawal from suboxone is extremely worse than from the opiates. So, I need to figure out a way to get off suboxones, and not withdrawal. I've heard that if I was to just quit subs right now and wait 36-48 hours and then take a oxycodone or any opiate for about a week or two and then quit taking that and withdrawal from that, that it would be so much easier because opiates give you less withdrawal symptoms than suboxone. So, basically my question is that --- If I did stop suboxone, and start back on the opiates and take the opiate for 2 weeks and then quit, would I be withdrawaling from both suboxone and opiates or would it just be the opiate withdrawal? (And please don't tell me that i'll get addicted to it again because I can't afford to and i'm so ready to be normal and sober that I would give anything for it.) But I refuse to withdrawal for a month or more from subs and have extreme painful withdrawal and suicidal thoughts and all that stuff. I need an answer... Someone tell me how I can do this. & that if I do start taking the opiates 48 hours after taking my last suboxone will I have absolutely any sub withdrawal? Or will it be gone from taking the opiates? And then when I stop the opiates will I be withdrawaling from subs and opiates or just opiates since the sub will be out of my system? I'm just extremely confused and I need an answer... FYI: Here's what i've been taking -- Suboxone 8mg, one a day, for 3 months.
How can I get off suboxone without withdrawaling?
- Posted:
- 7 Apr 2011 by radicalrainbow
- Topics:
- suboxone, oxycodone
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Responses (11)
Anonymous 7 Apr 2011
I am not sure why some believe you can get off suboxone with short acting opiates in a short amount of time, but that is not how things work. Luckily you have only been on suboxone for a short amount of time, and not on a super high dose, I really am going to suggest you try and taper off of it. I came off of it without withdrawals with a slow taper, and I know of several others who have as well, but usually, just the people who have a bad experience tapering off of it post these stories. You rarely hear of those of us who taper off and are fine. You probably won't feel anything different when you do the taper until you get down to the 1 mg per day and less part of it. I didn't really feel anything except anxiety, which to be fair I have suffered from all my life and because I too believed those stories, I was anxious. Then I heard of a friend of mine from my subs group saying he was cold turkeyed off 40 mgs per day and it wasn't as bad as people said.
Larsy19668 Apr 2011
Hi. You sound just as scared as I am but I wonder if you are just reading about withdrawling from the suboxone and scaring yourself. Did you try to cut down a mg. every 3-4 days? You probably have 2 mg. pills? I was able to do that when I was on the suboxone for about 6-8 months and I was fine so I'm thinking you may be too! I think if you've been on it for more than a year is when you run into problems. I'm praying for you too. Larsy XX
Anonymous 9 Apr 2011
I was on subs for over a year before I even thought of tapering down. It depends on the patient and how fast they try to taper. I know I also read all those horror stories about getting off subs, I actually googled "what will happen when I stop subs?" and wound up here. It doesn't have to be bad, it is simply that not enough people who did NOT have a tough time or bad wd from subs are posting their stories. The fear makes you feel all sort of symptoms that aren't really there. The power of suggestions is very strong and if you read many of those horror stories, it will scare you so bad you won't make progress. Keep the faith and use the Force, you will get there. If you feel a sticking point, slow down and stabilize. Patti
FootBallFan12
22 Feb 2012
If DONE PROPERLY there is no "HORROR". People just attempt to scare you, or are tapering the WRONG way. Trust me... I've been on a high dose well over a year now and just tapering down now and its pretty easy. Good Luck, and TRUST ME, I felt the SAME WAY... BUT IT WILL BE EASY!!!
drummrzgrl31 Dec 2011
Hi everyone. I'm new here and kinda stumbled onto this site when I googled "suboxone withdrawal". I had been taking 50mg. ultram for 8 years... up to 1250 mgs. a day. I decided I needed to quit and my doc suggested suboxone. I started with 24 mgs. a day, and put on 35 pounds in 60 days. I have never been over 110 lbs. in my 29 years... I'm 5'5. Then we moved out of state, where the laws about sub are different, and had none to take for almost 30 days. I went through the worst withdrawal I have ever experienced in my life, (I was a heroin addict years ago, and tried to quit ultram many times). So I found one of those outpatient D&A places, where they don't accept insurance and you have to pay ALOT for every visit, but it was worth it in my mind to get more subs. (I had lost 10 lbs during those 30 edays... the weight was literally FALLING off).
Larsy1966
24 Mar 2012
Hi Drummrzgrl,
You sounds exactly like me. I've been on suboxone/subutex for over 3 years now and it's been over a year that I was in the hospital for 11 days for a cold turkey detox. That just scared me to death and ever since then I have been skowering the internet for answers. I too am 5'5 and weight 150 lbs. I was always about 110. I feel so ugly. I feel like even if I exercise that I do not lose weight. A couple of weeks ago I tried so hard to lower my dose from 3 mgs. per day to 2 mgs. per day and I lost 13 lbs doing nothing but suffering. I am a lot older than you. I am 45. I have two daughter's. One is 25 and the other is 21. After all the research I have been doing plus trying to keep in touch with a friend who is going through the same thing, Larsy (Hugs to You)
lolrlyguys
20 Apr 2012
Your doctor gave you Suboxone for Ultram? Ultram is not even an opiate... its an analgesic... they gave it to me in the hospital when I was withdrawing from oxycontin, for the sole purpose that it would help me not feel like my body was breaking, but it has such a ridiculously low number of addictions because its a narcotic-LIKE substance. You just got addicted to taking a pill, you might as well get addicted to birth control or tylenol.
newmama2 Feb 2012
I just want to point out that I disagree with your post that suboxone is not a good drug. It has saved my life! Of course it has side effects like anything else, but if used properly I think its wonderful. I was spending 100.00+ a day on my opiate addiction (tramadol, percs, oxys, vicodon)... my life was going in a fast downward spiral... I started subs 4 months ago and have been slowly tapering. Im down to 4mg day. Everytime I taper there is no withdrawl so far. I think if you taper slow enough that you will be fine. There are people on all kinds of opiates and suboxone has saved them. If it wasnt for suboxone I would be living on the streets. Im hoping at the end of my taper there is minumum withdrawl, but this drug has really helped me and saved me!!! Even if there is some withdrawl at the end, its better than the way my life was going.
22 Feb 2012
You CANNOT get off Suboxone without withdrawing PROPERLY unless you want to risk seizures and being sick mentally and physically for up to 3 weeks with flu symptoms 5x's worse, and thats NO JOKE. I tried it. You NEED to SLOWLY WEEN OFF THIS DRUG. And I mean SLOWLY. Please do not try to just stop taking it.
Larsy1966
24 Feb 2012
I think that's why they had me on neurontin, clonzepam and clonodine (in the hospital), but in my opinion that was just too shocking to my body and my mind. Now I am trying a very, very slow taper. I just can't seem to figure out what the right dose is for me to start at. I've never taken more than 2 2mg. pills twice a day (although my doctor kept saying that I needed to increase my dose). If I took more than that I would get headaches even on the subutex. Right now I take between 2-3 mgs. per day and I'm still sick. I've been sick ever since I left the hospital last year a little before this time. I'm just wasting days, weeks, months and years away. In the past week I've been trying so hard. I lost 8 lbs. in less than a week. I'm not hungry now. Also, yesterday after 3 days of having a headache I decided to see if I could take one of my old migraine medications.
Pixley
20 Mar 2012
I don't understand how people can blame the doctors for not telling them about how hard it is to come off of this medication. I don't care what medicine it is, or what doctor prescribes it for me... I always go home and look it up on the internet and do my research before ingesting anything. It is your own responsibility to do your own research on what you are putting into your body. It's just common sense. The doctor didn't force you to put any pill into your mouth. It is up to you, the patient, to weigh the pros and cons of each med you take to decide if it is worth taking it. Doctors don't have hours to spend babysitting each patient they see every day. For most people on Suboxone, it is worth having to do a long, slow taper in order to get out of the hell of addiction that they are in. Suboxone is not an evil drug... it is just misused. Yes, doctors overprescribe it, telling you that you need way more mgs than most people really need, but again, do your research.
cntrymama3714 Mar 2012
not one person answered this question.. she didnt ask for a debate on suboxone. I'm commenting because i too am in the same situation and need an answer. I'm very educated on my addiction and suboxone, so i dont need any advice about it, just need to know what a good regimen of opiates would be for getting off suboxone.. please and thank you.
TRYING77
18 Mar 2012
I looked this up for the exact same reason and found nothing useful yet... Your post is a year old and wanted to know if you were successful? Any advice? I have been taking the strips, about 1/3 of one for 6 months until 2 weeks ago and now i take about a 4th. I started to feel a little weird so I took a vic after 22 hrs of no sub and feel decent. Can you tell me anything else, thanks so much:)
lolrlyguys
20 Apr 2012
Opiates WILL NOT HELP YOU GET OFF OF SUBOXONE! I dont know where people are getting their information that suboxone has this awful withdrawal that lasts for a month... methadone does that, but suboxone is only a partial agonist opiod. So going back to opiates for even a week is a really stupid idea. Taper down off the subs. halve your dosage for a week, then halve that for a week, and continue on until youre taking about 1mg. and then, voila! magic! you wont withdraw at all, although I have stopped suboxone cold turkey after taking it every day for two years (32mg/day) and I've had nothing more than restless legs for a few nights. Youre just trying to give yourself an excuse to go get high for another week. Come on.
Anonymous Larsy1966
24 Mar 2012
How long were you on the subs and how slow of a taper did you do? Thank you, Larsy
Larsy1966
24 Mar 2012
Hi Anonymous :) Is that your name here or do you want to be anonymous? Larsy
21 Mar 2012
ruthebro- can you give me a brief description of how you did your taper? I've been addicted to opiates, oxycontin and oxycodone 30s specifically, for 2 years up until 2 months ago when i started taking suboxone(illegally). I take between 4-8mg per day. Last sunday i took 4 mg and didnt take another dose until tuesday and then again on wednesday which was 8mg total. i then did not take another dose of 4mg up until an hour ago, as the withdrawls were too unbearable. So i made it 6 days, and in a nine day span only took 8mg. Usually i can just stick it out and make it through the WDs but right now i have too many responsibilities and cannot endure 2 weeks of sub withdrawl. I've been through it one time before and at exactly two weeks felt completely better. literally day 13 i was withdrawling and then day 14 felt so much relief. So if you could it would help a lot to know how you did your taper. I'm in good shape and during withdrawls i work out which helps.
Larsy1966
24 Mar 2012
I believe you are doing the right thing. You are supposed to take suboxone for about 2-3 weeks (just to get you through the withdrawals) and then stop. I am not a doctor but have read so much about this medication which is a wonder drug if used correctly. Listen to your body and mind and keep up the exercising!!! That will help to get your brain receptor's to start working on their own quicker. Good luck and I'd love to know how everything went or even how you are doing. Larsy :)
cleandream09
25 Mar 2012
thanks for the encouragement Larcy;) are you trying to get off suboxone yourself? because you don't really want to do it the way i described before. when you're dependent on it and you stop for a few days, and then go back on and off etc. all it does is set you back right to where you were started. it would only drastically drag out your withdrawl. the only way to get off is to completely stop and allow your body and mind to get back to square one. thats why youre suppossed to taper so that when you do stop completely, you're able to bare the withdrawls and not relapse again. you're right about suboxone being a good drug short term to bypass opiate withdrawl, but its a whole different animal when trying to get off it after long term use. due to the extended half life, it takes a lot longer for the drug to get out of your system and the wds are much longer. i did it once before and it was hell.
1 Apr 2012
I was taking 200 mg of oxycodone a day for a little over a year. I quit cold turkey on jan 31st and made it 20 days before I gave in and took 1 10mg Percocet . After the first 5 days of feeling like I had the flu and that impending doom feeling the next 15 days was a lot of anxiety and ok sleep. That 1 Percocet led me back to oxy and within 2 weeks I was back up to around 120 mgs. I stopped again on feb 26th and decided to try this sub taper. I waited 18 hours after my last oxy dose the took only a half a mg of sub around 6 am. I felt ok for 4-5 hours then took another half. By the end of the day I was able to get by and feel ok on only 2mgs total. So I took the 2mgs for 3 more days taking half around 6 am and the other around 3. After the 4 days I cut down to 1.5 a day for another 4 days again breaking that dose in half. Then down to 1mg/ 4 days then .75 / 4 days then .50/ 4 days. Still taking half in the morning and half in the afternoon.
cleandream09
1 Apr 2012
see you did it the right way straight from the beginning. just got on to get off oxy at a low dose and then took even smaller doses for a few weeks and then stopped. thats what i should have done but ended up stayin on subs for 2 months. now im deeply regretting that and desperately trying to get off subs completely. there doesnt seem to be any other way besides slowly tapering. i forced myself to cut down from 8 to 4 immediately and now im cutting to 2 mg. within a week im going to cut to .5 per dy and stay on that for a week or 2. i figure even if its rough, taking .5 every morning is better than nothing. hopefully it works out.
Jaypop2
1 Apr 2012
Just try and figure out the lowest dose that you can tolerate. 2 months is not that bad, some people started on 16mg a day or more. You shouldn't reduce before taking the same dose for at least 4 days because the long half life of the sub. If your stable in 2mg just drop to 1.5 for 4 days and see how you feel. If your ok then drop to 1.mg and so on. You won't feel perfect but good enough to do what needs to be done .
25 Apr 2012
Ok folks here is my honest to God Story! I had to take opiates for an immune disorder that attacked my muscles for six years. My Dr. prescribed 240 oxycodone, 180 Norco and 15 Fentynyl patches per month and the numbers increased regularly. I discovered a juice that actually cured the immune disorder, but I was left with the opiate addiction. Yes, my body was addicted! This same Dr. took the course for Suboxone just for me and started me on it. Long story short... after taking only 1/8th of a pill per day for over four years, I decided it was time to see if the pain from the immune disorder was completely gone. For one week I reduced the Suboxone dosage to 1/16 of a pill and then just stopped. In hindsight I would have taken this reduced dosage for two weeks. Since I do not have an addictive personality, I was able to use Loritab to ease the withdrawal symptoms. Loritab will not work for at least four days so be prepared to have the worst flu in your life.
27 Aug 2012
I am now tapering down after a year and a half. I am currently on 8mg (film strips) not the pills. I take 2 of them a day. I cut them in half and take in morning, afternoon, dinner-time, and before bed. I remember when I first began taking them over a year ago... They made me feel so good that I was taking more than I should have been taking, and i'd run out about 2 weeks early sometimes... And I went ballistic. I was sweating like a pig. I couldn't eat. I couldn't sleep, and I really mean that, I got maybe 2 hours of broken sleep a night, thats it. So please guys, take as prescribed, I learned my lesson well and now follow it to a t. You will succeed in tapering. It won't be hard. Do not listen to some stories that scare you. Trust me please, it won't be that hard. Just follow exactly what the dr. Says and you will be fine. I do have to say that I gained about 40-50lbs from taking this stuff, and after you take it, you sweat like a pig.
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