I just read a very old post by Robert_325 and it inspired me to Join this, my first forum. I'm so confused right now I almost don't know what to do. I had been on 40 to 60mg of Norco for about 20 months. Of course I went into withdrawal as soon as I tried quitting CT. I told my Pain MGT Doc I wanted off now then asked what he suggested. He referred me to an outpatient detox clinic. The Doc there immediately accepted me and my cash and suggested a 90 to 120 day detox with Suboxone. He suggested I begin immediately since I was clearly into WD's. The prescribed dose was 24mg for the first 30 days then we would begin a weaning.
Almost immediately I noticed this was way to high of a dose for me so I started my own rapid weaning. Within the first 60 days I had basically pain or symptom free, weaned down to only 4mg in the AM then 4mg 12 hours later; total of 8mg per day. At that point I sort of became lazy with the Subs since they have such a long half life I was just taking maybe 4mg one or two days in a row then sometimes the full 8mg as my Doc suggested I should only be down to at this point.
Anyway after going for about four days on only 4mg (putting me at day 72 of my Suboxone use) and feeling fine except for the constant stomach pains I had been experiencing since my beginning Subs. I made an appointment with my G.I doc for my Irritable Bowl Syndrome trouble and told him about the pains from the subs and how badly it was effecting my IBS. I asked him what should I do? He suggested immediately stopping the Subs Cold Turkey (CT). So I did. Well needless to say within 72 hours I thought I was entering Hell. Don't ask me how but I made it to day 9 without any meds. By day 9 I hadn't eaten or drank any fluids in almost four full days because of the sever stomach cramping, vomiting and diarrhea, I ended up in the ER. Those guys were no help at all. They just threw me out calling me a drug addict. So I called the Doc who prescribed the Subs and told him my plight and asked Him, what should I do? He somehow managed to talk me into restarting the Subs at home by suggesting basically the same method that Robert_325 suggests during the induction phase. So I took my pill cutter and cut up my 8mg tablets into eight 1mg pieces and started taking one every 90 minutes till I had stabilized. I stabilized at 4mg. The next day still being so darn scared of getting any further hooked on these awful Subs I kept my dose to 3mg. This helps me get through the day but I still feel awful. For the last four days Ive only been taking about 2mg, 1mg in the am and 1mg in the PM 12 hours apart. I feel like doo-doo. Anxiety, hot and cold sweats, flush of color and hardly any appetite at all. I so desperately want off these Subs because they are reeking havoc on my digestive system and causing crazy constipation only making my IBS worse and preventing me from eating properly. Since Ive been on Subs (10/17/2011) I have lost now 31LBS from my muscular very fit 200lb body. Im tired all day and never want to eat. I have no energy and my home away from home, the Gym is the last place I could ever be right now.
I guess my question after all that story is... do I stay at the 2mg/day split dose until my body acclimates and stabilizes or should I go up a bit in mg's till I stabilize and continue a slower taper? I'am perplexed because on one hand continued Sub use keeps the WD's away but its killing me on the inside. As mentioned before I read Robert_325's post about the taper which sounds shorter than my Doc suggested, and achievable, but after having gone 9 days CT and only being back on Subs for five days now,and at a low dose... Would you suggest a different regiment for me? I know everyone is different. Please help me!!! I want my life and weight back!!!