pattishan61

I am now over 9 months subfree and fine. Please read on if you need subs or subs tapering info.TA DA!!! Finally suboxone free Now from "These Are... read more

I am now over 9 months subfree and fine. Please read on if you need subs or subs tapering info.TA DA!!! Finally suboxone free Now from "These Are the Days of Suboxone. I am a 50 year old female from LA, Lower Alabama and I have fibromyalgia. I started taking a few lortabs here and there for various things and then kinda got a little over dependent on them. I had just gotten up to about 4 to 6 lortab or Percocet 10's when I went to an outpatient recovery center, where I basically was led to believe I was a horrible horrible drug addict, and that I needed this miracle medication, Suboxone, it was so miraculous, I would NEVER be able to get addicted to it and could stop at any time and not have any withdrawal. Hah! I now know that is completely false, but both my subs( from here on, suboxone will be referred to as subs) doctors and both counselors were told the same thing, that is Reckitt-Benciser and the drug reps fault. I went to a wonderful doctor named Jason Harrah and he immediately said, "You are NOT a junkie, you simply got used to the dose and upped it as it didn't relieve the pain, but we are going to fix it!" Then he moved about 3 months later out of state, mean time I attended group for addiction and suboxone 3 nights per week for 3 hours each night, for 8 weeks then maintenance meetings once per week and individual counseling the entire time I was on suboxone. My boyfriend, Dave( Not to be confused with MPVT, who is also named Dave) kinda got it in his head I had simply traded one addiction for another. But suboxone actually can help repair the damaged parts in the brain and it does control craving, that is why you need suboxone versus any of the other ways to quit opiates. I started ( way over medicated for my level of opiate use and length of time using) at 12 mgs and after a year, lost my insurance and needed to taper. I came here, was friended by Robert_325 and learned from him alot, like I was over medicated in the first place, and I began my taper. I had asked over and over again the second doctor, Geoff Lipscomb, and the counselor how to taper, I simply got that when I dropped the dose, to stay at it for 4 weeks in order for my body and brain to get used to the lower dose and that is should be easy to get off with no withdrawal, I don't blame them, that is what they were taught in the suboxone training program. I saw that Robert had a faster taper, I was too afraid and the 4 week thing sounded good, so that is how I did it. I split my dose as I always had and took half in morning, half in early afternoon, 6 mgs in am, 6 mgs in pm, then I dropped 2 mgs from the pm dose. After 2 weeks, 2 mgs from am dose, so I was at 4 and 4, I kept doing this, dropping from Pm dose first, then 4 weeks later, from am dose. I got on this site and i started reading stuff by MPVT, he said to walk because it reboots the damaged part of the brain, helps with constipation, produces endorphins that help make you feel better mentally and physically, and will help regulate the eat/sleep/wake cycles. When I got down to 1 mg per day total, I began walking( if you are injured or have any other medical reason not to walk, Please don't)started at 15 minutes and am now up to 45 to 50 minutes per day. When I got to .25 mgs( when you get to 2 mgs per day total, ask your doctor for 2 mg pills instead of 8) per day, i started taking it at night so that there was no restless feeling as I tried to sleep. After 4 weeks or so, I began to go 48 hours between .25 mgs and then last monday, I jumped off at that dose, It is sunday, oct 31, 2010 and I am fine. I have had no withdrawal, I am still walking several time a week. Maso told me to keep busy and that was a huge help, thanks Maso. I have several cheerleaders, Booter42, ChristineATU and last but not least SweetLemon, Thank Y'all so much, it meant the world to me. I promise. If I can help anyone, I'll be glad to. You can find Robert_325 on the forum/discussion board part of this site, look for his name under top members and start a thread, whatever that means. Pattishan61 ps there are some excellent Youtube.com videos on subs by SuboxDoc and Maple2609. SuboxDoc is a real live psychiatrist who has many easy to understand videos on suboxone, watch the 2 part video on how it works in the brain first, it will help you understand what suboxone does. Maple2609 is a young patient who really gives an excellent testimony on how suboxone changed his life for the better. SuboxDoc is not only a psychiatrist, he is also a former opiate addict who used suboxone and he has may videos on suboxne, such as, am I switching one addiction for another, and what do I tell my loved ones about my treatment and what do I say to (nosy obnoxious) people who tell me to get off suboxone. I HIGHLY recommend these videos and if do watch them, leave these guys a comment saying pattishan61 sent you there. I know many people read horror stories about getting off suboxone, you can get off of it safely and comfortably and be fine. For other examples of those who got off of suboxone and were fine, please read Used2be, ski801 and UNLVgrad's profile stories, they are all off now and are also fine. Have faith and hang in there, Pattishan61