My doctor prescribed me 1 mg kolonopin 4 x's a day with suboxone is it safe?

Thank you Patti - I'm honored by the "boot." lol! I'm a straight shooter - I tell it like it is, and sometimes, folks don't like that! But I can usually tell who is deeply rooted in recovery by how they respond to me!!

Kkellie - adding alcohol, at any amount, to this mix is a terribly dangerous idea. There are strong warnings against this in any literature you received with the suboxone and/or the benzos. Recovery from addiction means abstinance from all mood-altering addictive drugs. Once we are addicted to one, we are no longer "safe" controlling any others. Your disease of addiction has been triggered already, as you have been in detox and are now on the subs. You will not find your way into recovery, as long as you continue to use another addictive drug, including alcohol. You are setting yourself up at high risk for serious problems, as alcohol is just another substance that will affect your central nervous system.

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To quote from the suboxone literature regarding alcohol, "The central nervous system-depressant effects of opioid analgesics and ethanol may be additive. The combination of these agents may result in additive CNS-depression and impairment of judgment, thinking, and psychomotor skills. In more severe cases, respiratory depression, hypotension, profound sedation, and coma can occur. Death has been reported in overdosage."

And to quote from the klonopin literature, regarding alcohol: "Central nervous system- and/or respiratory-depressant effects may be additively or synergistically increased in patients taking multiple drugs that cause these effects, especially in elderly or debilitated patients."

To be blunt, you're on dangerous ground. I don't take these things lightly, as I do this for a living - and have tragically witnessed the lost lives of clients as a result of these behaviors you're doing.

I must confess, it does irk me when someone offers "anecdotal" reference to a poster, telling where "someone else took these same drugs safely" - and then they advise that the poster will also be just "fine" doing it. That kind of "advice" could easily cost someone else their life. Think before you post, please.

God bless,

Hi kkellie,

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Please don't go back to buying opiates off the street. Besides the fact that short acting opiates aren't good for much, other than killing pain, there's always the chance you can get busted. And I know you don't even want to talk about that, but you need to think about it. The real point is that Buprenorphine, the opiate in Suboxone, is a very good drug for many people. It has secondary effects that don't work on everyone, but do work for many of us. Mainly it is useful in fighting depression. I wouldn't tell someone to take Sub just for depression, but if you're going to take it for addiction/dependency reasons, you may find that in time, it helps your depression. In my case it helps my depression and my self confidence. I'm going through a really bad time in my life, and if I wasn't taking Sub, I'd be a basket case. I'd be sitting home and doing nothing almost everyday. But these secondary effects didn't start right away. I first took Sub approximately 7 years ago, and I don't think I noticed the help with the depression until I was taking it almost 1 year. Up to that point I was trying to think of a way to get the docs to put me back on the pain pills. And then 1 day it hit me. Why do I want to go back on the pain pills? I feel much better now than I have since I was a teenager. And that feeling stayed with me. It's not a high. You don't go up and down with it. Once it kicks in, the improvement in mood is there all the time. Unless of course something bad happens. Then like any normal person, I get to feeling down. But I am better able to deal with it than I was when I didn't take Sub. I don't know how long you're on Sub kkellie, nor whether or not you will get this effect. But you may, and that's one the best reasons to stick with Sub that I know of. Recently my doc told me they think they now understand how Sub does this. It's a medically complicated explanation, but it's also fascinating. My doc knows I have an avid interest in anything medical, so he sits there explaining things to me most patients wouldn't want to know. But I like to know. He said there is also a movement to get Buprenorphine approved for use as an Antidepressant med. However, due to the stigmas against addiction, this is highly unlikely in the near future. But there are doctors and people in Washington fighting for it. Maybe someday, it will be. Until then using Sub for depression has to be considered an off label use. I see nothing wrong with that because many drugs have off label uses.

Kkellie I have been thinking about your situation and I do have a few concerns. I may be totally off base here. And as I said, I don't know what happens when you mix Zoloft with Sub and Klonopin. I also don't know how long you have been taking a Benzo, and that's important. One thing your doc did strikes me as odd. He put you on Sub, which is fine. But then he increased your Klonopin dose. Maybe Zoloft reduces the effectiveness of either Klonopin or Sub? You should ask that. The reason is because generally, when putting someone on Sub who's already on a Benzo, you might reduce the dose of the Benzo, not increase it. This concerns me. You have to remember that Benzos and Sub both amplify each other. I also want to point out that alcohol also amplifies Benzos and Sub. So please try to not drink at all. Besides that, alcohol makes most SSRI's, like Zoloft, not work correctly. I think of alcohol as a Wild Card. You never know what it will do. So when people like us, who have issues are on meds, alcohol should be avoided. I also found that the Sub has caused me to not get high on alcohol, and to not even feel a need for it. Maybe you're new to Sub? If you are, you need to give it time to work it's wonders for you. Don't mix alcohol with Sub. Remember, alcohol changes things, and you can never be sure how.

Have you found a way to get more Sub yet? If you do, take a small dose and stretch them as far as you can. But I also still think if this doc doesn't help you, that you should look for a new doc. KKellie, do you have the coupons the company put out that gives you $45 off a Suboxone script? I think it's only for the films, not the Tabs. But that's ok because I'm told the films are better, they dissolve easier and taste better. Do you have these coupons and are you using them? If not let me know, and I'll get you a link to where you can get them. Let us know what happens.

Hey Thor, I do realize your comments are for kkellie and I do agree with what you have told her. I see the mad thumbs down demon struck all posters on this question, please ignore any thumbs downs you receive, the person or persons who are doing this are attempting to make people who respond angry and frustrated, so, just ignore this person or persons. And if I have caught this person or persons attention, your activities were checked, you have already been found out. Now, back to "These are the Days of Suboxone... " the films can actually be a problem for some people. Many have written here who were previously on the tablets and they had varying complaints and indicated as far as they were concerned,including the films are not as good as the tablets, and also seem weaker. Not to argue, just wanted to tell people that there have been some complaints about them.

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I know subs are expensive, but, cheaper than street drugs for sure, and if you will ask your pharmacist IF you can fill a partial refill of suboxone, find out if it is legal in your state, it may help when money is tight, as it often is when someone is on suboxone. Now, back to thumbs downing demon, if you really have a problem with a response or comment, then you should be woman enough, or man enough to say why, and make your thumbs downing reasoning count. Usually, if it is someone who is a supportive member of this site, they are very sparing with the thumbs down option, and will explain their actions. It almost always is an accident when people try to click comment or thumbs up and they are accessing the site from their phone, and they will admit to it immediately and beg pardon. Thanks Thor, for a very very good answer in my opinion and true support of kkellie and hopefully all of us. Pattishan

Pattishan,

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Have you ever heard the old saying about you can't please all of the people all of the time? You are proving how true this is. No matter what I say, you are going to take exception to it. And you don't even know me, or you shouldn't. What also proves that statement is some people complaining about the Sub films. I have personally never tried them. And OK, if the over whelming reports on this board are that the Tabs are better, then so be it. I'm only on this board a few days. I haven't read any of those posts yet. But I'm also on another Sub board where the over whelming response has been that the Films are better. And there are many reasons. They dissolve faster and with a lot less saliva. There is some reason to believe the absorption is higher and the bioavailability is greater. Each Film is individually wrapped, so freshness and harmful effects from heat and humidity are less. I really like this next reason. You can easily cut them into the exact amount you want with scissors, and there are no crumbs left behind like when you cut tablets. I hate the crumb factor. I always cut my tabs into the exact amount I need. I have to be very careful with Sub because even 1/2 a mg too much and this crazy sleepiness comes over me. I have also noticed on some days there are less crumbs than others. I don't know why, but I think it has to do with humidity. Like I said, you cut the films with scissors, and there are no crumbs. And lastly there are coupons to get a discount on the films. But of course, some people will prefer the Tabs. That's fine. I assume the company knows this, and that's 1 reason they make Sub as Tabs and films. I see nothing wrong with me telling people that as far as I know the Films may be better. Especially when money is an issue, like it is here, and there are discounts available for the films, but not the Tabs. I see nothing wrong in me saying all this at all.

As far as I know, in most or all states you can ask for a partial fill of any script. However, with meds like opiates if you do, you lose the rest of the script. So if the script is for 30 pills, and you can only afford just 10, the pharmacy can legally give you just 10. But you lose the other 20. You then have to go get a new script. And since most Sub docs are charging you based on giving you scripts, you may then have to pay another doc fee. And since money is the issue here, I see nothing to be gained. But it was a good suggestion.

I want to say YOu guys are the only support I get and It really is helping me make better decisions and realize some things... that being said. I apologize for making this hard to understand... solet me clarify for you... I have always had anxiety and depression problems... I grew up in a nightmare(a lot of us did) so I'm not looking for anu sympathy. To clarify my last doc would do nothing for me sat all and I felt edgy and bad all the time "until I took mt (tons) of opiates a day... which at 14 my family members supplied me with.

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As to the meds... I was released from Detox on the 4th of may and thats when I found this doc. When I left his office 4 days later I had 100 mg of zoloft, 16mg of suboxone, and 3 mg a day of klonopin. Before this I was strictly addicted to major amounts of opiates. BUT since my first visit tomy doc less then a month ago he has "uppe"me to4 mg klon and 200mg zoloft. I was so badly addicted I want to try to het better through him, counseling and mostly God himself. I am very ashamed of myself right now and have a low, low,lowww self esteem. which is where my dual counseling will help. Also my ionsurance pays for my script of sub and zoloft... I payfor klon. and my husband and doc thinksI need it and I feel better and have had two days this month (only two)where I overwhelmingly wanted to use and didn't.

I love you guys as much as a stranger or sister in christ can love another and I appreciate you all takeing time naway from your lives to listen,, respond and seem to generally care that you. P.s. GO bless and can someone explain the "friend thing" and private talks to me as I dont understand and am new.