I don't know how to explain subs without getting mildly annoyed :(

[yezdegerd]

After 2 long years of relapse/detox I finally got the insurance I've been waiting for, I went to a therapist and a prescribing doctor who both wanted me on suboxone. It's day 4 and let me tell you, this has been my miracle drug! I feel 100%. Not 1 craving, not 1 thought of abusing them. I've lived a normal life for the past 4 days. I'm so excited I can hardly sleep because my thoughts are no longer of when am I getting more pills and uh oh my pills are wearing off I better pass out, they are fantastic. 1 in the morning and 1 at night and I'm just loving life!

Now, the problem with it is I know I am just replacing 1 pill with another, but it's such a different experience I don't know how to explain it to the critics that it's actually helping. I know one day I'll have to detox and there will be discomfort, but that's the same with any long term medication. Anti depressants, xanax, yet nobody has a problem with those, why? This is taken from wiki,...

Antidepressant potential
A clinical trial conducted at Harvard Medical School in the mid-1990s demonstrated that a majority of unipolar non-psychotic patients with major depression refractory to conventional thymoleptic antidepressants could be successfully treated with buprenorphine.[19] See opioids for other (predominantly favorable) experiments with buprenorphine and other opioids for psychological relief. However, psychological distress, such as clinical depression, is currently not an approved indication for the use of any opioid, and legally it falls in to a "grey zone".[20][21] Some doctors nevertheless are realising its potential as an antidepressant in cases where the patient cannot tolerate or is resistant to conventional thymoleptic antidepressants. Both mental and physical pain are regulated by the same chemical networks in the brain. Depression is commonly accompanied by co-morbid pain symptoms. Endogenous opiates, such as endorphins and enkephalins, mediate pain perception in the body. In the brain, they are significantly involved in regulating mood and behavior, and decreasing the perception of pain and depression.

So a pill that doesn't get me high, yet makes me feel like I'm on top of the world, Helps me get through life and get off those nasty painkillers, takes away all my anxiety and depression and even stopped me from doing other harmful drugs like cocaine when I was at my wife's work thing and was offered some, which I would have done had I not found suboxone and actually say I dont need drugs!

i was never a happy person, and I do plan on making an attempt in roughly 6 months when the doctor said we'll take our first stab at quitting, but for right now how to I respond to the negativity I hear, things like "yeah thats great but now you need to focus on getting off those". What if suboxone IS my anti depressant? I've tried 4 and all of them destroyed my soul and brain!

[kathrynk007]

Hello Yez....

I, too, and a major depressive along with panic disorder.......when I first started taking the subs, I felt (like you) absolutely wonderful. "On top of the world", like you describe. I also felt like that when I first started painkillers, ironically (lol).

For me, I want to get back to recovery and the 12 step program. That was the best seven years of my life.....being free from the ball and chain.

That being said, I could have probably stayed on subs for the rest of my life.....however, I know if I made it seven years without a drink or a drug before (and was happy) than I can do it again.

Everyone's situation is different.......you may need to be on subs. In your case, I would just take it a day at a time and you may want off of them someday, or maybe not.

I would certainly not judge anyone who chooses ORT therapy over chasing opiates. Hey...ya gotta do what you gotta do and if it is what works for you, only you can know that.

Best wishes to you I am glad to see that you are not using anymore and can now have more control over your life. That's all that really matters.....

warmly, Kathryn

[yezdegerd]

Hello Yez....

I, too, and a major depressive along with panic disorder.......when I first started taking the subs, I felt (like you) absolutely wonderful. "On top of the world", like you describe. I also felt like that when I first started painkillers, ironically (lol).

For me, I want to get back to recovery and the 12 step program. That was the best seven years of my life.....being free from the ball and chain.

That being said, I could have probably stayed on subs for the rest of my life.....however, I know if I made it seven years without a drink or a drug before (and was happy) than I can do it again.

Everyone's situation is different.......you may need to be on subs. In your case, I would just take it a day at a time and you may want off of them someday, or maybe not.

I would certainly not judge anyone who chooses ORT therapy over chasing opiates. Hey...ya gotta do what you gotta do and if it is what works for you, only you can know that.

Best wishes to you I am glad to see that you are not using anymore and can now have more control over your life. That's all that really matters.....

warmly, Kathryn

Thank you so much, I needed that. I don't want to feel like a junkie anymore. I do plan on tapering off, I'll most likely give myself 6 months on the subs. I need time to get my life back in order before making the leap, and then go from there. once again, thank you! I feel a lot better about my situation

[cheekysod]

dont worry you aint the only one who feels like that.
ive been on one year and 2 months,
what i would advise is to taper as low as you can, slowly, and stick there for a bit, life will improve, as you change people, places and things (cliche but true)

get yourself outa the old scenes, and start living healthy, i wanted to get down to a low dose, just in case, something went wrong, i hated bein addicted to methadone and hard drugs.
so for me, subs are great, if worst came to worst, im on .5mg, and i know each time i try and come off its sucks, but if i was forced, i would make it.

good luck

[newyorkgal]

I just want to say I would NEVER judge anyone who chose long term ORT as this is what I've chosen for myself (2 years and counting on sub, but like cheeky on less than 1 mg.)..... You know what your mind and body require. No one else does. I just want to state one fact so you go into this with full knowledge. When sub is taken for extended times, it is as addictive as methadone. It has the same long half life like methadone and takes a long time to w/d from. Still, I've seen people on 6 months or more who did get off and were okay. I just wanted you to know that fact about sub. Because it doesn't really get you high, people are fooled into thinking it's not that strong. It is actually VERY strong, way stronger than morphine even. I support how you do this, whatever way you do it, just wanted you to be aware of some facts about sub.

[yezdegerd]

I just want to say I would NEVER judge anyone who chose long term ORT as this is what I've chosen for myself (2 years and counting on sub, but like cheeky on less than 1 mg.)..... You know what your mind and body require. No one else does. I just want to state one fact so you go into this with full knowledge. When sub is taken for extended times, it is as addictive as methadone. It has the same long half life like methadone and takes a long time to w/d from. Still, I've seen people on 6 months or more who did get off and were okay. I just wanted you to know that fact about sub. Because it doesn't really get you high, people are fooled into thinking it's not that strong. It is actually VERY strong, way stronger than morphine even. I support how you do this, whatever way you do it, just wanted you to be aware of some facts about sub.

Oh I completely agree. It's not a high, but I know it's there. My favorite part though is I can wake up, take the kids to school, have my coffee, troll the internet or whatever and actually even FORGET I need to take my medication. I've been up 3 hours now and still haven't taken one. He has me on 4/4 a day, with my next app in 2 weeks I think i'll switch down to 2/2. Sometimes I feel a little dizzy on these and mildly zoned, which I'll explain to him and see if he prefers a lower dose. Unlike drugs I'm not worried about a lower dose, I just want enough to work.

On a side note I have no libido, absolutely none. Will my body eventually adjust or should I ask my doctor what I can do to get it back? I think my wife is getting a little on edge haha!