[Robert_325]

Originally Posted by Sm0rty

Thanks Robert, I really appreciate your support. I don't want to sound like I don't trust you I just want to discuss all options. I want to try and use the advice on here and the advice from my doctor and try and make the best decision from there. I took the 4MG last night and after 4 days of AWD, I felt amazing... I can't remember the last time I felt somewhat high from subs. Although I felt great... I hate the feeling of being numb and I am not going to let it lure me back in.

But anyways... When i talked to my Doc, I mentioned to him tapering down every 4 days by 25% and he said it all depends on how your feeling but I recommend 5-10% becasue 25% could be too fast. So we will see. He also mentioned that when I get to lower doses, he can write the prescription so that the pharmacy will mix the suboxone with some other vitamins and chemicals or something so that it is easier to take less suboxone. I think they break it down and mix in some vitamins and reform the pill. I am not sure exactly but he said it would be a little more expensive.

I also thought about considering taking suboxone every other day. Is that a bad idea? If so why is it a bad idea? Thanks.

Do as you choose but 5-10% is an amount for a methadone taper not suboxone. I won't argue with your dr but that is entirely too slow for suboxone and will ultimately just keep you going into his office for drugs longer. I DON'T recommend that slow of a taper.

Your dr can compound the meds with vitamins and all that but it's just not necessary. That's the bottom line. You can take a good vitamin, do the 25% taper and you'll be clean in sixty days. It's your call, do it which ever way you want to. The dr will have you spending a fortune doing this at the rate he's talking about and at that small of a taper. Or are you in the UK?

You don't want to skip days until the very end after you get down to at least .5mg. The process we've suggested here is proven to work time and again. It has worked for countless people over the years here.

I'm going to back off and let you decide for yourself what you want to do. If you want my help with this let me know. God bless.

[Sm0rty]

Originally Posted by Robert_325

Do as you choose but 5-10% is an amount for a methadone taper not suboxone. I won't argue with your dr but that is entirely too slow for suboxone and will ultimately just keep you going into his office for drugs longer. I DON'T recommend that slow of a taper.

Your dr can compound the meds with vitamins and all that but it's just not necessary. That's the bottom line. You can take a good vitamin, do the 25% taper and you'll be clean in sixty days. It's your call, do it which ever way you want to. The dr will have you spending a fortune doing this at the rate he's talking about and at that small of a taper. Or are you in the UK?

You don't want to skip days until the very end after you get down to at least .5mg. The process we've suggested here is proven to work time and again. It has worked for countless people over the years here.

I'm going to back off and let you decide for yourself what you want to do. If you want my help with this let me know. God bless.

I do want your help and that is why i joined this forum. I wondered if he was just trying to make money off of me. I am in NY though.

I am curious to know though... since I have been on suboxone for so long now, will it be harder for me than other people? Even with your program that has had many success stories I am still nervous...

[Robert_325]

Originally Posted by Sm0rty

I do want your help and that is why i joined this forum. I wondered if he was just trying to make money off of me. I am in NY though.

I am curious to know though... since I have been on suboxone for so long now, will it be harder for me than other people? Even with your program that has had many success stories I am still nervous...

Using the suboxone for two years is obviously much longer than what I suggest. But I've worked with people who have used for several years. Some people from Europe I've worked with have used buprenorphine (main drug in subs) for almost ten years and are clean today using the process I suggest. That is a fact.

The ideal situation is where I am able to do the induction with a person from day one, walk them through everything right down the taper and off completely. That takes about two months, maybe three sometimes for long time methadone addicts and similar situations. But most of the people on this forum (including the ones who are clean using my taper suggestions) got here because their dr had them all messed up one way or another and they came here out of desperation.

You could possibly hit a little kink in the road occasionally doing this. I won't say that it's impossible for you to ever have a w/d symptom. You would know I was blowing smoke if I said that. But if you communicate regularly, follow the suggestions I'm giving you, I promise you'll end up clean.

Worst case scenario is that instead of reducing every four days there may be a few levels while you're tapering that you find you need 5-7 days between reductions. I want you to feel good prior to reducing your dose as you taper down. Four days usually is enough to allow for the long half life and other things so you're able to continue with the taper and 25% is a perfect amount to taper by. But we're all a little different. One girl who still posts regularly (tired2) came here having all kinds of problems with her sub dr and she ended up reducing every three days instead of four. So we just have to see how you do. It's not a one-size-fits-all like the way too many drs advise everyone the exact same way.

It's your call what to do. I'm just really busy so let me know if you want to follow my suggestions or if you want to try other things too. It won't hurt my feelings either way. It just helps me to know if someone is depending on me solely or not so I know who that I need to keep up with. Let me know. And I wish you the best of luck either way. God bless.

[SpiritOfVersaille]

Hi everyone/anyone. My post is not specifically related to this thread, but Im a new member who simply cant figure out how to post his own blog/thread.To be honest, I am 23 and currently on day 4 of suboxone w/d. I had used meth for years and heroin for 2 years almost everyday. I was on methadone for almost 2 years and now suboxone from 18mg's to 8mg's ( throughout the course of 1yr and 3mths ) and i just quit cold turkey. I really need some specific guidance and assurances so this is my outlet. Anyone with a similar background could you please help me. My w/d's have not been as intense as having come down from hard narcotics, but they are nevertheless present and I really would appreciate some tips or a comprehensive timeline as to when I will wake up that grand day and feel like going outside again. I am shut in and alone for the most part. My mom and g/f, mainly my mom, have a good understanding towards addiction and ae there for me but i need someone who can relate. Also, I know i could attend NA meetings but in my experience they usually consist of tweekers and I hadn't ever found the meetings helpful, I actually would just crave heroin more sometimes. Anyway, thx for reading.

[melinda7.5]

Originally Posted by SpiritOfVersaille

Hi everyone/anyone. My post is not specifically related to this thread, but Im a new member who simply cant figure out how to post his own blog/thread.To be honest, I am 23 and currently on day 4 of suboxone w/d. I had used meth for years and heroin for 2 years almost everyday. I was on methadone for almost 2 years and now suboxone from 18mg's to 8mg's ( throughout the course of 1yr and 3mths ) and i just quit cold turkey. I really need some specific guidance and assurances so this is my outlet. Anyone with a similar background could you please help me. My w/d's have not been as intense as having come down from hard narcotics, but they are nevertheless present and I really would appreciate some tips or a comprehensive timeline as to when I will wake up that grand day and feel like going outside again. I am shut in and alone for the most part. My mom and g/f, mainly my mom, have a good understanding towards addiction and ae there for me but i need someone who can relate. Also, I know i could attend NA meetings but in my experience they usually consist of tweekers and I hadn't ever found the meetings helpful, I actually would just crave heroin more sometimes. Anyway, thx for reading.

Hi Spirit
Is there any way you could get some more subs so you can taper down off of them 8mg is way to high of a dose to go c/t...your not going to have a good experance...we can help you taper off if you can get some more subs.
let us know, we can help...
Talk to you soon, Melinda

[Robert_325]

Originally Posted by SpiritOfVersaille

Hi everyone/anyone. My post is not specifically related to this thread, but Im a new member who simply cant figure out how to post his own blog/thread.To be honest, I am 23 and currently on day 4 of suboxone w/d. I had used meth for years and heroin for 2 years almost everyday. I was on methadone for almost 2 years and now suboxone from 18mg's to 8mg's ( throughout the course of 1yr and 3mths ) and i just quit cold turkey. I really need some specific guidance and assurances so this is my outlet. Anyone with a similar background could you please help me. My w/d's have not been as intense as having come down from hard narcotics, but they are nevertheless present and I really would appreciate some tips or a comprehensive timeline as to when I will wake up that grand day and feel like going outside again. I am shut in and alone for the most part. My mom and g/f, mainly my mom, have a good understanding towards addiction and ae there for me but i need someone who can relate. Also, I know i could attend NA meetings but in my experience they usually consist of tweekers and I hadn't ever found the meetings helpful, I actually would just crave heroin more sometimes. Anyway, thx for reading.

Melinda is correct. And jumping off at 8mg is totally INSANE. You haven't felt anything really bad yet because of the very long half life of subs. COUNT ON IT!!!! You're going to be so sick you won't even believe it and it will likely last over a month at least if you don't back up and taper off properly.

I've done this a long time here. You want to taper by 25% of your dose every four days. Any faster than that is asking for trouble. Jumping off like you've done is asking for a trip to the pysch ward. That is a fact. God bless.

[Sm0rty]

Originally Posted by SpiritOfVersaille

Hi everyone/anyone. My post is not specifically related to this thread, but Im a new member who simply cant figure out how to post his own blog/thread.To be honest, I am 23 and currently on day 4 of suboxone w/d. I had used meth for years and heroin for 2 years almost everyday. I was on methadone for almost 2 years and now suboxone from 18mg's to 8mg's ( throughout the course of 1yr and 3mths ) and i just quit cold turkey. I really need some specific guidance and assurances so this is my outlet. Anyone with a similar background could you please help me. My w/d's have not been as intense as having come down from hard narcotics, but they are nevertheless present and I really would appreciate some tips or a comprehensive timeline as to when I will wake up that grand day and feel like going outside again. I am shut in and alone for the most part. My mom and g/f, mainly my mom, have a good understanding towards addiction and ae there for me but i need someone who can relate. Also, I know i could attend NA meetings but in my experience they usually consist of tweekers and I hadn't ever found the meetings helpful, I actually would just crave heroin more sometimes. Anyway, thx for reading.

I am in a similar situation. I wasn't taking heroine or methadone but I was taking Vicodin for 2 years and taking 24-30 10mg pills a day. I tried to go cold turkey from suboxone the other day and it was miserable... Between the depression, the RLS, anxiety and aches and pains... you relaly can't function. In reality, if you really haven't taken any narc's except for Suboxone in the last year than you should be able to take less. I know for me, I would always take more suboxone than I needed to because I wanted to get that high. The thing is... you don't get high and it is a waste.

I am just starting to try Robert's plan and so far so good. You should try and do it the right way and taper down. I have been on Suboxone for 2 years and it has taken me that long to realize that I need to get off of it. The only way you will be able to do it is if YOU are ready to. If you convince yourself that you are ready to stop taking drugs then you will be ok. You must do this the right way though. Follow Robert's plan and don't cheat. Take exactly the amount your supposed to and you will be clean and have a much easier time coming off subs. Stay strong.

[SpiritOfVersaille]

Wow, i thoroughly appreciate the responses. This is such a lonely experience for me. Ive quit drugs many times with varying intensities but this one is very depressing. I agree, I really should have tapered, but I feel like I'm now living to the expectations of everyone around me. Im on my day 6 or 7 now. I'm miserable, but beyond that, emotionally I'm crippled. I feel as though i'm seeing things through different eyes. I react to every sound and sight. I no longer feel comfortable in this apartment I've been in for over a year. I don't see my future, I can't visualize myself being responsible, happy, married, with kids. Things that once seemed like a given now seem like an impossibility. Im going to talk with my physician and quite possibly start over again w/ the tapering system. Especially, would any of you know a good link or some good information concerning the mental healing process. Can I tip the odds in my favor with specific supplements? How long before my receptors return to their maximum potential. Thank you dearly all, joshua

[Sm0rty]

So it has been almost 2 weeks now since I started the new plan. I started on 4 MG's a day and now I am on 2MG's per day. So far it has been going pretty well. I was curious to know though if I should stop taking Adderrol because it might interfere somewhat with my tapering. Anyone know anything of this?

[Robert_325]

Originally Posted by Sm0rty

So it has been almost 2 weeks now since I started the new plan. I started on 4 MG's a day and now I am on 2MG's per day. So far it has been going pretty well. I was curious to know though if I should stop taking Adderrol because it might interfere somewhat with my tapering. Anyone know anything of this?

There are not any major interactions between adderall and suboxone. As long as the adderall is being taken as prescribed I think it's okay.

I'm not a big fan of amphetamines but some people need the adderall for different medical reasons. So I'm not one to tell anyone to stop taking a psych med prescribed by the dr. That is none of my business. Just adhere specifically to the dosage you've been prescribed.

Adderall is very addictive. Just be careful. God bless.

[Sm0rty]

Originally Posted by Robert_325

There are not any major interactions between adderall and suboxone. As long as the adderall is being taken as prescribed I think it's okay.

I'm not a big fan of amphetamines but some people need the adderall for different medical reasons. So I'm not one to tell anyone to stop taking a psych med prescribed by the dr. That is none of my business. Just adhere specifically to the dosage you've been prescribed.

Adderall is very addictive. Just be careful. God bless.

I had some small instances where I could see Adderall being addicting but I honestly don't think it is. I know there are physical and mental addictions but Adderall is a mental one. I have been taking it for about 7 years because I have attention difficulties. I have stopped taking it at various times in my life but it makes work go so much smoother for me.

My doctor doesn't think I should be taking it because he says I should clear my system of all drugs. Also Adderall has a side effect of giving you anxiety and having that anxiety on top of withdrawals from Suboxone anxiety is not a good combo.

The only issue I have had coming off of Adderall is the extreme fatigue from not taking it. That only lasts a couple of days though. Anyways... Tomorrow I go down to .75 MG!

[Robert_325]

Originally Posted by Sm0rty

I had some small instances where I could see Adderall being addicting but I honestly don't think it is. I know there are physical and mental addictions but Adderall is a mental one. I have been taking it for about 7 years because I have attention difficulties. I have stopped taking it at various times in my life but it makes work go so much smoother for me.

My doctor doesn't think I should be taking it because he says I should clear my system of all drugs. Also Adderall has a side effect of giving you anxiety and having that anxiety on top of withdrawals from Suboxone anxiety is not a good combo.

The only issue I have had coming off of Adderall is the extreme fatigue from not taking it. That only lasts a couple of days though. Anyways... Tomorrow I go down to .75 MG!

This is a perfect example of why I don't tell anyone to stop certain medications. Adderall is extremely addictive to a person who is functioning perfectly and is just trying to get "wired." But when it's used for attention defecit by someone who legitimately needs it that's not the case. So do what you and your dr work out together on that medication.

I've seen people decide to stop all drugs because others have told them they need to, especially other people in recovery, and it ends up in catastrophe for that person. Those decisions need to be left to the patient/dr to work out.

Adderall can cause anxiety like the dr said. But if you're tapering off the subs properly then the anxiety level from that should NOT be anything really all that noticeable. Take care and God bless.

[sbrugby]

i posted a while back about tryin to taper down but ended up just staying at that level for a while until i saw my doc and was able to get the 2mg pills which were much easier to break up for smaller doses. He also prescribed me clonidine which has definitely helped my struggle as well. Currently im taking 0.5mgs twice a day along with clonidine about 2-3 times a day at 0.1mgs per dose. my question robert is should i now try and go to .375mgs twice a day? or try .75mgs once a day? basically at what point should i try and go to once a day?

[sbrugby]

i didn't get a response for my last two posts so i'm guessing this thread is dead. anyway im about to jump off subs at .5mgs/twice a day with the help of clonidine and im not currently stable at .5mgs as im noticing some withdrawal symptoms starting about an hour or two before i take my dose. but seeing as how ive only got 3.5 2mg pills left, i don't have too many options. any advice as to other things i can take in conjunction with clonidine to help aid in this battle, would be greatly appreciated. ive been on subs for a little over 6 months now and started at 20mgs a day down to where i am now (1mg/day). how long should the withdrawals last?

i told my doctor about the stuff ive read on this forum and he says that i should be fine to quit and that the withdrawals and stuff are all in head. im trying to believe it but my body is telling me what everyone here seems to say. should i go back and try and get a few more subs and try and complete the robert plan? or should i just stick to the current one?

thanks a lot
sbrugby

ps i hope someones out there that can help me

[Robert_325]

I think jumping at 1mg is crazy. You'll end up getting sick. I advise getting more subs and completing the taper as advised before. That's just me. God bless.

[sbrugby]

well robert im gonna go ahead and reduce to .75mgs today and move to once a day at .75 so for 4 days that's 3mgs and i have a total of 7mgs at the moment. then i'll have 4 mgs to move down to .5 mgs for 4 days which will leave me with 2mgs. So is it reasonable to jump at .5mgs bc i'd rather not get more subs at this point mainly cuz i don't want to have to pay for another session with this doctor that keeps telling me that what im feeling is in my head and that im fine. so i suppose i'll attempt a jump when i get to .5mgs a day.

I also have a couple valium that i could try and use for some of the anxiety. how bad will a jump be at .75mg or .5mgs? i can deal with a few days of sickness but weeks of it would be unbearable.

[Robert_325]

When you get to .5mg and go four days there skip one day, then take .5mg. Skip two days, then take .5mg. Skip three days and then take .5mg. Then skip four days and you will be done. That is lots easier on you than stopping abruptly and you have plenty of meds to do that. God bless.

[sillygeel]

It has been a long haul after two different chemo drugs I am just about beat. However, I am in a mess, chemically. I am almost stabilized at 3 mg a day of subs. 2-mg AM sublingually and 1-mg at 2PM for the past three days so still a little shaky (probably all in my head) My eyes are still bad but my mobility is getting better. However, lately I am feeling strong jolts of electricity when I use my arms and wrists. Back to the Subs......Robert I pretty much know the drill but still would like it if you held my hand thru this as my life has been difficult to say the least for the past 2 years and I appreciate your kind words. However, this new chemo gives me confusion. I cant remember sh't! No seriously, I suffer from CRS
It isn't funny but when I talk to my friends they have been trying to tell me politely that I just told them the same story OK so now my hair color truly has an association with my brain power...........I am at 3 Mg subs daily and 3 mgs of ativan/zanex mainly in the eve. Got lots of panic with this new disease.
Let me know what is next and tell Melinda hello.
God is Good~Namaste~

[melinda7.5]

Hi Lisa
where have you been ??? Im sure Robert will know what CRS is but me
I just wanted to say...Robert will be on here later...
have a good day...
Melinda

[sillygeel]

Originally Posted by melinda7.5

Hi Lisa
where have you been ??? Im sure Robert will know what CRS is but me
I just wanted to say...Robert will be on here later...
have a good day...
Melinda

Hi Melinda!
I will need your help also for the xanex deal.....anyway...CRS is "can't remember sh~t" syndrome.....chemo drugs stink!
Talk to you soon!
Lisa

[Robert_325]

Originally Posted by sillygeel

It has been a long haul after two different chemo drugs I am just about beat. However, I am in a mess, chemically. I am almost stabilized at 3 mg a day of subs. 2-mg AM sublingually and 1-mg at 2PM for the past three days so still a little shaky (probably all in my head). My eyes are still bad but my mobility is getting better. However, lately I am feeling strong jolts of electricity when I use my arms and wrists. Back to the Subs......Robert I pretty much know the drill but still would like it if you held my hand thru this as my life has been difficult to say the least for the past 2 years and I appreciate your kind words. However, this new chemo gives me confusion. I cant remember sh't! No seriously, I suffer from CRS.
It isn't funny but when I talk to my friends they have been trying to tell me politely that I just told them the same story OK so now my hair color truly has an association with my brain power...........I am at 3 Mg subs daily and 3 mgs of ativan/zanex mainly in the eve. Got lots of panic with this new disease.
Let me know what is next and tell Melinda hello.
God is Good~Namaste~

Hi Lisa Marie ...... sorry it's taken me a few days to get back with you. Melinda and I have been spending a lot of time doing Christmas associated activities, have been active in church here in Melinda's town where I'm just starting to know people, and to be honest I always try to do some thinking prior to replying to your questions. I have to be really careful to not tell you something that will make things worse for you with the different chemo drugs, eye problems, etc. I surely don't want to tell you anything that will hurt you.

You know that I've told you repeatedly how I respect you for continuing to hold down your sub consumption when lots of people would use it as an excuse to take more drugs. You mention that you've been taking a couple of different chemo drugs. Are these different drugs than you were taking before? Can you share the names of the drugs with me please? I just want to do interaction checks and make sure what I say to you won't cause you any additional problems with your eyes and what not.

I'm happy to hear that your mobility is better. I know that all of the good news you receive has to mean a lot to you. You mention the jolts of electricity in your arms and wrists. Does this occur when you take the subs or is it something that seems to happen on a random basis likely likely unrelated to the subs?

Please let me know the names of the chemo drugs you've been taking and any other new drugs in the picture. I can't help but be concerned about the jolts in your arms/wrists but I would like to look up information on the drugs so I have a better idea of what advice is best related to the sub usage.

I look forward to hearing back from you at your first convenience. I hope you have a great Christmas season and that you're feeling better than you have in the past when we've spoken. I'll watch for your reply. Let me know if the font size is adequate for making this easier for you to read. As always I admire your attitude.

Once I hear about the drugs you're taking I'll make some suggestions about what to do next. God bless.

[sillygeel]

Ok...........Thanks for remembering everything it makes it much easier for me as when I awake and take off my hand splints (to keep edema down) i can't use them like I used to. Anyway, Happy holiday, Merry Christmas. My house is decorated but I am not doing all that well. So, Enbrel for 5 weeks, I took it long enough to get up and get to UCLA only to find out it is worse than I got diagnosed in town Then switched to Humira which I have been on 6 weeks and thinking about remicade. In the mean time I have added some lexapro cause to be frank, I felt like dying and could not shake it as my personal life w/hubby isn't doing well now that I have been ill. I feel like a lab rat! We have heard it all but I did get another pain specialist that said she had just attended a conference on how suboxone is harder to get off of than the actual opiate. DAHwhat the heck??? The electric jolts are from my joints and tendons........no?? They are sporadic and seem to happen when I try to ride my bicycle. (I am not giving into a wheelchair) nothing wrong with wheelchairs, just symbolizes something bad to me personally!
Glad you are good. I am at 3 mg sub, 2 mg AM then 1 mg in afternoon then 2 mg xanax at 3PM then 2 mg ativan at 7 PM. I hate all of it! I want to be on my bike or running or walking my dogs..............what the heck happened Sillygirl no more........God is good~Namaste~

[melinda7.5]

Hi Lisa maria
just wanted to stop by and say hi...Im glad you got your house decorated, I think I did mine the day after thankgiving...It is Roberts and my first Christmas together so we went all out...So it is starting off to be a good year,
I pray for you that things will get better for you. If there was anything we could do just let us know...
I hope you have a wonderful Christmas
do ya need me to come up there and do some talking to that hubby of yours...sounds like he needs a little talking to...ha ha...better yet Ill send Robert...LOL...
just trying to make you smile...
thinking of you, Melinda

[sillygeel]

Originally Posted by melinda7.5

Hi Lisa maria
just wanted to stop by and say hi...Im glad you got your house decorated, I think I did mine the day after Thanksgiving...It is Robert's and my first Christmas together so we went all out...So it is starting off to be a good year,
I pray for you that things will get better for you. If there was anything we could do just let us know...
I hope you have a wonderful Christmas
do ya need me to come up there and do some talking to that hubby of yours...sounds like he needs a little talking to...ha ha...better yet Ill send Robert...LOL...
just trying to make you smile...
thinking of you, Melinda

Hi Melinda,
So you two are newlyweds! How fun......I was wondering why no one is on this chat room any longer, do you know? Perhaps it is b/c I can't see real well. As far as my hubby goes, he is in pure denial.......I am sick about it myself. It makes even harder for me b/c I always have been a people pleaser and now I am angry and don't want any one around. Last night I went outside b/c of night sweats and saw 2 falling stars and prayed to God to help me out of this mess am in. Well, here comes the nausea so gotta go....Thanks, LM

[jamesfo]

Okay, this really sux and I am really upset. I really need some advice on what you guys think I should do.

I have been on painkillers for 7-8 years, quitting cold turkey a few times and having 3-4 day withdrawals with horrible leg issues while sleeping. I was off for several months until I motorcycle accident got me gripping again for over a year now. I was up to taking 8 10mg hydrocodones and ran out. I was on day 3 of hell when a buddy of mine said there was a miracle drug that completely eleminates the withdrawal symptoms and blocks the opiate receptors helping you off in 3 days. I normally research everything before I take it but I was in pretty bad shape the two nights before and didnt want to go through that another night although I was feeling much better and had a positive attitude about the turn around I had made. So anyways he had spelled it wrong and I had googled it seconds before I stuck it under my tongue and got nothing. About an hour later I was talking super fast and felt like I was on speed for many hours. I kept asking him, are you sure this is a get off of pills drug, which in turn he said man I am sure. After 12 hours of full blown speeding I decided to look up the markings and low an behold found this post. I am freaking. The 3 he gave me were 8mgs. I have only taken one of them but am pissed that I did as I was almost through the worst of my withdrawals and could have been done with it had I not taken the suboxone. Now I need help on what to do with the next two? Do I not take them at all and hope the one doesn't have me gripping, or cut the others up and take small doses. If I wasn't on hydrocodone for the last 8 yrs I wouldn't be worried about the one but the fact that I was has me scared. And the fact it was an 8mg and everyone has said it was crazy even at 1mg has me freaking out. The fact the the withdrawals are sooo much longer has me pissed as well. I hope you guys will tell me I am ok to not take anymore and just ride it out cause I am so done with this ********. I have wasted the last 8 yrs of my life to pills and I refuse to waste another day. I have alienated friends, lost people I cared about, lost thousands of dollars, been a ************ husband/father, and a poor excuse for a son. I really wanted to change and was so close. I was even telling my wife I was so excited I felt better. I was thinking so clearly and making future plans, things I had not done for so long. Man I so wish I didn't take that pill. I hope I am not coming across too emotional, its just soo hard to hide the feelings that have been piling up for so very long. Hydrocodone is a horrible addiction but is one that has to be ended on your own terms and not one that someone can tell you to end. No matter what anyone said my mind was made, but now that I had decided I was ready. My confidence is completely ablitereated. Can someon please shed a little light on my ever so increasing distance of hope?

James

[sillygeel]

Originally Posted by jamesfo

Okay, this really sux and I am really upset. I really need some advice on what you guys think I should do.

I have been on painkillers for 7-8 years, quitting cold turkey a few times and having 3-4 day withdrawals with horrible leg issues while sleeping. I was off for several months until I motorcycle accident got me gripping again for over a year now. I was up to taking 8 10mg hydrocodones and ran out. I was on day 3 of hell when a buddy of mine said there was a miracle drug that completely eleminates the withdrawal symptoms and blocks the opiate receptors helping you off in 3 days. I normally research everything before I take it but I was in pretty bad shape the two nights before and didnt want to go through that another night although I was feeling much better and had a positive attitude about the turn around I had made. So anyways he had spelled it wrong and I had googled it seconds before I stuck it under my tongue and got nothing. About an hour later I was talking super fast and felt like I was on speed for many hours. I kept asking him, are you sure this is a get off of pills drug, which in turn he said man I am sure. After 12 hours of full blown speeding I decided to look up the markings and low an behold found this post. I am freaking. The 3 he gave me were 8mgs. I have only taken one of them but am pissed that I did as I was almost through the worst of my withdrawals and could have been done with it had I not taken the suboxone. Now I need help on what to do with the next two? Do I not take them at all and hope the one doesn't have me gripping, or cut the others up and take small doses. If I wasn't on hydrocodone for the last 8 yrs I wouldn't be worried about the one but the fact that I was has me scared. And the fact it was an 8mg and everyone has said it was crazy even at 1mg has me freaking out. The fact the the withdrawals are sooo much longer has me pissed as well. I hope you guys will tell me I am ok to not take anymore and just ride it out cause I am so done with this ********. I have wasted the last 8 yrs of my life to pills and I refuse to waste another day. I have alienated friends, lost people I cared about, lost thousands of dollars, been a ************ husband/father, and a poor excuse for a son. I really wanted to change and was so close. I was even telling my wife I was so excited I felt better. I was thinking so clearly and making future plans, things I had not done for so long. Man I so wish I didn't take that pill. I hope I am not coming across too emotional, its just soo hard to hide the feelings that have been piling up for so very long. Hydrocodone is a horrible addiction but is one that has to be ended on your own terms and not one that someone can tell you to end. No matter what anyone said my mind was made, but now that I had decided I was ready. My confidence is completely ablitereated. Can someon please shed a little light on my ever so increasing distance of hope?

James

James, it sounds to me that YOU know what you need to do If it were me I would just finish off your withdrawals as you were pretty close to being over the worst part. I can't tell b/c I don't know you but it sounds like you like the suboxone and I can tell you one thing for certain SUBOXONE is more difficult to get off then 8-10 hydrocodone. Stay strong and get some support. Listen to your true self not your ADDICT.
Robert usually helps most folks but he is busy right now but I am almost positive he will be responding. You can do this James. Suck it up and do the deal......one drug for another NEVER works out, as far as I have ever witnessed!
Do something fun today for yourself. Get outside if you can and get some exercise, pet your animals, take your kid to the park or do something nice for someone else without them knowing..just some suggestions....good luck and keep writing........LM

[melinda7.5]

Hi James
you don't have much to worry about 1 sub wont hurt you...but like Lisa Marie told you just get thru the w/d as best you can
let us know if we can help
Melinda

[jamesfo]

Originally Posted by melinda7.5

Hi James
you don't have much to worry about 1 sub wont hurt you...but like Lisa Marie told you just get thru the w/d as best you can
let us know if we can help
Melinda

Okay,
Just updating here on my progress over the last 33 hours. I took that 1 8mg suboxone yesterday at 2pm and as of now, 11pm, I have no withdrawals. I was pretty close to be out of the withdrawals from hydrocodone so if that one pill truely did not hurt me then I will be in the clear. Suboxone is pretty intense and I hate to say but I liked the way I felt when I was on it. Probably cause it was an 8mg and it hit much harder than the 8-10 10mg hydrocodone had been cause I was so used to them. I am still pretty bummed that the way I felt yesterday is not what I am going to feel like once I am off. I kind of got the idea that I was moving so fast and thinking so much quicker because I was off the downers and not that I had some medication moving me along. Anyway I look at it I still want to be clean and not rely on any medication to live my life. I cannot afford to spend this huge amount of money on myself when I have two people (wife and daughter) that I should be putting before my needs. That I promised myself would stop so I will do everything necessary to fufill my goal. I have not touched the other two tabs but am keeping them just in case I need to wean off if it gets that bad. So far so good, but man, I had the shivers and restless leg pretty bad yesterday and once I took the suboxone I felt like a million bucks. Almost like I was a kid again. Not second guessing my choice to be clean just letting people know that this medication can be addicting cause of how well it works. Just wish I had found it 8 yrs ago and would not have been pumping such large amounts of acetaminophen over that time. I still don't understand why they would prescribe me 60 5/500 hydrocodone. If you took those as directed you would OD. I just really hope I didn't trash my liver, its so scary to think about it. I have made up my mind that I will feel like I did yesterday but not by taking suboxone, I will achieve it through dedication and hard work. I will start working out again and gain mobility through excersise. Thanks to everyone who has cared to read my ramble and apologize for the length. I just have been holding in so many emotions for so long and just didnt know how to vent them out. Wow I said I way too many times, not trying to sound full of myself, just owning to my problem and trying to admit it to move on.

[melinda7.5]

Hi James
glad your starting to feel better keep us posted on how your doing...
Melinda

[crazyinmass]

A few months back, I posted a few replies about subutex usage and coming off of this drug. I started on suboxone in 2006 and switched to subutex in 2007. I have tapered slowly (per Robert's recommendations) over the past 6months to around 1-mg per day. I decided today (12/19/09) to completely stop. My family went to visit relatives for about a week before Christmas so they will not need to see me go through withdrawal. I have no clonodine or other drugs to deal with the withdrawal symptoms that I am starting to feel 24 hours after the last dose. Can anyone help me to explain how long and how I will feel to completely free myself from subutex? I will be strong and not relapse into percocet, but if a few people who have gone cold turkey from 1 mg per day can tell me how long to expect the feelings to last, I would appreciate that. There are so many threads out there that I am loosing track of the final tapering off problems. Thanks and God Bless.