Subutex 4 yrs - need help getting off!

[maximus99]

Hello all,

I am so happy to have found this group. It has been 4 years of challenge, and I truly want to get off Subutex, so I can have children with my wife. I do not have any libido on it whatsoever.

FACTS:
4 YEARS ON SUBUTEX: 6 - 8mg per day (usually take 2mg morn, aft, eve)

1st TAPER ATTEMPT RECENTLY:
1) 8mg down to 6 mg. Stayed at the new dose for 2 weeks. No problem
2) 6 mg down to 4 mg. Stayed at the new dose for 2 weeks. No problem
3) 4mg down to 3mg (1.5 pills). After 1 week at this new dose, that's when the hell began.

INtense, sharp, stomach cramping. Couldnt eat, work, or stand. Had to lie on my stomach with pressure. This started at day 7 after going down from 2 pills (each 2mg)=4 mg down to 1.5 pills or 3mg per day.

I had been successful from going down originally from 4 pills or 8 mg.

My theory was to stabilize the tapering by doing each step down every 2 weeks. I have read 4 days on here. But I did it for 14 days.

I was shocked that at my taper from 4 to 3mg, 7 days later is where I had the problem.

After my 1st terrible day of stomach pain, I took a sliver which would equal 4mg. It didnt help. The pain continued...

I kept taking more sub until I reach my old dose of 4 pills or 8 mg.

Here it is:

FRIDAY: 7 days after stepping down from 4mg to 3mg had stomach pain and could eat or work. Ended up taking 4 mg of Sub that day. Still in pain

SAT: TOOK 8 mg of Sub that day. Still in pain

SUN: TOOK 8 mg of Sub that day. Still intense sharp pain. No appetitie. Cant function

MON: Finally. Woke up better. Less pain. 1st good day. Took 3 days ! Took 6 mg of Subutex this day.

Today is TUESDAY, and I plan on taking 6 mg of Subutex today.

PLEASE HELP ME!!!

Where do I go from here ?

Its been 4 years.

I need to work through this and function, so I thought slow would be good....but my plan didnt work. ANYONE !!!

[newyorkgal]

Dear Max, I have to be honest with you. I don't think the sharp pains in your stomach had anything at all to do with your sub decrease in dose. The evidence of that is that when you took extra sub, the pain didn't go away and you were on the dose a full week, long enough to stabilize. Perhaps you had a stomach virus? I would chalk it up to that and continue dropping your dose.

[maximus99]

You make a good point. I considered that possibility.

However, after 3 days of going back on the usual dose, the stomach pain dissappeared.

Since the half life of sub is around 72 hours, the 3 days it took to make the stomach pain go away seemed to fall in line with the half-life os subutex.

Someone I know who went off Oxy said that she was given Bentyl as part of her 'kit' to get off the opiate, using Bentyl for stomach pain.

I haven't seen much stomach pain on this forum, but I figured since opiates control and effect digestion, it seems reasonable.

[cheekysod]

you need to just keep tapering down slowly as you can handle it.
ok so four years is a while, but ive done more than 15 on methadone,etc, and its taken me 6 months to taper from 12mg of sub to .25.
just take your time, adjust to the dose, then drop once you are feeling good again.

ive had no trouble with the gut. and your slither of 4mg, is frikkin huge matey.
a slither is usually like .5 or .25, just to get you thru.

4mg is like huge pal. you need to sort out what you really want to do. off or not. on or not.
take it slowly down, slowly, thats how ive done it. ok so i hit a bump right at the end, but thats probably more in my head than anywhere.
go for it.

[maximus99]

you need to just keep tapering down slowly as you can handle it.
ok so four years is a while, but ive done more than 15 on methadone,etc, and its taken me 6 months to taper from 12mg of sub to .25.
just take your time, adjust to the dose, then drop once you are feeling good again.

ive had no trouble with the gut. and your slither of 4mg, is frikkin huge matey.
a slither is usually like .5 or .25, just to get you thru.

4mg is like huge pal. you need to sort out what you really want to do. off or not. on or not.
take it slowly down, slowly, thats how ive done it. ok so i hit a bump right at the end, but thats probably more in my head than anywhere.
go for it.

Thanks mate.

I know that usually during WD, folks take a chip or slither to get them through. During the stomach pain episode, I started with a chip. After 3 hours, no improvement. Another chip. I kept taking a chip, waiting for the stomach pain to end, and it didn''t. Eventually, I was at 4mg.

Here's my confusion. When you have wd symptoms, a chip gets you through IF you even need it. Better if you can get through without it.

But with the stomach pain, the chips did nothing. Guess thats why someone thought it had nothing to do with the Sub, and possibly a separate stomach issue such as a virus, etc.

Even 6 days later, my stomach is not the same from the episodes. The major pain is gone, but it's still not right.

Not sure about the stomach issue...?