Got Suboxone, What now?

[theenabler]

Hello. I am new to this board, hoping to get some answers. My husband is addicted to painkillers (percs, vikes and oxy's) and I'm also a recovering addit (other drugs) so I tend to dabble in it a little too. I take a couple here and there and can go without but I know that won't last long. My hubby has been using for 6 years now on and off and it is just torture for both of us. He takes 10-15 10mg a day, or 3 40mg oxy's when we have them (broken up to get rid of the time release). It was a lot worse at one point so he considers this to be good. Our lives are consumed with when and where we are going to get them for him. I hate to see him suffer and me and the kids suffer too when he doesn't have them so I go out of my way to supply him, I am the WORST sort of enabler and I feel horrible and responsible for his addiction. We have looked into suboxone but cannot find a doctor in our area and also wouldn't be able to afford in anyway. We are in financial ruins and our lives are falling apart. My friend, who also has a problem, gave me 5-8mg suboxone today and I feel elated, hopeful again. I know that it may not be the right way to get him off, with so few and no doctor but we are desperate. What dose should he take? Does anyone have any suggestions?

[Robert_325]

Hello. I am new to this board, hoping to get some answers. My husband is addicted to painkillers (percs, vikes and oxy's) and I'm also a recovering addit (other drugs) so I tend to dabble in it a little too. I take a couple here and there and can go without but I know that won't last long. My hubby has been using for 6 years now on and off and it is just torture for both of us. He takes 10-15 10mg a day, or 3 40mg oxy's when we have them (broken up to get rid of the time release). It was a lot worse at one point so he considers this to be good. Our lives are consumed with when and where we are going to get them for him. I hate to see him suffer and me and the kids suffer too when he doesn't have them so I go out of my way to supply him, I am the WORST sort of enabler and I feel horrible and responsible for his addiction. We have looked into suboxone but cannot find a doctor in our area and also wouldn't be able to afford in anyway. We are in financial ruins and our lives are falling apart. My friend, who also has a problem, gave me 5-8mg suboxone today and I feel elated, hopeful again. I know that it may not be the right way to get him off, with so few and no doctor but we are desperate. What dose should he take? Does anyone have any suggestions?

I can feel your desperation and understand the financial situation you find your family in. That is what addiction does to families. I sympathize for your children but at the point where this has caused financial and spiritual ruin that is where most of my sympathy remains ... with your kids. You admit that you are participating in this to make him feel better. You are not helping this situation at all. You know that. I am only pointing out the obvious that you already are aware of. Not judging, just want to point out that you have to own your part in this too.

You need to stop this foolishness first of all. Do a cold turkey and quit and refuse to score him one single pill ever again. You can't "dabble" in it anymore and expect to get your life turned around. It's your choice but that is what I would tell you if you were my daughter, and you most likely could be as I am an oldie. I'm not trying to be a wise guy at all, just being realistic and honest as that is the way I am. You don't sound like stopping would make you ill as your problem doesn't appear to be as bad as your husbands. But he won't be successful if you don't stop too. Do you follow my train of thought???]

After using 10-15 10mg RX opiates a day for six years he is going to have a tougher time in detox. I really wish you could get a dr involved at least to get some meds from. If you can't afford it you can't afford it. I understand. The kids have to eat. But can you get any more suboxone? 5 pills aren't much to do a detox. About all that will do is ease w/d symptoms a little for the first few days. He is still going to go through detox w/d. It's just not enough for me to do a detox plan with.

The only thing I can suggest is that you use the five pills to get him through the first 4-6 days. There just isn't enough for much more than that. You could break the pills up into quarters or something but that small of an amount wouldn't be enough to benefit him much. I would give him 8mg, then see if the w/d are gone. FIRST HE NEEDS TO GO ABOUT 24 HOURS WITH NO PILLS OF ANY KIND. This is just the way you have to do it with suboxone or he can get sick if he takes them too soon after a vic or a perc or whatever. So make him be clean tomorrow, then give him an 8mg sub on Sunday. Should make him well. He needs to let it dissolve under his tongue only.

Monday give him 4mg in the morning and 4mg late in the afternoon. Repeat that for remainder of the five days until the pills are gone. this will get him past the VERY WORST days of detox only. He will still have some detox to finish when you run out of suboxone. If you can get more I could help you more. But there is only so much I can do with only five pills. Hope that helps you some anyway. Let me know how he is doing. Good luck for the benefit of your family. We may need to adjust what he takes according to how he does so we could MAYBE stretch the suboxone for a couple extra days. God bless.

[theenabler]

Robert,

You are absolutely right, I don't need them and I will never take them again. This is something I should have done a long time ago, I have a very addictive personality and I let that override my better judgement. For the first couple of years I fought with him and he made life a living hell and at some point I just gave in and started helping him (in the wrong way). I take the blame and am ashamed of myself. If only for my children I have made a promise to myself this evening to never ever provide my husband or myself with it again. I may be able to get 5 more subs, I have to talk to my friend. She takes just as much as he does if not more and she told me she started with a half and then weins herself down. You seem more experienced so I'm trusting you know more then she does. I really appreciate your input and help. You seem to be a wonderful man, a godsend. Thank you, I will keep in touch.

I can feel your desperation and understand the financial situation you find your family in. That is what addiction does to families. I sympathize for your children but at the point where this has caused financial and spiritual ruin that is where most of my sympathy remains ... with your kids. You admit that you are participating in this to make him feel better. You are not helping this situation at all. You know that. I am only pointing out the obvious that you already are aware of. Not judging, just want to point out that you have to own your part in this too.

You need to stop this foolishness first of all. Do a cold turkey and quit and refuse to score him one single pill ever again. You can't "dabble" in it anymore and expect to get your life turned around. It's your choice but that is what I would tell you if you were my daughter, and you most likely could be as I am an oldie. I'm not trying to be a wise guy at all, just being realistic and honest as that is the way I am. You don't sound like stopping would make you ill as your problem doesn't appear to be as bad as your husbands. But he won't be successful if you don't stop too. Do you follow my train of thought???]

After using 10-15 10mg RX opiates a day for six years he is going to have a tougher time in detox. I really wish you could get a dr involved at least to get some meds from. If you can't afford it you can't afford it. I understand. The kids have to eat. But can you get any more suboxone? 5 pills aren't much to do a detox. About all that will do is ease w/d symptoms a little for the first few days. He is still going to go through detox w/d. It's just not enough for me to do a detox plan with.

The only thing I can suggest is that you use the five pills to get him through the first 4-6 days. There just isn't enough for much more than that. You could break the pills up into quarters or something but that small of an amount wouldn't be enough to benefit him much. I would give him 8mg, then see if the w/d are gone. FIRST HE NEEDS TO GO ABOUT 24 HOURS WITH NO PILLS OF ANY KIND. This is just the way you have to do it with suboxone or he can get sick if he takes them too soon after a vic or a perc or whatever. So make him be clean tomorrow, then give him an 8mg sub on Sunday. Should make him well. He needs to let it dissolve under his tongue only.

Monday give him 4mg in the morning and 4mg late in the afternoon. Repeat that for remainder of the five days until the pills are gone. this will get him past the VERY WORST days of detox only. He will still have some detox to finish when you run out of suboxone. If you can get more I could help you more. But there is only so much I can do with only five pills. Hope that helps you some anyway. Let me know how he is doing. Good luck for the benefit of your family. We may need to adjust what he takes according to how he does so we could MAYBE stretch the suboxone for a couple extra days. God bless.

[Robert_325]

Robert,

You are absolutely right, I don't need them and I will never take them again. This is something I should have done a long time ago, I have a very addictive personality and I let that override my better judgement. For the first couple of years I fought with him and he made life a living hell and at some point I just gave in and started helping him (in the wrong way). I take the blame and am ashamed of myself. If only for my children I have made a promise to myself this evening to never ever provide my husband or myself with it again. I may be able to get 5 more subs, I have to talk to my friend. She takes just as much as he does if not more and she told me she started with a half and then weins herself down. You seem more experienced so I'm trusting you know more then she does. I really appreciate your input and help. You seem to be a wonderful man, a godsend. Thank you, I will keep in touch.

If you get another five pills that will help. Let me know. With ten we can adjust the dose better according to his symptoms. We will still be ending his suboxone use very quickly but that is a positive thing. We can speak more on Saturday. God bless.

[Robert_325]

Robert,

You are absolutely right, I don't need them and I will never take them again. This is something I should have done a long time ago, I have a very addictive personality and I let that override my better judgement. For the first couple of years I fought with him and he made life a living hell and at some point I just gave in and started helping him (in the wrong way). I take the blame and am ashamed of myself. If only for my children I have made a promise to myself this evening to never ever provide my husband or myself with it again. I may be able to get 5 more subs, I have to talk to my friend. She takes just as much as he does if not more and she told me she started with a half and then weins herself down. You seem more experienced so I'm trusting you know more then she does. I really appreciate your input and help. You seem to be a wonderful man, a godsend. Thank you, I will keep in touch.

So just checking in on you. Tell me it's going well???

[theenabler]

Robert,

Sorry I haven't gotten back to you...been crazy here. My hub started on 2 mil on 11/15, he said he was comfortable with that and stayed on that for 4 days. We went down to 1 mil 2x a day after that and stayed on for 4 days, now down to 1 mil a day. I think he has only a couple left, will he be okay?

[donewdone]

Hey!
Did your husband go through any withdrawls? I have been on suboxone before....3 yrs. ago....Its an awsome drug to help get through w/ds and off opiates. In fact Im about to use it again, very soon. I just got a script of suboxone. If you live near Houston and a couple/few will help your husband, let me know. Let us know how things go. Good Luck.

[Robert_325]

Robert,

Sorry I haven't gotten back to you...been crazy here. My hub started on 2 mil on 11/15, he said he was comfortable with that and stayed on that for 4 days. We went down to 1 mil 2x a day after that and stayed on for 4 days, now down to 1 mil a day. I think he has only a couple left, will he be okay?

He could actually use a few more to taper off properly. If he can't get any more then take 1mg per day four days, then .5mg for four days, then skip a day, take .5mg and then skip two days, then take.5mg and skip three days. take. 5mg and skip four days. then he should be done