[byronb2006]

I am new and have read this entire forum re: "suboxone: how long stay in system." I am paraplegic for 21 yrs & suboxone patient for 3 yrs, 16mg to start, down to 8mg for 6months, down to 2mg for last 3months. Diagnosed with two torn rotator cuffs, torn right bicep, bone spur on left elbow that has pinched off nerve and no feeling in left hand/forearm. As a paraplegic this is all real painful and has totally limited my mobility. Surgeon told me that I would have to be off suboxone if they were going to treat me for pain (having surgery June 29th). Gave me 10mg lortab & I quit the suboxone 4 days ago and began taking the lortab, 5mg every 6 hours. Needless to say I feel like ******** but the lortab does make me feel better...I DO NOT WANT BUZZZ!! I am scared to death of this surgery and physical rehab to follow cause of the pain. Suboxone was not helping with my pain. By trying to get off suboxone and go to the lortab am I trading one problem 4 another? Have I waited too late to try & quit the suboxone? Any suggestions would be helpful! Thanks All!

[Robert_325]

If you're taking lortab now then you should be done with the suboxone. I would deal with the surgery first and then if you want to do the suboxone properly talk to us again about it at that time. You could possibly just cold turkey off the lortab after the surgery is over and not need subs or anything. But you need to first deal with your pain issue it appears. God bless.

[byronb2006]

Thank you so much for your reply! I reread my post & would like to add a bit more info regarding my inquiry. I am really feeling that I waited far too late to even try and dump the suboxone. The 5mg of Lortab only serves to keep me from being ill. I do not feel well at all!! The Lortab lasts about 4 hours and then it is a real struggle to make it to 6 hours. I take the next 5mg and same thing 3 1/2 - 4 hours I feel some well & then the stomach rolling over comes back and the nasal passages become clogged...just like the withdrawal from percocet. I was on 30-60mg/day of percocet from '03 to '06 with herniated disks & withdrew from that twice during that period...COLD TURKEY & VERY ILL. In '06 decided that had had enough of the pain meds as they were gaining control of my life so, on recommendation from friend went to suboxone dr. Once on suboxone my life became much, much better! Unfortunately for me, I live in small town in MS & not much education on these issues here. Suboxone dr is idiot! He said to take more mobic for pain issues. So no help there. Once I explain what suboxone is to the dr's here I really feel as though I get the leper treatment. Last thing, this lortab is not cutting it. I am really feeling ill and am at a crossroads...increase the lortab and try to ride this out or go back on the suboxone and worry about the pain of therapy later. I cannot go into surgery like this...will be ill!

[Robert_325]

Originally Posted by byronb2006

Thank you so much for your reply! I reread my post & would like to add a bit more info regarding my inquiry. I am really feeling that I waited far too late to even try and dump the suboxone. The 5mg of Lortab only serves to keep me from being ill. I do not feel well at all!! The Lortab lasts about 4 hours and then it is a real struggle to make it to 6 hours. I take the next 5mg and same thing 3 1/2 - 4 hours I feel some well & then the stomach rolling over comes back and the nasal passages become clogged...just like the withdrawal from percocet. I was on 30-60mg/day of percocet from '03 to '06 with herniated disks & withdrew from that twice during that period...COLD TURKEY & VERY ILL. In '06 decided that had had enough of the pain meds as they were gaining control of my life so, on recommendation from friend went to suboxone dr. Once on suboxone my life became much, much better! Unfortunately for me, I live in small town in MS & not much education on these issues here. Suboxone dr is idiot! He said to take more mobic for pain issues. So no help there. Once I explain what suboxone is to the dr's here I really feel as though I get the leper treatment. Last thing, this lortab is not cutting it. I am really feeling ill and am at a crossroads...increase the lortab and try to ride this out or go back on the suboxone and worry about the pain of therapy later. I cannot go into surgery like this...will be ill!

Mobic is an NSAID. It would help like ibuprofen or naproxen. The dr is trying to keep your lortab consumption to a minimum. Lots of time it takes a few days before a RX opiate is effective after being on so much suboxne for so long. If you ride this out you'll be okay for the surgery and be able to stop the pain meds and subs all at once. Keep us posted. God bless.

[jbchicken]

My son is scheduled to come out of rehab (60 days) from opiate addiction. He mentioned suboxone yesterday. Why would he need this after being 60+days of being off anything/everything? I'm confused.

[intelmetal]

He probable was on suboxone while in detox. Ask him what medications they gave him and how much of each while there. A lot of rehab facilities treat opiate addiction w/ suboxone to help with withdrawls. Make sure that if he gets more suboxone, that he takes the lowest effective dose. If not, he will become addicted to the subs and they require a slow agonizing taper to get off of. Come back with more info so that we can help. Robert_325 is the expert on sub therapy and should be back on this forum soon. Read as much of his posts as you can. It will help you from making a big mistake. If you need answers now, just ask.
IWANTOUT

to live my life and to be free !

[kolumbo]

I was wondering one thing. Can anyone help me? How long would it take if Ive been taking opiates regularly and took 4mg of suboxone one day, only one time, to get out of my system, before I can feel the opiates again? Again, I havent been on subs at all, just took it once, and it was a 4mg. How long would it take to feel the opiates? less than 12 hrs?

[sirmike75]

I will tell you my story ...i have cronic neck pain to the point i have wanted to kill myself .....this all took place within a 5 year span ...1 st i started on vicoden 7.5 after awhile they just didnt cut it...then i moved up to ...norco 10-325 .....started at 2 a day wich was great ...then i graduated to approx...15-20 a day ...which just wasnt cutting it....then i moved up to fentnyl the duragesic patch i started on 25 mg patch ....lets just say before i was complete with this whole thing i was wearing 4-5 50 mg patches and eating 10 plus 600 actiq on top of that i was eating ...norco.........about a year ago ...i was introduced to suboxone i started at 2 - 8mg a day ...... This last month i switched to 2 mg pills i have been taking 2 -2 times a day 8 mg s a day . I recently decided to stop i got to 1 pill a day and started getting that ansy feeling like the skin crawling under my nails ....and started feeling bad ..........i just dont want to get sick ...any recommendations should i stay on this stuff or what???????????????????

[Robert_325]

You can't jump off abruptly from the dose you're at. You need to taper slowly. Here is a link for how I base my suggestions. Let me know after reading it if you want the help. God bless.

http://www.drugs.com/forum/featured-...apy-50887.html

[sirmike75]

Well after further consideration ....i think im going to start taking the least amount of this ******** as poss for a while ....maybe 2 mg 2x a day or maybe even 1 pill a day ...till january ...when i can take some time off work.....so i wont come into the office feeling that horrible......anyway if anyone s got any better ideas let me know

hi just giving you some input about suboxone. i was on the stuff for 12mths up until 7 day's ago. i started on 8mgs then over the last 6 weeks started to taper down until i got to the 1mg mark, well what a bad move that was. i got to the point where i couldn't leave the house and basically couldn't even function anymore. i was so sick from the withdrawals that i went to my g.p. and he put me straight onto 15mgs of methadone. i know that i have gone from one drug to the other but i feel so much better now to the point where i am out all the time and have my life back. but now i have to decide how i'm going to taper down off the methadone. it scares me as i know how bad i felt coming off the suboxone and am so worried that the methadone will do the same thing?? anyone out there know much about tapering off the meth??? pls help. very confused to say the least. cheer's.

[bev49]

bevck, I think you jumped off the sub prematurely. There is a certain way to detox from sub which seems to work fine (per Robert's formula for getting off) for most people here. 1 mg. is way to high to just stop. Be that as it may, you need to come down from the methadone as quickly as possible or your in for a world of hurt. Methadone has a long half life and a terrible w/d. The only way to do this is to stay on meth for a minimum amount of time, don't go up beyond the 15 mgs. and start decreasing your dose as soon as possible. Most people have to switch from methadone to sub to get off the meth... I hope this is not just a revolving door. If you end up back on sub, ask for help on this forum with your taper. I know everything there is to know about methadone, and while it has its good points, ie, pain relief and saving a junkie from death, it is usually for the hard core addict and is long term.

[living in pain]

Originally Posted by bevck41

hi just giving you some input about suboxone. i was on the stuff for 12mths up until 7 day's ago. i started on 8mgs then over the last 6 weeks started to taper down until i got to the 1mg mark, well what a bad move that was. i got to the point where i couldn't leave the house and basically couldn't even function anymore. i was so sick from the withdrawals that i went to my g.p. and he put me straight onto 15mgs of methadone. i know that i have gone from one drug to the other but i feel so much better now to the point where i am out all the time and have my life back. but now i have to decide how i'm going to taper down off the methadone. it scares me as i know how bad i felt coming off the suboxone and am so worried that the methadone will do the same thing?? anyone out there know much about tapering off the meth??? pls help. very confused to say the least. cheer's.

I wish you lots of luck! like others have said, methadone is a horrible medication to come off of. I cant say from my own experience but once someone knows that im on methadone, the first thing they say is that methadone is the WORST med to come off of. I was put on methadone over 5 years ago for severe pain. I am on a lot higher dose than you are but, for me-this med has been a life saver that has given me some resemblence of a "normal" life. i can actually function on a daily basis since being prescribed the med. my doctors tell me that with my conditions, i will be on my meds for life but i do fear the day if i were to ever have to stop taking it. i wish you luck and keep reading the posts because there are tons of people on here that have experienced what you are now and should be able to assist you! keep us posted!!!

[nuttybuddy]

Originally Posted by htown190

I've been taking 8mg/day of Suboxone for a month now. This morning I fractured my ankle and was given lortab for pain. I know if I take the lortab now it wouldnt help with the pain. About how long does it take for Suboxone to leave the body so I can take the lortab for pain relief. Thanks.

For one you broke the law by getting the Lotabs filled. You have a contract with the doctor that prescribes your Suboxone, agreeing that you won't get any pain med's from any other doctor except them. The DEA monitors Suboxone treatment programs making sure people aren't doctor shopping. Also, there is no point in taking Lortabs because you won't get the full effect of them because the Suboxone is using up the all receptors that Opiates trigger. Did you not listen to your doctor when you got put on this stuff? Your ankle will be damn near heeled before the Tab's will help you. You should of saved your money.

[HARDWORKING]

I am new to this, I actually did not know that there were so many people out there with the same addictions. Most of the time you think you are alone. Or your friends ( so called ) don't want to stop, and your family just doesn't understand. I had been taking subs for about 14 months. Sometimes I feel like it is all in my head. Because I stopped taking the subs monday 9/7 with only a 4mg tab that morning. I had been taking 8mg twice a day. Anyhow, here it is saterday and I feel as though I am okay, I don't feel fantastic, but I am not feeling like hell either. My original ? was how long does it take for the subs to get out of your system? And that ? lead me here, in which I read every comment. And learned alot. I have 2 childeren so I am trying very hard to get off of everything for myself, them, and my wonderful boyfriend I have been with going on five years, that I have hurt more than once because of this addiction. Of which I thought could not be a drug addiction because I don't do other drugs, and I didn't put myself on opiants. I guess I just wanted reassurance that I would be okay from here on out. That the only battle was trying to stay off everything now, not the withdraws. And that I have no one eles to talk to about this. Any advice on this would be so helpful and I would truely greatful.

[darlaj429]

Ive read so many diferent post on suboxone and taking it too close after taking opiates. I just was released from a 6 week treatment center and hadnt heard of Suboxone. I was admitted tues at 3p.m. I took 15 lortab 10's going thru the door. At 10p.m that night I was given a 4mg dose of Suboxone. I have been on suboxone since..its been 3 months now..

[ashaddict]

I have been on suboxone for 8 months and i am almost off. First of all I must say that this really works for those who want to change. If you are still thinking about getting high than you are not ready for suboxone. I was so paranoid when I first started because of all the negative stuff I read but now I know that it is a miracle drug. I was taking 3-5 80s every day spent almost $2000 a month and almost died once. So far 9 people that I have partied with have died but anyways to answer your question it take about 15-30 days if you are on a maintence program. Usually 3 days after just a few of them(8mg that is). I used to be concerned with that question myself only because I still missed that feeling. Face the facts if you stay on opz you are going to die. I would rather go the suboxone route. Remember out of sight out of mind you can do it ...