I took suboxone today and freeeeaked out becuz my heart started to beat like CRAZY. Pounding and fast. Its calmed down but I am still scared because I have an enlargemtn in my heart due to my heart beating so much from withdrawing all the time (before I committed to withdrawing for good). I'm freaked out b y this whole process. I've been layin here trying to relax but if I don't focus on something, I can feel my heart beat in every part of my body, and the back of my head. Also if I try to move around my heart really speeds up. Aaand my skin feels really hot. I have no one else to help me so I have resorted to this website... I'm scared about my heart and not being able to get up and do anything is very frustrating... can someone please give me some input... thanks <3
Am I experiencing a normal reaction to suboxone?
Question posted by vikachka on 19 June 2011
Last updated on 21 June 2011
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Answers
Vic,
Heart problems are a very real possibility when detoxing off any drug, but maybe especially opiates. On the 1 hand, if you had not said you have a heart issue I'd call what you're experiencing anxiety, also known as fear. Anxiety is a type of fear, although usually you aren't afraid of something real. So your heart beating faster can come from that. But since you said you have a heart enlargement, I'm going to assume the irregular heart beats are real. You asked if it's Normal, and I have to say No, it's not Normal. But it is common. However it's not normal in the sense that folks on Sub don't experience this on a regular basis. Your age is also a factor. The 1st time I had to detox from pain meds I was 44 and the entire detox went fine. Yet I knew I had a heart problem that was never diagnosed. Every time the docs checked me there was nothing for them to find. So the detox went fine, but about 3 weeks after being off all opiates my heart speeded up and didn't feel right. This lasted over 1 hour at which time a friend took me to the ER. I was immediately put an EKG machine and they finally diagnosed what I had been feeling, sporadically, for years. I was having an episode of Tachycardia (a rapid heart rate) and Atrial Fibrillations. A rapid heart rate isn't too worrisome, but doc's get very worried over A-Fibs because they can lead to a stroke. So the ER doc administered some meds, which brought my heart beat back to normal. He then admitted me to a heart ward where I was under constant observation for the next 3 days. It didn't happen again, so I was placed on meds and released. I'm still on meds, and always will be. But this is why you shouldn't ignore this.
Patti is right that unless you go to an ER you should at the very least go check your BP and heart rate at a drug store or someplace they have a machine. But better yet is should but a BP and Heart Rate monitor. You should also learn to feel your wrist pulse and learn what Your pulse feels like. Under normal conditions when a heart goes into A-Fibs the person can't feel it. But when a heart goes into A-Fibs and Tachycardia at the same time, you may be able to feel it. I mean feel it in your wrist pulse. However, I feel it throughout my body. It feels very scary. It also feels like an anxiety or panic attack, but it isn't. This really isn't something you should play around with. You should see a doc asap. But I get the feeling you aren’t going to. I am aware that there are people out there who take Sub every now and then just to try and reduce their opiate dose. And then after a few days they go back to OxyContin, Heroin, or whatever their favorite opiate is. I'm wondering if you're 1 of these people? Forgive me if I'm wrong, but that's what it sounds like to me. I say this because personally, other than a doc, I wouldn't have any idea where to get a Sub from, or even an OxyContin pill for that matter.
I think you need to decide whether you want off the addicting opiates or not. If you do, Sub can help in ways no other drug can. But as Patti said, you also need addiction therapy. If you don't want to completely quit the high-producing opiates then you shouldn't also use Sub. It's a recipe for disaster. Nevertheless, I will try to help you. But I'd like you to decide to quit using opiates in the ways you're now doing.
Well thank u for the advice. I have a doctors appointment tomorrow for an echocardiogram if that's the right term. I already had an ekg done cuz my doctor noticed my pulse was so high. I had no heart problems, ever, until I started the opiates. But since I was on them, my heart would always start pounding away and I think it happened when I didn't have enuf drugs in my system. Also, just so u know, I HAVE made up my mind about quitting opiates. This is my 3rd day not having gotten high. Yes the other day I took a tiny bit of oxy becuz I knew it was the only thing I had that wud slow down my heart. It was so little I did not get high, nothing. Today once I felt enough withdrawal, I took a teeny piece of a sub and am still goin strong. Thoguh I'm young, I have a long history of drugs use for my age and believe me, I've had it.
I'm too young for all these health problems, I'm a gorgeous young woman (not to sound conceited, just trying to feel good about myself) I'm a great person and am really smart and caring so I have everything to lose. I want my life back and I wanna feel like myself again. I don't luike what drugs do to me. I'm fed up. I'm also gonna start going to aa/ na meetings again. I miss it and it helped a lot. There are too many things I wanna do with my life to risk it all by screwin myself up for a couple of highs. I don't even haev fun getting high anymore I just am always paranoid that somethin bads gonna happen. I know a lot for my young age I am very experienced and educated.I know everything about drugs and whatnot I do my research and I know I DO have anxiety problems, and also that I NEED to take good care of my body because I realize I should be dead. If there is a god, then I need to be greatful to him cuz he gave me my life back. I got a second chance to become better, and I been screwin it up. So. I am determined. I wouldn't be on these message boards askin for help, if that wasn't the case. So. I really do need and appreciate all the advice I am getting, and am greatful that peopole who have no clue who I am are willin to spend their time helping me. Thank you !
Dear Vik, some people do have this symptom, I did. You didn't list how much you are on or for how long and that info would be helpful. Go to any drug store and use the machine to check your blood pressure, if it is high, it will make the heart beating feel much worse. If you have been placed on 16 mgs, and are taking it all at once, that dose likely can be brought down, but you will have to call the doctor to get a dose reduction okayed. I have to always say to call the doctor. Most people don't need 16 mgs, but the doctors prescribing it are going by what they learned in the training course and that is almost always the amount they start a patient on. Suboxone can stay on the brain receptor sites for several days with no more taken, so, you could skip a dose, and if you start feeling better after you have been off it for a day, a dose reduction is indicated. If your blood pressure is high, please call your doctor today( even if you get the answering service) and ask for clonidine, it is a blood pressure med that helps with blood pressure levels, anxiety, rls, and insomnia in subs patients and those going thru opiate withdrawal. It is sunday and father's day, so answers here may come more slowly than they normally would. I hope you get to feeling better soon. You can hit comment and add that info and please keep checking back for responses throughout the day. It is my experience that sunday afternoons to evenings produce more answers. Sunday mornings people are in Church or out doing things, do, please, go check your bp, and do the resting, that is the only thing you can do other than call the doctor. Saying a Prayer for ya, Pattishan
Hey, thank you for the response. To fill u in, I've only been on it for about 2 days now, and withdrawing for maybe 2 1/2-3 days. I was doing 90-180 mg of oxycodone a day for 4 months before the subs. I am also not being directed by a doctor, I am doing this myself because I have successfully gone through this on my own before, and only took about 5 days to get clean off oxy and be off the subs too. This is my goal again, but I just don't remember the symptoms I had last time which is why I'm freakin out all over again. I have not yet had a chance to check my bp but I am afraid to mix any otthr meds with the subs becuz my system seems to be hypersensitive to mixing medications... my heart is still feeling poundy hehe but its better when I'm laying down. Yesterday got up and walked around a bit cuz I was feeling better. I haven't had a dose of suboxone in about 36 hrs so I just did a tiny bit of oxy. Around 15 mg.
Will this have "reset" my withdrawal, u think? I'm still planning to continue the subs but was feeling so crappy that I slipped up and gave in..
Hey, thank you for the response. To fill u in, I've only been on it for about 2 days now, and withdrawing for maybe 2 1/2-3 days. I was doing 90-180 mg of oxycodone a day for 4 months before the subs. I am also not being directed by a doctor, I am doing this myself because I have successfully gone through this on my own before, and only took about 5 days to get clean off oxy and be off the subs too. This is my goal again, but I just don't remember the symptoms I had last time which is why I'm freakin out all over again. I have not yet had a chance to check my bp but I am afraid to mix any otthr meds with the subs becuz my system seems to be hypersensitive to mixing medications... my heart is still feeling poundy hehe but its better when I'm laying down. Yesterday got up and walked around a bit cuz I was feeling better. I haven't had a dose of suboxone in about 36 hrs so I just did a tiny bit of oxy. Around 15 mg.
Will this have "reset" my withdrawal, u think? I'm still planning to continue the subs but was feeling so crappy that I slipped up and gave in..
The oxy will be blocked, I still didn't see anywhere in your post how many milligrams you were taking. Suboxone even at 8mgs ( 1 tablet) will block any opiate you put in your system, so, if I were you, I wouldn't even try it. I see you already did, but I am sure it got blocked. Most people don't understand how suboxone works, it takes up the whole receptor site, thus preventing any opiate from "sitting" on those sites. You can od on subs and opiates, despite the high getting blocked, so, I caution you against trying to take more oxy to feel it. Just because the high is blocked, it can still slow the breathing and could cause od or fatality, although I doubt this will happen with you taking such a small amount just this once. Suboxone is designed to help you get off opiates and is supposed to have mandatory addiction therapy.
If you don't do this therapy, you stand a high chance of relapsing as you have not healed the emotional issues causing the dependence and triggering the relapses. Each time you fall off the wagon, it will be harder and harder for you to do this quick fix with suboxone and then be ok, this is not a judgement, it is just info to possibly help you fix this long term. That is what suboxone is designed for.
Yes, I understand the ways of suboxone heh..I took 8mg 36 hours ago. The tiny bit that I just did actually made me feel a little better so I don't think It was blocked. Now, I am not planning on doing more. I am wondering if you know if me doing that little bit will put back my withdrawal, and when it is safe for me to take suboxone again. I did less than 15 mg. Last dose of subs before that was 8 mg 36 hours ago. What do u think..
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Further information
- Suboxone uses and safety info
- Suboxone prescribing info & package insert (for Health Professionals)
- Side effects of Suboxone (detailed)
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