my son's doctor put him on this knowing he is a recovering addict to opiates, and I think this is a dangerous thing to do, what is your oppinion on this
Ativan - Is Ativan ok to use with suboxone?
Question posted by bandit2005 on 12 June 2011
Last updated on 26 October 2017
Answers
Micpic23
12 June 2011
you shouldnt take any benzos with suboxone that is my problem now.. it can cause a comma or even death. but i have a question for pattie, i see u help alot of people and i was just needing some advice. I have been on 8mg suboxone for past 2 yrs and just jumped off at 8 mg about 18 days ago and still feel horrible.. cant do nothing and cant sleep. also cant stay hydrated.. I was just wondering with all ur knowledge if u knew about how much longer of this i got bc i cant handle this anymore and i got a family to take care of but cant really do nothing.
Inactive
12 June 2011
Micpic, suboxone is the second longest lasting withdrawal, methadone is the longest. Both are long acting opiate replacements. I know you probably feel awful and don't have any energy, but I am going to tell you the only things I know that will help lessen the severity of the wd and the length of time a person suffers. 1) no matter how awful you feel, please get a 10 minute walk in twice a day, our body's are designed to stay moving. I know it will be a struggle, but it sends a signal to the brain to reboot the damaged pain relieving system it had in place before the opiate dependence and suboxone jump. wd symptoms are all signals the body sends to attempt to bypass the damaged system and trick the brain into rebooting the crashed system. increase the time by a couple of minutes every few days, once you get to 20 minutes, you can just walk one a day.
It also helps produce endorphins, those help you feel better mentally and physically and it helps regulate the eat-sleep-wake cycles. It is not an overnight cure, but after a few days, it will help and you will see that. 2) get some gatorade and treat whatever symptoms you have, #3(diarrhea) use imodium for aches and pains, alternate advil one time tylenol the next and yes you can use the generic or store brands 3) try to stay busy, even if it is reading, it helps distract you from the misery 4) stay with a support team, it helps lift your mood, helps distract you and keeps you focused on the prize of getting over this 5) you might benefit from some rx meds, clonidine helps treat restless leg, insomnia and anxiety, methacarbomal treats tummy issues and a low dose antidepressant sometimes helps too. I know you feel crappy, like you have the flu and the stomach flu at the same time, but I swear that walking will help. I can't give you an exact time frame for you to be completely well, but I can tell you that the first phase is the worst and you should be coming out of that now, Give the things I say a try, they will help. Hot showers or baths will help, try to stay distracted from your misery, that makes any symptom worse when you are focused on it. I am so sorry you are suffering, if you are impaired physically, don't do the walking, but what ever you can do helps reboot that damaged system in your brain, I swear it, so if you can, do it. I'll be keeping ya in my prayers, stay here for support also. I have a personal friend who was in a rehab for 9 months and he came off 40 mgs of suboxone all at once, he said it wasn't too bad. I don't recommend anyone take 40 mgs per day or stop at a high dose, but when he told me that, I was floored. If you can try to focus on something else, it will help. Laughter helps produce endorphins too, go to Youtube.com and look up these videos, I swear you will laugh Ms. Swan at Customs or Ms. Swan at airport ( from madtv) seth and amy really michael vick and snl stefon, if you don't laugh at those, I have no idea what will make you laugh. But try to find something that will, it will help. Praying for ya, Promise. Patti
Micpic23
13 June 2011
thank u for responding. yeah my sub doctor also prescribe me clonapin about 2 yrs ago 1 mg a day so it really doesnt help. and i will try the walking around today, i went to wal-mart a few days ago and thought i was going to die. also last night i was prescribed a sleep aid to help sleep but i had allergic reaction and ended up in the hospital.. from what i read it says it will take along time so i dont know what to do. i have a new born son and have half a year of college left so its really hard for me to stay positive feeling like this. I looked for NA meetings but i am in such a small college town they dont really offer but 1-2 a week. I wish i would have known how bad subs were i would have just done it right the first time..
Inactive
13 June 2011
Micpic, I questioned my going on subs for a long time too, but know now it really was the best course of treatment. I know we often get furious and feel like we are being persecuted for past mistakes, don't let that get to you. There are no coincindences or mistakes, only happy accidents to gently guide you. I usually tell people who can't find a support group or NA to go to AA, they are lots more prevalent and you should be able to find one much easier. You can also try you local mental health center to see if they have some groups, it will be based on your income. We tend to isolate as addicts and we have to stick together and support each other, it helps alot. If you can get a low dose of antidepressant, it may help. I used 10 to 25 mgs or amitriptyline when I got down to .25 mgs, it did help me sleep and it helped with the depression I often go thru. I am now 8 months or almost subs free and am on a super low dose of generic prozac, NON extended version, it helps.
I don't need a bigger dose, a small dose does me fine. and both are generic, so, they are cheap. Hope this helps, thanks for the update, you are on my friends list if you need anymore help, you can pq me too. Patti
Freddy48
26 Oct 2017
I have heard that jumping from 8 mg is too quick if you look online there are taper methods you can use like going down to 4 for a few days then down to two then down to one then down to a half mg then probably jump from there I don't know how long any of these take but you can get more information online stay strong fight the good fight
Inactive
12 June 2011
the suboxone doctor should know about the ativan use and approve it if he feels it is warranted. It is not recommended to take benzos and subs usually, I know some people do, but the subs doctor should know. If the subs doctor does not know, and drug tests him, and that shows up, he could get kicked off the program by his doctor. It can increase the chances of him not only becoming addicted to a benzo but it can increase the chance of slowed breathing and death. If your son has seizures, or is already benzo dependent, that may be why he gave him the ativan. I had a rather spirited conversation with someone here over this same issue, and I know some subs doctors will approve it, but the key issue here is if the subs doctor knows. The less brain chemical altering medications a person is on while being treated for opiate addiction with suboxone, the better off they will be and the quicker they will start healing. That is not to say that other meds are sometimes needed. Normally, a subs doctor will treat anxiety with clonidine or a low dose of antidepressant while a patient is on subs. I truly try not to argue with people on this site, and I know someone is going to come back and dispute what I say, I have no control over that, but I do know that I was successfully treated with suboxone, have been off for 8 months with no withdrawal, and I did the addiction therapy also, so, I do have my reasons for saying what I say. I also suffer from anxiety/panic disorder and did NOT take benzos while on subs at all, I used the addiction therapy help to quell anxiety and attended a subs group. Support and guidance also help treat anxiety. Pattishan
Freddy48
26 Oct 2017
Congratulations on your clean time keep up the good work hopefully I'll be there soon also
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ativan, suboxone, doctor, opiate
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