I have been on 1mg of suboxone for one month, after coming off of a 2 year addiction to methadone and opiates. How long will this withdraw last? I was told that there was no withdraw from suboxone, which is why I chose to use it to lesson my methadone withdraw. Now, I feel like crap all over again. I cant keep going through this. This is why I am trapped in this viscous circle to begin with. Can you give me any hope? Am I doing this right? I teach aerobics for 2 hours a day! I cant feel bad, or I'm stuck in addiction. Help!
I have been on 1mg of suboxone for 1 month,I am quiting now, how long will withdraw last?
Question posted by snow30 on 6 Aug 2011
Last updated on 2 January 2018
Answers
Inactive
6 Aug 2011
You to give the brain time to heal, one month on suboxone is not enough time, and if you do jump off at 1 mg, you will experience wd for anywhere from a couple of weeks to a few months. The exercise will help, but you need to taper off, don't just jump at 1 mg, even with the exercise, you are going to have symptoms of wd. Try this, drop to .75 mgs for 4 weeks, .5 for 4 weeks, .25 for 4 weeks, then go one full day between .25 mgs, this is longer than you want to be on. It I am sure, but you won't suffer. After a few weeks on the .25 48 hour skip, you should be able to jump off fairly easily with little to no wd. Patti
snow30
6 Aug 2011
Thanks Patti. After the methadone... which I came off of cold turkey, I lasted 12 days and then started 2 mg per day on suboxone. Now I am down to 1/4 of 1mg on my third day now. So the withdraws arent nearly as bad as the methadone hell I went through, but I am disappointed because I was told there would be no withdraw from suboxone... And there is...
Thor283
7 Aug 2011
Let me understand this better. When you quit the Methadone CT, how much Mdone were you on? You then stayed 12 days with nothing? That's remarkable. How long did it take to go from 2 mg of Sub down to 1/4 mg? If you did this slow enough, you may not have to go back up to 1 mg a day. Patti usually has a good taper schedule, but I don't think she realized you were already down to 1/4 mg. So instead of going back up to 1 mg, try staying at the 1/4 mg. You've only been taking the 1/4 mg 3 days, so you may need a few more days to see if you cut the dose too quickly. You seem to be highly motivated and able to detox rapidly, so try and stay at 1/4 mg and taper from there. However, if the wds are too intense, then increase the dose by 1/4 mg until you're comfortable. If you can stay at 1/4 mg I would stay there 2 or 3 weeks, and then go down to taking 1/4 mg every other day.
Do that until you feel comfortable and ready to either take the 1/4 mg every 3 days, or to break it to 1/8 a mg. I'd guess that after 1 month of this little tiny bit you can jump off.
Remember, if you feel too uncomfortable at any point go back up 1/4 mg. You have done a great job so far Snow. It is good to go as quickly as possible. Just not so quickly that you then have to go back up.
Keep us posted as to how you do, and I want to see what Patti says about this?
Thor
snow30
8 Aug 2011
Thank you Thor... Very helpful as well. Like I said, I am a Fitness Instructor and Personal Trainer... I have made some really stupid choices in the past, and this is where it has landed me..My husband is in the exact same boat, which makes it twice as hard, not only because we are both addicted, but he is also the worship leader at our church..NO ONE knows this about us. We have been hiding it..Other than pouring my heart out to my God, I also have discovered this website, praying for some insight, hope, and help. I cant get up in the morning to teach my aerobics when I am withdrawing, which makes it harder for me to "jump off". I feel the worse in the mornings... We took vacation with every intention on withdrawing then and recovering. That is how we managed 12 days cold turkey... I was stupid and jumped into the suboxone because I felt that our 2 children were suffering because of our addiction. We wanted them to enjoy the last few days of vacation...
We had no energy to do anything, take them anywhere... Not to mention irritability. Do you think there will be an end to the withdraws if I follow your advice Thor? Which would mean us prolonging our suboxone use. I am very thankful for your advice. Please keep it coming. THANK YOU
JMS 15
31 July 2012
Bless your heart. I have been there..I am sending my thoughts and prayers your way. good luck!
oktoday
12 Nov 2012
Hi
Pattishan good to hear from you. I updated my profile. I do have a question for the poster. How do you feel on 1mg. The reason I asked is because I relapsed after I quit taking 1mg and that just me. But it seemed the the 1mg kept the wolves at bay and in the past two months I went downhill. Thats just me. I really want to know do you think even the low dose of subs are helping you. I am thinking that doctors prescribe tooo much and maybe just maybe 1mg might be the key. I really would like your input poster, I am sorry I am calling you poster I can't hit the back key for some reason.
Like I said this is my experience and this is not judgement at all I am just seeing if you think that 1mg is helping at all and do you think suboxone helped you at all. Thank you sooooo much for letting me ask the question and Patti is the best she helped me for years now.
Rob
Inactive
12 Nov 2012
Rob, I answered your pq. Try friending snow and asking her privately. Have not seen her in a while. If she set her email alerts the right way, she may see your request for friendship and your comment. Patti
oktoday
12 Nov 2012
Hi Patti
I still don't know how to get my PMs yet. I just friended Snow. Have you talked to Robert at all on this site. You sound great and I am soo Proud of you.
Inactive
12 Nov 2012
To retrieve a pq or reponse, go to your page, click the prompt, questions and answers, the look for the prompt my private questions and click that. Then look for the pq there. Let me know when you find it. Patti
snow30
12 Nov 2012
Hey oktoday. To answer your question... I am so sorry to say, that in MY personal experience..It has now been 11 months, and I am still on sub. Every time I have tried to quit (21 days) I would relapse... not because I felt bad, but because I thought just one good night wouldn't hurt me. I was way wrong... I am still battling this every day. After 21 days I felt 10 x better than any buzz I had ever had. No sleeping meds, or any other kind of sedatives during withdrawal. It prolongs it all. It does suck for about 3 weeks. My advice to you, is to start tapering down. Allow yourself as much time as you need to clear your head. You really have to want to get off. I did. But now, I struggle. I pray this doesn't happen to you or anyone else, The doctor's prescribe WAY too much. Way , way too much. I don;t know one person, around here, out of about 25 that doesn't sell what they cannot take... and that is A lot!!! IT's pathetic.
I really hope I have been some help, even though I have not yet succeeded. I am going to keep trying, keep busy and try not to consume my thoughts with negativity. Have a nice day. I will pray for you all. Snow30
Inactive
12 Nov 2012
Hello Snow, Rob actually got ya, I am so glad! Thnk you for helping him. I think his real question is can someone stay on a low dose 1 to 2 mgs per day, for life, and how people do on that. At least that is how I understood him. But thank you so much for responding to him. Patti
snow30
12 Nov 2012
Yes, I have been on less than 1mg for 2 years. It's all up to you. Do you take it just to feel normal? Like me, or do you want a buzz? I think you can! If that answers your question, all though, who in the world would want to stay on anything for life??? That''s an awful long time... snow30
Inactive
12 Nov 2012
Because some have had long term opiate dependence and many relapses, Not saying he has, but it is maintenance for those people. Stops cravings, withdrawal and blocks opiates for them, but it's main function is to quell craving. Some do take it for life, or so we say, but it is not a really old med, in suboxone form. Bupe has been around in other meds before subs. And this is just to answer the question, not to be taken in any bad way. Dr Drew believes in only short term treatment with subs, Dr Jeff Junig, MD! PhD, believes in long term treatment to prevent relapse. The answer is different for different people as to how long they should stay on it, or if they should, because if it keeps people functioning highly, and having no temptation to use, and they feel better on it, let them stay on the low dose. I does control pain for many, so that's another reason.
It also was wonderful for my allergies to pollen, I know that sounds weird as heck, but I swear I only sneezed 4 times in 21/2 years on it, I sneeze between 6 and 47 times per day, in spring and fall. I actually miss the no sneezing from the subs. Patti
snow30
12 Nov 2012
Patti, I understand what you are saying completely. I have been struggling opiate abuse for 11 years, all together now. Every one is different. I want off. Good luck to all. snow30
Parrish1989
2 Jan 2018
I myself was wondering the same thing. I was using oxy and domes for roughly 15 years. Then went to rehab where they introduced me to sobos. Now after 3 years on 16 mg a day I've had enough of it. Im 28 years old and its my 6th day without. Still hurting, crying for no damn reason, the cold chills and sweats, the old usually dts. Has anyone been on a high dose for a decent period of time then quit? If so how long did it last until you felt normal. Any feedback what so ever would be greatly appreciated.
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suboxone, methadone, addiction, opiate
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