What should I do, i want off the methadone asap... its ruining my life!!! has anyone experienced taking subutex NOT suboxone decause suboxone has the Narcof in it... Any suggestions?
If I am on 50 mg of methadone and I start subutex NOT suboxone, will I still get really sick?
Question posted by tristalynn on 20 Oct 2011
Last updated on 14 October 2022
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3 Answers
annatfultz
22 Oct 2011
Trista I have not updated the info on my profile, but i just got back from a two week process in FL that was the best choice I ever made. I am gonna friend u and friend me back so we can private message each other. Patti is great. She got in touch with me, and I am here for u now. Hope to talk soon. Anna
tristalynn
22 Oct 2011
As soon as I get home frompicking up my kids I will let u know my story and u give me ur input on what U think I should do... Talk to u real soon... Thanks alot!!!
ophelia rising
3 Feb 2012
Ah! You guys!? We invisible post-readers out here would very much like to hear the rest of the conversation! :) I just switched from stable@60mg/(sick@40mg of methadone per day to subutex and I will acknowledge that it wasn't a picnic but one strip a day was enough to feel human again. I covered the 96-hour gap from methadone with a strong short acting opiate - I have children to tend to and couldn't go into screaming w/d's with them around. There was no other option; my doctor retired and the doctor who was supposed to manage the second year of my methadone taper wouldn't do it. I was presented with a stack of prescriptions for three days each - dropping 10mg every three days (!) From 90mg to zero inside 30 days. Insane. So I dropped as fast and far as I could but just never stabilized under 50mg.
Then I decided to leap over and get it done rather than just drawing out the withdrawal before the switch by taking a lower and lower dose when what I was at was already halfway to withdrawal. It worked - better than I expected though not as painlessly as I would have liked. You meet in the middle when you're trading perfect-pills for clarity. I would say to anyone considering whether to do the Subx thing and critical of switching b/c they're a little above the recommended dose of Methadone - it's a better choice than not. **The single most important bit is the 3-day detox before the switch. It's CRUCIAL to wait.** Get a short script for a short acting opiate to help you out. If you can do that you would benefit from waiting 4 days off the Methadone then it's only about 18-24 hours after your last replacement dose before the Subx is safe. THE LONGER YOU WAIT THE BETTER THE SUBS WILL WORK for 2 reasons: the obvious avoidance of precipitated withdrawal (subs kicking existing opiates off your receptors - this is all the worst withdrawal at it's most intense all at once. I can't imagine anything worse. It's like labor - with screaming anxiety and unstoppable vomiting and migraine added. And there's NO CURE.)
The second reason is less mentioned: the Subs (buprenorphine - Subuxone OR Subutex) doesn't make you feel as GOOD as the other stuff. The further you are from that high - the lower you are - the more dramatic a sense of relief you will have when you finally take it and you will be more appreciative of what the Subs CAN do than critical of what it's NOT doing. That's how I was able to use only one strip of Suboxone per day for the first week and be ok. I switched up to Subutex 2/day after a week - because I have little ones and the switch left me with NO ENERGY. It would have been enough were I able to just look after myself for the 4 weeks of Methadone withdrawal. It's not if you have to work. If anyone wants to ask about my experience with this - even long after the post - I'm very happy to offer my experience. I've got a pretty good background in medicine and health and I like to be educated. …I want to offer help to others who are walking this road. It's a lonely road! *^_^*
mcunger
4 April 2012
i see this was a while ago but anyone who wants to know aboout methadone to suboxone switch, unfortunatly im the master. i can give advice.
dfrede6
28 Dec 2012
anna: I am currently on Methodone. I have had some heart issue scares most recently. I seem to have nowhere to turn to obtain information and suggestions on options to get off of Methodone. How can I prevent another Heart Attack if I am still on Methodone? I have come to hate this drug more than anything ever. Have gone down by fifty mg per day in a 2 week period. Now taking 40mg per day in 10mg pill form. Still having heart and chest pain and moderate to severe pressure and tightening. I do not want to die of Cardiac Arrest due to Methodone. I do not smoke, nor drink and have not done any other type of pain medication for many years other than Methodone. Please help with options!? Thanks, Darla
da1981
30 July 2013
I want to say sorry I'm not to sure how to ask a question without hitting the comment buttom I'm having a huge problem I was on methadone for two years my highest was 180miligrams I'm at 70 well my clinic is kicking me out because they checked my pharmacy to see what I was having filled and I was diagnosed with ADD so at first my doctor gave me straterra and trazadone to sleep because I was having a hard time sleeping the first day I took it I broke out in rash my doctor said stop taking them so I never told my counseler she put me on 36 miligrams of conserta and I'm on a depresson med well u called my cvs told them to refill my perscriptions I couldt pronce them so I gave my name and I didt know I even had refills of stratarra or trazodone so they filled them so my friend picked up my meds for me and I tried to tell them I didt take these meds and asked if they would take it back they wouldt see my counselor doesn't care for me he made advances towards me ...
and I let him know that was un professional but I never told anyone because I didt want him to lose his job I knew he just had a baby I didn't want to cause any problems how I regret that anyways he accusing me of selling my meds he knows that I have a great job and he even requested my paycheck stubb and had a attitude when he saw it he said you make 100 thousand a year its just been so crazy they r detoxing me now I got 7days to get completly off I was thinking about subs but I don't know what to do I can't be sick I got 4kids and a job that I literally can't miss one day I bust my ass so I can take care of my kids send them to private schools there dad who I was with since I was 15 we broke up five months ago and his ass went back to his country and saidscrew us I'm scared and I ccan't stop crying please help me tell me what to do because I'm lost ill lose everything
Relytg
13 Oct 2014
Hey can you please give me information on the place you went to in Florida. I really need help. Thank you.
Relytg
13 Oct 2014
I was trying to comment under Tristan's post regarding the clinic in Florida. I'm tapering down 5mg every two weeks but I am having issues and feel a place like she went to in Florida might me good for me.
kk1992
13 July 2015
Could You please friend Me I also need help with this same issue
Jade5952
19 Nov 2015
Plz contact me as I am in the same boat and would like some info, thanks Jade
Empte
16 Dec 2015
Mcunger I'd LOVE some advice at this very moment because I just switched and am stuck on a rug in my bathroom. I can't get up down over anything I'm stuck!
Bslo
29 May 2018
Hi Anna I know this is an old post but I was wandering how u were doing?
trishatownsend0
15 Oct 2022
I would love to get the information that you offered Trista. My name is Trisha lol surprisingly but I'm on methadone and I feel like I'm in liquid handcuffs I cannot get a job or anything having to go to the clinic everyday and they make it impossible to get take homes even when passing my drug tests I been going for a year now and I hate it. I did Suboxone maintenance in the past but because of the cost I had to stop going. I now have insurance that both the clinic takes and now a Suboxone/ Subutex doctor I found will take and want to get back on the Subutex. I'm on a high dose of methadone and just would like your advise
Inactive
22 Oct 2011
Methadone is also a long acting opiate replacement and it recedes very slowly from the brain receptor sites. In order to decrease the chances of precipitated withdrawal setting in, it is recommended that you should be tapered down to 30 mgs, then wait 3 days (72 hours) before starting the subutex. In rehab clinics, they often will transition a patient at a higher dose from methadone to suboxone or subutex but many methadone patients do report it being a bit more difficult and a longer adjustment period even with subutx. Tell ya what, try asking member AnnaFultz about this. She just went to a clinic that specializes in transitioning and detox of methadone. She would be a good person to ask.
tristalynn
22 Oct 2011
Thank for ur help... I will do this since this is what I'm getting in responses from most of everyone that I have talk to on this site... Thanks again
Inactive
22 Oct 2011
Trista, you are welcome, I will try to text Anna to let her know you need some help and info. I was never on methadone myself, but I do know a little bit about the whole transition from methadone to subutex process. Imagine both methadone and subutex as huge molecules that cover the receptor sites, any opiate will fight with subutex/suboxone for the same space on those sites, however because methadone is slower to leave the sites, more cases of precip occur when transitioning from methadone than short acting opiates. Let me try to get Anna for you. Patti
tristalynn
22 Oct 2011
That would be great if I can get more input from Ann. Thanks again!
Thor283
20 Oct 2011
Hi tristalynn,
First of all, the Naloxone in Suboxone is only an issue if you were to shoot it up, or if you swallow too much saliva with it, in the saliva. But even then, very few people feel it. I did, but I'm very unusual. I prefer Subutex, but the round generic ones are not so good. You're probably better off with Suboxone unless you are going to get Name Brand Subutex. Most Sub docs give you a hard time when you ask for Subutex. They think you want to shoot it. That's very dangerous. People die from shooting Subutex. So you will probably have to take Suboxone. Ask for the Film Strips, they're better.
However, to the best of my knowledge you're still on too much Methadone to switch. I think the dose of the Methadone is supposed to be 25 to 35 mg at the most. I'm really not that experienced in going from Methadone to Sub. If you are going to insist on trying it, I say stay 48 hours or even 72 hours off Methadone before you take Sub. The longer the better. And then induct onto the Sub very slowly. Take 2 mg and wait an hour. If the wds get worse it's no good, stop. You will have to go back to Methadone and taper further down. You will have to wait as long as possible before taking Methadone again. If you feel slightly better then you can take another 2 mg of Sub. If you can do this 2 times as once every 1 hour, and the withdrawal doesn't get worse, then take 4 mg of Sub. Don't take more than 8 mg. If you feel better after 8 mg you should be alright. Wait 6 - 8 hours and take more if you need it. You can then take 4 or 8 mg. You will probably need 16 mg total, for the day. That should hold you until the next day. But if you really need to, you can take up to 8 mg one more time, 8 hours later.
But you shouldn't be doing this without a doc. And it's better if you get down to 30 mg of Methadone. Once you're at 30 mg of Methadone then induct onto Sub slowly, the way I said. It is a difficult transition because both Methadone and Sub are long lasting drugs. Both stay in you long after you stop feeling them. And they don't mix well together at all.
So please be very careful. And make posts so all of us can help you.
potcat
11 Dec 2016
Unusual is right,, misleading people on this subject is wrong.
Related topics
suboxone, subutex, opiate dependence, opiate withdrawal, methadone
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