I just wanted to post something about Suboxone that I exprienced last week. I've been taking Suboxone for over a year now to get off a 5 year oxycontin/hydrocodone habit. While being on Suboxone I never really thought it was addictive or thought if I ran out that it would be any big deal. Well let me tell you....

Last week for some reason I ran out of Suboxone about 5 days early. I want to tell anyone considering going on Suboxone, its 10 times more worse than any oxycontin or hydrocodone withdrawals I've ever been through. The pain I felt from not having the Suboxone was horrible. I would like to warn everyone that Suboxone may instantly take away the withdrawals from opiates, but getting off of Suboxone is a ordeal within itself. I never thought that, but after last week I'm living proof. Suboxone is some very powerful stuff, that goes to the bone.

If I had to do it all over again I would have second thoughts about going on Suboxone. I just wanted to let everyone know this before they go on Suboxone.

nopaingain,

I must agree with you completely. I would also like to say it depends on a persons physiology as to how painful withdrawaling from any drug can and will be.

I had a different experience with Suboxone. I went into anaphylaxis shockafter being on it for three days.


The symptoms after I had the severe life threatening reaction felt just as bad as when I first attempted to "cold turkey" off 120 mgs of Morphine. I'm a believer and I would suggest to anyone out there: when using Suboxone remember it has an antagonist and agonist in it's active ingredients.

About SUBOXONE


SUBOXONE is the first opioid medication approved under DATA 2000 for the treatment of opioid dependence in an office-based setting. SUBOXONE also can be dispensed for take-home use, just as any other medicine for other medical conditions.

The primary active ingredient in SUBOXONE is buprenorphine.

Because buprenorphine is a partial opioid agonist, its opioid effects are limited compared with those produced by full opioid agonists, such as oxycodone or heroin. SUBOXONE also contains naloxone, an opioid antagonist.

The naloxone in SUBOXONE is there to discourage people from dissolving the tablet and injecting it. When SUBOXONE is placed under the tongue, as directed, very little naloxone reaches the bloodstream, so what the patient feels are the effects of the buprenorphine. However, if naloxone is injected, it can cause a person dependent on a full opioid agonist to quickly go into withdrawal.
SUBOXONE at the appropriate dose may be used to:

* Reduce illicit opioid use
* Help patients stay in treatment

by

* Suppressing symptoms of opioid withdrawal
* Decreasing cravings for opioids

About SUBOXONE


Respectfully,

Treena

No pain,

I am very sorry that you went thru such a bad experience. I truly do. I agree 100% that stopping taking Sub suddenly will not feel great. But, you say that you have been taking it constantly for a year, why would you think that you would not got into some type of withdrawal? To take any med over that period of time that is opiate based or related is going to be uncomfortable. Where you on a high dosage? It is ok, you do not have to say. But, I think that for people who are struggling with addiction to read a post like this is not shedding true light.

Sub is not for everyone and whomever is researching it should do it throughly and make sure it is a good choice for them. I for one know that it saved my life. Flat out. I had to do the work needed on myself, but it helped give me the strength to do so. Let's face it. When someone is in withdrawal lifting your head off the pillow is a hard task let alone making life changing steps that will cause even more short term pain.

What I am getting at is there are 2 sides to every coin. I respect your post because I know it is true, but it makes Sub out to be worse than it is. It is powerful, no doubt. But, it is not made to be stopped suddenly. Used correctly(not saying you used it incorrectly) you are weened off and it is not really bad.

I am more than estatic to say. I was weened (s/p) down to 1/4 of a pill every other day from 1 8mg pill a day when I started the program, and as of 2 weeks ago. I am opiate free!!! I could tell a bit of a difference, sort of little body aches and slightly more tired in the evening, but that is it. Nothing that coud not be fixed with an advil. Good luck to you and your journey as well as everyone else who is struggling. I do not mean to upset or argue, again I respect you and everything you said is true. Just wanted to shed a diff light.

Nopain- I couldn't agree with you more! Sub is the worst thing to come off of EVER. The only way I have ever heard of to get off with the least amount of WD is to wean off REALLY slowly, I'm talking about getting down to a crumb a day or less. Sub is so horrible, worse than any opiate I have ever come off and my heart goes out to anyone trying to come off of it. So many people do not understand how horrible those withdrawls are and I think most doctors do not know just how terrible it is. My advice---STAY AWAY FROM SUB UNLESS YOU PLAN ON BEING ON IT FOR A LIFE TIME!

I went from 25 10/500. Every single day. To Sub. To 2 weeks of being on Nothing. So I would have to respectfully disagree with you MeMe. Nothing is going to do the work for you and make you feel like a million bucks. There has to be some, discomfort. But honestly the discomfort I felt would be much less than what a common cold would cause.

oh no, now I don't know what to think. I have been on 12mg sub daily for 3 months to get off 60mg hydro a day. I want to start reducing - I think the doc started me on too much. I have no idea what amount of sub I really should have needed for that amount of hydro. (no high associated with sub for me, even at this amount. just the blessed relief of feeling normal and capable.)

ironically, the hydro habit started because withdrawals from methadone were too horribe to bear. if sub withrawals are anywhere near as bad as methadone, I will stay on it the rest of my life.

getting off methadone nearly killed me, and I was always on less than 30mg a day. after 3 days off, my bp shot to 177/110 and I never knew anything could feel so indescribably horrible as those withdrawals.

I really thought sub was a step down from hydro, a way to immediately get off the hydro roller-coaster and online drama, and just eventually ease off the sub completely. the sub doc even told me it is a much milder med because if fits your receptors imperfectly and is an agonist/antagonist.

now I am really scared that I jumped from frying pan into fire, but the opinions above are so opposite, I'm really confused.

scruffi, I would like to talk to you about methadone, my PM doc was really trying to sell it to me.
I told him I would think about it...but, I haven't heard all that much wonderful about it.

Thank you!

Kat;
My original pain Doc. was very enthused about the Methadone, I figured it would not hurt since Hydro wasn't really cutting it, as you know, I have a limited knowledge of medication, BUT all the literature points to the fact there is none of attendant "highs" with Methadone, in my case, this was pure BS~ Methadone will kick in a (non-euphoric) but energetic "zip"...after 2 years, it got to the point where I would take 3 Methadone, lay down another hour, then have my coffe, ready to take on the world an hour later, AND THIS "ENERGY" lasts all day! again, this is only MY experience...as of today, I have no Methadone in the house, gratefully, I have Xanax, my sleeper, the Clonidine (which not only attends to high b/p but ACTUALLY can take on the insidious Methadone, yes, Methadone helps with pain, AND, if you want to take an opiod "Holiday" it's great for that...it's just hell if you use it long term and start upping dosage to maintain that little energy "buzz" personally Kat, I would forget the Methadone, I hate to say this, but I think you are one of the folks who are going to have to live with life-long pain management as was told to me by the last Ortho-surgeon, it's no different than being a diabetic, they take their insulin, we take our pain meds.
Keep up the good work with the smoke cessation honey!

Thanks for the information..

So, if I wanted to appear even more compliant, I could try it...and wouldn't have the issues of withdrawal?

He made it sound like it was the cat's meow. I haven't heard that much good about it.
I have a friend and a BIL that is on it, and they both 'nod' off and slur their words...I just don't know.
I cannot even imagine to NOT be in pain, it's my constant companion...ya know?

And yeah, I don't think it's gonna get much better.

BTW, I started riding my bike, cause I cannot walk very far without the fatigue setting in. I think that part is related to the Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.

thanks doll, I appreciate your insight on the meth

Kat;
Before you decide, you may want to investigate a few Methadone sites, yes, it is effective for pain, I was under the impression your pain is currently well managed though...did he give you any indication for a switch other than the benifit for pain?...A "Pain-med" holiday?...taking it for awhile won't get you into trouble, it sure never made me sleepy.
You have my best!

No other indication for changing, just I think wants to bring my pain levels from a -3- average to perhaps -0-??
There may be more behind the scenes, such as I have been a patient there for going on four years..and oxy is something that they are concerned will raise the illustrious red flag.

They also changed offices to be just the two of them. So, I think with that change and perhaps my pain levels, well he thinks I would be a good candidate for methadone.

hey my partner in crime-what about morphine? My dr wanted me to start morphine 2x a day, have you already taken that. It sems to help with the pain, but not as well as the hydro. Of cours eI am onlt=y taking a very small dose to work with the hdro.....whatcha think ?? Dave??? I won't be able to check in for a while, but I am curious,,,,,si I'll lok for it when I get a chance again..I'm thinking Fri or Sat.....
redfox out
MArley

read your PM's lil missy!

The biggest problem with Suboxone is people and docs don't understand how strong and long lasting it is - often the amount of suboxone INCREASES tolerance over the amount of hydro or whatever because too much is taken - that is the reason for the bad withdrawals. The ratio of Suboxone to hydro is about 1mg of Suboxone for 15mg. hydro, and suboxone lasts all day, even longer, so people overuse it, usually by the advice of their physician. I discovered on my own through research (and it WORKED for me too) that you can take ONCE PER DAY, even every 2 days, the amount equal to what you took in each dose of hydro, not the daily total of hydro. Truly.

quote:

Originally posted by Faeriewitch:
The biggest problem with Suboxone is people and docs don't understand how strong and long lasting it is - often the amount of suboxone INCREASES tolerance over the amount of hydro or whatever because too much is taken - that is the reason for the bad withdrawals. The ratio of Suboxone to hydro is about 1mg of Suboxone for 15mg. hydro, and suboxone lasts all day, even longer, so people overuse it, usually by the advice of their physician. I discovered on my own through research (and it WORKED for me too) that you can take ONCE PER DAY, even every 2 days, the amount equal to what you took in each dose of hydro, not the daily total of hydro. Truly.

I cannot agree more! If you do your homework on Sub..you will find that typically less is more, and the doctors have incentive to keep you on MORE. I was lucky, did a TON of research on the Sub..started at a low dose of 4mg..then the following day went down to 2mg. For a month, I kept chopping my 8mg pills into very tiny pieces, like around .05mg or less. Then I just started skipping days. Soon enough..I just "forgot" to take them...and I was done. Don't be afraid of Suboxone, just do your research, find a GOOD doctor..and shop around. My first Doc had a "one schedule fixes all approach"..it didn't matter if you were coming off an 80mg hydro habit or a 10 bag heroin habit. THAT is what is scary, because as you say..you can indeed wind up with a larger intake/problem than you rolled in there with.