Some Suggestions for Getting through Suboxone Withdrawal
Suboxone is typically used to help addicts detox from opiate drugs such as painkillers or heroin. It is a partial synthetic opiate that is designed to take away the detox symptoms that usually come from withdrawal. Most people who have tried it agree that it works pretty good for this. Some people take the drug over the long term in order to stay off of other opiate drugs and/or heroin. In this way it can be used as a maintenance drug to help people stay clean. The drug is pretty expensive though and some people do not want to take it forever, so they might one day try to stop using it altogether.
If you are going through Suboxone withdrawal then here are some suggestions for you. The best idea is for you to taper off of the Suboxone in very slow increments so that your body does not experience heavy withdrawal symptoms.
For example, in a drug rehab center, they typically use Suboxone in order to detox addicts from opiate based drugs. What they will do in many cases is to eventually put the patient on a taper schedule, so that they get a decreasing amount of the medication every day. In the vast majority of cases, this taper dose works fine and the addict may experience only slight discomfort as the dose is decreased every day. Generally, the dose drops by 2 milligrams per day.
photo credit: nicolasnova
Now if this is not working for you and is producing severe withdrawal symptoms, then you might want to continue with the taper but just slow it down. You can do this by carefully cutting the pills and dropping the dose by 1 milligram per day instead of 2. That way you are tapering off more slowly and you are also extending the time that you are doing the taper by double the amount of days.
Eventually you have to take the last pill and be done with it, if your intention is really to get off of the Suboxone completely. If you have been taking Suboxone as a maintenance pill for a long time, then this is going to be hard no matter what, and no matter how much you taper down. The bottom line is that you are going to have to go through some level of discomfort and simply tough it out. If you taper down as slowly as possible and you are still miserable, then you have a simple choice. Go back on the medication or tough it out and get through the withdrawal.
It is probably worth it for most people to try and go through with this last little bit and get completely free of the chemical. Won’t it be nice to not have to rely on a pill in order to feel normal? You can get back to that point if you are willing to go through some level of discomfort. Otherwise you will continue to have to depend on an expensive medication in order to just feel normal in your life. Freedom is a wonderful thing.
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Well, this is the second time I used suboxone to get off opiates. (Maintaining much longer than I should have, after reading all of the info on the internets the past few hours….)
The first time ’round was not bad at all. I had a steady street supply of subs, and gradually, slowly weened myself down to crumbles, and don’t remember feeling any withdrawal at all.
I estimate about 1.5 years opiate use (smaller stuff graduating into H, sadly). Then I spent about 6-8 months on suboxone. At first, maintaining. Then for about 4 months gradually stepping down the dose. This was about three years ago-and I was clean for almost two years.
I relapsed around this time last year. Abusive ex-boyfriend, and a best friend I had lost touch with due to her addiction asking me to send her “just enough to get clean” in the mail, and keep a few for my troubles. NOT that excuses are any reason to go down the opiate road again. But they were handed to me, for free….stupid me.
Anyway. Started H again. Slowly…for a few weeks. But it went much quicker this time. I needed more and more every day. Stress was high, and that was my release.
September-March I went from 1 or 2 to 6 or 7 a day. For me, that is a lot.
April-abusive boyfriend finds out, and begins to beat me because I am using again. Great time to try to switch to sub and get clean, right?
But I had to. It was making a mess of my life, I was running out of places to go and people to turn to.
So back on subs. I never needed very much-started at a quarter of an 8mg pill, work my way down quickly to less than an eighth a day within about a month. Both times around.
Then, the maintain. When you just kinda take the same amount every day, because you’ve been doing that or something else for so long..it feels normal.
So, between June and 4 days and 8 hours ago, I weened down to less and less every day. The last week I must have stretched .25 mgs out.
So it’s been over 4 days. Some reports online say after day 5, it gets better. Others say after day 5 is hell.
I am already an insomniac, and have a myriad of sleep meds-10mg Melatonin, 5-htp, AdvilPM. So far only the first night was bad for insomnia, and the past two nights I have been jerked awake by restless legs, a few times a night.
My biggest fear is multiple nights of insomnia. Have experienced it, and don’t function well without sleep.
At this point, I am simply wondering if things are going to get better, or worse. The uncertainty and anticipation is causing my anxiety to mount, which I know will just increase my symptoms.
Anyone with a similar situation?
Any feedback would be helpful..also any suggestions on OTC meds for restless legs and sleep.
I don’t really have the best health insurance right now.
Well, this is the second time I used suboxone to get off opiates. (Maintaining much longer than I should have, after reading all of the info on the internets the past few hours….)
The first time ’round was not bad at all. I had a steady street supply of subs, and gradually, slowly weened myself down to crumbles, and don’t remember feeling any withdrawal at all.
I estimate about 1.5 years opiate use (smaller stuff graduating into H, sadly). Then I spent about 6-8 months on suboxone. At first, maintaining. Then for about 4 months gradually stepping down the dose. This was about three years ago-and I was clean for almost two years.
I relapsed around this time last year. Abusive ex-boyfriend, and a best friend I had lost touch with due to her addiction asking me to send her “just enough to get clean” in the mail, and keep a few for my troubles. NOT that excuses are any reason to go down the opiate road again. But they were handed to me, for free….stupid me.
Anyway. Started H again. Slowly…for a few weeks. But it went much quicker this time. I needed more and more every day. Stress was high, and that was my release.
September-March I went from 1 or 2 to 6 or 7 a day. For me, that is a lot.
April-abusive boyfriend finds out, and begins to beat me because I am using again. Great time to try to switch to sub and get clean, right?
But I had to. It was making a mess of my life, I was running out of places to go and people to turn to.
So back on subs. I never needed very much-started at a quarter of an 8mg pill, work my way down quickly to less than an eighth a day within about a month. Both times around.
Then, the maintain. When you just kinda take the same amount every day, because you’ve been doing that or something else for so long..it feels normal.
So, between June and 4 days and 8 hours ago, I weened down to less and less every day. The last week I must have stretched .25 mgs out.
So it’s been over 4 days. Some reports online say after day 5, it gets better. Others say after day 5 is hell.
I am already an insomniac, and have a myriad of sleep meds-10mg Melatonin, 5-htp, AdvilPM. So far only the first night was bad for insomnia, and the past two nights I have been jerked awake by restless legs, a few times a night.
My biggest fear is multiple nights of insomnia. Have experienced it, and don’t function well without sleep.
At this point, I am simply wondering if things are going to get better, or worse. The uncertainty and anticipation is causing my anxiety to mount, which I know will just increase my symptoms.
Anyone with a similar situation?
Any feedback would be helpful..also any suggestions on OTC meds for restless legs and sleep.
I don’t really have the best health insurance right now.
So. Skin is crawling, sweaty, insomnia, restless legs, upset stomach..no appetite. Pretty much everything I was dreading. Suggestions please. I actually feel a slight craving…but I am putting that as far back in my head as possible.
I am the mom of a 35 yr. old man who is just now beginning to wean himself from the Sub. He’s been
on it since Jan. 01. His life is somwhat of a mess. Just broke up with his girlfriend, money can’t be
accounted for, (of course we all know where it is going) and some real depression. He is using Heroin, and God knows what else along with the Sub., I guess because it is so expensive. He has such a compulsive nature and I know the temptations everytime he leaves the house is too much for his will power, or shall I say lack of. He, too is dreading the coming days and weeks til the withdrawal symptoms begin. My heart aches for all of you who must fight this hidious disease everyday. Lucky for him, he does have the support of his family, but our patience is wearing thin, with some of the stories he is telling us about not using. I know that drug use makes a person lie to any extent. Do things that they would not normally do to people who love and care about them. I’ve learned thru going to NA meetings just for myself to learn all I can to be there and to learn how to NOT ENABLE.
That is most difficult, and I think I’m doing a pretty good job. There is always that fear that when you do say NO MORE, what might be their reactions and could you ever forgive yourself for that?
I continue to pray for him and all the people in the world who suffer from drug addiction. I know that’s not much help to you, but I am here to listen.
God bless you and I will keep you in my prayers.
Pat
Hi there it would be nice to know how u r doing now…i experienced the exact same crap getting off subs. I am now on about day 18 & starting to feel somewhat normal. I also was taking a myriad of sleeping pills…which didnt do any good.i wanted to die from the sleep deprivation. 3 nites ago I tried plain alcohol free nyquil & slept like a baby. I woke up feeling much better. The entire w/d process I took vitamins (b12, multis), forced myself to eat, drank some beer in the evenings.got a script 4 clonodine which helps a lot I believe. Even took a couple hydros. I have no urge to take any opiates 4 3 days now. Still mental crap to deal w/ & the fact that im a single mom of 4 boys makes things difficult for sure but im trying to stay positive! My rls is gone god that was soooo annoying! I hope u were able to stay off that awful stuff & I hope & pray i will never have to experience this again!
hi my wife is on suboxine, and her insurance is not approving her meds and she is going through some pretty bad withdrawls. waht am i supposed to do? in what ways can i help? i hate to see her like this its killin me. what can i do to help her not be so uncomfoartable and sick? if you ca get to me asap that woul be fantastic.
thanks
Samantha Wood
I sit in this hot bathtub and can’t help to laugh when I saw the words restless leg syndrome and insomnia. I am experiencing both and at first I thought it was just me. A friend of mine is not experiencing either of the symptoms. I guess we all do something different when coming off ofand this crap. I guess I’ll be an insomniac for a while. Its better than being a slave to a pill. Just wish there was something to help me sleep.So to all you quitters let’s just barrel through this. s*** and stick it to the sub because we know were all better than that.always remember hell is a real place where their is restlessness and the nashin of teeth so at least this is temperature and not eternal
I am on day 4 of quitting it is hell I know I havent slept for days.. First 3 days i used a mild amount of kratom to ease the withdrawls because I believe my withdrawls will only last 6-8 days. If you believe in yourself anything is possible in life just remember someone else out there feels the way you do to. Just remember this time shall pass.
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