How Long After You Stop Suboxone Do You Have Withdrawal Symptoms? (Page 38)

My 63y/o mother survived chemo and radiation for throat cancer but was unable to stop the morphine 15mg twice a day without horrible withdrawal symptoms. Her MD put her on Suboxone 8mg/2mg once a day in June. She even took half the strip on most days and the doctor was very pleased and anticipated that she would be able to stop altogether in November. She unfortunately had a stroke 14 days ago and has been in the hospital. The first 7 days she was confused from the stroke but now she is weak and forgetful but is no longer disoriented. She told me tonight that she thought she needed her Suboxone. She said she thought she was going thru withdrawal. I was floored. She is not having any outward signs of withdrawal: no back/stomach pain, no nausea/vomiting, no sweating or tremors. Isn't 14 days long enough for the Suboxone to be completely out of your system and for withdrawal symptoms to have come and gone??? Any answers will be greatly appreciated.

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REBEKAH: I am at ten months and was on subs for five years. This will stop the cravings, I know because my psychiatrist prescribed it for me and it worked in leu of Vivitrol. NALTREXONE 0.25MG/ML Suspension
Take 4 ml by mouth one to two times daily.

It is a liquid they make up at a real pharmacy and taste like cherry cough syrup. $30.00 gets you a two month supply. Use a 3 ml syringe without the needle.

It is just the first three weeks that is a killer. If I can make it anyone can. Stick with it.

TommyC

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Hey guys thanks for your help I just called and left a message for my doctor. I am hoping that he will help me out with this. He has been helping me so far so maybe if I tell him about it he will help me with it. I am really struggling with anxiety. Every day my heart feels like it's going to beat out of my chest. I have been taking benadryl around the clock but it sucks because it's like i'm feeling anxiety take the medicine and then i get tired. I really just want to feel better but I refuse to go back to subs. Please pray for me guys, went to the nooner AA again today. What's killing me is not being able to sit still for very long and concentrate to complete my work documentation. I still have to work because I'm a single mother. I also am very on edge and if someone even raises their voice it sends me up the wall.

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Hey guys, good news, I left a message for my doctor and he sent a prescription in for the naltrexone, thank god, i just took it about 45 minutes ago and feel calmer although I'm not sure if it's working yet, but I think it is. Thanks for everyone's help. I never want to use again because it's destroyed my life, my brain, I just need to get thru this crap right now because I want to recover.

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Hey, giving a quick update on myself, since earlier I have felt A LOT CALMER then i was feeling, the naltrexone really helped with the anxiety!! Thank you so much, I am feeling WAY MORE confident. I just worry about taking anything, right away I looked to see if it was addictive because I don't want to get hooked on anything again! I am on day 14 guys!!!! KEEP COMING BACK I AM!

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REBEKAH: I am glad you tried the Natrexone. The formula I gave you is actually 1/10th of a beginning dose in pill form. They usually start at 25 or 50 mg/day. Just being of (Subs) for 14 days makes the higher dose a risk. You must do everything to ease the anxiety or you could end up weakening your autoimmune system and develop Paresthesia. Cut out all coffee even decaf. DO NOT TAKE ANY STIMULANTS. The largest organ in your body is not the large intestine but your outer skin. Therefore you should soak in a tub, hot tub or go swimming to get rid of the toxins. Swimming is mild exercise and is the best for your condition followed by a soapy shower to wash off the chlorine and toxins. You will have to push yourself to do this.

I am not an expert at this however both my children are Doctors, I see a fabulous Psychiatrist monthly, I am in constant communication with Henry Ford Health System detox unit and work with others in our situation. I have ideas that have been tested and medications to use and not to use I can explain to you. I will not substitute one dependency with another. Some of the drugs the Doctor prescribe for relief are physically dependent which is the same as addictive. The Suboxone brochure states it is not addictive. We know better. They call it physically dependent. What a play on words.....

There are more than ten different issues you will face during this process. There is an answer and help for each of them. Stay the course!!!!!

TommyC

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Well I was wrong about being able to sleep all day. Its the third day of only 3 hours of sleep a night if that. Pretty sure I could sleep better without the stabbing stomach pains. I sleep with a heated blanket wrapped around it but just not helping. Sneezing like crazy too.

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Amber: Be careful not to obstruct the sneezing or it will go into your Eustachian tubes and give you an ear infection. You will eventialy get so darn tired you will sleep like a baby.

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Tommyc, is this naltrexone addictive like did you become physically dependent? Do you think this anxiety I'm dealing with its going to subside completely? Or can you tell me what I'm up against? I plan to stay the course regardless whatever I have to do I just want to know if the hell gets better. The anxiety is the worst thing. Not sure what that was what you referred to but I'm going to look it up thanks for the advice caffeine killed me the day I tried it. Fifteen days.

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Naltrexone is not physically dependent or addictive. The normal begining dose is 25mg/day in pill form. It simply blocks the opiate from attaching to the receptors. (Opiate antagonist). It also has other benefits which are secondary and is useful for Fibromyalgia as well as anxiety. It is the liquid form of Vivitrol. My toxicologist gave me three weeks worth of Valium 10 mg (3 times a day) for anxiety. That was it because it is an addictive benzo. That along with 900 mg of Gabapentin (3 times a day) which is physically dependent, kept me out cold in bed. Most people do not have three weeks to be out of it. I am retired and have no responsibilities unlike most other people in our situation. I stopped the Gabapentin because of the GI side effects including heart burn. It nums the sympathetic nerve endings. Easy to wean off in two weeks with minor muscle aches. However, benzo's are entirely different and are very dangerous. I answered more than you asked.

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Gabapentin was a lifesaver for me when I came off subs. The worst parts of wds for me have always been RLS at night and anxiety during the day. The Gabapentin made both of those symptoms tolerable and also kept my appetite high so I ate constantly, which I feel also helped me out with obtaining vitamins, nutrients and overall energy. I'm sure there was also a placebo affect of taking a pill that was comforting to me, even if that could be considered wrong. I was on Gabapentin for about a month through the worst of the wds and I was able to function somewhat normally because of it. It wasn't a cure all and I was miserable for me ch of the time but I was at least active and maintaining a routine. Benzo's have never helped me much through sub wds, not even for sleep. They just added a foggy cloud to my misery which in my opinion made it worse. And like you stated, benzo's are VERY addictive and dangerous. I believe benzo wd is the only withdrawal that can be fatal. I was fine using the Gabapentin and taking vitamins and Advil. I took the Gabapentin 3 times a day for a month and quit cold turkey with no symptoms of wd from it. I probably wouldn't have gotten through wds without it and would recommend people to at least look into it. Most Dr's are fairly open minded to prescribing it because it is considered relatively harmless compared to other meds.

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2 things that help me are praying to the Creator & thinking about @ least 3 things I have to be thankful for. Knowing what happens when you come off suboxone. I think the suboxone is nothing but a cash cow for these drs. That anxiety you feel when you come off that sub s*** will make you feel like you want to take a flying leap off the Belle Isle bridge. I know as long as you are human, you got to have some feelings. I just don't want to feel wired, like I'm on speed or something. And @ 62, I'm too old to be dealing with the cold turkey crap. A Rx for some darvon & some valium would really be helpful to me now. Got to go pray now- catch y'all later.

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Greywolf, get some benadryl or hydroxyzine, those are antihistamine. The hydroxyzine will make you tired but if you need to function I would take one benadryl. Also get clonidine. How far are you? Naltrexate really helped me but only if you are past 14 days, it can be considered a risk. Look it up. tommyc helped me. Tommy c, do the anxiety depression and body aches get better and after how long? I'm nineteen days now guys. Anxiety is better then it was. Stay the course!

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Nope. I was off of Suboxone for three weeks, having tapered off under the care of my doctor, and I began getting withdrawals! Three weeks later. Give the poor woman her meds and wait for her to taper with the help of a doctor. Withdrawals- especially from Suboxone are terrible.

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REBEKAH: You asked about two issues being muscle aches and anxiety. The muscle aches can be handled by increasing your dosage of Naltrexone. You can take up to 25mg per day. The formula I gave you is only giving you 2mg per day. My psychiatrist increased mine to 5 mg per day yesterday. She is cautious however you need to understand how it works. When the opiate is out of the receptor it leaves the receptor open and raw like a sore. Naltrexone fills the receptor and reduces the raw soreness eliminating the muscle pains. Adding Gabapentin 100 mg three times a day will deaden the sympathetic nerve endings and being such a low dose you will not feel any of the negative affects mostly GI issues. I was taking 2700 mg of Gabapentin daily for three weeks but could not tolerate the stomach problems. Aleve also helps. The anxiety is a tougher issue because you need a knowledgeable Doctor who will prescribe Valium which in itself is addicting and dangerous to just quit. I am going to try Vistril Hydroxzine which is in the same family of Valium because it has antihistamine properties. We tried a Benadryl IV infusion of 1/2 gram on Sunday and it worked wonders. It has issues though with urine retention. I started 20mg/day of Cymbalta for the neurotic pain issues yesterday and today was the best day I have had in months. The reason I can try these drugs is because I have a fabulous Psychiatrist and both my children are Doctors. So I have easy access to some unconventional drugs that most Doctors will not play around with. I have heard several time frames for symptoms stopping. I can tell you that I start month 11 on Feb.13th and still have muscle and nerve pain issues. I also hear people are great after three months. You are doing great and asking the right questions. {edited for privacy} I am happy to talk to you about what may be relief for issues as they arise. This site has lots of posts by me as I am trying to pass on helpful information. In Michigan the FDA is putting lots of pressure on Doctors to stop prescribing Suboxone and the Pharmacist told me their sales of Subs are down 50%. People are going to Methadone or are trying to get off clean. I will be honest in that you have a way to go but I will give you every trick and remedy I have tried and use. Just stick with it because the first 30 days is the worst and you are almost there.

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You'll experince post acute withdrawal syndrome (PAWS) for up to a year. That's the period after the drug has completely left your body. They come and go and are manageable for the most part and primarily a physiological game but you will have off and on recurring withdrawal symptoms throughout the period of PAWS. They come and go randomly and vary in intensity.

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This is an update to my February 3rd post. After the 500 mg IV infusion of Benadryl I felt great for two days. On the third day the parenthesia returned. I added Cymbalta to the mix and will take my fourth dose today. I do not expect any results for a week or two as it integrates into my body. The only problem I have to deal with now is the burning skin and that is why I am on the Cymbalta for the neurotic effect in eliminating the nerve pain which is the burning from head to toe. I increased my Naltrexone and started taking liquid vitamin B3 at 15 ml per day. I will be starting month eleven on February 13th. The Neurologist wanted me to try Lyrica however after studying the physical dependence I said no way. Every case is different because of age, time on opiates and metabolism. From what I have been reading on this fabulous site I believe my factors and age is the problem with the length of my withdrawals. Yesterday I tried to mimick the Benadryl by taking capsules. The problem is the amount of capsules (25mg) you have to take to match an IV infusion of 500 mg. it did not work although I slept like a baby. Anyone having trouble just stay the course as it does become tolerable. I received a letter from my insurance company saying they dropped my Suboxone Doctor. One would think at my age I would know better than to get myself in this situation. I envy people who have gone through the complete withdrawals in two to three months. No matter what do not stop working at withdrawing because it is just a time issue. The pains and anxiety will not kill you. Be kind to your children and spouses knowing they do not feel or understand your issues. If you treat them respectfully they will be your best support. When you are in this condition it is hard not to complain all of the time. It becomes difficult for your friends and family to listen to as they do not feel what you do. You will get better soon and you want a family when it is over. The feeling of not having an addictive or physically dependent drug managing your life is like a renewal. Read this blog from newest post to first post and you will learn an enormous amount of information which will really help you get through this chapter of your life. My best advice for the people fighting with cravings is to study the use of Naltrexone in compound form because it is cheap and it is daily keeping the serum levels constant. If I can do it it should be a snap for you. Have a great weekend and at least take a short walk. Physical activity and proper nourishment makes a big difference and really will speed up your recovery. "Stay the course".

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The spikes in my blood pressure & tachycardia from opiates @ age 62.- it just got to me. Waiting to get into detox- & hopefully after that, I can get on methadone. I see why Michigan is trying to get doctors to stop prescribing suboxone. The withdrawal from it can send a person right back to where they started. These doctors dont want to give you anything for relief. Back in the good old days- it was kick pill clinics- where drs. would give a combination of valium & darvon N. Another clinic would give darvon N, librium, chlorohydrate & a stomach pill for nausea.. Don't want to talk about this too much now- cause I'm trying to keep my spirits up. I have faith in the near future, I'll work something out. Hope people heed my warning: STAY AWAY FROM SUBOXONE!!! Seems like every drug they come out with for opiate dependency is worse than the one before it. Got to go now- I'll be back- thanks for your suggestions.

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I was on suboxone for 6 years all the way prescribed by a doctor. My doc retired, i then thought it was time to stop taking suboxone. I tapered down but not slow enough. I have been going through horrible withdrawals. Its now day 5 with no subs. Still cant sleep more than 20 minutes at a time. Restless legs are horrible and I cant get comfortable anywhere. Nausea, cramps, pain out of this world. Oh and Very very weak. I have other meds prescribed by another doc that is supposed to help ease the withdrawals but is NOT HELPING. I just needed some positive feed back from ppl who know this horrible feeling.

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Have you been skipping days? Don't just go cold turkey like that. Skip a day then take your small piece.

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Hello Teresa, how are you doing? I read your post and feel your pain. I've been there. Believe it or not m, it DOES get better. One med that I found really helped was Gabapentin. It's not considered narcotic but you do need a Dr's prescription. It's typically prescribed for nerve pain and most Dr's don't mind writing a prescription for it if you're upfront with them. It helped me immensely with RLS and insomnia at night. Like you, I couldn't sleep more than 10-15 minutes a clip for over a week. I got Gabapentin and slept like a baby the first night that I took it. It didn't make me drowsy, it just calmed my RLS, anxiety and really helped with the body aches and crawling skin feeling. Another positive attribute to it was that it restored my appetite. It was almost like I had the munchies. And once I started eating and sleeping more normally, the rest of the wds became more tolerable. Some more advice that I'd say to try is only read the positive posts and success stories of quitting subs. If you read the horro stories you will psych yourself out and focus on how bad you feel which will only make it feel worse. I also took a B complex vitamin and fish oil. I honestly don't know what the fish oil did for me but I swear it worked on something because I noticed a major difference between taking it and not taking it. Most of us have been where you are, or are right where you are now. Ask questions, and seek support because you will find it here. Stay positive! A positive mind frame is the most powerful tool that you have to getting through this!

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