Suboxone Reduction (Page 2)

has anyone come down from suboxone slowly with no ill effect?

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Hi Doc,
How long/severe was the withdrawal? I don't mind discomfort however I do have to function, work and take care of a 3 year old every day...so months of no energy is practically not feasible. thanks for the input and that's great that you went from patient to doctor

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im on the methadone program, what a mistake tho worse withdrawls than pills, anyways my advice to u is simple go down NO MORE THAN 1 mg at a time, say if u can one mg a week. BUT BE SURE WHEN U DO GO DOWN TO MINIMIZE YOUR WITHDRAWLS if u feel any wd symptoms, STAY AT THAT DOSE UNTILL U NO LONGER FEEL THE WD SYMPTOMS BEFORE GOING DOWN ANYMORE otherwise u r just gonna set yourself up for disaster really if u r serious about getting off DONT FRIGGIN RUSH IT I NO THIS FROM EXPIERENCE TAKE YTOUR TIME AND BABY STEPS REALLY OR YOU MAY ASWELL JUST GO UP ON YOUR DOSE

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I cut mine in half with scissors.

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How do you sleep at night? Prescribe yourself some ambien? You cannot honestly think that prescribing "the masses" drugs to keep them under control is morally acceptable,

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I slowly tapered myself and today is the second day without any Suboxone. The last week I've only taken literally a sliver (equivalent to 2 grains of rice) per day up until two days ago. The withdrawals were very minimal. Last night I experienced mild pains or muscle spasms in my arms and tossed and turned all night with very little sleep. I'm feeling okay just a bit restless and find myself wanting to go to my purse to take my Suboxone. At any rate, I think I've succeeded. Surely, I'm past the withdrawals or the worst of it, right? I realize it's going to be mentally challenging for a long time.

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Kimberly,

Congratulations you should be so proud of yourself. l'm certain your loved ones are ecstatic as well. you didn't mention your dosage, length of use or predisposition so it's impossible to say if the physical withdrawal is complete. these potent narcotics are notorious for paws and later euphoric recall but one step at a time. the sleeplessness may continue for sometime. my best advice is speak to specialist. there are many protocols that can assist you with these symptoms. the mental issues are sometimes harder to master BUT DON'T GIVE IN & YOU'LL NEVER HAVE TO ENDURE THIS HELL AGAIN IF YOU STAY CHEMICAL FREE.. Hang in there, you can do this!!!! God speed.

P.s. I failed to mention the biggest mistake we make is holding onto SPARES as you mentioned the Suboxone in your purse. if they weren't there that temptation would be removed.... something to think about... NO judgement just being real....

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I've been on Suboxone for TOO LONG!! I've taken it for approximately 6 or 7 YEARS. In the first several years I took 4 8 mg. Per day. Then, tapered myself down to 3 for a long time, then 2 for a while and in the past year or so tapered down to a half, and the last several weeks only a fourth. Last two days, none at all. Still terrified of having withdrawals. I'm feeling weak and restless tonight.

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Kimberly, I am at 19 months off Suboxone after being on for 5 years. I am still not right and have been told by researchers at Unv. of Michigan pain Clinic it will take up to three years to get right ie hormone levels etc. I am past the malaise but still have occasional PAWS. It is a long road. Good luck!!

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johngz (# 1) --

Please know im not trying to scare you. I've been trying to wean off subs for over a year now. A strip now lasts anywhere from 10 days to 2 weeks. The dose is so small i cant really taste it. Everytime i try to stop taking it though i get sick, really sick or i would just quit. I've gotten off percs a couple times myself without near the sickness. If anyone has any info that can help me please share. These are the experiences i've been going through. Anyone in the same predicament?

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Re: steffie (# 10)

Very well said Steffie and I agree after being on so many types of opioids for buldged and herniated discs, Degenerative Disc Disease, Spinal Stenosis, most of all having a major compound fracture from falling off of a roof at work which completely took off my right foot from where the ankle meets the thalus, I was in shock, rushed to the Truama Bay and had an 8 hour surgery where they put a nail (long titanium rod down my Tibia up to my knee caps and then my thalus was shattered so badly they decided to put a plate in to connect the nail. 6 months later I was ridiculed by my surgeon for not bearing enough weight and was told to bear weight in Physical Therapy. I went to PT that day, went 100% and kinked the nail in four places winding right back up into the Truama Bay. By the end of my last surgery where they put a thicker gauged nail in I was on Hydromorphone 8mgs every 4 hours, 100mcg/he Fentanyl Patch, 30mg Oxy IR every 8 hours along with a concentrated powder type of morphine you mix and drink. I have had prior Opioids for my back so I was not Opiate Niave. I was on this regimen of Opioids for 1 year until my Dr. took me off the Morphine, slowly tapering at my own pace and then 3 months later the Hydromorphone 8's which was much harder of a taper so I did it slowly and not how anyone else told me.

After a discussion of a taper plan for the Hydromorphone I was lucky that I communicated and had a great Dr. to Patient relationship with my Primary Care Dr. that took me 6 months. Then I tapered slowly off the Oxy but my Dr. knew I would have breakthrough pain so I had a few post-dated scripts for Oxy 30s if I did experience breakthrough pain which I did even with my Fentanyl Patch at the highest dosage and eventually after a year I only experienced breakthrough pain at night and in the early morning. So all in all I ended up on 100mcg/hr patch that I was supposed to change every 48 hrs and it's a 72hr patch. So I kept the 1st Patch on for the last day while overlapping and applying a new patch which is a huge dose. Without the Dilaudid (Hydromorphone), Morphine Concentrate, and Oxy IR 30mg surprised I didn't die, but I did want to find a new type of medication.

I'm pro opioid all the way for those that really need it, but eventually I went on Subutex at 32mg which is the highest a Dr. can prescribe in my state, tapered very very slowly, felt no sickness but after dropping to 20 mg of Subutex I started having extremely major pain fits and I thought I would just heal and attempt to get off the patch with Subutex, well I finally found a medication that is still extremely potent and not technically in the opioid class because Methadone is fully synthetic analgesic and have been on 50mgs ever since, it helps like nothing else did and I know one day I may have to get off but I can at least walk now, with major gait issues and feel like my life is more full filled I am not thinking of the next pill or patch I have to take or if this or that will be in stock at the pharmacy because I purchase from the hospital pharmacy that always has to have Methadone in stock. Bottom line is that everyone has their own journey with pain. and sometimes it very well may be reversible or other remedies included like Accupuncture, Aqua Therapy, I even went into a hyperbaric chamber that uses air pressure too heal someway but I have tried to be consistent with attempting anything I haven't yet other than my exercise and medication routine. But all I have too say is please don't rush yourself off Buprenophine (Subutex/Suboxone) just to appease others or you want to stop your meds which I completely understand.

I work at a Methadone Maintenance Therapy Clinic and assess the patient when they first arrive and gather all pertinent info, so I have a lot of experience with what a good taper and bad tapper looks like and it is so individualized and different for so many people. They also utilize Subutex and Suboxone but Suboxone has Narcan in it so if you administer it intravenously or take a lot it counteracts and throws u into precipitated withdraws just like what the cops are using and first responders for the "Opioid Epidemic" I put the quotations there because they are counting people that use pills diverted from a source and die or can't take the withdraws and switch to illicit drugs and die in my state the numbers and statistics are far from truthful because people who have a history of Chronic Pain like myself only accounts for 3% of thier crusade to make pain patients Dr's scared as hell to write prescriptions with many digferentandates being passed down into even Pain Management Physicians and it's just not okay for the Government to stick their nose into Dr. patient relationship the way they are especially if they base it off the greedy Dr.s who are all about cash payment and major amounts of Opioids being prescribed plus the patient getting early refills more than twice in a certain timeline or the sheer volume of a certain prescription, other than that yes I believe life is better without having to be on Opioids but I guarantee many pain patients who are getting cut out of these practices just because the Dr. fears DEA interference SHOULD NEVER be a reason to not prescribe.

Didn't mean to write an essay, so my bottom line is if you need pain pills and you take them responsibly, have medical oversight, keep your appointments and your drug panels only show what you are prescribed, then the DEA and the CIA the DOJ can all eat a fat d*** because there are some of us who need their medications to actually get up out of bed let alone work, exercise, and be at the best rate of functioning a person can be at. Secondly do the taper for yourself, no one else, because at the end of the day you may have a very bad outcome such as weaning for someone other than yourself and going too fast off Subs will pretty much render you unable to do anything even if you are not a pain patient, but say a Substance Use Disorder patient. There are recommendations for tapering but that's all they are, so if you are tapering to be a better person to just make life better for those who feel that Opioids are too strong or have a baby and want to get off so they can really have every sense of this body, be able to parent a child or vice versa, you who are becoming new Grandparents and want to feel all the joy of that experience, trust and believe. You will not be able to if you don't take your own time. No one else's to wean or taper of Opioid medications. Hope you are feeling well and not ill and if you are ill then you are going way too fast. That is the first sign the taper is just too rapid, so slow down and wean very little at a time if possible. The outcome will be better for you and those around you.

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Re: cookie (# 4)

I am taking 1 and 1\2 srips per day for about 3 months worked well but 2 days really naucios ishat normal?

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Re: Verwon (# 2)

There is no easy way.

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Re: Joyce (# 7)

Do you feel comfortable with your doctor?

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