My Suboxone Experience
My Suboxone Experience
First thing, keep in mind that the following post / notes of mine were written before I did my suboxone taper and final jump off suboxone. Been off the sub for a year and 4 months now; so this was written a long while back. Shows my thought process before I decided to take the next step. You can read how I went about my taper day to day in the post Suboxone Taper 101.
My Suboxone Experience cont’d: (written about a year and half ago)
If you are an think or have a problem with pain meds / opiates, are recovering from opiate dependence or are just stuck and trying to get help; you understand when searching forums that useless posts that don’t answer your questions regarding how to go about a suboxone taper and or how the withdrawal process is…it’s f***ing frustrating. I just want to find the answers or discussions about what it feels like coming off the sub, can it be done, should it be done, is it as bad as coming off all other opiates cold turkey and so on.
To date I have really only found one good site that gives some great info from both sides of the coin (suboxonetalkzone.com). There ARE alot of good forums out there and to everyone that visits these forums, I appreciate you taking the time to post. Just sometimes the direct question which is most important gets lost in just “talk”.
I have found a site and I’ll list a couple more, but if you want to get some good info on what suboxone can do for you, what steps you should take overall, suboxone info, withdrawal info and straight to the point relevant stuff that you’ll want to know…check out the following
What are the Suboxone Taper / Withdrawal forums giving us? Good info? Or just BS!
Here’s the thing; we all read on the suboxone forums the posts / opinions that people put up. There are (on most) sites 2 categories that dominate the suboxone taper subject; the ways it can help you or the way it has helped others or maybe even yourself. Then on the other hand you get the real space cadets that think it is a clandestine project by the New World Order called Operation Octagon Mallard Duck. It seems on this side of the subject ”THEY” (the NWO) are trying to get you to switch from your OLD brand of coffee to THEIRS. This theory goes on to state how once you have tasted that NWO Suboxone Java, you’ll just never want to stop! The side effects associated with this myth is…that your brain will be picking up and receiving ELF, AM, FM and XM radio for the rest of your life.
My Suboxone Experience cont’d:
Factual websites about the “Discontinuation Syndrome” that follows when you stop taking your Doctor Prescribed medicine are all in generalities. The info you are looking for and the questions you have are just not out there. You can find alot of technical info, but no advice, no suggestions and no answers to “what the f**k is it like to taper”. What you do get is usually copied and pasted from a f***ing facts and questions site regarding aspirin, bananas and what to expect after self installing a toilet. You’ll get the same b.s., “when discontinuing your suboxone / buprenorphine you might feel some of these symptons”.
- Dysphoric mood (this was interesting, I did feel this when I stopped my sub, very vertigo like)
- Piloerection (makes your hair stand up)
- Nausea or vomiting
- Lacrimation (tearing up)
- Rhinorrhea (runny nose)
- Pupillary dilation
- Sweating
- Diarrhea
- Muscle aches/cramps
- Yawning
- Mild fever
- Insomnia
- Craving
- Distress/irritability
In addition and what makes this whole “looking for REAL F-ing information” so much worse is the 2 cents EVERYONE has to put in. There is or seems to be a shit load of people out there that have what they feel are the answers and scare everyone to death. Most go on only about how much vicodin, oxy, percs etc. they used to take and how they are now “trapped” by suboxone (like they weren’t already f***ed before) or how they fell off the wagon cause the suboxone was so hard to stop (read my Taper 101 post, it wasn’t that bad).
The Suboxone Taper or Withdrawal Forums have topics that generally start like this for example:
“My name is Bill (example only) I’m looking for advice and HELP from anyone who has tapered off their suboxone / subutex / buprenorphine. What is it like? How does the withdrawals and tapering compare to w/d’s from oxy or any other hard opiate? Has anyone succeeded? Should I just stay on the suboxone? Can you taper long enough to minimize withdrawals or have no w/ds at all? I have been on sub for 2 years and want to get off after changing my life…etc..etc…etc”.
Ok, so… Good question posted by Bill. The guy just wants some basic advice, I’m sure he wants more, but it’s a pretty straight forward question, be it there are a few, but you get what I mean.
HERE ARE A FEW EXAMPLES OF COMPLETE BS AND IRRESPONSIBLE REPLIES TO “BILL” FROM MORANS AND PEOPLE THAT DON’T HAVE A F*****G CLUE WHAT THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT:
“Wow, oh boy, oh golly… I have never heard of anyone being on suboxone SOOOO long! Gee wiz…. I read that you can taper down on suboxone / subutex / buprenorphine but you are only supposed to be on it like 1 or 2 weeks… I would get another doctor. I have never taken suboxone and am not an opiate addict but thought I could give you my two cents and good advice”
“Hi Bill, My name is Leon and I have been an addict for 12 years on Oxy, H, Vicodin…etc… I took like 197 Vicodin and 93 40mg Oxycontins on the average per day. I tried to detox using a combination of Suboxone and fentanyl patches on my forehead. Then tried tapering with scotch tape, now I am back on the wagon taking 52 Oxy 80mgs a day and dressing like a giraffe” (Ok…congratulations asshole….your f-ing point is?)
Those were just a couple of the stupid posts that people bring up, I can go on for pages but this next following post we have all seen on a “Question about Suboxone Tapering Forum”. It is the stupidest one ever! It’s the most common and EVERY forum has one these guys or gals.
“My name is Cindy (again, example only) and I’m here to tell you DONT TAKE SUBOXONE, your Doctors are just trying to trap you. You are only trading one opiate for another. Once you are on it, it is almost impossible to get off. Take it from me, I have tried numerous times and now I am selling my ass on the streets after my “friends” that I kept hanging around with, by my own free will, that shoot H every day and take oxy… they finally FORCED me into the Dope again, sure beats the suboxone”.
Regarding the example post above; so what this idiot is saying is just stay on whatever you were totally jacking yourself with cause that is better? Suboxone WORKS. It’s a “BUFFER” for your life, so you can get your LIFE back on track. This gives you time to tell your “so called” friends to F-off and to get things stabilized again, so you can get back to work, get back to being pro-active and to keep the wallet / purse from going south….and of course to save your life from OD’ing. These addicts are just pissed that other people are REALLY either trying to… or are getting help ON their own with a little or no help. Cont’d:
Tags: opiates and suboxone, Suboxone Experience, suboxone experiences, Suboxone Taper
Comments (13)
Right Now,it’ll be 2mg a week.
I’ve been off my 400 mg hydrocodone daily dose to 8 mg Suboxone now for a year. It’s febr. I’ll be back in the doughnut hole in a month and a half. I’m on disability right now and feel it too will be gone soon. I’ve come along way in a year. I went through and extensive outpatient with the hospital for 8 months. I’m attending AA on a regular basis and catching myself on old behaviors and addict thinking.I can’t afford another 7 months of paying by the pill batch again. Still feel like and addict . I don’t want to feel the pain of a sudden stop. Granted I’ve done it. Not going to do it now.I picked up my Month supply.60.I talked to my Doctor last year and told him, this year , when going into the doughnut again. I want to taper down. And how do you do it. How do you taper. He said by 2mg.
Ive allready tried for extra help through SSI, but make to much. So I’ve made a plan to taper down 2 mg a week. It may change to 2 weeks when I get down to a single 8 mg.
But I’m starting. I’m so tired of having to plan my life around it. I feel I’m strong enough. Mentally,Spiritually and I’m going to pick up some extra walking to help drive the toxin out.I admire what you’ve done.I’m hoping for some help.
I am on day 4 off the suboxone, it isnt that bad yet because of the half-life of suboxone. I started at 16mgs and weened myself down to 2mg over a 6month period. Like I said tho it is day 4, i feel shitty but that is expected from any strong drug u take for a long period of time. I am lucky enough to have some benzo’s to help calm me and sleep at nite when it gets to be too much. any1 going through my situation or goin to b soon just stay strong, it wont kill you and in a few wks ill be completley clean, im very very excited and thats what keeps me going. email if u like to swap info..eric22602@yahoo.com
Thank you. That’s all I have to say. Everyone’s just looking for that little ray of hope. It’s there. You just got to get past all the other crap. People only tell you “You can’t do it” because they don’t have the courage to try.
You CAN do it. We all have to heal sometime.
what a site the sub did allow me to feel normal and not high.The most important part was to paticipate in a recovery program and change all old habbits.I completely love the AA program of recovery even tho I am an opiate user (was) . My family life as a father and a son has returned and do not want to loose that again its been three yrs on sub . wish I could take time off of work when I get up enough nerve to stop , but the most important thing is to keep things a day at a time perspective.Wish we could get together as our own group for meetings and help each other like a Sub Annomous group.
By the way forgot to mention thanks alot for his site and all of this info.
Ha!! Fucking halarious. I’ve seen that shit everywhere, trying to get some info.
Stacie….sorry about this whole deal but, calling it as it is…. “just a bad situation”… unfortunately no suggestions. Talk to a doctor….not sure what could be worse, the stress of the w/d’s on the baby or the drug itself.
Bad fucking situation to be in and by no means am I pointing any fingers… I know how powerful this drug is and reason or decision just doesn’t come into factor no matter what when your body needs what it “thinks it needs”. Wish you the best.
Brian
Hello.
I also need help. I am 11 weeks pregnant and am taking 1 mg per day.
I’m down from 4mg to 2mg.
How long should i stay on 1 mg before i stop completely? I don’t want the baby to experience withdrawals.
Melissa,
I was on it almost 3 years and only tapered then eventually got off it successfully. Alot of people who don’t know shit will talk alot of it. I was probably ok at the 2 year mark; not only did I change my whole lifestyle, but got alot of the good qualities back that kept me going. I did opt to stay on it though cause I just didn’t want to mess with something that was not broken. I didn’t get high off the suboxone, it did nothing for me, except…make me feel 1000% normal and like myself and also kept me at a zero level of thinking about relapsing…which I NEVER did.
When you’re ready, if ever to get off it…you’ll know. I only thought to myself with a bit of common sense that being on something, anything, for to long probably (no scientific backing here) is not a great thing. It could be ok…but I would rather be on the safe side…and the biggest thing like I said… I was ready anyway.
The only side effect I have not read about which I have noticed a month or so after I got off it… I can watch hours of like “funny goat” videos on youtube….becoming a problem… JK of course.
Brian
Suboxone Taper
Hello, You are soo right! You made these examples sound so funny, I laughed out loud. I have been on suboxone for 16 months. Suboxone allowed me to get my life back. I really wanted to stop my opiate abuse. I thought I would die from my addiction. After several tries to quit on my own and even a short time at a methadone clinic,I went to a psychiatrist who works with addicts. I was open and honest with him about my addiction. With suboxone I felt normal again, and was able to focus on getting my life in order. I am now wanting to taper off the suboxone. I hope that coming off of it will be successfull.
I would still get the giraffe outfit…. The long the taper to better. Anyone who tells you “You should get on and off that stuff ASAP….”… Only want to use again; weak asses if you ask me. Change…. take your time….and hold on cause it does blow but it will all be ok in the end.
Brian
thanks for the info.
i’m getting ready to jump from 1mg.
down from 24mg in a couple mos.
at 1 mg for last 5ish mos.
glad to hear i don’t need to buy taht giraffe suit.
thanks again, i was looking for a site like this.
will post how it goes