KaleighAnn

I have been using pain pills pretty much every day since i was 16. I am now 21 and have been using suboxone for about 2 months now (with a couple days here and there that i did a roxy). I started taking suboxone when a friend of mine introduced me to them, for when u cant find any pills and dont want to wd. I take a quarter a day, sometimes two. I went to the dr to get a script of them and he put me on 3 a day! I know there is no way im takin that much when i know all i need is a qtr or half and taking more isnt gonna make me feel any better. I want to quit taking them cold turkey (im going to have to in a month or two because im fixing to have to go to drug court cuz me and my mom got caught up in some sh*t and she basically put all the blame on me...so im taking the charge for it) I am able to take off about 4-5 days from work to detox, and i know that will get me past the worst of it, but how long will it be til i start to feel normal again? and will i recognize that feeling when it hits me, cuz right now i cant even imagine what thats like other than to do just enough of a pill to feel ok but not enough to get high.

Joplinfrk

Hi Kaliegh and welcome to the board!
Suboxone is an animal that has a half life of about 37 hours. Meaning, that after you've stopped taking them, you still have 37 hours left for it to get out of the body. Add that times two months and you're looking at about a month or so of detoxing. When you stop taking it cold turkey, most people are fooled by the feeling of "it's not that bad" for the first few days only to be knocked on their backside on or about the fourth day. I did a very quick Suboxone detox so, my withdrawal symptoms were minimal, but again everyone is different. I'm sure someone with more experience with long term Sub usage will be on soon to answer your questions with more authority.
Until hang in there and keep posting! We're here for you.

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Why do I keep going to meetings even after two years clean and sober? Because yesterday's meeting isn't going to keep me sober today!

jdude

Welcome to ODR KaleighAnn. Yes, you are correct 3 pills (24mg) is way too much. Assuming your doc scripted the 8mg pills..not the 2mg.

As far as your sits....taking/using the suboxone as a bridge between one's DOC is still addict behavoir....and like playing Russian Roulette with pills. The sub also makes a very lousy PRN med. So bouncing up and down on doses and times on/off will not serve you well.

Now, that being said....get to a stable daily dose. WITHOUT any other opiods mixed in. A daily dose of 2mg is reasonable. A dose you'll want to taper from. If you go CT from 2mg you will have some un-needed acute phase symptoms to deal with. And they won't be mitigated in your 4-5 day plan.

If you have some court issues pending,your in a good sits. (At least now that you have a script.) The sub treatment is being more and more accepted as treatment plans. You may need to accompany it with a letter of compliance from the doc.(Compliance to his program) But that doesn't mean you have to take the HUGE dose of sub. Just that you're not testing positive for any other drugs.

There are some variables not knowing your sits. But if your plan to be off in a month involves possible incarceration, you may or may not be able to continue with it(depending on locale). And if you need/want to be free from it in that time frame (month or two), you still have time to do a reasonable taper.

You've been on the sub a couple of months now. A few weeks of a taper will pay off better physically then going CT. Unfortunately, if that's your plan...you may have to do it without the doc's blessings. If he started you at 24mg...he'll more likely then not want you on it for 'an extended' stay. Good news...you have more then enough of a supply to do the taper plan.

AS far as staying clean....a support plan will pay off BIG time.( Not just to please the court)...but to maintain recovery. AA,NA,clergy,counseling...any or all. Use the time on sub wisely...to establish a support plan.

Godspeed
Jay

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Bonita

KA.......... welcome.

Your very lucky you didnt let the sub doc blast you....

I did this taper with much success. Not a cake walk but very doable and I am way too many yrs older.

Just really want to encourage you to end the madness with sub... very dangerous drug. Short term, maybe a good drug... Long term. NOT.

Support is nessassary... for once your clean, need to learn how to stay that way.

Bless,
Bonita

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Ali_Montella

You should never chase a high while tapering subbies (subutex/suboxone/buprenorphine/buprenex/temgesic).

If one is trying to get off this medication then wanting to feel a high should not even come into the equation, generally speaking. Even though it might give u a high doesnt mean one should want it to be like that. When i was tapering i just took it to feel normal, though it gave u a little high but i kepy busy, active and just got on with it.

Feeling so called normal after tapering/detox depends on individual i.e their lifestyle, mentallity, drug/opiate history, age, phsycal shape etc. If u can eliminate or minimize any issues u have in life which could be financial, relationship issues, career, family etc then it will make the detox a wee bit easier, well just less mentally. Your also young so that will work in your favour. Many people have come off sub after being on it short-term & long-term and never need other treatments or other medications other then maybe clonidine, OTC stuff and vitimins. Just have to be strong and postive. Excericise if u can, any pshycal activty and keep busy and reduce when ur comfortable, since you've been on it for few months u dont need to taper too slow, maybe every 4 or 5 days? also cut by 0.2mg or 0.4mg depening how u feel, when u get to the lower doses try to skip days if u can. We're lucky in the UK as we have the 2mgs subutex tablets & 0.4mgs and also 0.2mgs. Yeah so u shud beable to feel so called normal quickly then the older folks or folks who have other issues because the mental part plays about a lot in this, if one is worried or concern about an issue then it makes withdrawals or symptoms worse then they really are so hence of trying to sort out any problems or issues u have while tapering. Oh did i mention excercise, that was a key part for me in detoxing off sub. I never even missed a day of work, yes felt minor withdrawals but i was too use to them as i felt them at the lower doses so thus when i jumped it was normality to me to feel them. I dont believe u ever need any short acting opiate or anything esle to detox from sub, maybe clonidin, immoduim etc but no treatments or anything because that in my opinion sets people back and they always have to keep having them treatments all their life and pay a lot of money too, not a good life to have to stay sober.

Anyways good luck and i hope u have a quick and speedy recovery!.

Peace.

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Where there is a Will there is a Way