Hi everyone,

Today I am checking into the hotel. I have been taking Vic ES for about 10 years for migraines and cluster headaches and the last 3 years of that I have taken way more then prescribed.
I have read these posts for a few months and have met a few really supportive people that have helped me through this and helped me make this decision. I am grateful beyond words for the friendship I have received and the courage to be drug free.
My appt is at 11am and I am starting on the Subutex.
I will post and let everyone know how it goes. Right now I am just nervous and scared but want to take back my life more then anything in the world.

OCshell: Welcome to the hotel. Everyone is scared before they check in. It is usually a pretty good experience, so don't be too nervous. I'm glad you found us, and I hope your stay here is a pleasant one. Or at least not too unpleasant. Let us know how it goes at the doc's.
Ashley
PS, this is my 4th day at the hotel. Yesterday I downgraded to a 4 mg room, it wasn't as comfortable as the 8 mg luxury suite, but it worked out OK. I don't want to get too comfortable in this hotel, since I don't want to stay more than a week. I don't know what room I'm moving to, today. Less is more. Maybe I can check out sooner than I thought? I am honestly feeling fine, just a little tired.
Kathy, I'm excited for your future! Best wishes and let us know how it is going.

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Ashley

Hey Shell ... I hope all goes well! Glad to see you signed up here. WELCOME.

Remember .. Easy does it. Only take the minimum amount you need to do the job and hold off the w/d. Keep in mind it takes 90 minutes for sub/bupe to peak, and it's 1/2 life is 37 hours. It is easy to take more than you need.

Don't be scared. It will all work out. Let the bupe do it's job. You will be OK!

Again WELCOME! Keep us posted!

John

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Been there, done that, wore out the tee shirt.

Hi all. Thought I would check in here, as I didn't want to feel left out.

I started Suboxone on Tuesday. Unfortunately I have to go through the methadone clinic that I've been in for the last year and a half as NO doctors in my area prescribed it except for one. She wanted $250 for the inital visit and $100 for each follow up visit (2 days after you start and then weekly)NOT including the meds. Outrageous! Not much better at my clinic at a whopping $677 for 4 weeks(that's after a discount since I am already a patient at the clinic - patients who walk in off the street pay almost $1000) Anyway....I was there for awhile. Nurse took my vitals, got 8 mg. After 1 hour, she retook my vitals and another 8 mg.

I'm not sure their taper schedule, but I have to see the doctor every Tuesday and Thursday. However, they stabalize and taper you quickly, which I understand to be the best way. And...I have to go to the clinic every day...which really stinks as I only went 3 times a week when I was on methadone. I started meth on 1-9-02 and tapered fairly quickly at 110 mg. I tapered down 3 mg a week until I hit 30 mg, then switched to 2 mg decrease a week. Everyone said that was way too fast, but it worked for me. When I hit about 25 mg was when I really started to feel it, but not to the point where I couldn't function. I've accepted that I would have to deal with some things, and a little pain and suffering was tolerable. I hit 21 mg and then said ok, time to switch. I went down to 19 mg on last Friday and took my last dose Sunday so as to start the Suboxone on Tuesday.

I will admit, I was scared to death. I've read the horror stories of meth withdrawl and it's not pretty. So far so good and I'm on day 4. I started on 16 mg and saw the doc today. He said I'll go down to 14 mg tomorrow for 4 days and then see him again. I talked to a guy today at the clinic who is down to 8 mg. It's taken him longer because he had to go over the normal 16 mg starting point. I firmly belive that alot of "needing increases" is a mental thing and that you actually make yourself believe that you are in withdrawl. I found myself doing it when I started methadone. You have to change your behavior. The normal addict always wants more, so why shouldn't this be any different. I'm sure I could have gotten an increase, but why? I'd only be hurting myself.

I did ask the doctor when the meth will be out of my system, because that is still in the back of my head, that I'm going to wake up in major withdrawl. He said up to 10 days, but normally 3-4 days.

One other thing that scares me was reading about people going from bupe to hyrdro. That is not an option for me. I am an addit, no ifs ands or buts about it and there is not such thing as me taking "an" oxy, or "a" percocet. Like I said...I can never go back there.

Oh my, I've rambled...[:I]...I have a tendency to do that sometimes.

Linda
P.S. Hey...does this place have 24 hour room service?[xx(]

Hi Everyone
I haven't been on the board for ages, but wanted to say I haven't dropped off the face of the earth or relapsed. Just been busy with life - have had my share of dramas but nothing I won't be taking in my stride (she says bravely!) and it's nothing drug related (she says with relief!)

It's great to see so many new faces checking in to get and give support. I've been checked out of the bupe hotel since late January and I feel good physically and mentally. I finally feel like it's all behind me, and I want others to know that...it CAN be done! If I can do it - she of the well scr***ed-up past - YOU can too!! :0) And the people on this board helped immeasurably and made it all bearable.

Nutzmom - I was on methadone too, and used bupe to finally kick it, with very positive results. I was maintained on bupe for a year (my choice), tapering slowly from 4mg to .4mg. It worked well for me. But of course you won't have to go on it that long - though it WILL take longer than 3-4 or even 10 days for the methadone to leave your system: which is why bupe tapers from meth are normally longer than for those quitting shorter acting opiates. Be warned that others here have had considerably more trouble kicking bupe after maintenance. Remember there's nothing like a bit of relativity - I'm talking methadone WDs compared to the milder bupe WDs - to keep it all in perspective and keep you going...

Congrats on your quick taper from the 'done - I know it's scary, but you sound very motivated and positive. Just keep telling yourself how good it will be to finally be off methadone for good (I can't believe how much they charge you - daylight robbery!) Good luck and keep posting.

Lily :-)
(hey, where have those emoticon smileys gone??)

You are so right Lily. Although I do believe that the reason I am alive today is because of methadone, part of me wishes I never started it in the first place. However, I knew nothing of bupe and at that time, my clinic did not offer bupe. When they did start offering bupe, they did a 2 week taper. I knew that wouldn't work for me, so when they switched it 4 weeks, I jumped on it.

At my higher doses of meth, I was nodding out everywhere. At the computer, at work, everywhere. And smoking was a baddie for me, I feel asleep so many times smoking, I'm surprised I didn't burn the house down. But the meth made me feel the need to smoke more, especially upon waking in the middle of the night, which I did quite often. Also, with the higher dosing, I gained 30 lbs, sweated beyond imagine, and was constipated all the time. Once I tapered to about 25, I stopped nodding out, stopped sweating and dropped 25 pounds....amazing.

I am so happy with my results with suboxone thus far. The only thing I do not like is that I have to go through the clinic, which means I have to dose there every day and stand at the window until the suboxone is completely dissolved. I was so spoiled with only going to the clinic on Mon, Tues and Fri, and now I have to go Easter morning....yucko! But, on the other hand, so worth it. I went down to 14 mg today. There are only 8 of us in the program and there was another suboxone patient in front of me. Since they only dose suboxone at one dosing window, I asked the girl if she minded sharing the window with me, which she agreed. She obviously looked at my dose when the computer screen shot up and tells me how she can't believe I'm down to 14 mg, and how she had to keep going up and up. Typical addict I did it with meth, and would have probably done it with suboxone if I hadn't already been on meth almost a year and a half. More is not always better. She was a very young girl, maybe 18, and had a few month battle with vicodin (which I also overheard her saying that she still uses here and there). I hope she makes it, as I know where she could end up.

Nutzmom-
So glad to hear it's going well. Good on you! I was on methadone for 10 years, and as I tried to reduce to the smaller amounts I realised how hard it was going to be to get right off. Bupe was my saviour. (I have so much admiration for anyone who cold turkeys off methadone, even at tiny amounts.)

Here in Australia we must also pick up our bupe daily, so I can relate to that tie. At least I got to pick mine up from the local chemist, who bent the rules and used to give me 4 takeaways a week. It's fantastic not to have that tie anymore, having to dash off to pick up and make excuses to people. I'm free at last! and you will be too.

Out of interest, what meth dose did you get down to before switching to sub, and what sub dose did they start you on? How long is the doctor aiming to keep you on it? (Sorry if you've already posted this before.)

Keep it up - you are doing so well.
Lily :-)

Where are you all from that you get Temgesic pills of such a low dose? In the USA? I wish I could get those as opposed to the 8 and 2mg subs.

the BOSS

After reading these posts I agree with your thinking on the bup. I was on methadone and because of that all the doctors at my methadone clinic and the licensed bup doctors say I need to stay on long term. That’s what the methadone was for. I decided I wanted to be drug free and went down fast on my methadone. So why do they seem to think I should maintance on bup for a while before cutting down? I am not buying it and have cut down to 4mgs (I went down to 2mgs but felt under the circumstances that I have I went back to 4) and like you said I feel much better on 4 than on 8. Even on the govt. web sites all say the same thing. Start with 24 to 32 mgs and drop by 2 mgs a week. If I hadn't seen these sites I would be in the same shape I was with methadone.

the BOSS

Sail, you are doing the right thing to get off of all. You never know until you try whether you can stay clean. The worst you could do is relapse. Ya know what I mean? Then of course you will try to get clean again and eventually you will be there. Gee, that sounds like an ugly outcome, but the truth. But, the positive side of course, a strong chance you will stay clean and be free of maintenance. You are going to enjoy the freedom of being clean so much that you will!!! When you capsize in the gulf, you can grab the radio first! - Wren

Morning,
That’s very true. Panic can be torture; the worst I can do is be where I am at now. The last time I got off methadone I went in the hospital at 70mgs (pretty lame) but that was in 1979 and not much was known. I got out after about 40 days and still didn't sleep right and was very hyper. I stayed away from narcotics, my psyche prescribed my Quaaludes. Boy were they lame. So if I got off under those circumstances then detoxing and going to meetings should make things easier. Although I still have tried to take the easy way. I have tried to take xannax to take the place of a slow detox and even alcohol. Just made things worse. Even after 3 days of benzos I felt duo-addition coming on! Charlie


the BOSS

does anyone know if suboxone will come up in my urine and as what and how long will it stay

ej

Not likely. Most tests don't check for it. However, as the tests bet more efficient, and cheaper, I'm sure it will be part of a standard UA in the coming years.

"Wink-Wink, Nudge-Nudge, Say-No-More, Say-No-More" - (MP)

just checking in to the hotel! actually have been camping by the pool for a few days.Feeling pretty good and just wanted to introduce my self and say hi.
Girl Interupted

Love the handle! Great movie!

WELCOME!!!