High relapse rates misleading?

Author: johnboy

Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2012 10:37 pm

i think it also depends on the treatment and how sevier the patient and doc makes the recovery and the meaning of an acute treatment. they are not thinking so much about the pain that limits the rellaps. but the patients interest in an acute matter. addiction to them is like having canser or sickle cell or somthing. so why worry about how much the patient suffers
and the long term out come, when they think the patient is strongly thinking about life or death. Confused

Question about tapering

Author: Martiser

Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2012 11:33 pm

I have been reading through these forums but I have not come across this so I wanted to ask. I have been on suboxone for about 7 years. I could have come off long ago but my first two tries were bad and I have always been afraid to try again. Suboxone has saved my life, no doubts there. Without it I would never have been able to build a new life and learn to deal with everything. But I am ready now. I thought I could just cut my doses and then jump. I got vitamins, all the stuff suggested to help and then some benadryl and took a week off work.

Took my last dose a week ago and thought I would make it but I finally took 2mg this morning. I flushed all but 4 pills and I put them 45 miles away so I would not easily be able to get them. My head just felt like it would explode. You probably have heard it all many times. I wanted to cry and still do after making it 7 days. Yesterday I was okay, not great but I felt like I made it and could deal but then the no sleep, no eating for days, it just all broke me down. I am really usually able to deal with anxiety but I just lost it this morning and by 1pm I decided to go get my emergency pills and find another way. I didn’t have a plan b because I was so sure I could do this. I did no taper, the last week I just cut my dose, I was on 1 & 1/2 (8mg) per day, the last week I took 8 on Monday, then 4 for the rest of the week. I can deal with wd’s I just need to be able to function.

I want to try tapering. What dose should I start at after making it 7 days? Should I try the lowest possible or do I start over? I am so ready to be free of all of it. I am not sure if my Doctor will prescribe anything else. I see 2 for the subs ( same office), one of them could care less he only prescribes it, I only see him for my script and it is done in 3 minutes. Lack of Docs when I got here limited me to him but my therapist is awesome. I see him on Monday and I will ask but they know very little about subs.

My wd’s took about 4 days before they even began. I probably could have made it but like an idiot I kept reading other peoples stories about never ending wd’s and I just panicked. I am so mad at myself. I can take the wd’s, even not sleeping, it was just feeling like it would never end that drove me back. If my sub doctor will not prescribe clonodine can I ask a regular doc? I think that would have been helpful to have had. I am not positive but pretty sure the doc that does my scripts will not help with any other meds, I asked him last year about advice for quiting smoking and he told me he can’t help with it. I was not looking for meds but that was how he took it so I am pretty sure he will not help here but I will try on Monday.

I have a strange situation with my docs, my therapist dislikes the main doc and has told me not to tell him certain things, example I asked him about a certain treatment in other countries and he thought it best not to mention it to the main doc. So I am always afraid to ask about stopping. I moved for my job in 2009 so before that I had a really great doctor who I could say anything to. Now I have one that I suspect hates doing this but the money is just too great, and the other who is great and I can say anything to him but has limited power, at least I think. It just makes is all that much harder and one of the reasons I just want to be done. Then I can just see my therapist. I know I sound like I am bashing, and I am but it is the truth. I have called and found other doctors but at this point I just want to be off. I do not have allot of extra money and even with insurance this is costing me allot, it is time for me to get off for good. I am a single Mom and I want that money to go towards my family, very badly, but that is just one of many factors. Seven years is just too long to be doing this. Any help would be greatly appreciated. And I will keep reading. My Thanks to everyone who has shared information. I wish I had found this forum sooner.

How long exactly do I wait before I take the sub?

Author: AbetterLife

Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2012 11:52 pm

Hi. It’s late here and I’m hoping some people are still up and can share their experience and tell me what their Dr. recommended. So I start my sub on Monday. All my Dr. said was that Sunday is my last day using and Monday evening I am to go to the pharmacy to take my sub…then Tuesday morning I go to the pharmacy for sub again…go to work…and then have an appointment with him at 4:00. I KNOW I should have asked more questions, but I was scared and anxious. How many hours should I wait from the last time I use? Can I use late Sunday night and then get my sub at 6pm the next day? Or should it be a full 24hrs. My doctor wasn’t specific enough. I’m scared I’m going to be sick. Thanks for reading! Any advice or shared experiences?

How can a clinic doctor be so uninformed?!!!!

Author: Fireman

Posted: Sat Feb 18, 2012 12:03 am

From my experience, the term mild withdrawal could have numerous meanings. I think it’s a term used loosely for suboxone, but for most cases one would only be taking it coming off of an opiate resulting in withdrawal. If someone was to take suboxone without having any experience with opiates then they would most likely get sick or feel ‘off’ from the buprenorphine. In your scenario I think you would be fine considering you have been taking methadone. Personally I would be shocked if you had any sort of negative side effects from suboxone as long as the methadone is out of your system.

How can a clinic doctor be so uninformed?!!!!

Author: Fireman

Posted: Sat Feb 18, 2012 12:03 am

From my experience, the term mild withdrawal could have numerous meanings. I think it’s a term used loosely for suboxone, but for most cases one would only be taking it coming off of an opiate resulting in withdrawal. If someone was to take suboxone without having any experience with opiates then they would most likely get sick or feel ‘off’ from the buprenorphine. In your scenario I think you would be fine considering you have been taking methadone. Personally I would be shocked if you had any sort of negative side effects from suboxone as long as the methadone is out of your system.

13 extractions this thurs at 2pm

Author: amber4.14.11

Posted: Sat Feb 18, 2012 12:13 am

So I think last night was probably the worst of the pain…….Now I’ll know what to expect when the 14 on the top get chunked out!! Rolling Eyes

Like Ive said before, at least Ive got something to look forward to. I cant wait til my new teeth are in, and everythings healed up, Im sure It’ll be hard NOT to have a huge smile when Im talking!!!

I feel really good about going thru this process, and doing it without any pain meds other than my suboxone and motrin/tylenol. its been an empowering adventure!!

It does feel better today, than it did on MONDAY……. with that infection running wild mon, it hurt SSSOOOOOO bad. For anyone who says labor pains are the worst pain,,, WELL they havent had a tooth abcess that went to the jawbone. cuz let me tell ya, THAT was by far,,, worse than labor pains, or csection healing…. BY FAR!! Twisted Evil

Thanks to everyone whos been following and encouraging me, it means the world to me……

and I hope the road to healing keeps going just like it is Very Happy

13 extractions this thurs at 2pm

Author: amber4.14.11

Posted: Sat Feb 18, 2012 12:13 am

So I think last night was probably the worst of the pain…….Now I’ll know what to expect when the 14 on the top get chunked out!! Rolling Eyes

Like Ive said before, at least Ive got something to look forward to. I cant wait til my new teeth are in, and everythings healed up, Im sure It’ll be hard NOT to have a huge smile when Im talking!!!

I feel really good about going thru this process, and doing it without any pain meds other than my suboxone and motrin/tylenol. its been an empowering adventure!!

It does feel better today, than it did on MONDAY……. with that infection running wild mon, it hurt SSSOOOOOO bad. For anyone who says labor pains are the worst pain,,, WELL they havent had a tooth abcess that went to the jawbone. cuz let me tell ya, THAT was by far,,, worse than labor pains, or csection healing…. BY FAR!! Twisted Evil

Thanks to everyone whos been following and encouraging me, it means the world to me……

and I hope the road to healing keeps going just like it is Very Happy

The look of being on Suboxone

Author: amber4.14.11

Posted: Sat Feb 18, 2012 1:32 am

I was looking at photos with my son from 1-2 yrs ago, and the ones of me while on just methadone, I totally have that ‘washed out’ look….
completely white, and like puffy too!!

I always had black rings under my eyes while using whatever, and I was ALWAYS sweating, even when I was just taking methadone…..

Thats the one thing I can say, I may be alittle more ‘sensitive’ to the cold while on subs, but I do NOT sweat profusely all the time….thats nice

and I too have lost about 30 pounds over the course of 10 months while on suboxone. its been really slow, but the doc says thats the good way to lose wieght. and I have color in my face now,,,, look like I actually see the outdoors too. (not all white as a ghost)

Just wanted to add that.
Oh, and I cant really see my pupils real well in any of the photos. I actually think my eyes look brighter while on sub than anything else. I definitely had the ‘stoned’ look while on methadone……(probably cuz I abused it, LOL)