More advice please

Author: SnapShawt

Posted: Sun Jun 30, 2013 11:25 am

JustDoIt, it sounds like you’re on the right track.

If you are going to try an Oxycodone taper and avoid the Suboxone (which I do agree is best if you can do it), then I would suggest BABY steps with a willing doctor. At first you may get away with bigger percentage cuts, but the lower you go so also should the percentage, otherwise you’re defeating the purpose and actually cutting larger and larger doses (doesn’t make sense I know, but do the math and you’ll see). A proper taper is done very, VERY slowly. I was doing that until my old PM doc poofed and I was forced to the new one and the Suboxone (don’t take this as regret, just what I had to do – I can’t blame the new PM doc).

It just makes sense that tapering off is always better if you can, and I think I would’ve completed that had it not been for my situation. That way you’re just done with it. BUT, if you find the taper just hits a road block or something else, then Suboxone would be a good alternative to at least (I hope, I’m not at the point yet) give you a softer landing. I know, being 36 hours post induction later this evening, that had I just been forced into WDs without this you wouldn’t be reading this right now. The pain I could have dealt with by not moving mostly, but the WDs would have me in a ball on the floor screaming for my Mom. She passed last month, and if she showed up then I’d KNOW serious hallucinations were coming on!

You have to follow the best course you know, and it sounds anyway like you have an understanding doctor (and count your lucky stars on that if true). So many are scared (rightfully, not their fault) into forcing patients into a state of misery it’s not funny. This country needs to get its head out of its proverbial butt and stop regulating these doctors into oblivion. Yes, shut down the obvious pill mills. But leave honest physicians otherwise alone and stay the hell out of that which is between them and their patients. And you all know the difference between that and a pill mill, it’s just obvious. A PM doctor with a line of patients out the door and down the block filtering in and out like water with scripts is just bad news, clearly. A PM doc with a regular patient load who happens to have many (which he will, he’s a PAIN management doctor) on strong opiates is just a doctor doing his job. Will some still fool him? Sure, he’s human and it will happen. But those innocent folks who need help shouldn’t pay the price for it, and right now they are.

Okay, I’m going off topic and ranting now, sorry.

More advice please

Author: SnapShawt

Posted: Sun Jun 30, 2013 11:25 am

JustDoIt, it sounds like you’re on the right track.

If you are going to try an Oxycodone taper and avoid the Suboxone (which I do agree is best if you can do it), then I would suggest BABY steps with a willing doctor. At first you may get away with bigger percentage cuts, but the lower you go so also should the percentage, otherwise you’re defeating the purpose and actually cutting larger and larger doses (doesn’t make sense I know, but do the math and you’ll see). A proper taper is done very, VERY slowly. I was doing that until my old PM doc poofed and I was forced to the new one and the Suboxone (don’t take this as regret, just what I had to do – I can’t blame the new PM doc).

It just makes sense that tapering off is always better if you can, and I think I would’ve completed that had it not been for my situation. That way you’re just done with it. BUT, if you find the taper just hits a road block or something else, then Suboxone would be a good alternative to at least (I hope, I’m not at the point yet) give you a softer landing. I know, being 36 hours post induction later this evening, that had I just been forced into WDs without this you wouldn’t be reading this right now. The pain I could have dealt with by not moving mostly, but the WDs would have me in a ball on the floor screaming for my Mom. She passed last month, and if she showed up then I’d KNOW serious hallucinations were coming on!

You have to follow the best course you know, and it sounds anyway like you have an understanding doctor (and count your lucky stars on that if true). So many are scared (rightfully, not their fault) into forcing patients into a state of misery it’s not funny. This country needs to get its head out of its proverbial butt and stop regulating these doctors into oblivion. Yes, shut down the obvious pill mills. But leave honest physicians otherwise alone and stay the hell out of that which is between them and their patients. And you all know the difference between that and a pill mill, it’s just obvious. A PM doctor with a line of patients out the door and down the block filtering in and out like water with scripts is just bad news, clearly. A PM doc with a regular patient load who happens to have many (which he will, he’s a PAIN management doctor) on strong opiates is just a doctor doing his job. Will some still fool him? Sure, he’s human and it will happen. But those innocent folks who need help shouldn’t pay the price for it, and right now they are.

Okay, I’m going off topic and ranting now, sorry.

Last dose 3 days ago

Author: RXFCG

Posted: Sun Jun 30, 2013 11:27 am

Quote:
I like the latter part of the link….very informative… I think it should be a "Sticky" but everyone is different.

Thanks jonny62, I think it should be a sticky too because I feel it’s very informative on how to cut your films. Maybe if enough forum posters or moderators believe it should be, then it will?

@ Shanks1224

Ever since I started tapering, I started taking a good quality Multivitamin, Omega Complex, Amino Acids tablets (which include L-Tyrosine), B-12 & 5-HTP. Maybe it’s overkill, but I believe it makes me feel better physically and mentally I know my body is getting the nutrients it needs to heal.

Also, it’s great to hear that you feel well! I think getting sleep, controlling your stomach and reducing the RLS are the main symptoms to try and reduce and it sounds like you’re doing a good job with that. The medication the doctor gave you and exercise should be beneficial.

Quote:
I had planned some time off from work at both my jobs to relieve any stress and anxiety.

I recall you saying you got time off of work for the withdrawal process. How much time did you take off how did you time your last dose? I’m hoping I don’t need to take time off since I’m tapering to such a low dose, but I might take some off just to be certain. I figured I would take my last dose 3 days before I took off work so my 4th day off Suboxone would be my 1st day off work and the heaviest of the withdrawals would be setting in. I’m just trying to be efficient with my time and don’t want to take work off if the withdrawal symptoms aren’t that bad.

Keep it up and keep us updated!

Last dose 3 days ago

Author: RXFCG

Posted: Sun Jun 30, 2013 11:27 am

Quote:
I like the latter part of the link….very informative… I think it should be a "Sticky" but everyone is different.

Thanks jonny62, I think it should be a sticky too because I feel it’s very informative on how to cut your films. Maybe if enough forum posters or moderators believe it should be, then it will?

@ Shanks1224

Ever since I started tapering, I started taking a good quality Multivitamin, Omega Complex, Amino Acids tablets (which include L-Tyrosine), B-12 & 5-HTP. Maybe it’s overkill, but I believe it makes me feel better physically and mentally I know my body is getting the nutrients it needs to heal.

Also, it’s great to hear that you feel well! I think getting sleep, controlling your stomach and reducing the RLS are the main symptoms to try and reduce and it sounds like you’re doing a good job with that. The medication the doctor gave you and exercise should be beneficial.

Quote:
I had planned some time off from work at both my jobs to relieve any stress and anxiety.

I recall you saying you got time off of work for the withdrawal process. How much time did you take off how did you time your last dose? I’m hoping I don’t need to take time off since I’m tapering to such a low dose, but I might take some off just to be certain. I figured I would take my last dose 3 days before I took off work so my 4th day off Suboxone would be my 1st day off work and the heaviest of the withdrawals would be setting in. I’m just trying to be efficient with my time and don’t want to take work off if the withdrawal symptoms aren’t that bad.

Keep it up and keep us updated!

headaches

Author: stewart1

Posted: Sun Jun 30, 2013 11:53 am

I had the exact same problem, I started on 16mg of subs(but I had a habit that required more than 80-120mg of oxy) and had a splitting headache exeryday. In my opnion, you might want to lower your dose. 16mg is A LOT. Doc lowered the dose after a while which helped a little but I still had headaches everyday. I began spitting out the sub after it absorbed which also helped a little but basically everyday I would have a lingering headache with the occasional migraine (pretty frequent). Even as I was down to 4-6mg. I was on Topamax for migraines which didnt really help, but my doctor would NOT switch me to generic bupe. I switched doctors, he put me on plain buprenorphine and like magic, headaches were GONE. Haven’t had one in months, besides a normal headache. I have been getting migraines since I was a child, but the everyday ones are gone. I’d recommend getting to a lower dose, and spitting out remaining saliva like someone suggested already. I don’t know if your doctor would be willing to switch you but that was the best solution for me. Unfortunately it took me almost 6 months of painful headaches and a new doctor to fix it.

headaches

Author: stewart1

Posted: Sun Jun 30, 2013 11:53 am

I had the exact same problem, I started on 16mg of subs(but I had a habit that required more than 80-120mg of oxy) and had a splitting headache exeryday. In my opnion, you might want to lower your dose. 16mg is A LOT. Doc lowered the dose after a while which helped a little but I still had headaches everyday. I began spitting out the sub after it absorbed which also helped a little but basically everyday I would have a lingering headache with the occasional migraine (pretty frequent). Even as I was down to 4-6mg. I was on Topamax for migraines which didnt really help, but my doctor would NOT switch me to generic bupe. I switched doctors, he put me on plain buprenorphine and like magic, headaches were GONE. Haven’t had one in months, besides a normal headache. I have been getting migraines since I was a child, but the everyday ones are gone. I’d recommend getting to a lower dose, and spitting out remaining saliva like someone suggested already. I don’t know if your doctor would be willing to switch you but that was the best solution for me. Unfortunately it took me almost 6 months of painful headaches and a new doctor to fix it.

Quitting after over four years! Wanting taper-time advice.

Author: BigSexy

Posted: Sun Jun 30, 2013 1:07 pm

I would like to share a brief biography. I’m a 27 year old male, Mechanical Engineering student, and the father (of a 5 year old girl). During my high school years I kinda just went with the flow and did what everyone else was doing, which was partying, and school was the last thing on my mind. I got in an ATV reck in the winter when I was 17, this resulted in a compression fracture, and my opiate addiction started. I was addicted to opiates on and off until I was about 22. It was then that I realized this was a horrible way to live, with the help of my daughters I decided to get on suboxone (I would have done rehab if that was an option). Now a little over 4 years later I am ready to get off the suboxone. Although, I would like to say that this drug has allowed me to come into adulthood properly. I have essentially grown from a boy to a man while taking subs; they allowed me the stability I needed to look at my life and decide where it was going. At the age of 23 I realized I was a nerd at heart. Since then I have come to love anything complex, especially physics, so I decided to go to school to be a Mechanical Engineer. I would recommend suboxone to any addict looking for a way to stabilize their life, although I would say try rehab first.

So I have tapered down to 4mg a day without any issues; I know the real work starts here. I was wanting to ask how long it should take me to taper down from 4mg’s after 4 years at the age of 27?

Any insights or thoughts are greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance, and I look forward to talking!

Quitting after over four years! Wanting taper-time advice.

Author: BigSexy

Posted: Sun Jun 30, 2013 1:07 pm

I would like to share a brief biography. I’m a 27 year old male, Mechanical Engineering student, and the father (of a 5 year old girl). During my high school years I kinda just went with the flow and did what everyone else was doing, which was partying, and school was the last thing on my mind. I got in an ATV reck in the winter when I was 17, this resulted in a compression fracture, and my opiate addiction started. I was addicted to opiates on and off until I was about 22. It was then that I realized this was a horrible way to live, with the help of my daughters I decided to get on suboxone (I would have done rehab if that was an option). Now a little over 4 years later I am ready to get off the suboxone. Although, I would like to say that this drug has allowed me to come into adulthood properly. I have essentially grown from a boy to a man while taking subs; they allowed me the stability I needed to look at my life and decide where it was going. At the age of 23 I realized I was a nerd at heart. Since then I have come to love anything complex, especially physics, so I decided to go to school to be a Mechanical Engineer. I would recommend suboxone to any addict looking for a way to stabilize their life, although I would say try rehab first.

So I have tapered down to 4mg a day without any issues; I know the real work starts here. I was wanting to ask how long it should take me to taper down from 4mg’s after 4 years at the age of 27?

Any insights or thoughts are greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance, and I look forward to talking!