How much Subutex should I take for Half a gram/day IV heroin habit?

[Anephew]

I IV a half a gram of heroin a day for about a month now and I'm trying to quit. So i was wondering how much subutex i should take to eliminate withdrawal.
I have 2 subutex pills (imprint: 54 411. 8mg) that i got from a friend since i don't have a prescription. I cut 1 pill into 4 pieces, so I've been taking a quarter of one pill a day. It helps but i still feel sick. Should i take more?

 

[Phil.McKeer]

How sick exactly do you feel? There is a chance that at that dose and duration you may not feel any withdrawal at all.

Anyways, it is important when using buprenorphine that once you find the dose that "holds" you, that you start tapering down from there. So if 2mgs is working, take 1.5 the next day, if possible. Especially since you only have a total of 16mgs to begin with...

The point of subutex is to mask the agony of withdrawal from the full agonist (H) during the "acute" phase and taper off from there.

And...it shouldn't need to be said, but...when you say "take" a quarter of a "pill"...are you swallowing it, or putting it under your tongue?

 

[Anephew]

It takes away the worst parts of withdrawal like naseaua, rls, diarrhea. But i still have bad cold sweats, wattery eyes, runny nose, gi discomfort. Tolerable compared to cold turkey but I'm still very uncomfortable, and it makes me think I'm not taking enough.

Should i just take half a pill, insteas of a quaarter next time?

When i take it i put it under my tongue until it fully dissolves in about 20 minutes.

 

[Phil.McKeer]

OK good, you're using it correctly. You'd be surprised how many times I've discovered that the person was SWALLOWING the sub, lol.

Anyhow, I'd say if at 2mgs your eyes and nose were running like faucets, then take 4mg next time. But keep an eye on your overall supply - be careful not to use too much at once and run out!

So, go 4mg, then 2, then 1.5, etc. You want to find the best balance between therapeutic and sustainable dosing.

Good luck bro, I've been where you are now and it sucks but its worlds apart from cold turkey. You got this!

 

[Phil.McKeer]

How long did you wait since your last dose of H before you took that first quarter-piece, by the way? And how long has it been overall?

 

[spacejunk]

Good info phil - i totally agree with all you have to say on this method.
Keep up the good work Anephew - this is the best way to use buprenorphine in my opinion.
Low dose, rapid taper.
A lot of people swear by it (myself included) - but you really have to gauge the effectiveness for yourself.
So long as you're committed to sticking with the taper, you can negate a lot of the worst symptoms of opiate withdrawal.
If done right - in the right individuals - it is a pretty amazing approach to detox.