Hi I'm new here. A year ago I kicked a huge opiate habit with lope. I thought it was a miracle drug and here I sit taking 200mg a day and experiencing awful side effects. I am going to induct on Suboxone tomorrow and I'm so scared of precipitated withdrawals. I'll be 40 some hours out from my last dose. Any advice? I'm a young single mother and I need to be at work 6 hours after my induction. Thanks!
Bupe Jumping from huge dose lope to subs...
- Thread starter Hthr1991
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Hi Hthr,
I have not used suboxone before but I have followed many users who have. I would think the same method would be used as with any other opiates. That is, scoring yourself on the COWS worksheet (google it) and scoring at least a 25 before induction. At induction you will want to take 2mg and wait 30minutes to an hour and evaluate your withdrawals again (on the COWS sheet if you want). Then redose .5mg and wait each time, repeat until you feel 90%. That is your starting dose. Take this dose one per day at the same time each day.
I don't know your current situation. So I won't mention a taper plan unless you are planning the use of subs for only a short time.
Hang in there and good luck.
I have not used suboxone before but I have followed many users who have. I would think the same method would be used as with any other opiates. That is, scoring yourself on the COWS worksheet (google it) and scoring at least a 25 before induction. At induction you will want to take 2mg and wait 30minutes to an hour and evaluate your withdrawals again (on the COWS sheet if you want). Then redose .5mg and wait each time, repeat until you feel 90%. That is your starting dose. Take this dose one per day at the same time each day.
I don't know your current situation. So I won't mention a taper plan unless you are planning the use of subs for only a short time.
Hang in there and good luck.
Phil.McKeer
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Are you sure its necessary to switch to buprenorphine? Why?
I'd taper down on the loperamide if possible. You're going from the frying pan right into the fire. Buprenorphine is STRONG MEDICINE. Loperamide is...not.
I'd taper down on the loperamide if possible. You're going from the frying pan right into the fire. Buprenorphine is STRONG MEDICINE. Loperamide is...not.
Right now I am taking 200-400 mg of lope a day I started at about 30 and my tolerance grew very fast. My heart is being affected and if I don't stop I could die. It's raised my tolerance to opiates sky high as well. Going on subs is very necessary for me at this point.
She is making the right choice ending lope ASAP due to QT prolongation risks. I wish I could tell you how long to wait, but with lopes no ceiling dose effect and super long half life it might possibly be quite hard to induce without precipitated w/d try waiting at least 24 hours if not 72 hours since last dose.
Zerwas
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^I agree with tacodude. Also you should take a few free days from work when you induct. It could be very possible that you are not able to work even if you do not get precipitated WDs.
Most people feel not right during the first few days of Bupe-induction until it gets better. But don't let that scare you, it is the right call!
I think Subs are much safer and also easier to taper off than these insane Loperamide doses.
Good luck.
Most people feel not right during the first few days of Bupe-induction until it gets better. But don't let that scare you, it is the right call!
I think Subs are much safer and also easier to taper off than these insane Loperamide doses.
Good luck.
Thanks so much for the replies. I can't move my induction so I'm hoping almost 48 hours is enough I go in four hours and I'm pretty miserable. Absolutely no sleep anxiety through roof hot and cold chills sweating yawning every few minutes body hurts all over the only thing I'm missing is stomach upset which is making me nervous. The lope did a crazy number on my digestive system though. I don't want to keep taking huge doses of lope my body can't take it anymore. I hate going backwards if that's what I'm doing but I don't want to die either and I've been in the ER my hands turn blue all the time my chest hurts lightheaded can't lift very light things. It's awful.
I feel a bit better now just a little rls and very sore. Also upset tummy which is good cause it means the lope is leaving my body. I didn't feel better until I'd taken way too much Suboxone and now I have to be really careful to make it last. I'm scared I'll go back to lope this is torture. My dr doesn't know about the lope because the last Suboxone dr discharged me because he didn't understand. Lope raised my tolerance through the roof as well so maybe that's why I'm feeling better after about 18mg sub I had to call into work and my kids come home tomorrow hope I'll be better then I'm off the next 4 days.
Hey, I thought that would happen but you will begin to feel better soon. Just don't go back to the Lope, expecially if the doctor does not know about it. You can tough it out
Take care!
Thanks! I feel so much better today but I definitely don't think my dose is enough. Even though I feel a lot better I'm still getting crazy hot flashes and I feel no affects from the subs. I feel normal which is great but subs always gave me motivation and at least a warm feeling for a few hours after dosing. I feel no difference after taking a while 8 mg strip. Loperamide destroyed my tolerance two years ago 2mg did me fine.
crzydiamond
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It's probably not that your dose is too small; more likely it's that your body is adjusting to the partial agonist
You don't switch to subs and feel fantastic/energetic/good those first few days. It takes a few days to be where you want. Be happy you're not sick--some people still feel halfway sick the first few days while in transition
By this time next week you'll probably be feeling energetic boost when you take subs again.
Don't increase your dose. If anything, you're on more than needed for the amount of lope you were on. Once you stabilise on 8 mg, you should probably look to drop. I would think you'd be ok on somewhere from 2-4 mg. but obviously bigger doses are ok the first few days as you are making the switch.
You don't switch to subs and feel fantastic/energetic/good those first few days. It takes a few days to be where you want. Be happy you're not sick--some people still feel halfway sick the first few days while in transition
By this time next week you'll probably be feeling energetic boost when you take subs again.
Don't increase your dose. If anything, you're on more than needed for the amount of lope you were on. Once you stabilise on 8 mg, you should probably look to drop. I would think you'd be ok on somewhere from 2-4 mg. but obviously bigger doses are ok the first few days as you are making the switch.
So I drastically reduced my dose today after just not feeling good yesterday and barely being able to have energy for my kids and I feel way better at 4mg today, yesterday at this time Id taken 12mg. I researched the "less is more" theory and idk if my body is adjusting more like you said diamond or if I was just taking way too much but I actually feel a little boost today with this 4mg!! I'm so happy I feel well enough to take the kids out today 