my sub doctor gave me my scrip the first day but she didn't do a lab test on my urine, just a medical grade cup test, and she saw that I tested positive for opiates and was obviously in withdrawal, so she wrote me the scrip right away. she did however make me take the first dose at the office, and for several months would only write me for 14 subs at a time. I first started out on 14mg (1 3/4 8mg) suboxone film, and after the initial withdrawals were under control I soon tapered down to 8mg film and stayed there for a while. I tried to taper down more to 4mg w/in the first 6 months but became suicidally depressed (actually did try to kill myself) and was suffering so much anxiety despite not seeming to actually be experiencing withdrawal symptoms, that we went back up to 8mg for a while. I not long after that relapsed and following my week long relapse continued to use once every month or so for a few months, the cravings were just so out of control after that relapse I couldn't keep myself clean -- so we went up to 12mg film, which got the cravings under control and since then I have had only one itty bitty slip up (I would even call it a relapse, I didn't even get a buzz, it was an impulsive single pill while I had using junkie as a roommate and it takes at least 5-6 to get me buzzed even when I've been off the naloxone a few days. it was a non event.) in the past 13 months. not long after I switched to zubsolv (which is 100x better, tiny little pill that dissolves and absorbs super fast, pleasant minty flavour instead of vomit inducing chemical orange) and am now on 8.6mg of that (equivalent to 12mg suboxone film because zubsolv has higher bioavailability). I see my doctor every 4 weeks on the dot and these days she writes me for 28 sublingual tablets at a time. ever since my first relapse she drug tests me every single time, though before that she would drug test about every other time. failing a drug test w/ my doctor is not something that "gets you in trouble" (I got kicked out of another suboxone program I was briefly in when I moved across the state for failing a drug test, that was ridiculous ...I decided it was worth the monthly 4hr drive to stick w/ my original doctor). I used to smoke weed regularly and failed for weed consistently every time for quite a while and my doctor never had much of a problem w/ that. I have failed for benzos and amphetamines before but I was not abusing them, simply self medicating at a therapeutic dose for some of the mental health issues I have that I am trying to find something that works for despite the fact that no doctor I currently see will prescribe me anything scheduled or even anything vaguely considered abuseable, she understands that and because I let her know ahead of time the situation she did not have much issue w/ it. even when I have relapsed and failed for opiates I am not "punished" or reprimanded, we simply have a talk about how we can keep this from happening again.
my doctor is very good, I like her a lot.
however she is an addiction specialist only and will not prescribe me anything for any of my other mental health issues (I have gotten her to prescribe topirimate to help me w/ my eating but only because it is also good for opiate cravings and therefore "in her line of medicine"). also I know for a fact she would never even consider prescribing any kind of abuseable medication unfortunately despite the fact I could really use a stimulant for a couple problems I have and a benzo for my crippling anxiety. despite that I have enjoyed working w/ her and I wouldn't want to switch doctors.
I suggest you try to stick it out for at least a few months and really get a feel for the program before you decide you are put off. and if it doesn't work out there, look for another sub doctor, many are different. buprenorphrine saved my life in a dozen ways and I really hope it helps you as much as it helped me.
