Opioids Suboxone after fentanyl, does it get better?

[oldschool@it_again]

I recently did the bupe induction from fentanyl. It was one of the hardest things I've ever done. Pwd after about 90 hours. 17 hours of hell. But it's over. The problem is I still feel like I'm a bit sick. The subs don't give me a buzz because I have been induced before this. It's just a slight chill and tremors all day. I feel like this will even put in a few weeks but I need to know what you all think. Either way, life is better this way. Moving forward.

 

[pharaoh]

You're doing the right thing. I would talk to whoever prescribed you the bupe assuming that you aren't doing this without support from the pros as maybe they dosed you too early (which seems unlikely given the very short half life of fent and also as you said you've been sick) or you need a higher dose.

But yes it does get better. Of course it isn't easy but if you really want to improve your quality of life then for sure it gets better and you've taken the first step which is one of the hardest things to do.

But yeah talk to whatever service is helping you do this and tell them what's going on. If you are doing it of your own accord then I can't help you as I'm not qualified to advise and that'll be the same for most people here, although some people might be able to help you if you give them doaage info etc.

In any case, good luck. Fentanyl is a highly potent opioid and so I imagine that it's one of the hardest to come off of. I've used bupe to come off of heroin and it was the best thing that's happened to me.

Good luck and stay strong.

 

[oldschool@it_again]

Thank you. Seriously,thank you. I detoxed under the care of a psychiatrist. In the past I have used bupe, not Suboxone to come off of heroin with great success as well. Currently I am on 24mg daily Suboxone. I take 8mg when I wake up and for about an hour I feel like I'm in withdrawal. Tingly sensation all over, diarrhea, and agitation. It evens out over the course of an hour but it only gets to a certain point, and I'm left with clammy skin, agitation, and slight tremors. Then 8mg in the afternoon, and evening, with same results. The shrink said that my habit was so bad that the bupe isn't strong enough, but I dont believe it should make me sick every time I take it. This has been the way it's been working ever since the pwd. He seemed like he was baffled tbh, but he said to just push through it, and it will get better. I'm searching for a doctor now, and if I'm being 100% honest, I feel like the naloxone is fucking with me. I never had this issue years ago when I was prescribed straight bupe. The shrink said he could not prescribe Subutex, that's it isn't used anymore and that... Well just keep taking it. It will get better. But goddamn, this isn't right man, I'm like the only other mfr that this is happening too, and it's driving me crazy. I have to take 4 shots of tequila after work so I can calm down, and I am not a drinker. I despise alcohol, but it does take the edge off. It's been about 9 days. 7 days In detox, and 2 back out trying to be sane and do my job. I'm string mentally after the hell I went through and I don't want to get high. I would just like to feel... normal.

 

[Jen X]

The thing is with street fentanyl it's not just fentanyl you're withdrawing from.
Suboxone gave me bad anxiety so just give yourself a bit of time before possibly switching to methadone.

Try not to get into a habit of drinking, not an addiction you want.
Can you get clonidine and maybe Lyrica? They both help with symptoms

 

[oldschool@it_again]

Yeh, Clonidine.. good idea. As soon as I get my doc, I'll look into that. I'm not worried about drinking. I'm 50 now and have never had issues with alcohol. It's always been the opiates that get me. It's a short term solution to a difficult situation. I'll find a doc this Monday and hopefully they can help. Thanks for the comment.

 

[oldschool@it_again]

The thing is with street fentanyl it's not just fentanyl you're withdrawing from.
Suboxone gave me bad anxiety so just give yourself a bit of time before possibly switching to methadone.

Try not to get into a habit of drinking, not an addiction you want.
Can you get clonidine and maybe Lyrica? They both help with symptoms

But.. methadone, absolutely not. Hell no. They start you at 25mg and only allow you to go up 5mg every 3 days. Do you have any idea how sick I would be on 25mg of methadone? I'd be forced to use until I got to about 100mg. Besides, I was on done up until about 3 months ago. I'd started doing fentanyl and it made the methadone not work anymore. So I had to stop and just did the fake Roxie's for about 6 weeks till I got tired of spending 1000 a week on them. Then I went to detox, withdrew for 96 hours, and the pwd hell back to subs, and here we are. Honestly, I feel like shit, but I have to just push forward. I feel like it's getting better 1% a day. It's akin to kicking cold turkey and waiting till you feel normal. The sub just isn't strong enough. The funny thing is it dilates my eyes to the point I can't see past about 10 feet. So it's obviously saturating my receptors. Just can't figure out why it makes me sick every time I take it.

 

[Northerngyal]

I think it’s just going to take some time to get the fentanyl out of your system so the Suboxone can do it’s job. Right now your body just wants fentanyl and is throwing little fits.

My first 2 weeks on Suboxone were hell. I didn’t think it was working either. But I stuck with it and it did get better eventually. Also. I don’t recommend taking any additional opioids as it will make you feel like pure death lol. (I learned that the hard way bahaha)

 

[OceansState]

When I went to inpatient detox they just gave me Clonidine, maybe some Benzos of some kind, and Trazadone at night to sleep. Walked out feeling good.

When I was doing Suboxone I first got it off the street, they were the tabs and I would crush and bump it. I believe it took awhile of just taking the Suboxone to start feeling good. At first I would get the Subs when I couldn't get any Oxy 80's so the sub just made me not withdrawal but i didn't really feel good. I finally stopped the Oxy and started seeing a Dr for the script and that's when I started feeling good off it.

 

[oldschool@it_again]

I think it’s just going to take some time to get the fentanyl out of your system so the Suboxone can do it’s job. Right now your body just wants fentanyl and is throwing little fits.

My first 2 weeks on Suboxone were hell. I didn’t think it was working either. But I stuck with it and it did get better eventually. Also. I don’t recommend taking any additional opioids as it will make you feel like pure death lol. (I learned that the hard way bahaha)

Do you think that's what is going on? The fentanyl is still causing issues? Because I kind of feel like the sub is just not strong enough to compete with my habit. And if that's the case I'll be sick a lot longer. I will not get a buzz from the subs because I've been induced before. So normal is the best I can hope for. That's all I want now. I'm at work and in hell ATM. I can't rest, I'm shaking, and I can't eat either. I'm seriously, seriously, considering dumping this shit, going back to the dope and getting on methadone Monday. I'll have to use intermittently until I level out. I don't want to do that. But I feel doomed. I tried as hard as I could to get a shrink today to handle my meds but they never called me back. I only have a 2 week supply and must find a doc. Not wanting to do the clinic/treatment center shit. I want a fucking doctor. Idk. I'm just fucking miserable.

 

[OceansState]

What about Clonidine, it really helps me. 2hrs ago I felt withdrawals coming on, the sweating, hot, feeling nervous, just uncomfortable and gross. I took a .1 Clonidine and now feel normal, much better.

I see a tele-health Dr I found online. Its cheap per "visit", its just a 15 min video chat and she prescribed me what i asked for. No narcotics or controlled meds though. Just clonidine and gabapentin so far.

 

[oldschool@it_again]

What about Clonidine, it really helps me. 2hrs ago I felt withdrawals coming on, the sweating, hot, feeling nervous, just uncomfortable and gross. I took a .1 Clonidine and now feel normal, much better.

I see a tele-health Dr I found online. Its cheap per "visit", its just a 15 min video chat and she prescribed me what i asked for. No narcotics or controlled meds though. Just clonidine and gabapentin so far.

I'm gonna talk to my shrink in about an hour. See what he thinks. It's a new Dr, and I opted for an actual Dr instead of a treatment center. I'm still cold, agitated. I've been out of detox 6 days now. The sub should be taken care of the wd but alas, I just feel shitty. I'll report back on what this dude says. It's his specialty. And yes Clonidine has always helped me.

 

[deadhead4lyfe89]

Thank you. Seriously,thank you. I detoxed under the care of a psychiatrist. In the past I have used bupe, not Suboxone to come off of heroin with great success as well. Currently I am on 24mg daily Suboxone. I take 8mg when I wake up and for about an hour I feel like I'm in withdrawal. Tingly sensation all over, diarrhea, and agitation. It evens out over the course of an hour but it only gets to a certain point, and I'm left with clammy skin, agitation, and slight tremors. Then 8mg in the afternoon, and evening, with same results. The shrink said that my habit was so bad that the bupe isn't strong enough, but I dont believe it should make me sick every time I take it. This has been the way it's been working ever since the pwd. He seemed like he was baffled tbh, but he said to just push through it, and it will get better. I'm searching for a doctor now, and if I'm being 100% honest, I feel like the naloxone is fucking with me. I never had this issue years ago when I was prescribed straight bupe. The shrink said he could not prescribe Subutex, that's it isn't used anymore and that... Well just keep taking it. It will get better. But goddamn, this isn't right man, I'm like the only other mfr that this is happening too, and it's driving me crazy. I have to take 4 shots of tequila after work so I can calm down, and I am not a drinker. I despise alcohol, but it does take the edge off. It's been about 9 days. 7 days In detox, and 2 back out trying to be sane and do my job. I'm string mentally after the hell I went through and I don't want to get high. I would just like to feel... normal.

You should have a regular doctor and or a specific suboxone/ addiction type doctor. Weird. A psychiatrist wouldn’t be the best to deal with opiates/opioids.I know it’s a dr. But they mostly cover the mind.disorders.etc..not physical pain & opiate WD.
& yeah, there’s often fent ,carfentanil, & others in the pills. Powder. fent is so crazy strong that it’s normal to still feel a bit shitty for a while.

 

[oldschool@it_again]

You should have a regular doctor and or a specific suboxone/ addiction type doctor. Weird. A psychiatrist wouldn’t be the best to deal with opiates/opioids.I know it’s a dr. But they mostly cover the mind.disorders.etc..not physical pain & opiate WD.
& yeah, there’s often fent ,carfentanil, & others in the pills. Powder. fent is so crazy strong that it’s normal to still feel a bit shitty for a while.

I have one. Primary care, sub Dr, and a shrink. Technically the sub Dr is a shrink as well, but he's specialized in addiction treatment for nearly 30 years. This Dr is south after in my city, and I was lucky to get in. Maybe it's different where I am, but all the detox units are headed by psychiatrists. I don't have a problem with it.

 

[OceansState]

When I was on Suboxone I was originally seeing a psyc Dr. specifically for that, it was back when only a certain number of Drs. could prescribe it for a certain number of patients at a time. He ended up kicking me out one day out of the blue, he said its because I kept switching my appointments. At that time I had a job where I was traveling all around the state daily and sometimes I wasn't able to make the appt or if I was around that area I would call and see if they had any available openings. He almost kicked me out previously for a positive pee test but he sent it out and the lab confirmed it wasn't positive, at the time i think it was because I had an everything bagel, I was not using any other meds besides the Suboxone.

I then found a real primary care Dr for the Suboxone but then was seeing another psyc Dr for depression and she wrote me scripts for other meds to help get off Suboxone. I felt more comfortable talking to her about my issues than the primary care.

 

[oldschool@it_again]

When I was on Suboxone I was originally seeing a psyc Dr. specifically for that, it was back when only a certain number of Drs. could prescribe it for a certain number of patients at a time. He ended up kicking me out one day out of the blue, he said its because I kept switching my appointments. At that time I had a job where I was traveling all around the state daily and sometimes I wasn't able to make the appt or if I was around that area I would call and see if they had any available openings. He almost kicked me out previously for a positive pee test but he sent it out and the lab confirmed it wasn't positive, at the time i think it was because I had an everything bagel, I was not using any other meds besides the Suboxone.

I then found a real primary care Dr for the Suboxone but then was seeing another psyc Dr for depression and she wrote me scripts for other meds to help get off Suboxone. I felt more comfortable talking to her about my issues than the primary care.

I'm hoping this one is good. The screening process was intense. I am still sick. 24mg and it's not doing the trick. I'm miserable, and I am probably gonna use soon. After my next visit when I get the 30 day script, I'm going to abstain 3 days and get high. When I have used my stash... Probably 3 days worth, I'll wait the 15 hours and reinduce. No fent. This past 7 days of feeling like dog shit, huffing and puffing trying to do my job, sleeping minutes at a time. It broke me. I've already got the goods, I'm ashamed. But it is what it is.

 

[OceansState]

is it the Suboxone tabs or is it the film? I tried the films before and it just didnt seem the same as the tabs. Maybe I was using them wrong, wasn't used to letting them fully dissolve over time. With the tabs id crush and bump them, maybe that added to the rush?

 

[Alekzandrovitch]

I've used suboxone to get off of fentnayl before. It does work fine for me.

 

[Keif' Richards]

Yes, it gets better my friend. Everything you're doing is worth it; for you, the people you care about and most importantly, your fellow BL'ers whom will one day draw great strength from hearing your story of recovery.

I'm not a bullshitter or a guidance counselor either. To give people unrealistic expectations in this game can ruin lives, even if it comes with a positive intent.

Most people who are using illicit Fentanyl these days will not be able to induct on Buprenorphine (Subutex;Suboxone) successively. For most, the process is just too difficult. It's not entirely their fault either; Buprenorphine was a drug used effectively back when users were using Heroin and their dependencies were several orders of magnitude smaller than your contemporary Fentanyl users.

You have done already what many consider impossible for themselves. You've got some balls dude and give yourself the self-respect you deserve for making it this far. The true misery and pain are over. Now, we only have to deal with apathy/depression/boredom. Granted, this isn't "easy" either, but it's a phase of the withdrawal in which you have your wits about you and are able to make better, more responsible decisions.

I would highly recommend engaging with a daily program like the 12-steps. There are plenty of others out there, it doesn't have to be AA, however AA/NA is the most accessible globally. Whatever it is you do, you need to talk to someone constantly about how you feel, where you're going and your goals. You need a family, just a family of drug addicts who can give you the "love" that you need that only a fellow addict can give.

You have to find balance. Don't ever rest on your laurels or act as if you aren't an addict, yet also, don't be afraid to pat yourself on the back for what you've done.

There are a lot of people reading this saying "man, I'd give everything to just be off the Fentanyl and back on Buprenorphine, working, living, but I can't move from point A to point B". A lot of these people might never get back there. You're already here.

As far as the sheer chemical/biological side of things., yes, the symptoms of PAWS will abate given time. I consider serious milestones in my own life to be the 1 week, 1 month, 3 month, 6 month, 1 year scale. These were moments in my own recovery in which I really sat back and said "damn, I'm starting to feel okay". After the year, most folks are going to tell you it gets more complicated. The thing is, this "complication" is only deciding what it is you want to do with your life, your heart and your soul to give you happiness, purpose and meaning in your life.

"Decide what you want to do for fun" sounds a whole lot better than the alternative in my opinion. If you ever want to talk, I'm here and so is the rest of our beautiful community.