Hi to all -
I thank everyone in advance for reading this posting and for any help that you might be able to contribute; I am really just quite ignorant when it comes to the chemical backgrounds of most of the drugs that are discussed on these forums and, really, particularly ignorant about Naltrexone in general. I'll discuss the study below, but first some details about me:
I've been on Suboxone for 3+ years (my dose is currently 1mg a day and has been for about 3 months - a 2mg or lower daily dose was actually one requisite of this study) and am ready to be off of opiates entirely, so when I saw the opportunity to participate in a study that would "have me off of suboxone/opiates in a week" for FREE, I jumped at the opportunity, despite the fact that I was not sure exactly what this Naltrexone is and why it would be involved. I just figured that if I'm ever going to get off of this stuff then why not do it in a hospital setting where there are nurses/doctors there to provide you with "medications to help ease withdrawal symptoms" and also to look over you in general - plus, of course, I'm much more likely to go through with the full jump-off of suboxone while in the hospital for one straight week, as opposed to attempting to do it on my own. And it's free!
However, the more I've read about Naltrexone over the past week or so the more I've grown quite wary of its potential effects (really I've read mostly horror stories!), and the more that I've read about Bupe withdrawal and detox have made my doctor's assertions that the intense withdrawal symptoms should only last about 2-3 days of the study from the 1mg of suboxone (that I've been on for 3+ years) now seem to me to be downright incorrect!
The details of the study, in brief, are that I'm to take my last dose of suboxone (been on it for 3+ years) on Friday (1mg) and then check into the hospital for a week, during which they monitor my vitals, give me medicine to keep me "comfortable" through the w/d of the bupe (they offer, if I'm not mistaken, clonodine, ambien and some sort of benzo in addition to the usual tylenol, etc.) and then three days after the suboxone is stopped (so Monday, I suppose) I will be started on a very low dose of Naltrexone, by which time my doctor has told me "withdrawal symptoms will have begun to subside or at the very least have plateaued."
I'm under the impression that the purpose of the naltrexone in this study (in addition to the fact that it blocks one's receptors from taking other opiates) is to moderate the severity of the withdrawal symptoms. My doctor has told me that the 2-3 days of withdrawal should not be at all too bad and that the final 4 days of my hospital stay (when I'll be on the Naltrexone) should be pretty much a breeze.
On my final day at the hospital I'll be given a shot of Vivitrol, which, I guess, lasts a month, and I'll have weekly check-ups to the hospital once I am discharged to check up on the effects of the Vivitrol/Nalrexone.
I am tired of having this crutch of opiates in my life and want them out of it ASAP. Although suboxone has been a godsend in my transition from opiate-abuse, it is still something I am addicted to and something I no longer want in my life. That being said, when I was presented this opportunity I thought that it was the best thing that could happen: the possibility to be off of EVERYTHING in one week's time (I start this Friday)! However, and this is probably partly my fault, I've been filling my time leading up to the study scouring the internet for testimonials of people who have done similar tapers to jump off of suboxone (not really much out there) and finding information about naltrexone that is downright scary! Most people say to stay away from it like the plague! I realize that I will be receiving a small dose of it, but it is just hard for me to imagine it helping these symptoms when people have so many bad things to say about how it can negatively impact someone's road to sobriety...and this is scaring the @#%# out of me! Add that to the fact that I really think my doctor is underestimating the length and severity of the withdrawal that I will be going through from the 1mg of suboxone, and, honestly, I'm currently doubting even checking in on Friday now, three days before this study that I was previously so excited for.
One thing I have yet to do, though, is reach out on a forum like this, or, really, anywhere for that matter, and just writing this all out has been a little cathartic for me. But, obviously, what I would love to hear (and truly, truly appreciate) would be people's experiences with anything similar to this study, what people may have heard about similar experiences or really just any comments or suggestions you might have for me, be they positive or negative, encouraging or discouraging with regards to the study. Essentially, I don't like the idea of going into this study completely blind, so I am seeking any sort of additional information anyone can provide me which might make what I will be going through more predictable.
I thank you once again for taking the time to read this whole thing, and I can't say how much I would appreciate any responses/comments you might have for me, be they in this forum or privately. I don't mind them being public, obviously, so please be honest and give it to me straight! Thanks again for your help, in advance, and the best of luck to you all as well.
Regards,
B
P.S. I found an e-mail from my doctor, which stated the actual "purpose" of the study:
"The study is meant to investigate whether naltrexone's antagonism of kappa opioid receptors leads to an amelioration of withdrawal symptoms. Kappa antagonism is believed to help with withdrawal symptoms."
I thank everyone in advance for reading this posting and for any help that you might be able to contribute; I am really just quite ignorant when it comes to the chemical backgrounds of most of the drugs that are discussed on these forums and, really, particularly ignorant about Naltrexone in general. I'll discuss the study below, but first some details about me:
I've been on Suboxone for 3+ years (my dose is currently 1mg a day and has been for about 3 months - a 2mg or lower daily dose was actually one requisite of this study) and am ready to be off of opiates entirely, so when I saw the opportunity to participate in a study that would "have me off of suboxone/opiates in a week" for FREE, I jumped at the opportunity, despite the fact that I was not sure exactly what this Naltrexone is and why it would be involved. I just figured that if I'm ever going to get off of this stuff then why not do it in a hospital setting where there are nurses/doctors there to provide you with "medications to help ease withdrawal symptoms" and also to look over you in general - plus, of course, I'm much more likely to go through with the full jump-off of suboxone while in the hospital for one straight week, as opposed to attempting to do it on my own. And it's free!
However, the more I've read about Naltrexone over the past week or so the more I've grown quite wary of its potential effects (really I've read mostly horror stories!), and the more that I've read about Bupe withdrawal and detox have made my doctor's assertions that the intense withdrawal symptoms should only last about 2-3 days of the study from the 1mg of suboxone (that I've been on for 3+ years) now seem to me to be downright incorrect!
The details of the study, in brief, are that I'm to take my last dose of suboxone (been on it for 3+ years) on Friday (1mg) and then check into the hospital for a week, during which they monitor my vitals, give me medicine to keep me "comfortable" through the w/d of the bupe (they offer, if I'm not mistaken, clonodine, ambien and some sort of benzo in addition to the usual tylenol, etc.) and then three days after the suboxone is stopped (so Monday, I suppose) I will be started on a very low dose of Naltrexone, by which time my doctor has told me "withdrawal symptoms will have begun to subside or at the very least have plateaued."
I'm under the impression that the purpose of the naltrexone in this study (in addition to the fact that it blocks one's receptors from taking other opiates) is to moderate the severity of the withdrawal symptoms. My doctor has told me that the 2-3 days of withdrawal should not be at all too bad and that the final 4 days of my hospital stay (when I'll be on the Naltrexone) should be pretty much a breeze.
On my final day at the hospital I'll be given a shot of Vivitrol, which, I guess, lasts a month, and I'll have weekly check-ups to the hospital once I am discharged to check up on the effects of the Vivitrol/Nalrexone.
I am tired of having this crutch of opiates in my life and want them out of it ASAP. Although suboxone has been a godsend in my transition from opiate-abuse, it is still something I am addicted to and something I no longer want in my life. That being said, when I was presented this opportunity I thought that it was the best thing that could happen: the possibility to be off of EVERYTHING in one week's time (I start this Friday)! However, and this is probably partly my fault, I've been filling my time leading up to the study scouring the internet for testimonials of people who have done similar tapers to jump off of suboxone (not really much out there) and finding information about naltrexone that is downright scary! Most people say to stay away from it like the plague! I realize that I will be receiving a small dose of it, but it is just hard for me to imagine it helping these symptoms when people have so many bad things to say about how it can negatively impact someone's road to sobriety...and this is scaring the @#%# out of me! Add that to the fact that I really think my doctor is underestimating the length and severity of the withdrawal that I will be going through from the 1mg of suboxone, and, honestly, I'm currently doubting even checking in on Friday now, three days before this study that I was previously so excited for.
One thing I have yet to do, though, is reach out on a forum like this, or, really, anywhere for that matter, and just writing this all out has been a little cathartic for me. But, obviously, what I would love to hear (and truly, truly appreciate) would be people's experiences with anything similar to this study, what people may have heard about similar experiences or really just any comments or suggestions you might have for me, be they positive or negative, encouraging or discouraging with regards to the study. Essentially, I don't like the idea of going into this study completely blind, so I am seeking any sort of additional information anyone can provide me which might make what I will be going through more predictable.
I thank you once again for taking the time to read this whole thing, and I can't say how much I would appreciate any responses/comments you might have for me, be they in this forum or privately. I don't mind them being public, obviously, so please be honest and give it to me straight! Thanks again for your help, in advance, and the best of luck to you all as well.
Regards,
B
P.S. I found an e-mail from my doctor, which stated the actual "purpose" of the study:
"The study is meant to investigate whether naltrexone's antagonism of kappa opioid receptors leads to an amelioration of withdrawal symptoms. Kappa antagonism is believed to help with withdrawal symptoms."
