hospital detox?

I've been on heroin for four and a half years now, IV the whole time, and my latest run has lasted two years without stopping for more than 60 hours. I'm ready to get clean and I need some advice on how to do it. In the past, everytime I've tried to stop with the help of suboxone at home, I've only made it to the first or second dose, then used because my withdrawals were so bad and the subs weren't helping. So I've decided to try a hospital detox, followed by outpatient and suboxone maintenance. I can't take any time off of work, so I'm planning on checking in on my first of two off days, then calling in for the next three to five days. So I'll have five to seven days to detox at a hospital.

My question is, is this length of time really doable? Will I still be sick when I check out? I've got to go back to work right after this and I'm terrified I'm going to be too sick to do anything. I have very terrible withdrawal symptoms that generally last a couple of months (after the initial few days of hell, I usually have stomach issues, terrible fatigue, and stomach issues, not to mention depression and anxiety for months to come). I'm also very nervous about telling my family and roommate, but something has to be done. So here goes...

Needing some support and advice. Thanks guys. xo

Hey sorry to hear about your situation. Ur really brave to be taking this step! I don't know much bout hospital detox except when my sister went in... I belive she was in there for no more then a week and then she when straight to a rehab.

I'm sure more experienced ppl will answer for u.
I myself am at 3 days from oxycodone wd. I have subs on deck but I'm making through(so far) wo them only using Gabapentin, flexral,and Xanx

I wish u luck. U are very brave! U can do this!!

Good for you for making a choice to get help for your withdrawal. Sometimes it's just best to kick, verses tapering… and ime not doing it on one's own. I did, but I tapered and it was agonizing, as I was working. A part of me really wanted to just go to the hospital.
Everyone is different but you will still be having some symptoms when you check out, yes, but nothing as bad as the first 4-5 days. Symptoms will peak right around then (mostly 4 days), then start to level off then decline.

You mentioned you'll be starting the suboxone 'after' detoxing 7 days? This will indeed help, but can you not start it earlier, or do you have to wait til after you are discharged? The dose needs to match what you were using approximately.

I've been off the H 6 months now. First 14 -15 days were horrible mentally but it slowly got better. The physical symptoms subsided a bit end of first week. EVeryone is different.
Good luck to you, congrats on doing this. Takes a lot of courage. You are worth it!

Congratulations for your wise decision. Withdraw really sucks but in your case I believe it won't last that long.
I agree that subs can help you a lot but try to use it as temporarily as possible. Hope you can make it through.
I used methadone for too long and now it's very hard to cope. I guess you can start using it after 24-48 hours.
Good luck!

Good shit tryin to get clean. Your experience is similar to mine: You have been using a lot time, and even when you get out, you'll be in withdrawal, which when I get out of detox I still feel like crap. I did H and subs on and off for a while and I went into detox, but as soon as I get out and the sub wears off im sick and use.

You can go into a detox and get on subs, but I wouldn't stay on em for too long, or eventually you sill have to be sick to get off of them, and im tellin you, even jumpin off at .5 still sucks!!

But you can always do a suboxone maintenance, but if you do choose subs, heed my warning: BEWARE

Good choice!

Doable, yes.
Effective, depends.

I was supposed to be in for 10 days, but ended up in there for 21 due to opiate dextox withdrawal syndrome. I tried bunch of times to detox and it happened every time. You kind of know if its going to happen though as I would get closed eye and aural hallucinations and get very, very paranoid.
If you intend to utilize suboxone I'm sure that they would give you some in detox, but it might be more effective if you were to start using it after a few days of detoxing. If you were to cold turkey in the hospital for 7 days then go on suboxone it would be most effective.

Just be sure to not rush your recovery. You have been using for a while, so give your recovery a while. The odds are not in our favor to begin with, so make sure to give yourself every advantage.

Although there are plenty of people on this forum that are against suboxone, it sure beats track marks, cotton fever, abscesses and overdoses.
Lots of people including myself bitch about how much it sucks getting off them, but people need to come to terms with the fact that there is no magic drug that will get you off opiates magically, when I got on subs it was after they were first approved and the doctors thought it would. It has been known now for a while that it is merely a tool. It gives you a softer landing than going cold turkey and its more effective for recovery than methadone. When it comes down to it the withdrawals are nothing compared to heroin/oxy/diluaded/fentanyl or methadone. Its just most of us have been on it for a while and have become coddled.
Good Luck

inpatient detox is way better than outpatient.
You can leave whenever you want, unlike a psychiatric unit.
but they'll ask you to stay until your withdrawal is over.
Use the group therapy to your advantage while you're there