I basically used for a while, was afraid it was getting out of hand, so I stopped for 4 days, realized I wasn't going to have full blown WD's (had very minor discomfort for a few days) and want to continue to "chip". I just wanted to make sure that I wasn't going all the way back to square one by using right after the WD's wore off (although nothing is definite...no matter how many people say it's one way or the other, there's still a lot of things about opiates/opioids that we don't understand).
Although Rob I just realized you said dope. The drug in question was Suboxone, and I know it has a long half life. But still, after 4 days, and no real WD's to speak of, it would still be the same, right?
The first time I experienced withdrawals they took 4 days to start, and that was with using oxycodone and heroin. Also, I wasn't using that often at the time. I had gotten clean for probation, and then figured that since I was being tested every Friday, I could use right after my test, up until Sunday, and that would allow me enough time to pass the test. Each week I would start getting pretty sick by Thursday, and really sick on Friday, then would use right after the test, and repeat. This went on for like 2 months, and my use between Friday and Sunday wasn't
that much. I must have a slow metabolism though between withdrawals taking so long to start, and me failing the drug test after 5 days of not using, which ended my charade.
As for going back to chipping, all I will say is that withdrawals come on quicker each time, even at lower doses than the previous kick.
Personally, I wouldn't "chip" with Suboxone. Due to it's long half-life, you can be using only 2 days of the week, and it will basically be in your system the whole time, barely giving your receptors a break. The other problem with chipping with bupe is that since it takes a while for withdrawals to start, you can become very dependent without even knowing it since the few times you use would be enough to keep the withdrawals away.
You need to take long breaks between your uses so that your body can get used to functioning without any opiates in it. Most people continue to use because their bodies are so used to having the drug, that it's basically re-wired to operate normally with opiates in the system. The more time your body runs
without opiates in the system, the better the highs will be when you indulge. When your body is used to the drug, a part of the dose is going to just making you feel normal, and the rest of the dose goes to getting you high. Taking a longer break so that your body is no longer used to the drug will allow all or most of the dose to go to getting you high. That's basically tolerance I just described, although that wasn't my intention at first.