• H&R Moderators: VerbalTruist | cdin | Lil'LinaptkSix

March Getting/Staying Clean/Sober Thread v. Spring is Here!

Today marks 2 weeks on suboxone for me. In many ways it's been an absolute miracle. I haven't used (heroin) since the Saturday before I started subs; this is longest I've been clean for ages. I've had a few intense cravings. But unlike when I was trying to quit CT, the cravings vanished after a bit of quiet and deep breathing, etc. For the first time in years I feel optimistic.

But I *am* scared about the suboxone, afraid of being strung out on it forever. (I've been very interested in the thread going on next to this one about suboxone addiction/wd.)

My original plan with getting on subs was to buy myself the stability I need in order make progress in therapy and hopefully get at the root of why I got addicted in the first place. But my sub doctor (not the same guy as my therapist) seems very casual about letting patients linger on subs for years--shit, forever.

Any words of wisdom or advice from folks who managed to use subs to kick a full agonist opiate habit and subsequently weaned off the suboxone, too? I'm curious to hear what kinds of time-periods/dosages/strategies you might have gone with. Or maybe I just need reassurance that there can be life after suboxone :\.

I'm incredibly grateful to have a viable tool for moving away from heroin. And if I had to stay hooked on subs, that's much better than my life as a junkie was. Maybe I shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth. But I know plenty of folks on SL have quit subs too. I'd love to hear any experiences they've had.

Thanks!

It's going to suck for a while when you stop taking Suboxone. It's going to be unique for everyone but I hated it. I felt awful all the time for months, and even as I have 17 months off it now I don't think I'll ever be ultimately happy, but that's probably because I have mental health disorders (PTSD).

You'll do fine if you have a support network and things to do in life that you enjoy and are healthy.
 
I used subs for exactly the purpose of gaining some stability to try and get my life in order but I didn't wean off them i just jumped. It left me pretty messed up for a good while but for me it was preferable to tapering. I heavily medicated the detox and tbh it was really bearable in terms of the physical wd, about as smooth as I could hope for given that I was on a fairly big dose that didn't even hold me 24th.

They were definitely a useful tool for me, and in conjunction with a very good drug worker they played a big part in getting me back on track. I was pretty messed up psychologically afterwards but I think that was as much a product of a cumulative of years of bad lifestyle, poor choices in many areas and drug addiction in combination with the fact I was still on a benzo taper.
 
I used subs for exactly the purpose of gaining some stability to try and get my life in order but I didn't wean off them i just jumped. It left me pretty messed up for a good while but for me it was preferable to tapering. I heavily medicated the detox and tbh it was really bearable in terms of the physical wd, about as smooth as I could hope for given that I was on a fairly big dose that didn't even hold me 24th.

They were definitely a useful tool for me, and in conjunction with a very good drug worker they played a big part in getting me back on track. I was pretty messed up psychologically afterwards but I think that was as much a product of a cumulative of years of bad lifestyle, poor choices in many areas and drug addiction in combination with the fact I was still on a benzo taper.

How are you feeling now a days man? :)
 
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