90 day subutex taper done ...need advice

[Redkitty7]

Hey everybody here's my update I made it through I can't friggin believe it but I made it through

I started at 6mg and at my 88th day was down to 1/4mg. I have researched subs for couple years so I believe I did a proper taper....?

I use xanax...weed...booze but never any of those daily. I don't ever want a benzo addiction and I'm not a big drinker. Weed is always gonna be part of my life because it's my job career!

So my main questions for those in my similar situation....it's my 6 day no sub I'm struggling big time no energy depression anxiety (xanax is helping)

How long can these symptoms last after a taper like mine? I know it can be a year but I don't think I can go on feeling like this for 9 more months.

Also any thoughts about antidepressants I am totally against them but after speaking to a couple people there are some decent ones on the market that you can just take for a period of time of when you need them their non-addicting and you don't feel Numb I would love any feedback any of you could give me.

Thank you for taking the time to read.

Redd

 

[Jabberwocky]

How long were you taking buprenorphine before you started tapering? I assume you were taking a dose of 6mg once a day?

It is very unlikely you'll experience serious symptoms longer than a couple weeks. Really the acute withdrawal only lasts about two weeks, although annoying symptoms like insomnia, RLS and GI issues often continue to some degree for up to a month or a month and a half. After about ten days to two weeks you'll feel noticeably better.

A month from now you'll be feeling a lot better, and two to three months from now you should be fine as far as any of the linger symptoms go. Your mood will be screwy through this process, but that is less a result of the buprenorphine in specific and more a product of the fact you are no longer consuming opioids of any kind (e.g. you'd have to deal with a very similar set of mood issues regardless of what opioid you used to kick).

Be careful with the alprazolam and try to only take it for no more than two weeks on a daily basis (ideally taking it just for the next to weeks and then no more). It would be a bit better for you to switch to a longer acting one like clonazepam or (better yet) diazepam for two weeks while you deal with the acute withdrawal.

Definitely look into gabapentin. It helps a lot with RLS and the anxiety and depression of withdrawal. Clonidine is also really helpful during withdrawal. Use loperamide at reasonable doses for any GI issues. Sleep medications like trazadone and Seroquel can be really helpful dealing with the insomnia of early recovery without risking the kind of dependency benzo use poses.

It would be best if you avoided excess caffeine and any alcohol for at least two weeks while you go through the acute phase of the detox. Excess caffeine and alcohol will decrease the quality of your sleep (and your body-mind needs plenty of rest during this period) and will dehydrate you. One of the most important aspect to a successful detox other than comfort meds like diazepam, gabapentin, clonidine and loperamide is staying hydrated and well nourished (eat whatever you can stomach if the GI issues get really bad (there is also something called ondansetron if you have horrible nausea), but definitely try to get as much fresh leafy green vegetables and fruit as you can manage).

Antidepressants can be helpful as many in early recovery struggle with depression. I found bupropion to be helps, while others find other meds helpful. Unfortunetly with antidepressants it can be pretty hit and miss, and it takes some time for them to begin working, so generally folks recommend figuring out what psych meds are appropriate and stabilizing on them prior to the actual opioid detox. But given your situation, it is worth looking into (just inform yourself before making a decision). What other psych meds have you taken (other than the Xanax) and how did you respond to them? That may help narrow down some best initial candidates on a good antidepressant for you.

Also keep in mind that even just a moderate amount of aerobic exercise (as simple as going for a long walk) is a huge help getting your body healed sooner than later. Going to the gym is awesome, but if that isn't your style there are lot of other awesome things to do for exercise (biking, hiking, swimming, your favorite sport, yoga, etc).

Stress is also a killer during withdrawal. Noah Levine likes to say that anyone who can develop a meditation practice where they are regularly able to meditate three times a day for 20-45 minutes and do so for 90 days will essentially find success guaranteed in maintaining sobriety in early recovery. While this is obviously a bit of a generalization, there is a whole lot of truth to it (the only caveat is that some forms of meditation seem to work a bit better than others for this; the difference between vipassana and transcendental meditation). Of course you always have the MBHR thread for ideas about developing a meditation practice (and I'm always happen to field questions).

Basically, we can guarantee you that you won't be suffering for as long as you might have feared.