Opioids Percocet/Vicodin to Methadone? Also tapering and Suboxone questions

[chrisOXY77]

Hi everyone, I hope someone can help me with this question. I've currently been weening off percocet and are currently taking 2 of the 5/325's daily. I know Vicodin is weaker like 1.5-2mg oxycodone = 5mg hydrocodone. So my question is should i taper off with my Vicodin 5/500's or use the methadone and how....I've been to professionals they just give me more pills. I have about 100 of the 10mg methadone pills in stock is it worth using? I have 7 herniated discs and spinal stenosis and I'm only 20 I want to get off the opiates because I've done it all...really...anyway any help is appriciated!!!

 

[laCster]

if you do chose methadone, make sure you keep your doses extremely low as 10mgs 'done = 20-30mgs oxycodone.

methadone is the hardest opiate to w/d from (or atleast from what i hear) because of the constant saturation of MOR. you might be better off tapering with your oxy/hydro

 

[chrisOXY77]

You think? I mean I'm thinking rapid taper, this is going to take time and I've heard methadone w/d is bad.....i have a supply of about 30 suboxone strips (2mg) would you suggest that route? because its too hard for me to taper off the pills i just keep taking them to alieveate....

 

[laCster]

seeing as you want to go with a rapid taper, i'd say go with the sub. methadone is usually for people who want to chip long-term. the bup w/d won't be nearly as bad as 'done w/d as bup is not a full mu agonist.

 

[chrisOXY77]

yeah i was on the subs before and thought i could use percocet as needed....obviously couldnt but thanks for that i think i know what to do...

 

[Pjkt2501]

Subs are extremely effective for a quick taper, in my personal experience.

 

[nsauce]

Heres how a trained sub doctor treated me successfully from 80-100mg daily hydrocodone abuse after 18 months. --First I stopped the hydrocodone completely . I had to wait until I was already in withdrawals before my first dose of sub to avoid precipitated withdrawls. I then took 8 mg sub. Felt much better. The second and third days I also took 8mg sub each day. Fourth day I took 16mg sub and stopped everything. The long halflife of the bupe carried me through the period of time I would have felt withdrawals from short acting hydrocodone, and beyond. With the final 16mg dose, I had my opiate receptors satisfied for probably a full week. I had absolutely zero withdrawal symptoms, and never even took an extra break from work or anything. Worked like a charm for me. Just DO NOT take sub long term.

 

[rob007]

u use 10mg of hydro a day. i wouldn't come near methadone nor bupe. taper with the vicodins that you have. instead of two 5-mg's. take 2 4-mg's. then reduce that and again and again. subs and 'done are way to overkill for you.

 

[Pjkt2501]

u use 10mg of hydro a day. i wouldn't come near methadone nor bupe. taper with the vicodins that you have. instead of two 5-mg's. take 2 4-mg's. then reduce that and again and again. subs and 'done are way to overkill for you.

1mg of sub would be too much, but .25mg would be spot on at an equivalency of 7.5mg oxycodone. The 1/4mg will be *slightly* stronger, but take over the receptor. 2 days of that, then halving it, and by then I'd be willing to bet the OP wakes up by day 3-5 with no interest in pills / opiates.

 

[chrisOXY77]

Well thats what im prescribed, I take anywhere from 15mg-60mg oxycodone with atleast 40mg of hydrocodone, killing my liver with the tylenol except when i sniff anywhere from 2-4 of the roxi 30's, i just want to stop so I can use my pain medication PRN. I'm aware my problem will never go away but I am able to maintain my problems now. ANDDD wow thanks a lot nsauce I didn't know suboxone could be used that way. I was on it for 5 months after I admitted to shooting up roxis and dilaudid for about 3 months (will never toch a needle again). You made it sound very comfortable....is that true?

 

[chrisOXY77]

Heres how a trained sub doctor treated me successfully from 80-100mg daily hydrocodone abuse after 18 months. --First I stopped the hydrocodone completely . I had to wait until I was already in withdrawals before my first dose of sub to avoid precipitated withdrawls. I then took 8 mg sub. Felt much better. The second and third days I also took 8mg sub each day. Fourth day I took 16mg sub and stopped everything. The long halflife of the bupe carried me through the period of time I would have felt withdrawals from short acting hydrocodone, and beyond. With the final 16mg dose, I had my opiate receptors satisfied for probably a full week. I had absolutely zero withdrawal symptoms, and never even took an extra break from work or anything. Worked like a charm for me. Just DO NOT take sub long term.

Did you seriously wait for the withdrawl from the hydrocodone and then take the subs for 4 days and you were fine? No complications from the suboxone?

 

[Pjkt2501]

I tapered down to a point I can come off any time in 4 days w/ subs, but at much lower doses than he's describing (using that much isn't necessary).

~60mg Roxycodone IR / day habit nulled w/ a single 8mg sublingual film. Took no more than 1mg per day.

Day 1 = 1mg in the morning, maybe another .5 at night if craving
Day 2 = .5mg morning, .5mg evening
Day 3 = wait as long as possible, take 1mg
Day 4 = .5mg around lunch (didn't really feel "the need" to take it, either, but did anyway)

I actually took 3mg to accomplish my task. The super long half-life of Bupe and it's extremely high receptor affinity are what allow for this to occur.

After that I decided to continue taking subs, between .5 and 1mg / day, however it's not "necessary" - just keeping me warm until spring.

 

[chrisOXY77]

I used to know all this...my mind has gone to sh*t. How long do I wait before taking the suboxone? Its been a while

 

[effie]

^ suboxone (buprenorphine) will throw you into precipitated withdrawals as it rips the other opioids from your receptors, so you wait until you can feel the withdrawals -24, 48 or even 72 hours.

This thread is getting a little long and complex for BDD, and there is a lot of experience in this area in OD (Other Drugs) so I'm going to move it.

Related reading (from the OD directory)

Suboxone/buprenorphine megathread
Tapering megathread

BDD > OD

edit: also changed the title to reflect the way the discussion has progressed

 

[Tommyboy]

Well thats what im prescribed, I take anywhere from 15mg-60mg oxycodone with atleast 40mg of hydrocodone, killing my liver with the tylenol except when i sniff anywhere from 2-4 of the roxi 30's, i just want to stop so I can use my pain medication PRN. I'm aware my problem will never go away but I am able to maintain my problems now. ANDDD wow thanks a lot nsauce I didn't know suboxone could be used that way. I was on it for 5 months after I admitted to shooting up roxis and dilaudid for about 3 months (will never toch a needle again). You made it sound very comfortable....is that true?

So are you looking to completely get off of opioids, or to just lower your tolerance down to a more manageable dose?

I certainly don't think that you need to take methadone at that low of a dose of oxy/hydrocodone, so buprenorphine would be a better option if you really think you need it.

I have successfully tapered off of heroin with oxycodone a few times, and it was relatively painless. I took 20mgs of oxycodone a few days, then 10mgs a few days, and then took it every other day for a few more days before stopping it. I found this to be better than using buprenorphine because the withdrawals were minor and were over with in 2 days, with some lingering symptoms at day 3, and basically done by day 4. Buprenorphine can make withdrawals last a bit longer if you aren't careful with it, so it's not always the best option.

 

[hightimes223]

I never say this. But I honestly would ask your doctor. Someone can give you advice and sound good, but for accuracy I would check with a physician.

 

[chrisOXY77]

My doctor is tapering me off Percocet, I just take extra because i like it. I just want to know how long to wait cause before I was on the highest (for me) 120mg IV oxycodone and went on the subs. currently I've been on the percocet for 4 months almost and I know the longer your on something the longer you have to wait to take the bupe, and i dont want to go into precipitated withdrawl, is it ok to take Nucynta inbetween when I stopped taking the percocet and suboxone? I know it has a simmilar make-up to tramadol but I dont want that throwing me into w/e either.

My doctor is tapering me off very slow but i just want to detox and have the pills work when I actually need them because now the only purpose they serve is to keep me from being dope sick.

and thanks for all your responses guys your helping me a lot. I just wanted to know about the questions im asking reguarding the nucynta and how long to wait.

 

[chrisOXY77]

btw I have large amounts of klonopin, I read about someone tapering off using Nucynta, do you think i could do that if i added for klonopin/ambien/some/ or w/E into the mix if necessary? because id much rather be on the Nucynta and stop over a 2 week period or less wit that...i need to stop rushing.

 

[madonit]

for a hydrocodone detox idd say codiene is your best bet ;-) methadone or bupe is unnecessary

 

[oldhead]

Hi everyone, I hope someone can help me with this question. I've currently been weening off percocet and are currently taking 2 of the 5/325's daily. I know Vicodin is weaker like 1.5-2mg oxycodone = 5mg hydrocodone. So my question is should i taper off with my Vicodin 5/500's or use the methadone and how....I've been to professionals they just give me more pills. I have about 100 of the 10mg methadone pills in stock is it worth using? I have 7 herniated discs and spinal stenosis and I'm only 20 I want to get off the opiates because I've done it all...really...anyway any help is appriciated!!!

Maybe I'm reading this wrong but if I was only on 10 mgs. of percs a day I would cold turkey it. Not to be a smart-ass here but 10 mgs is like nothing. Now I go on runs where I get up to 300 mgs a day so 10 mgs would sound like nothing to me. If you really want off don't even think of methadone or subs. Sorry to say but your only 20 and have 7 bad discs, you may have to be on opiates all your life. I applaud you for trying to live with pain. It will get worse as you grow older. Good luck!!!!!