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  • BDD Moderators: Keif’ Richards

Subutex or tough it out cold turky?

veritas88

Greenlighter
Joined
Jun 15, 2012
Messages
7
READ--Cold Turkey or Subutex--READ

Okay. I have ben on opiates for about 2 and a half years. (Not prescribed)
It all started taking about 30mg of oxy a day.
Well, fast forward 2 and a half years later and I have been plugging Suboxone and methadone or chewing on fentnyl patches when they are around
If I take say 3 perc10s I will be going into withdraw in around 6 hours...
Also the last thing I had were two methadone mid-Monday. Today is Thursday (xanax helped me sleep thru it)

The question is should I get on the subutex, taper down as much as possible, then quit, or tough it out for who knows how long with the drugs mentioned have a long half life.
 
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I would estimate that you are 1/3 of the way through the acute withdrawal. Tomorrow will probably be worse, and then it should start getting better a day or so after that. Day 3, 4, and 5 seem to be the worst when withdrawing after taking methadone or Suboxone.

If you don't mind toughing it out for a few more days then do that. You can use loperamide (Imodium) to help with the withdrawal, and I'm sure you have some other things to help too. If you were to get on subutex at this point then I would suggest only taking the smallest amount needed to not be in withdrawal, and don't stay on it for long. You could get by on 1mg probably, and then after a day or so take a lower dose, and repeat until you are done.
 
I would estimate that you are 1/3 of the way through the acute withdrawal. Tomorrow will probably be worse, and then it should start getting better a day or so after that. Day 3, 4, and 5 seem to be the worst when withdrawing after taking methadone or Suboxone.

With methadone withdrawal?? It varies for everyone, but I find that the acute stage lasts for about a month, and the worst part is the second week (not that the first week is easy!). But it depends on whether the OP was using methadone every day long-term, or just some of the time - if they were using shorter-acting opioids and just using methadone occasionally then their withdrawals would not be as long-lasting.
 
^ I figured that since they mentioned using Suboxone, methadone, fentanyl, and oxy that they take whatever is more available. If they were on maintenance then that's a different story, but I read it as them randomly alternating between opioids, and ending the other day with methadone.
 
^Oh I see. That makes sense :)

veritas88 - it would be good to know what opioids you were using consistently, if you were using the methadone/suboxone almost all the time will be different than if you were mostly using the oxycodone, fentanyl, etc.
 
I would take suboxone (usually one 8mg would last me almost two days)

Basically bouncing around constantly between the three, also opana from time to time... I havent used a specific drug for over a week-two week span
I am basically worried about the half life being so long turning into a detox that's gonna be soooo long.

(Also, I visit blue light frequently. I finally made a user name last night.)
 
Don't be expecting the withdrawal to be that bad because a lot of it is mental, so it will feel worse if you are expecting it to. I don't think that your withdrawal will be soooo long, because it either takes a higher dose, or using drugs with long half-lives daily for maintenance.
 
I was using drugs with a long half life I thought? Now It's Friday, how much longer is all of this going to last?

Also, my main problem isn't getting clean. It's staying clean.. I have quit and been through WD's with pain pills twice before in the past, I can never seem to stay clean.
 
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Don't be expecting the withdrawal to be that bad because a lot of it is mental, so it will feel worse if you are expecting it to. I don't think that your withdrawal will be soooo long, because it either takes a higher dose, or using drugs with long half-lives daily for maintenance.

I was using drugs with a long half life I thought? Now It's Friday, how much longer is all of this going to last?

Also, my main problem isn't getting clean. It's staying clean.. I have quit and been through WD's with pain pills twice before in the past, I can never seem to stay clean.

You were, but since you were alternating between drugs with long and short half-lives, it shouldn't be as bad as if you were just taking drugs with long half-lives daily.

There is no telling how long the withdrawal is going to last since it varies for everyone. When I was on a high dose of Suboxone daily for over a year the withdrawals were pretty bad for the first week, were better by the second week, and considering I didn't have access to any opiates at that time, I was fine after week two. I was able to go out with friends, eat normally, get decent sleep, and my body was back to 80% or so by the end of week two.
 
You got sleep after week two?? Last time I quit (new years resolution) I was clean until late March and i was lucky to get 1-2 hours a night.

I just hope it doesn't last too long
 
Well, week one is over and it sucked.. I felt like a train wreck but managed to get up and go out and party Friday night Saturday night and Sunday. I couldn't sleep and just laying In bed makes me feel worse. Hopefully this week won't be so bad.
 
Fuck that noise.
I'm trying to get cleaned up here, not relapse.

Also, I'm going to the Dr tomorrow. She knows about what I'm going through. Is there anything I need to ask for/tell her?
 
Coming up on week three. It's been pretty tough. I can deal with everything but the anxiety.
 
its pretty shitty walking into detox, trying to detox off a drug they use for detoxing ppl off opiates...not even that when it comes to methadone/suboxone and the long half life, the withdrawl is so agonizing, slow and long, and they think a 3 day taper is sufficient, along with 3-5 days of phenobarb to get off a 10mg xanax/kpin habit , ridolous. sorry for ranting, just hate NYS detox ethics
 
any primary doc will give you "Clonidine" for opiate withdrawl, it smooths out the edges, lowers ur blood pressure helps ya sleep at nite, isnt nothing special that will derail WDs but it helps, wouldnt hurt to ask for Ambien, or Hydroxyine (Vistaril) back when i was 19 i went to my family doctor telling him about heroin addiction, at first all he gave me was clonidine and ambien , and said tried to help me get on suboxone faster thru this doctor, after 2 months he gave in and gave me Methadone 10mg 3x daily, for two months...so doctors CAN do that for you if special circumstances (like waiting list for meth, or subs) plus i had him for years and he has my family as patients, so trust runs deep with that...any physician can RX Subutex also as its RXed for Pain, thats possible, doctors can only RX SUBOXONE if they are certified and took the course...so u got a feq options ur doc can help u with
 
It seems as though your usage was relatively light. And since you said you were able to go out and party Friday, you should be good to go.

You may not even get many PAWS symptoms. Perhaps elevated anxiety and slight sleep disturbance.

Go to an NA meeting if you think it would help. Personally I can't take the faith based undertones but it has helped many people overcome addiction.

Good luck!
 
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