I WANT to get clean

[aq.]

For the past year, I have been addicted to heroin. I want to get clean. I don't want to feel withdrawal. I don't know what to do. I have an appointment Wednesday with a suboxone doctor, but I just hope I don't go into withdrawal before then. Will I get suboxone at the first appointment? How can I make my detox as painless as possible? I have 0.5g with me right now. Should I taper with that? I'm so desperate

 

[neversickanymore]

Whats up aq

Sorry to hear your all stuck in it. Obviously you're going to want to be in withdrawal when you get there. Are you looking to detox or just switch over to subs?

You can certainly figure your way outta this aq

 

[aq.]

Detox with the help of subs, I want to do kind of a "quick" suboxone taper... Can't really find much info on it though.

Any ideas anyone?

 

[Captain.Heroin]

For the past year, I have been addicted to heroin. I want to get clean. I don't want to feel withdrawal. I don't know what to do. I have an appointment Wednesday with a suboxone doctor, but I just hope I don't go into withdrawal before then. Will I get suboxone at the first appointment? How can I make my detox as painless as possible? I have 0.5g with me right now. Should I taper with that? I'm so desperate

You can't recover without going through withdrawal hun. It's just that simple. The best we can hope for is stretching it out and making it less intense with Suboxone.

Have you considered in-patient?

 

[aq.]

^ do you have suggestions for making it less intense?

I have considered in patient, but I just started a new job in December so I'm not really sure how it would look taking a month off, I'm not sure what I'd tell them ya know?

 

[twoxtwo]

That really depends, is the job super important? Do you have health insurance from them? Insurance covers in patient detoxes. Just be aware once you take that route you're going to be there until doctors release you, but best case scenario you have a fast Suboxone taper. The last one I went to only gave me clonidine and promethazine. And to make things worse I got slapped with a mental hygiene warrant when I wanted to leave. I was forced to detox. And truthfully the detox didn't even help or the rehab I went to afterwards. If you don't plan on going to rehab after detox I would recommend doing Suboxone maintaince. Only doing detox is just asking to relapse and possibly die from over estimating your tolerance. Good luck

 

[Captain.Heroin]

^ do you have suggestions for making it less intense?

I have considered in patient, but I just started a new job in December so I'm not really sure how it would look taking a month off, I'm not sure what I'd tell them ya know?

Congrats on the job!! I wish I had one.

Get to a suboxone doctor, and stay on it. You got to cut out everyone out of your life who's still using heroin, it's not good to keep them in your life. It's just too much of an influence, you know?

Do you still take benzodiazepines? If not, don't take them again, because you don't want the rebound anxiety. If you are taking them, then you know how they'll help, but try not to exceed the dosages you already take.

Exercise, hot showers, and talking it out in support groups can help. Have you ever tried NA/AA? Sometimes it can help to get a group of people who really care and are going through the same thing to hear you out.

 

[aq.]

My job is very important. I do have health insurance, so I know that will pay for in patient services, my job is the only thing holding me back. I don't want to lose my job, thus losing my apartment I have with my boyfriend and having to move back home...

My ideal situation would be a fast suboxone taper....it'll make going through withdrawal a little more bearable. I just don't know where to start.

 

[aq.]

Congrats on the job!! I wish I had one.

Get to a suboxone doctor, and stay on it. You got to cut out everyone out of your life who's still using heroin, it's not good to keep them in your life. It's just too much of an influence, you know?

Do you still take benzodiazepines? If not, don't take them again, because you don't want the rebound anxiety. If you are taking them, then you know how they'll help, but try not to exceed the dosages you already take.

Exercise, hot showers, and talking it out in support groups can help. Have you ever tried NA/AA? Sometimes it can help to get a group of people who really care and are going through the same thing to hear you out.

I'm happy that I have my appointment with the suboxone Doctor on Wednesday. Nervous though, too.

I'm actually OFF all psych meds! Besides my addiction I feel good. I hate being I chemicals and shit. I'm tired of it.

 

[twoxtwo]

I'm happy that I have my appointment with the suboxone Doctor on Wednesday. Nervous though, too.

I'm actually OFF all psych meds! Besides my addiction I feel good. I hate being I chemicals and shit. I'm tired of it.

Go to the appointment in full withdrawal. You know your habit so you know how long to abstain to make that happen. It will allow the doc to dose you correctly. If you don't go in sick they might start you too low.

 

[aq.]

Go to the appointment in full withdrawal. You know your habit so you know how long to abstain to make that happen. It will allow the doc to dose you correctly. If you don't go in sick they might start you too low.

Do they always dose at the first appointment?

 

[twoxtwo]

I don't know about always because every clinic and Doctor has different rules and procedures. I've been to five different Suboxone doctors and I left with a script the same day from every single one.

 

[aq.]

My fear is that I'll go in withdrawal and not get a script that day. I would be so pissed and obviously hurting because of withdrawal... I have a journey ahead of me, no matter which way I look at it....

 

[DogLover123757]

My fear is that I'll go in withdrawal and not get a script that day. I would be so pissed and obviously hurting because of withdrawal... I have a journey ahead of me, no matter which way I look at it....

Don't worry you will be fine man, it is actually better to be in active withdrawal during the session. Once you get your script then you will be on your way to victory hopefully. If for some reason you leave empty handed, you can go get some Loperamide to hold you off short-term. Or use a little Tianeptine for a few days and that might do the trick. Good luck to you.

 

[aq.]

Don't worry you will be fine man, it is actually better to be in active withdrawal during the session. Once you get your script then you will be on your way to victory hopefully. If for some reason you leave empty handed, you can go get some Loperamide to hold you off short-term. Or use a little Tianeptine for a few days and that might do the trick. Good luck to you.

Thanks so much. how much loperamide? I've never heard of tianeptine, just did a quick Google search on it though, not sure where I would get it? I'm really anxious about how this week will play out.

 

[Captain.Heroin]

I'm happy that I have my appointment with the suboxone Doctor on Wednesday. Nervous though, too.

I'm actually OFF all psych meds! Besides my addiction I feel good. I hate being I chemicals and shit. I'm tired of it.

Congrats!!!!

I was so nervous the first time I had a Suboxone appointment. Stay strong, you can make it through this!!

Do they always dose at the first appointment?

They did for me.

 

[cj]

If you where instructed to show up to the suboxone appointment in withdrawal then they will dose you there. I have never heard of a suboxone appointment where the patient didn't leave with suboxone. If your worried about it just call them and ask its not like pain management where you have to dance around the issue. They know why you are coming to see the doctor. As far as maintenance vs a quick taper you have to really think about the position you are in. To be honest I have met very few people who have done a quick taper and stayed off opiates. The few that where successful had very strong support which included outpatient rehab and individual therapy. As I am sure you know heroin is one of the absolute hardest drugs to quit. Even sub maintenance is not a guarantee of success. I got on subs when I was 20 but didn't stop using heroin until I was 26. I would just use the heroin on top of the suboxone. I am not trying to discourage you but I don't want you to think suboxone is going to magically fix all your problems.

Your best chance at success is to build a support network of family, friends, and mental health professionals. You need to figure out what issue drove you to do heroin and how you are going to treat that issue. So call and make an appointment with a counselor tomorrow. A competent counselor can get you set up with a psychiatrist if you need meds. Unfortunately you are in for the fight of your life and the acute withdrawal phase is just the very beginning. But the good news is that you can stop using.

Keep posting here there are lots of really kind people who have been exactly where you are.

 

[aq.]

Thanks for your honesty cj, I appreciate it. I'll call on Monday to see what's up. She didn't specifically say to go in withdrawal, I asked her and she said "well it would be great if you don't use..." She was kind of vague. I'll get a more clear answer hopefully when I call.

I'm really afraid and anxious for what lies ahead. I stopped going to my old psychiatrist because she did a random surprise piss test on me and she flipped out and said I was keeping things from her etc when I showed positive for opiates. She never prescribed me suboxone and we had no previous agreement about opiates...it was weird. Then I went to see a counselor to talk to and my addiction basically scared her off and she said she wouldn't feel comfortable treating me. It really discouraged me.

 

[cj]

Its really sad how mental health pros react to addiction. I had a similar experience when I was looking for a counselor last year. This one guy said doing counseling while I was on methadone was pointless because methadone is the same as heroin. I was discouraged and a little pissed off at the time but looking back I am glad he exposed his ignorance to me before we got into the issues I was trying to resolve. There are counselors who understand addiction and the things that contribute to it you just have to find them. When you go to the sub doctor Wednesday ask if they can recommend someone. I just think counseling is a really important part of getting off heroin. Even if you end up doing suoxone maintenance you are still going to be dealing with a bunch of really strong emotions. I was a complete wreck for the first few months I was on methadone and I would have relapsed without an impartial trained person to talk to.

 

[twoxtwo]

Legally when you get prescribed Suboxone you are supposed to have counseling along with it. In my state anyway, I always assumed that was a federal law.

And OP. When you come off of Suboxone that isn't easy either. I had to detox cold turkey off of only 8mg/day in jail and it lasted for a month and a half. It was miserable. It's not as intense as coming off of dope but it takes so long to get back to a normal head space.