Tapering Taking the last step (Suboxone)

[Siriuxx]

Ive been on suboxone for about 6 years. The first three I wasnt on a plan, I was just buying from friends and dosing as i felt i needed. The last three years I have been going to a doctor and following their plan for the most part. They over prescribed the hell out of me, so I was really taking half of what they said to. I stopped using my doctor when I moved, and they gave me enough to last me months. Im now down to about 1/4 mg each day. To put that in perspective, a 8mg film lasts me about a month.

Heres my issue...
Everything I have read says that when you get down to 1/2 -1/4 mg daily, its time to start alternating days. One day on, one day off. Yet for me, not taking even 1/4 mg a day is just as bad as not taking a full 8 mg strip a day when I was on 8 mg daily. I had hoped that getting down to a dose so low, would make withdrawal a little easier. Its not, its just as bad. Granted, including suboxone ive been on opiates for about 10 years but I still expected it to be a bit easier. Ive also been advised to just take more time in between doses. For some people, they can wait hours after waking up to take their dose. I have never been like that, Im f**king useless unless i dose within the first hour of the day. I feel terrible without it. So I feel awful if i try and prolong the dose, and I feel awful if I dont dose at all. Where the hell do I go from here? Im so sick of this crap, I just want to be done with it to the extent that I would just quit all together if I could take some time off work to detox on my own, but I cant.

Anyone have any suggestions?

 

[cj]

Unfortunately there is no free lunch in this game. I kicked a 2mg a day sub habit a few years ago so I know what your going through. You have a couple options I guess. You could stay on sub forever and just go to the doctor once a year when you need to re up your script this is very cheap and the easiest solution. Option 2 is make a liquid preparation and taper down further with the hope you will eventually reach a point where it's easy. Option 3 is too load up on comfort meds and pay the Piper hope for the best.

I'll tell you about my sub kick. The withdrawal started at 24 hour after last dose and built in intensity for 6 days. Physical symptoms peaked from day 6 to day 14. I didn't sleep hardly at all for 3 weeks then I gradually started getting an hour or two a night. I started feeling gradually better around day 20. By day 30 it was manageble but I still felt like shit. PAWS had set in by day 40 and I was in a deep depression until I relapsed on day 60.

I learned that comfort meds are mandatory and you need a fuck ton. During the acute phase you could easily eat 2mg of Xanax every 6 hours. Gabapentin you need 1500mg a day minimum. At least an ounce of pot if that's your thing. I would want mirtazepine or some other sedating anti-phychotic. Clonidine is a must have. Yeah I did it in rehab of I had access to opiates I would of broken by week 2. But I'm a pussy when it comes to withdrawal.

Sorry I wish I had better news but you deserve the truth

 

[Siriuxx]

Unfortunately there is no free lunch in this game. I kicked a 2mg a day sub habit a few years ago so I know what your going through. You have a couple options I guess. You could stay on sub forever and just go to the doctor once a year when you need to re up your script this is very cheap and the easiest solution. Option 2 is make a liquid preparation and taper down further with the hope you will eventually reach a point where it's easy. Option 3 is too load up on comfort meds and pay the Piper hope for the best.

I'll tell you about my sub kick. The withdrawal started at 24 hour after last dose and built in intensity for 6 days. Physical symptoms peaked from day 6 to day 14. I didn't sleep hardly at all for 3 weeks then I gradually started getting an hour or two a night. I started feeling gradually better around day 20. By day 30 it was manageble but I still felt like shit. PAWS had set in by day 40 and I was in a deep depression until I relapsed on day 60.

I learned that comfort meds are mandatory and you need a fuck ton. During the acute phase you could easily eat 2mg of Xanax every 6 hours. Gabapentin you need 1500mg a day minimum. At least an ounce of pot if that's your thing. I would want mirtazepine or some other sedating anti-phychotic. Clonidine is a must have. Yeah I did it in rehab of I had access to opiates I would of broken by week 2. But I'm a pussy when it comes to withdrawal.

Sorry I wish I had better news but you deserve the truth

when you kicked were you taking 2mg or did you taper from there

 

[cj]

I was taking 2mg for a few years before that