Methadone to Suboxone...!?!?!?!?

[Whatever000]

Alright I have FINALLY pretty much been forced to quit methadone.
I was taking probably about 50mg (sometimes more, sometimes less, my provider just eyeballed out of his bottles) every day for about 8 months.

The positive thing about the methadone is that it made me really, honestly, FINALLY NOT want to deal with the heroin/IV culture anymore.

The negative thing is the withdrawal...man it hurts.

I am not tapering. Cold turkey (sorta..) I am on day 8 now.
The first 7 days or so i took a lot of xanax and have been following the thomas recipe so i take vitamins every day and hot showers for the aches, etc.

But now the xanax is gone. I seriously can't find it anywhere.
however i did find suboxone.
On days 6 and 7 i took 1 8mg sub and then another 4 because my symptoms were still pretty bad.
Today i had a hard time finding more subs so i withdrew for a bit, got some more xanax and finally got my suboxone.
I think it took away my withdrawals but...i also don't think it did. I still hurt all over. I tried to sleep and i couldn't. So i took another 4mg just now and i'm hoping that will work.

The real question is this. Is using the suboxone when i'm trying to go cold turkey just adding fuel to the fire? Buprenorphine is pretty weak compared to methadone as far as i know and i only intend to take it to just get through the next week or so so i can actually get something done with my stupid life.. But am i just prolonging my suffering? Or is the methadone still leaving my body as i take the suboxone.

Believe me i'd rather kick suboxone like 5x in a row than deal with this methadone bullshit...i didn't know your entire body could be so sore for no reason...But i don't want to be taking the suboxone if its just gonna make these horrific withdrawals worse in the long run. They do alleviate most of my symptoms but i definitely have to take more than i did when i was using them to kick dope. I'm really only gonna take the subs for a couple weeks. I HATE them. They taste horrible and stop doing anything for me after a while.

I searched the whole internet and all i got was a bunch of info i already knew about using either of those drugs to kick other drugs but nothing useful about using suboxone to get off methadone. Aparently the opposite is a really bad idea but thats kinda obvious considering the half lives...

And no, i have no doctors. I have no insurance. I have no "professional" help at my disposal. I have to do this alone. But i am in the right mindset i believe.

Has anyone had similar experience? or any kind of advice or info or anything?
i'd so prefer the benzos but that isn't really an option right now and i can't stop now i'm too deep to go back. I want this garbage out of me..

 

[K'd-OUT-in-AZ]

I was switched from Methadone to Subxone maintenance a long time ago and it worked. You just have to find the right dose. 8mg worked fine to kill the withdrawals from the Methadone but I properly tapered from 130mg. By taking Buprenorphine the withdrawals from the Methadone will just last longer because your continuing to take another opiate. So switching is the best idea because its much easier to withdrawal from Suboxone than it is with Methadone, believe me, I know.

 

[rcsx]

Re: Methadone to Suboxone

It sounds like you are buying suboxone, I'm going to assume that where you are, There are no support services for people trying to reduce or quit drugs. From experience, The transition from methadone to suboxone should be implemented while stable on 20-30ml/50mg methadone, And only after 24 hours of last taking Heroin or methadone or any other opiate.

Suboxone works by forcing out all other opiods working on the brain, Therfore, can trigger instant withdrawal, Possibly resulting in the user sourcing The very compound they shouldn't.

Suboxone is a tool for someone who really wishes to kick heroin or methadone for good. It is much less psycho-active, i.e: You have more control over your brain and dont feel as spaced. It is important to take doses every day, At roughly the same time, I dont know if this is practical for you.

When reducing Suboxone, Do so by lowering dose by 2mg at a time, You will know yourself, The less you start on, The less you have to come off.

I know of someone who used co-codamol to wean themselves off that last 2mg.

I must stress that there is no quick fix, But I can say if you can fight the associated depression and mood swings that go with reduction and quitting, You can, And Will kick it and feel 100% better.

I hope you have support services in place, Without them, It can be lonely, Soul destroying and desperate. More services are needed world-wide.

It can be done, Some people really do care, They're just hard to find.

 

[K'd-OUT-in-AZ]

When reducing Suboxone, Do so by lowering dose by 2mg at a time, You will know yourself, The less you start on, The less you have to come off.

I know of someone who used co-codamol to wean themselves off that last 2mg.

Jumping from 2mg onto nothing seems a little sudden. I believe its easier on your body if you go from 2mg onto 1mg and then 1mg onto 0.5mg and then go off. Taper each dose every 2-4 weeks. If your planning on tapering from let's say 16mg I'd do something like this:

Every 2 weeks
Go down from 16mg - 8mg
8mg - 4mg
4mg - 2mg
2mg - 1mg
1mg - 0.5mg
0.5mg - 0mg
So I think 3 months would be enough time to slowly taper off 16mg. You could do it slower if you want.

I had to taper down to 30mg of Methadone before I could make the switch onto Suboxone. I also had to abstain 48 hours before doing so.