Heroin Am I making things more difficult/need the community's advice

[Mr. Happy]

Ok, so I have been using Heroin mostly IV for approx. 7-8 months and have become physically addicted to it due to near everyday use. Sprinkle in some methadone and sub usage to keep me well on days when I had no dope, and also a few random other episodes wit various opis like (oxy, hydroM and hydroC, and morphine once). Also sprinkle in a few different instances of "extended" withdrawal (which for me was 4-6 days periods where I was trying to quit). Anyways the point is that I am a physically addicted IV heroin user and need no be that anymore. I want and need to stop. What this is about specifically is if my method, which I will explain in a moment is helping or hurting, and how you think I should dose.

So for the last four days (including today) mon, tues, weds, thurs, and possibly one other day, Sunday, I just can't remember, I have been using approx 2-4mgs of Bupe in tablet form. Mon and tues I snorted at least 2mg, weds I took 2mg sublingually and snorted a tiny bit, and today Thursday I only took 2mg sublingually. I plan to take the rest of my supply, 28mg, the way it is intended, sublingually, because even though I wasn't getting very "high" sniffing it or anything, I did notice slight euphoric/noddish effects and if 2mg sublingual holds me, that's all I need. So I know that while 2mg isn't a "high" dose it certainly isn't considered all that low with bupe and I know it is most effective to taper ones dosage over time to make jumping off altogether more bearable and manageable. That being said, how do you all think I should schedule the rest of my 28mg of Bupe? I was thinking 2 more days of 2mg, 8 days of 1mg, 8 days of .5mg, 8 days of .25mg, and then 8 days of .125. I would still have a tiny bit left from one of the pills and a whole 8mg pill left for another time, or to give to a friend. What do you guys think of this dosing scheme? I realize this is not the "intended" use of bupe, but I want to try it, because quitting dope cold turkey just hasn't worked. Also remember that you have 28mg to "play" with here and my dosing regime leaves a whole 8mg pill untouched so if you think I should do more days at 2mg that would be possible.

 

[Coraline]

I know you will get some great advice!

I wish you lots of luck. Keep us post on how things go. Also The dark Side is a great place to go for emotional support.

I wish I could give you advice. I'm have not taken either of those drugs.

I would save any extra and not give it away. Save it for a rainy day.

But there are a lot of people here how can help. I know you can do it!

 

[Tommyboy]

Seems like an alright taper plan. You probably should alternate days on and off towards the end so that your body starts getting used to not dosing on some days before stopping.

 

[tricomb]

^Great suggestion, I'd also recommend you do split dosing (AM/PM) until you get down lower.

 

[-Guido-]

If you have a non-using friend or a family member that know what you do, you should have them hold your Bupe and ration it out to you.

 

[Mr. Happy]

^Great suggestion, I'd also recommend you do split dosing (AM/PM) until you get down lower.

I may consider alternating depending on how I feel. I am NOT expecting the subs to be some kind of cure all and still expect to have some days of discomfort during and after the process. Do you think this is a good idea as opposed to just doing heroin cold turkey? Are bupe withdrawals milder than heroin? I would imagine than are, although maybe more drawn out. Also, is the tapering slowly, as I laid out really a good idea or could I do it faster, like a few more days of 2mg, a few days a 1mg, a few days at .5 etc until i was down to .125 in more like 10 or 15 days? Also why do you recommend split dosing?

If you have a non-using friend or a family member that know what you do, you should have them hold your Bupe and ration it out to you.

I don't really have such a person handy, although I could facilitate it with some friends of mine, however that would involve informing them of the whole situation which I'm not sure I want to do. Also, I'm not too worried about sticking with it, I really don't want to be physically dependent and have tried and failed numerous times at cold turkey with dope so I do really want this.

 

[Znegative]

Your taper will probably work out allright, but seeing as your using it to detox off of heroin, I think you could probably shorten it so that you're not taking the suboxone for over two weeks. You don't want to get off heroin only to become addicted to the drug you're using to detox, and whenever you do a longer taper you run that risk.

 

[jones-in_J]

Ye a if you take it too long bupe detox is waaay worse then heroin. Theres plenty of threads here that can vouch fir that. Id suggest no more then a week on it to be safe oersonally

 

[Mr. Happy]

Hmmm the last two post bring up an interesting point. That has kind of thrown me a curve ball. I can see not wanting to dose on the subs to long in fear of just replacing dependence on dope with dependence on bupe but would this happen if you were actively tapering? Also if you think it would and you think it wise to not use subs for as long as I have laid out how long would recommend and would you taper much?

 

[jones-in_J]

1-2 weeks is how long you should use to taper. Its different for everyine but once you hit that spot where uve been on it too long its withdrawals are worse and waaaaaay longer then heroin. Personally my subocone taper schedule is normally something like (mg per day) 8-8-4-4-2-2-2. Thats the one i most frequently use because im terrified of goin thru withdtawals from it cuz then u cant even get rid of them with heroin since itll be blocked so ur stuck addicted to subocone. Everyone here ssys 2 weeks and ur straight but no longer.... however i find my taper schedule worjs for me so its what i use. Though the last two days you could go 1-0.5 instead of three dsys of two to nothing

Up to u man but ive found kratom to be better and hate suboxone these days idk wut it is about it. Maybe its a mental thing cuz i know its got a blocker but i use it as a last resort. Good luck. Hope u do better then me i made it to 108 hours clean till i copped half an hour ago **face palm**

 

[Mr. Happy]

I suppose in light of this new information I will alter my tapering doses to not go longer than 2 weeks although thinking about it now that seems like it could be long enough to just replace one addiction with the another. I may only go a few days longer and see how I feel from that. Either way I plan to keep the community posted on my progress for sure.

 

[Sorce]

the problem with self tapers is they rarely work. it is not a question of willpower anymore. your best bet is to get professional help...either from a doctor or an in patient setting.

 

[jones-in_J]

Yea man please do keep us posted. Id love to see someone else succeed where ive failed as its happening

 

[DooMMooD]

Your taper plan is not a bad one.....but it seems like you really do not want to quit for a few reasons:

1) if you want to quit badly, and truly, deep down, you will do WHATEVER IT TAKES! That includes informing an outside party of your issues, so that you can recieve help. No excuses of "oh i dont want them to know because of blah blah blah" or "I dont want it on my record so I can do X later on in life". If you want it that badly, you'll do all of these things because they are all but required in order to stay clean

2) stop snorting your subs. the point of subs is not to create a positive reinforcement of using subs...its to remove all reinforcement from doing drugs. snorting them is addictive behavior 101.

3) take advice

#1 and #3 are inherently related and are most important. Take my advice: you have to be willing to do "whatever it takes". Meaning you might have to do some things you said you wouldn't. That includes telling a 3rd party, preferably a professional, of your problem. People love to say "oh but if i get into treatment i'll never be able to become a doctor later on!" (doc is just an example). really think about that...you ever think you'll get to that certain point in your life if you keep doing heroin?

We love to over think things that we have no place over thinking.....Do all this shit.

 

[Mr. Happy]

Your taper plan is not a bad one.....
1)
2)
3)

1) Yes I know. I know that I don't "truly" want to quit. I never even said I wanted to quit 100%. I said that I longer want to be physically dependent on Heroin, not so much to not ever use again. Trust me, I know just as much as you that I don't actually want to quit because I have been telling myself that I need to since around the end of February/beginning of March. I haven't mainly because I have not been able to get past the physical withdrawals. I've used heroin IV for many months, and via insufflation before that before it ever turned into an everyday, or even every week kind of habit. Hell there was no "schedule" to the use, just like all my other drugs. And I know this brings up the whole debate of whether or not it is possible to be a chipper after having been a dope addict but 1) I don't think there is a definitive answer (some people yes, many no) 2) I don't want this thread to get off on a tangent about that subject. So, basically your are partially right and partially wrong, because for me this isn't about "staying clean" as you say.

2) I agree with you and in the third sentence, second paragraph of my original post I stated "I plan to take the rest of my supply, 28mg, the way it is intended, sublingually, because even though I wasn't getting very "high" sniffing it or anything, I did notice slight euphoric/noddish effects and if 2mg sublingual holds me, that's all I need." and I haven't been sniffing the medication.

3) I am attempting to, that is why I made this thread. And thank you for your input, and I mean that sincerely, no sarcasm intended, and no offense taken from you and I hope the same from me to you, I just wanted to clear some things up is all.