Let me start off by saying that this is my first post and I am sorry if I did not adhere to the guidelines of this site. I am just posting here because of the helpful information that I have received from this forum in the past, and I would like to share how I successfully got off a year stint taking suboxone; hopefully this helps someone.
I have been a heavy semi-functioning heroin addict, on and off, for the last 6 years, since I was 16. I have had multiple years of clean time in the past and I honestly hate the idea of being an addict, but its what I am. I am not going into the details of what exactly my addiction entailed but trust me, in the past I have done many things to support my IV addiction.
I decided to crawl into a suboxone clinic in May 2014, and I was prescribed 8mg strips, because less is more. No offense to these 24mg users, but I think that's pointless. For me at least, Id rather suffer than be more physically dependent. Soon thereafter I cut my dose to 4mg, id say about after a week of being on suboxone. I was feeling great, like I had in the past on this wonderful drug. I had no ill side effects and I decided to cut down again to 2mg after just a month. At this point I was thriving at work and enrolled in the next semester of school. I thought all was well.
After about a year of being on 2mg of suboxone, everything changed. This drug had side effects I could not overcome. I did not have the willpower to taper down and I started to realize suboxone is not what its cracked up to be. After prolonged usage, its almost like being in mild withdrawal every single day. I began losing all motivation, and I could barely get out of bed. I also lost all my emotions which really hurt my relationships. I also started losing weight because all food tasted horrible. At this point I knew I had to get off, but I had responsibilities which prevented me from doing so.
Finally after the semester ended the plans were in place to get off of this drug and rid myself of this horrible depression. My doctor supported my decision, and even went as far to say most people never get off. He recommended that I take naltrexone to induce rapid detox, and I agreed. Only because I hate the long suboxone withdrawals. He said it will be like, "Pulling off a band-aid." How wrong he was...
I went into his office on a friday to prep for the vivitrol shot. At this point I had not taken suboxone in 30 hours (WAY TOO SHORT). He took me to the office and injected me with some sort of anti-nausea medicine, which left a golf ball sized lump in my ass. He also gave me around ten pills, and told me to lay down. I barely could stay awake when he came back in with the vivitrol shot a little later. He then injected it into my other cheek, and I felt fine. He gave me some scripts and sent me on my way.
When I got home, all hell broke loose. I have had precipitated withdrawals before but this... this was another level of hell. I wanted to sleep because of the pills he gave me, but this was impossible. I shit my pants and began pacing around the island in my kitchen simultaneously punching my legs because of the severe RLS. I curled into a ball and took every pill he gave me, then threw them up two seconds later. After digging the pills out of the sink, I tried popping them again to no avail. I jumped in the shower and prayed for a gun to end all of this. This is not me.
This lasted a few hours until I passed out, probably close to death. After 3 days now I feel amazing, speaking relatively of course. I even plan on going to work.
My point is that suboxone is not a cure, it just prolongs the inevitable. As for jumping off suboxone at 2mg rapidly, Id say its worth it... if you really want to quit (and you don't have a gun). If you just want to lower your tolerance, then you shouldn't try rapid detox. You need to want it, and really want to change.
God Bless
"Cold is Pain
Pain is Growth
And every seed that grows, sees the rain
And the rain gon' come, it ain't nothing new
But when it's done... the sun shining through"
-Blu
I have been a heavy semi-functioning heroin addict, on and off, for the last 6 years, since I was 16. I have had multiple years of clean time in the past and I honestly hate the idea of being an addict, but its what I am. I am not going into the details of what exactly my addiction entailed but trust me, in the past I have done many things to support my IV addiction.
I decided to crawl into a suboxone clinic in May 2014, and I was prescribed 8mg strips, because less is more. No offense to these 24mg users, but I think that's pointless. For me at least, Id rather suffer than be more physically dependent. Soon thereafter I cut my dose to 4mg, id say about after a week of being on suboxone. I was feeling great, like I had in the past on this wonderful drug. I had no ill side effects and I decided to cut down again to 2mg after just a month. At this point I was thriving at work and enrolled in the next semester of school. I thought all was well.
After about a year of being on 2mg of suboxone, everything changed. This drug had side effects I could not overcome. I did not have the willpower to taper down and I started to realize suboxone is not what its cracked up to be. After prolonged usage, its almost like being in mild withdrawal every single day. I began losing all motivation, and I could barely get out of bed. I also lost all my emotions which really hurt my relationships. I also started losing weight because all food tasted horrible. At this point I knew I had to get off, but I had responsibilities which prevented me from doing so.
Finally after the semester ended the plans were in place to get off of this drug and rid myself of this horrible depression. My doctor supported my decision, and even went as far to say most people never get off. He recommended that I take naltrexone to induce rapid detox, and I agreed. Only because I hate the long suboxone withdrawals. He said it will be like, "Pulling off a band-aid." How wrong he was...
I went into his office on a friday to prep for the vivitrol shot. At this point I had not taken suboxone in 30 hours (WAY TOO SHORT). He took me to the office and injected me with some sort of anti-nausea medicine, which left a golf ball sized lump in my ass. He also gave me around ten pills, and told me to lay down. I barely could stay awake when he came back in with the vivitrol shot a little later. He then injected it into my other cheek, and I felt fine. He gave me some scripts and sent me on my way.
When I got home, all hell broke loose. I have had precipitated withdrawals before but this... this was another level of hell. I wanted to sleep because of the pills he gave me, but this was impossible. I shit my pants and began pacing around the island in my kitchen simultaneously punching my legs because of the severe RLS. I curled into a ball and took every pill he gave me, then threw them up two seconds later. After digging the pills out of the sink, I tried popping them again to no avail. I jumped in the shower and prayed for a gun to end all of this. This is not me.
This lasted a few hours until I passed out, probably close to death. After 3 days now I feel amazing, speaking relatively of course. I even plan on going to work.
God Bless
"Cold is Pain
Pain is Growth
And every seed that grows, sees the rain
And the rain gon' come, it ain't nothing new
But when it's done... the sun shining through"
-Blu
