Recovery Buprenorphine taper - length of stabilization when changing dose

[FatBellyWhipSlay]

So I went own from 0.8mg to 0.4mg on Monday in accordance to my tapering plan from clinic doc.

I am on day 5 off the new dose and struggling, its not full withdrawal but i am say 50% there all the time, not much sleep and no comfort meds.

I know in the past when I have cut down a dose it normally takes around 5 days to stabilize on the new dose so would expect to feel betterish today but I dont

will it be longer as i am cutting down 50% of my intake ? if so how long do you think ? I know timelines differ but thought i might be a bit better today. I have been on bupe for 18th months.

I did ask for a 0.2 reduction but the clinic I go to said they dont that only 0.4 splits and that "you cant get 0.2 tablets anyway" which is BS as my chemist said she has some...

 

[n3ophy7e]

I have no personal experience with bupe, but I do have plenty of experience with opiate withdrawals so I understand and appreciate the discomfort. I dont have any answers for your bupe reduction specific questions, but others will. However, for the comfort meds, can you get some doxylamine from the drug store? 1-2 tablets should definitely help you get some sleep, even if it's only 3-4 hours sleep, it's better than no sleep.
Are you feeling that uncomfortable that there is a risk of you seeking other opiates?

 

[FatBellyWhipSlay]

I have no personal experience with bupe, but I do have plenty of experience with opiate withdrawals so I understand and appreciate the discomfort. I dont have any answers for your bupe reduction specific questions, but others will. However, for the comfort meds, can you get some doxylamine from the drug store? 1-2 tablets should definitely help you get some sleep, even if it's only 3-4 hours sleep, it's better than no sleep.
Are you feeling that uncomfortable that there is a risk of you seeking other opiates?

Yes I am on the brink I think, someone offed me 2 strips of Oxycodene 30mg ER on thursday (didnt know you could get them in the uk?) but turned him down, he said "ill save them for you".....

dont feel too bad today (i think) so it may be levelling out after 6 days, but I did have quite a few beers and a curry last night so maybe the booze holding it off.

 

[Jabberwocky]

glad its levelling out!!! tbh even having a good time can massively impact subjective experience of withdrawals, and i don't know about you but i usually enjoy myself a few beers and a curry. i went for a curry last night. no beer. it was mad though 15th century pub with a thai restaurant in it.

a 50% drop is pretty high, even at such low doses. i hope its not going to be dropping off to 0 after.

 

[FatBellyWhipSlay]

Yeah I love a few pints and a hot curry. My bumhole doesn't at 6am the day after though! There's a lot of old pubs round here converted to curry houses..

Yep will be a drop from 0.4 to 0. Dreading it. I am trying to get them to let me go to 0.2 that's an ongoing conversation

 

[FatBellyWhipSlay]

so messed up my dose on the weekend

which means I dont have any left for today and dont pick up new script till tomorrow morning

its going to be a bad day!

 

[Jabberwocky]

shhhhiiiittttt!!!

urgh i feel for you- can you get some loperamide or solpadeine to smooth it out a bit?

also can you not ask them to go to 0 via 0.2? i have seen so many people relapse due to dropping their scripts too quick and you've worked too hard for that.

 

[FatBellyWhipSlay]

yeah I cant get anything, none of the chemists round here will not ell me any OTC codeine products, blacklisted, and my wifes got the car so cant travel out of town to a different chemist

I may see if I can get some loperamide later but don't think I will be able to as the only one I can get is probably Immodium brand and its like £4 for 6!! and will need about 4 packets at least

 

[Jabberwocky]

oh yeah fuck that- is there not a supermarket nearby? like big ones usually sell immodium and their own generics. honestly literally anything will help a bit. it won't get you well but i found way smaller amounts than i expected made a noticeable difference

 

[FatBellyWhipSlay]

oh yeah fuck that- is there not a supermarket nearby? like big ones usually sell immodium and their own generics. honestly literally anything will help a bit. it won't get you well but i found way smaller amounts than i expected made a noticeable difference

ok so managed to get some "generic" ones from the co-op at 1.10 a pack of 6 - so just took 18 x 2mg (36mg) how long before they start to work, not touched lope for ages and ages and I will not touch it again after today

but if dropping from 0.4 to 0 is this bad then god have mercy on my soul

 

[Jabberwocky]

why are you gonna drop from 0.4 to 0? seriously?!?!? is this your choice or something the doctors are imposing and if the former, please choose to go slower, if the latter then assert yourself

 

[FatBellyWhipSlay]

why are you gonna drop from 0.4 to 0? seriously?!?!? is this your choice or something the doctors are imposing and if the former, please choose to go slower, if the latter then assert yourself

well that was pure hell, the lope kinda worked but not very well, had about 2 hrs of haunted restless sleep and then got up at 2am where I spent the rest of the night squirting water out my ass and wretching, shaking like a leaf and aching all over, you know the norm (not had the wretching bit before though). I am NEVER messing my dose up again

still dont feel that great even after 0.4mg this morning

the "clinic" doctor is saying that I will go from 0.4mg to 0, but my worker is ringing me tomorrow and I am going to tell her I am not ready to go to 0 yet so I want to stay on 0.4 for a while and when I am ready I want to go to 0.2 then 0

 

[FatBellyWhipSlay]

so I am back up to 1.2 mg..... damn it

Not relapsed yet, but always on the edge, what a shitty way to live

Anyway been offered a 14 day inpatient/rehab stint to detox off the bupe - its free from a drug service - questions are, do they help you with medication (i.e. to sleep) or is it simply sweat it out in a shitty room with no meds and talk in circles? Are you allowed a mobile phone ? Can I take my laptop? I am in the UK, so if anyone in the UK has done this please let me know! seriously considering it

I could probably do it if I was helped to sleep, not sleeping for x days is the worst for me

 

[n3ophy7e]

so I am back up to 1.2 mg..... damn it

Not relapsed yet, but always on the edge, what a shitty way to live

Anyway been offered a 14 day inpatient/rehab stint to detox off the bupe - its free from a drug service - questions are, do they help you with medication (i.e. to sleep) or is it simply sweat it out in a shitty room with no meds and talk in circles? Are you allowed a mobile phone ? Can I take my laptop? I am in the UK, so if anyone in the UK has done this please let me know! seriously considering it

I could probably do it if I was helped to sleep, not sleeping for x days is the worst for me

Mate if you have the opportunity to do an inpatient detox, fuckn do it!! Every place has different policies on phones, laptops etc so you'll have to ask the place. BUT don't let that be a reason to not do it. Most places will give you meds to help with the withdrawals including the insomnia. But dude, seriously, don't miss out on this opportunity

 

[Jabberwocky]

Anyway been offered a 14 day inpatient/rehab stint to detox off the bupe - its free from a drug service - questions are, do they help you with medication (i.e. to sleep) or is it simply sweat it out in a shitty room with no meds and talk in circles? Are you allowed a mobile phone ? Can I take my laptop? I am in the UK, so if anyone in the UK has done this please let me know! seriously considering it

Do it!!! Do it!!!! I would be BEGGING to get into a free place like that.

Yeah, they will help you sleep if you truly have insomnia - but don't expect them to give you ambien or benzos or anything.

Some do let you take your phone or at least give you access to it. I'm not sure about the laptop, that really depends, but if it's a subsidized program probably not (I only have experience with US detox not UK). You probably have to go to one of those celebrity Malibu for-profit detox centers to be able to bring a laptop.

Yeah it's just gonna be some sterile therapy, talk circles, white sterile rooms. Their job is to make you as comfortable as reasonably possible.

2 weeks will fly by so fast. Do it man, you will thank yourself.

I crave going back to detox even if I don't really need it. It's like a vacation for me, mentally. It's a place to get your head straight and get healthy. It's therapy in every sense of the word.

Mate if you have the opportunity to do an inpatient detox, fuckn do it!!

especially if it's >>FREE<< !!

 

[n3ophy7e]

I crave going back to detox even if I don't really need it. It's like a vacation for me, mentally. It's a place to get your head straight and get healthy. It's therapy in every sense of the word.

I get exactly the same feeling when my life and my addictions are out of control. It's like a little break from life, to sort your shit out.

 

[FatBellyWhipSlay]

I decided I am going to do it!

but I have been told I will have to wait a couple of months for a free place as the availability is really bad a the moment for some reason. She said would probably be December. So I have asked to put me after Christmas. (dont wanna ruin my kids Christmas) I will basically stay on 1.2mg until then. I have been taking 0.8mg in the morning and 0.4 in the afternoon. That seems to be holding me OK at the moment and been sleeping not to too bad. Waking up at 530am instead of 2am!

They do help you medically to sleep and also for anxiety so she says. I can take a phone but no laptop. The insomnia is the worst of the WD's for me, I can handle the rest.... if only opiate WD didn't involve insomnia, I would piss it!!

quite excited about it for some reason.... new year and a new start (hopefully)