Coming off Buprenorphine and so tired

[allecw]

I have been on Subutex for a couple of years. The most I have been on in that time was probably around 8 MG a day. Higher does would always just make me feel weird. Doc originally prescribed like 16-24 MG a day. I always felt better on low doses though.

For the past few months until December I was probably taking like 1.5-2 MG a day and felt fine. During the last month I have barely taken any Subutex. Maybe down to .2 MG a day. I can make a small piece of an 8 MG pill last me at least a week.

The only noticeable withdrawal effect I have felt so far is random extreme tiredness. Lack of motivation, and boredom. It just seems to come out of nowhere. I also go through crazy mood changes. From tired to manic and freaking out. Very irritable at times. Sometimes I am even full of energy then I kind of crash.WHig mood swings. When I first started the very low doses of Subutex earlier this month I actually felt very good at times, and felt like I was waking up from a Buprenorphine haze I have been in for two years. Now I just feel tired and bored. Less of that initial energy I had from being on a low dose.

Not really any physical side effects that I have noticed. Possibly some anxiety, and muscle soreness if anything. Very hard to get up in the morning. Does this all sound normal for the low dose I am on now? Like I said it must be in the .2 MG once a day range. Barely anything. When I go off Subutex completely will I probably feel the physical side effects? I thought I would be feeling more physical effects right now. I was worried about nausea, and diarrhea. Although the mental aspect of withdrawal is what I am most worried about.

What can I expect to feel like when I go completely off after being on .1-.2 MG a day? The idea on being on nothing for the first time in years really freaks me out, and I don't know how I will handle it. More mentally than anything. Any tips?

 

[pasha]

IMO opioid withdrawal is opioid withdrawal. I don't see the point of maintenance as minimizing withdrawal but more to address the issue if the incredibly high relapse rates for opioid addiction and so the pharmaceutical companies can get in on the action. I prefer to drop my opioid without maintenance if I truly intend on stopping. Nevertheless your going in the right direction, allow yourself to take pleasure in that. Your symptoms sound classical, hang in there.

 

[i are spectre]

you might as well just get it over with man. jump off already. then you wont be tired after a couple weeks.

 

[allecw]

Is it pretty much guaranteed that I will be sick when I come totally off? It feels like I am taking nothing at all but is .1-.2 MG of Buprenorhphine more than I think? It must be something because I still don't have serious opiate cravings.

Although I am far more worried about the mental aspect of coming off Buprenorphine. I got on opiates to self medicate depression, and anxiety. No medicine a doctor would prescribe would do anything. Looking back i wish i would of never touched opiates. Just made everything worse in the end. My fault though.

On opiates I felt like I used to. Subutex actually worked better for me than any other opiates for the first few months. I just felt steady and normal. On high doses of Oxy i was good for a couple of hours, and then I would just wait to dose again. Living my life in two hour increments. Now I just feel like the Subutex has taken away who I used to be.

Whenever I go off opiates totally I always feel like I have absolutely no emotions. Anhedonia that won't go away. This is what worries me about coming off Buprenorphine. I have never came off of Buprenorphine, and I fear that their will be more long lasting mental side effects associated with it than other opiates.

 

[Swimmingdancer]

Is it pretty much guaranteed that I will be sick when I come totally off?

It feels like I am taking nothing at all but is .1-.2 MG of Buprenorhphine more than I think? It must be something because I still don't have serious opiate cravings.

Although I am far more worried about the mental aspect of coming off Buprenorphine. I got on opiates to self medicate depression, and anxiety. No medicine a doctor would prescribe would do anything. Looking back i wish i would of never touched opiates. Just made everything worse in the end. My fault though.

On opiates I felt like I used to. Subutex actually worked better for me than any other opiates for the first few months. I just felt steady and normal. On high doses of Oxy i was good for a couple of hours, and then I would just wait to dose again. Living my life in two hour increments. Now I just feel like the Subutex has taken away who I used to be.

Whenever I go off opiates totally I always feel like I have absolutely no emotions. Anhedonia that won't go away. This is what worries me about coming off Buprenorphine. I have never came off of Buprenorphine, and I fear that their will be more long lasting mental side effects associated with it than other opiates.

It really depends on the person. Some people have a lot less trouble than others. Unfortunately there is no way to know in advance how it will be for you, and I know the fear of the unknown is one of the hardest parts. Not knowing how sick you will be, how long PAWS will last, worrying you might never feel happy, healthy and energetic again, etc. You just have to try to stay positive because the way you think about it can make a big difference. Cross that bridge when you come to it instead of working yourself up with fear that it will be awful and long-lasting, which could potentially be an unfounded fear. I know that's easier said than done of course. But there's only one way to find out how coming off Subs will be for you, right? And better to do it sooner than later, the longer you stay on opioids the harder coming off them is. There are a lot of things you can do and take to help with your recovery/PAWS too, let me know if you want help finding some threads on that.