Opioids Doexepin for suboxone withdrawal?

[DustnRoses]

Doxepin for suboxone withdrawal?

Basically I told my sub doc that I have to go to jail in 2 weeks, and really want to taper down and quit ASAP so I can avoid as much WD as possible (while in jail). His dose he had me on was 16 mgs a day. 8 in the morning, 8 at night. I've actually been taking about 1mg a day. about .3mg, 3 times a day.

He gave me one last script for subs, told me to taper 2mgs a day til I get down to 1 or 2. He also prescribed me something called doxepin....I basically asked him for help, told him I was terrified about WDs and asked to please give me something to help, and this is what he gave me....

I don't know much about it...he said it's an anti depressant that will help with sleep....anyone know much about this med? Is it helpful in withdrawal?

 

[gluteus_maximus]

I take it regularly as a sleep aid. It should help with the insomnia that comes with withdrawal but that's about it.

If you have really only been taking 1 mg a day (and haven't been using other opiates), you could easily taper off within a week and the withdrawal won't be that bad. I've never really had bad withdrawal symptoms from suboxone although some of my friends have. Guess everyone's different.

 

[obscure]

Man, that's a rough place to be in... Is it at all possible that you'd be able to continue your meds while in jail? Aside from the WDs, PAWS is going to be rough in that situation.

 

[flyonth3wall]

Just thank God that you only have to taper off 1mg and not 16mg... Could be a lot worse dude.

My suggestion:

So you take 0.3mg 3 times per day - so ~0.9-1mg daily.

Tomorrow and the day after, cut down to 0.25mg 3 times per day ( 0.75mg total )

Friday/Saturday, take 0.2mg 3 times per day ( 0.6mg total )

Sunday/Monday/Tuesday, take 0.2mg 2 times per day ( basically wait as long as you can once you've woken up, then take your 1st dose, then the other dose before bed.. ) ( 0.4mg total )

Wednesday/Thursday/Friday, take 0.2mg when you really really need it, and cannot wait any longer.

Then next either cut down to 0.1mg per day for a couple of days and then jump off, or just jump off at the 0.2mg after next Friday.

By following this quick-taper, if you stick to it, you should be relatively comfortable and manage to get off.

Wishing you the best of luck, and all the best.

 

[shannybananny68]

I'm not sure why your doctor didn't prescribe a benzo and a fast acting opiate for wd's. Even clonidine....these "poor" doctors are absolutely clueless.

 

[mmhell]

I'm not sure why your doctor didn't prescribe a benzo and a fast acting opiate for wd's. Even clonidine....these "poor" doctors are absolutely clueless.

It's pretty much a code among doctors, to not prescribe any medicine with abuse potential to someone who might use abuse/misuse the medication. Benzos and fast acting opiates have high abuse potential, and the doctors is trying to the OP to stop taking drugs. Not get him addicted to another drug

 

[DustnRoses]

^ Yeah, that's the impression I get as well. When I asked if there was something he could give me to help with the cold chills, sweats, etc. he recommended dayquil.......SMH. The nurse even told me, when I mentioned to her that I was going to jail, etc. that suboxone doesn't have WD's. I just looked at her wit a blank stare on my face....how can these people keep their jobs with such little knowledge? I told her "Well, I have to say that I've read about a lot of people coming off of doses even lower than mine and experiencing a very long, drawn out withdrawal..." She said "Well the people that I've talked to haven't had any withdrawals...". That was pretty much the end of the conversation.

 

[Jabberwocky]

Sounds like one of the shittier sub docs, although of course they abound unfortunately. tbh I can't imagine this tricyclic (that is what it is, correct) anti-depressant doing you ALL that much good during w/d. I could be wrong, but I'd think the accepted standards for w/d symptoms (accepted even by the medical community at large as such) like gaba and clonidine would be infinitely more help...

Well, as bitch and moaning about the situation won't help you all that much, what are you thinking your game plan is? Taper down as far as possible before you have to go in? Some jails actually are pretty good about meeting your mental health needs, although it wouldn't be good to assume this best case scenario... I guess you can hope they at least give your something like naproxen or apap and loperamide.

Looking ahead, any thoughts about what you wanna do after you stint is up OP?

 

[DustnRoses]

^ Yeah, my plan is pretty much what you said....taper down, as much as I can force myself to (it's hard when I have about 200mgs of bupe at my disposal) and hopefully even quit 3, 4, 5 days before I go in...

I told my sub doc that I would like to come back to him once I'm out. I really think I need to be on sub for a while, because I know my urge to use opiates is as high as it's ever been, and being on sub allows me to live my life with stability. I know some people frown upon long term sub maintenance, I used to talk bad about it too...but for me, with where I am in my life...it just seems like the best option right now. I know once I get out of jail, even if I've been "clean" for a few weeks or months, my desire to use will outweigh my desire to stay sober. I wish I could go back in time and stop myself that first time I ever took painkillers...if I only knew then the path it would lead me down.

 

[Jabberwocky]

I hear ya. It does suck you have to deal with this bump in the road, but I'm sure you'll be just fine given your good judgement.

For the record, I too am on suboxone for long-term (1.5-2.5 years) maintenance. It all depends on why you're using it and how you use it.

If the cost of not using it and possibly relapsing and falling into addiction to a full agonist or something outweigh the risks of becoming dependent on the suboxone, as it sounds like in your case and as it surely is in mine as well, then you're certainly doing the right thing by wanting to stay on it longer term.

Furthermore, if you're using it as a kind of safety net or foundation, as you are, in order to stabilize your life and mental health, allowing your to rebuild yourself as well as your life (career, family, relationships, etc. etc.), so that once you've gotten back on your feet in terms of quality of life stuff you can focus on coming off the sub, without having distractions like a broken career or family, that's exactly how this sort of treatment is supposed to work. When the time comes for your to come off suboxone, you'll be able to devote yourself to doing so 100%, which is what you should ideally be doing anyways.