Fentanyl to Subutex to Suboxone: PLEASE HELP

[GatorNutz]

I have been a heavy Fentanyl user (pure Fent HCL powder intranasally about 15mg three times a day. Went from 210mg Oxy (7x30mg roxy) once a day to chewing 100ug patches to getting pure powder. Started with very small amounts of powder, but now it's probably about 15mg each hit.

Well, I'm done with it. I found a doctor who is helping me, but not sure he understands Fentanyl.

I am going to taper the fentanyl over the next three days, but my last dose will still be a ton of Fentanyl (relatively speaking because of my tolerance).

He wants me to take 1/4 of an 8mg subutex once I am in heavy Fentanyl w/d (begin induction), then the other 1/4 30 minutes later, then the other half two hours later, then one pill every 8 hours. Then I will start Suboxone at some point the next week.

He also prescribed Clonidine and Lyrica to help with w/d symptoms.

I know I need to be in heavy w/d before starting induction, but is 1/4 of an 8mg subutex (then another 1/4, then 1/2, etc) enough to compete with the Fentanyl that my receptors are used to?

PLEASE HELP as I've been through Fentanyl w/d before and it is absolutely hell!

Thanks in advance.

 

[sekio]

Fentanyl has such a short half life... don't even bother tapering, just stop entirely and as soon as you're in WD start taking the suboxone/subutex.

 

[donetherebeenthat]

When I went on subutex .Because I also was abusing methadone which has a long 1/2 life , I was put on fentanyl patches first. I did those for I think 9 days then started subutex. The prescribed method was simular to yours for starting the subutex. Wait as long as you can before starting the subs. The transition is a little rough but nothing close to the withdrawal you would have felt. Hang in there.

D.T.B.T.