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  • BDD Moderators: Keif’ Richards

How bad withdrawals witll I get if any

K

K2thaB

Greenlighter
Joined
Sep 4, 2013
Messages
6
Hi, I should now better but last week I got a script for 120 perc 10/325. Well basically I finished them in 6 days (please don't judge I am asking for help). Today I went to my MD and told him and I asked for suboxone. What should I do and how bad do you think my withdrawals will be. I am in the med field which makes it even worse but do you think that since it was just 6 days I may get over this quickly.
 
Well, you didn't say what your doc said? Why does it make it worse because you are in the medical field? What part is worse? Also, prior to this, what is your history of use with opiates/opioids?

You were averaging 200 mg of oxy a day...do you normally take oxy?
 
I feel worse because I should know better. I have been on a 6 year 5 year regimen of 3 months Percocet, 3 months Norco and three months Tylenol #4. There was never a problem, but this past week I started a new job and just moved and kids starting a new school. So my stress level was off of the charts and unfortunately that was the way I chose to cope with it. I do have chronic pain after a bad fall a few years ago. So before it gets out of hand I want to find a way to cope before I do start taking meds because "they just feel good". He gave me a script today for Suboxone 8/2 and Tylenol number 3. I am on this board because I just need some opinions, this isn't the type of subject you kinda just bring up at dinner (my attempt at being funny). I don't drink or do any other drugs, just addicted to food and I know that if I let this go it can be an issue and I just need some help and support now.
 
Thank u for replying!!!!!
My doc wanted to avoid the term addiction since there was never a problem like this before as a matter of fact I usually go and decrease my doses depending on my pain level and activity. He gave me those 2 scripts for a two week trial, but since I actually did that little episode I would love to try to get off all together. My main problem is that I am allergic to all NSAIDS so once Tylenol isn't helpful the jump usually is to a narcotic.
 
^really? you are allergic to nsaids? that is pretty rare. it looks like you handle apap well (not an nsaid) because between the percs vicoden and t4 you were taking a ton of the stuff. have you experienced wd before? if so then no matter the percocet binge or not you will wd if you stop cold turkey. only take the suboxone when you start to feel severe wd. runny nose eyes, yawning, pain in your bones, restless legs (restless everything really) and even then only start with a little bit of the suboxone. a lot of dr's who just take the suboxone rxing course will give really high doses thinking that more is better. not the case with suboxone. you want to be able to take the smallest amount possible since it raises your tolerance to an insane degree, esp if you have chronic pain as opiates are basically the gold standard for serious pain releif. you dont want to back yourself into a corner thus needing higher doses of more potent drugs.

what did your doc say to do with the suboxone?
 
Right...this makes no sense to me at all.

Why the subs? Are you going to use them to get off of all opiates?

Also, what do you mean by this? Do you mind explaining a little better?

"I have been on a 6 year 5 year regimen of 3 months Percocet, 3 months Norco and three months Tylenol #4."

Also, I have been a nurse for 20 years. Being in the health care field has nothing to do with knowing better. It iis pretty common for health care professionals to use, abuse, be dependent on and addicted to pharms.
 
I fell off a ladder a while ago (from the top). My case was mishandled no MRI, discharged before Xray was read. I ended up having a broken leg and coccyx bone. I am also a nurse when I say I know better I really meant I could have handled my stress better than the method I chose. I had never been through withdrawals before because I would always have my doctor switch off the med before my body got too dependent on one drug. The NSAID allergy isn't all that uncommon, I have an underlying bleeding disorder that is severely exasperated with the use of NSAIDS. He gave me the subs because he said it will help with the pain also, as a matter of fact on the script he wrote "off label use for chronic pain" I think he did that more because I myself was very afraid that I was on my way to abuse after handling it so well all this time. I meant to say 5 year regimen not 6. I also do monthly liver enzymes. I didn't know where else to bring this question which is why I brought it here.
 
When I asked for the subs he wasn't all that willing at first wanted to just switch me back to Norco.
 
^well sure, switching a chronic pain patient from a full agonist to a partial agonist/antagonist like bupe has risks such as precipitated withdrawl (which is by fav one of the worst feelings i have ever experienced in my entire life) if you have been on opiates for a regular basis for 5 years id have to guess you are dependant. so adding suboxone to the mix, you have to be very cautious during the induction phase...im not shitting on your dr or anything, but i think bupe should only given by drs who have training in addiction medicine, not just drs looking to make extra fliff from the never ending supply of opiate addicts. most the time when you start on suboxone the dr will make you come in during heavy wd and give you the first bit of buprenorphine in the office to make sure its not putting you in WD and that you are doing ok on it, that is what is called induction. im also sure you know suboxone is meant for sublingual administration only.
 
Hmm. I agree that it should be closely monitored when first inducted. Buprenorphine can work pretty well for some people for pain but it is not necessary to be on such a high dose for it. Butrans patches are specifically meant for pain but IME one 20mg patch a week is not usually enough, frequently people need 40 mg a week to be helpful. Some people say the patches do not help them at all. But if it were me I certainly wouldn't take the whole sub, maybe half or a quarter. Many people find it even harder to get off of subs than other opiates/opioids.

Though you have been switching meds around periodicallly and this does help to prevent a faster tolerance build up to a particular med I'm sure you are familiar with the cross tolerances. So no matter that you have been switching them around the fact that you have been on opiates/opioids consistently for 5 years non stop means that you will have a dependence on them, period. You would experience withdrawals if you stop suddenly. An opiate/opioid is an opiate/opioid, the flavor doesn't matter.
 
Thank you so much for the advice. I am very appreciative for all the support I can get.
 
Think twice

It's going to be tough, but please think twice about Buprenorphine therapy. It will take over your life; it's never out of your system because its half-life is way longer than 24 hours and since you would be taking it every 24 hours, it builds up in your body. I've been on for two years, off for six months, and now back on as of last week and already the side effects are plaguing me: severe constipation and little to no sexual ability are the most prominent for me, and I've heard the same time and time again from others who have shared their side effect issues with me--it's important that you don't take any more than you absolutely need to keep you comfortable.
 
K2, just to put in my 2cents: you're still in a gray area, not way out there where sub would offer you a way out... Can you not get more oxy prescribed and taper? When youre low enough switch to tramadol and after that finish off with codeine... Thats the recipee i use for getting off h periodically and its the least worse option i've found (i have to juggle job & family as you so i cant just disappear for a week or two)...
 
Hello there I'm a nurse as well and going down a path I really don't want to be on. I been taking hydro on and off for a year. And now really struggling to quit...I really hate myself and what doing. Ham so ashamed and feel alone I need to tell somebody...I never ever in my life took any pain pills and here I am stuck in a mess!!!
 
You're gonna be ok. Millions if people have quit opiates. You CAN do thus if you want to. Please check out the recovery forums, like The Dark Side. Maybe a mod can even make this your own thread. There are plenty of people here who have been in you shoes, and plenty of people willing to help and listen. I'm in the process of quitting opiates right now as well, so I know how you're feeling.
 
Suboxone raises your tolerance so just take a little bit. Idk why he gave you t3s because you won`t feel them while on subs. If you haven`t been dependent on them then idk why you`d wanna start suboxone, personally I`d say just do what you said you usually do and get off opiates before you get dependent. Your withdrawals should be slim to none after 6 days but if you do use subs only do a quick taper over a couple of days i`d say.
 
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