Jabberwocky
Frumious Bandersnatch
- Joined
- Nov 3, 1999
- Messages
- 84,998
There is this mistaken impression that it's always better to do some kind of taper off buprenorphine or other drugs used only to handle the acute detox (about 7 days). When you're only taking an opioid like buprenorphine for that amount of time, there is no necessity to engage in any taper. Coming off 2mg won't be substantially better than coming off 4mg or 6mg or 8mg/day if you've only used it for a week.
Now, will adding a couple extra days of lowering dosages of buprenorphine help the OP? Very likely, but not because they are going through any kind of withdrawal from the buprenorphine. If it makes a difference, it was because you were still technically in the tail end of acute withdrawal, so any additional if albeit lower dosages of buprenorphine help, that is why.
I'm not saying don't taper, just that for many people using shorter acting opioids it simply isn't necessary. For those with larger or longer term habits, it probably would help, but they'd do just as well to stay on any dosage or buprenorphine for longer than those with less acute habits, as they will experience a more intense, possibly even protracted acute withdrawal syndrome.
A week of buprenorphine should be plenty enough to deal with the acute withdrawal from a year of fentynal, but the OP should keep in mind that flexibility is important in how we treat the acute withdrawal symptoms, and that the best way to figure out how to treat them the most effectively is to listen to what your physical body (not your mind, but you bodily sensations of comfort and discomfort) is telling you need to do. There are certainly a lot of good guidelines or there on how to handle withdrawal but ultimately there is no one sure fire way to handle withdrawal for everyone. It is best addressed in an individual level.
Now, will adding a couple extra days of lowering dosages of buprenorphine help the OP? Very likely, but not because they are going through any kind of withdrawal from the buprenorphine. If it makes a difference, it was because you were still technically in the tail end of acute withdrawal, so any additional if albeit lower dosages of buprenorphine help, that is why.
I'm not saying don't taper, just that for many people using shorter acting opioids it simply isn't necessary. For those with larger or longer term habits, it probably would help, but they'd do just as well to stay on any dosage or buprenorphine for longer than those with less acute habits, as they will experience a more intense, possibly even protracted acute withdrawal syndrome.
A week of buprenorphine should be plenty enough to deal with the acute withdrawal from a year of fentynal, but the OP should keep in mind that flexibility is important in how we treat the acute withdrawal symptoms, and that the best way to figure out how to treat them the most effectively is to listen to what your physical body (not your mind, but you bodily sensations of comfort and discomfort) is telling you need to do. There are certainly a lot of good guidelines or there on how to handle withdrawal but ultimately there is no one sure fire way to handle withdrawal for everyone. It is best addressed in an individual level.
Last edited by a moderator: