Bupe using benzos while tapering bupe

[will430]

I want to try to keep this somewhat brief. I'm currently dropping my dose today to 8mg's of sub from 12mg's. I know the only thing i may feel from this drop is anxiety. So, i'd like to combat any withdraw either physical or mental with a low low dose of a benzo. I have 60 0.5mg's of ativan, 30 0.25 xanax and 13 1mg klonopin

I understand the risks of combining two cns depressants. I understand the risks of benzo addiction and withdraw. I know that it seems counter productive.

I used to take benzos daily years ago. But as of right now, i have zero benzo tolerance. I'm prescribed the ativan. I just never bothered with it since being on bupe. Benzos are not recreational to me though. I've taken klonopin before for a year straight at 1mg a night and stopped taking it suddenly and had no noticeable withdraw symptoms.

I'm tapering without my doctor knowing. And i want to lower my dose from 12mg to 8mg and then use benzos for 3-5days untill i stabilize on my new bupe dose. Then i will lay off the benzos for a few days untill im ready for the next drop of bupe.

Does anyone have any suggestions with this current plan? Will using a small dose of a benzo help with the mental/physical part of a dose drop in bupe? Any suggestions or methods you would use with the benzos i have listed? I been diganosed with PTSD and i've used all those benzos listed above plenty of times in the past. Just currently... barely no tolerance to em.


Or option two- Which this was the inner junkie in me thinking. Why don't i just drop my bupe dose from 12mg to 4mg's and just take take benzos untill i stabilize on from that big ol drop. I just would like a little direction here. The anxiety from the dose reductions is usually the worst for me....

 

[Captain.Heroin]

You will only need the benzos for a day or two after switching down to 8mg. You'll stabilize real quick.

Save part of the benzos for the dosage decreases, but save most of the benzos for when you quit buprenorphine completely.

I'd drop from 12mg to 8mg, stabilize with benzos for a day, then stay at 8mg for a week or two.

Then decrease by 2mg and take a week or two to adjust, until you get down to 2mg per day. Only use the benzos for a day or two after you keep decreasing, because you'll want most of the benzos for after you quit Suboxone all together.

 

[will430]

Solid advice CH.

Two minds think alike in regards to stocking up on benzos for the d-day of jumping off bupe. : )

Do you notice mostly physical effects or mental effects... or both, after a drop in bupe? Now what's a good estimated dose to combat the side effects of a drop in bupe? Any particular benzo i should avoid or you would not use for this situation? klonopin has a long half life and seems like a good choice while doing this. Only thing im concerned with is the stacking effect in bupe and possible stacking effect in klonopin.

Ativan is a ok choice to i think. moderately long half life. Good relaxing properties to it. kinda slow and sluggish feeling though.hmm.

And then there is the xanax. This one seems like a good choice because of it being able to knock out the anxiety/overall uneasy feeling i may encounter. It packs a punch, but wears off fast.

Based off this. Klonopin at 1mg a day is looking like it maybe my pick. But i don't want to risk not waking up since it lasts a very long time. I suppose my question is which is safest in terms of my situation with bupe.

 

[xXMorphineXx]

I was on bupe for ~2 years (doing dope as well). And from first hand experience, bupe is harder to get off than dope (can't speak for fentanyl, opana, or methadone because...Once you do heroin whats the point of pills ). It's more than just anxiety, it's lack of energy and motivation (which benzo's don't really help with as they make you more tired) and just a general feeling of uncomfortableness. I weened down to ~4-6mg a day from 24mg's, and months n months later I still feel very minute (sp?) PAWS (Post-Acute Withdrawal Symptoms). Good luck though, and be very proud of yourself for getting off bupe, it's a very weird opiate, and a ball and chain for the addict.

 

[Mr.Scagnattie]

The transition from 12 to 8mg's is pretty easy. Getting down to 4mg's from really any dose isn't that bad.. it's getting to below 4mg's and then below 2mg's that is the real bitch.. that phase is where the benzos will help the most.

 

[will430]

Thanks for the advice guys. Good to see a veteran like CH posting some advice. I enjoy reading your posts man. I've been reading ur stuff for years now. Always top notch advice from a veteran.

Mr. Scag- Thanks your another mod/member that i've taken alot of advice from by your posts in previous threads. I was a lurker for years and your guys posts are as good as any doctors advice IMO. I don't listen to docs who have never been in my shoes. Rather here it from someone who has lived the junk lifestyle.

Morphine- Thanks for the reply. It's strange. I drop my sub dose alot at the end of the month from 12mg's to 4mg's. And the only think i notice for 3 or 4 days is anxiety. Not really physical withdraw. That doctor of suboxforum i believe is right in saying that 4mg is basically the ceiling effect as far as analgesia goes. 4mg's is where the dose no longer gets you anymore buzzed. (if you can call it a buzz) I have to agree with him. Anything after 4mg's is only going to increase the duration of the 4mg's your feeling. I dunno. I'm going to get down to 4mg's and just stay there for awhile untill i feel better. Anxiety is the worst side effect while tapering in my opinion.

I dunno, Really sub is not that bad as far as coming off of. I'll take a cold turkey sub kick then a cold turkey fentanyl or methadone kick. And i would take a sub kick over a benzo kick aswell. Seriously. The only killer in the kick is the damned duration that it lasts. Slow grueling and relentless. I dunno. I'm going to take 0.25mg's of xanax as needed in order to cope with anxiety during this dose drop. I'll let everyone know how it goes. (if anyone cares)

 

[AlphaMethylPhenyl]

Try to keep the benzos to a minimum - I know this will be hard to do and that people have already said this but I want to further stress it - because they can be a harder habit to break than any opiate/opioid.

 

[will430]

Absolutly, I will take 0.25mg of xanax pretty much only when im getting a creepy crawly feeling. I have a feeling a big dose drop in subs is going to make me feel kinda ancy, teary eyed, all in all not good. So i'm going to dull my senses untill im over this crappy episode of tapering. 5 days MAX after my dose drop is all im going to use xanax for. Also 0.25 up to 4 times a day is basically the MAX i will allow myself to go. I really do not like the feeling of benzos. Never have, tried abusing them when i was younger. Trust me, sedating myself into a blackout is not the damn goal here.

These low doses hopefully will help as i try to push through my taper. I'm going to take this low dose and get used to it. Whether not my mind likes it or not. No way around it, damnit. The physical part of the taper doesn't bother me. It's just the depression and anxiety that is tough for me. I guess my fucking brain better get over it's shit and quick. It's not getting any extra bupe to keep cushioning itself on. If the power of xanax doesn't stop the constant self evaluating bullshit my brain plays. I guess nothing will. Time to embrace the suck i suppose.