Bupe Withdrawal and Academic Performance - Views Please!

[suessmayr]

I would like some peoples' views on my situation as I am unsure of how to proceed.

I am an Arts/Laws student and currently on 2mg bupe. I was on 24mg for about 3 years and then methadone 90mg for a few months before reducing to where I am now. I have a philosophy exam in about one month. I need to decide whether to go from 2mg to nothing next week and to try to study and sit my exam completely opiate free, or whether I should stay on 2mg, or even go up to 4mg or 6mg in order to feel well enough to study and sit a good exam.

I am extremely, extremely keen to be clean. But I also want to sit a good exam. I have not really noticed many symptoms during my reduction until I got to where I am now (2mg). Since dropping to 2mg have had some trouble sleeping and have been forced to take seroquel for that. Also I have become generally disinterested and take no pleasure reading (as I did before) and pretty much find everything very difficult and distasteful. I have the shits and feel lethargic, fragile and depressed. All of this I am content to deal with (and know that it will be necessary) but I am trying to decide whether it is desirable to do it now, or whether to wait until after my exam.

What do people think? What state would I be likely to be in after one month of total sobriety? Is that enough time to pull myself together to sit an exam, or will I still feel shithouse?

S

 

[help...me...]

It really depends on how your body functions in each condition.
For example me - my brain functions 10000 times stronger and faster when i am 100% sober. I become cooky and a little crazy but very smart.
When i am on subs or any opiates i am more calm, normal (like the rest of the world) but not as quick.

Its not that big of a deal whether u get off opiates now or later. Just think of whats best for your brain for the time of the exam.

 

[suessmayr]

I don't doubt that I would function at a higher level when sober, at least ultimately. The question is whether in the time I have - one month - I could even begin to get under control all the anxiety and physical discomfort, at least enough to be able to study effectively. I have only received high distinctions this semester and so can probably conclude that I'm not overly sedated when I take opiates. But like I said, I've tried reading this week and just not been interested or even really able, whereas ordinarily I read for hours and hours every day and love it completely.

 

[grumpy w00kie]

Stay on bupe, Wait till after exams then quit. No need to be feeling bad while you should be studying. Worry about getting off opiates later.

 

[i are spectre]

yes, stay on, trust me. you will need more than one month to be peachy keen again, not to mention totally prepared for an exam

 

[drewbocop]

You will certainly have next to no motivation to do anything for that month and probably longer if you don't do an extended taper, which will take more than a month if you just moved down to 2mg and are already feeling like shit. I made the mistake of jumping at 1-2mg and I was on MMT in no time. (Only lasted 14 days off the Bupe and still felt incredibly lethargic and depressed.) Stay on until your exams are over, or you may not be passing them very easily, feeling intelligent or not.

 

[Wolfmans_BrothEr]

Yea dude, stay on it, I'm on my 5th day of bupe w.d myself, and I was only on it for about 6 months. I haven't slept more than 3 hours a day, I can't even finish half a can of soup, I'm sweating my ass off, the RLS and back aches are fuckin horrible to deal with, and I can't concentrate on anything.

Since you've been on it for multiple years your body is much more dependent than mine is, taper down slowly and plan on not having any requirements or responsibilities like work or school for at least a month. And see if your doc will give you muscle relaxers and/or sleeping meds. But if he tries to give trazadone don't take it, get something stronger it makes you tired and delusional, but chances are you won't be able to get comfortable enough to actually fall asleep.

Im in the same situation as you, I made sure I had enough to finish the semester so i could w.d over the summer

 

[veggies]

I agree with the posters above- stay on. You will perform much better if motivated and not preoccupied/distracted/etc. by withdrawals/PAWS. In addition, I personally find that opioids (excepting very large doses) seem to have little acute effect on cognition. I would only quit before hand if you have a very compelling reason to be clean in the near future. Good luck!