Advice On Switching From Suboxone To Methadone (Top voted first)

I am switching from suboxone to methadone and i have chronic pain. Will this help me with the pain? I dont have any other options. What should i do for my pain? I have marfans syndrome and it makes u have chronic pain every day. This is my last resort. Will the methadone help? It's terrible to be uncomfortable and in pain trying to find a solution, so please i need feedback.

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I an switching from suboxone to methadone. Do a hav to be off the suboxone for a few days before using methadone? Will I go into withdrawal?

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It is a myth that Methadone is more addictive than other opiates. It is addictive, but no more addictive than Suboxone (which is also addictive, contrary to what some people think) or Oxycontin etc. Much of the reason that people tend to think that it is more addictive, or that the withdrawal is worse, is due to the fact that people who are treated at a methadone clinic are gradually brought up to a dose that is much higher than what would usually be prescribed by a pain management doctor. The reason that clinics do this is to ensure that the person who is attempting to recover from addiction is on a dose that is high enough to stop all cravings for opiates, and to eliminate all withdrawal. Once a person in recovery has maintained on the methadone clinic program for a few years, they then wean that patient down slowly (lowering usually by only 5mg or 10mg every month) over the course of a year or two years, so that when they do come off of the methadone completely, there are very minimal side effects or withdrawal symptoms. Of course is someone were to stop altogether, cold turkey, when they are at 85mg or higher, then the withdrawal would probably seem just as bad, if not worse, than the withdrawals they may have experienced in the past (Due to the fact that they had to be on a dose higher than the amount of opiates they may have been using previously). Because of methadone's use in this way, many people have an incorrect understanding of the drug and it also tends to have a bad stigma attached to it. However, it can be a very effective medication when used for pain management, especially for treating nerve pain or chronic pain that no longer responds to other pain medications. One of the reasons that it works so well is because it has a longer half-life than most other opiate medications. Where hydrocodone or oxycodone have a half-life of only 3-6 hrs, methadone has a half life of 24-72hrs. I have suffered from chronic pain due to a nerve condition and oxycodone no longer worked for me after taking it for only a few years. The pain was so severe that it interfered with my entire life. I began to think that I would have to live like that forever and that I would never again be able to live a life without pain, or with only minimal pain. However, my pain management doctor suggested that we try methadone, and explained that it has proven to be very effective for pain that no longer responds to other opiates, and especially for nerve pain. At first I was very hesitant to try it, because of the stigma that goes along with it. But after doing my research I found that many of the fears that people have about methadone are simply due to a lack of understanding of the drug, and due to myths and rumors. I finally gave the medication a chance and it has turned my life around. I am finally living my life again, and with hardly any pain. I am able to work again too, due to the fact that methadone operates differently than other opiates, by allowing the brain to function normally. In general, opioids such as heroin, oxycodone and morphine are known to weaken intellectual functions such as learning, memory and attention.

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I have a lot of health issues. I have been on suboxone for more than six years. But I now have seizures, have had seven brain surgeries, have several herniated and buldging discs in my spine, and I need double knee replacements all at the age of 27. If I switched to methadone, would it help with the pain at all?

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I need information on switching from suboxene to methadone, please someone give me the facts. First, im really nervous about having to go everyday to get my dose. Had i known methadone worked so well for pain, i would of had my dr put me on it. Instead i became addicted to morphine and norcos and i am thankfully in a treatment program and i am on 24 mg of suboxene. However, i suffer with pain alot and feel like methadone would be much better. I am fully aware that getting off sub and meth is hard, but im in no rush at all. I just want to know how methadone makes you feel. I dont want to be spazed out. I just want pain relief. Please, i need alot of feedback.

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I switched from suboxone 8/2mg 2&1/2 a day to the methadone. It helps way better for the pain. It changed my life I. Still have some pain but its easy to control the more miner pain with naproxen or prescription ib. It picks up the lower pain level that the methadone misses. Dr will give you something to take with it just ask. They have many others to add with the methadone. So I say go for it. It changed my life for the better. Good luck!

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I was on methadone for several years and was able to wean myself off slowly with very few w/d symptoms. After a relapse 2 yrs ago I decided to try Suboxone because I hated the idea of ever going into the methadone clinic. For Subs I could just see a doctor in a private office. Unfortunately this was an enormous mistake, Suboxone is a much stronger drug, stays in the body longer and some people report having withdrawl symptons for YEARS after detoxing. Do not trust your doctor and the first red flag is if they intend on keeping you on Suboxone for anything more than 3 months. There are tons of sites with reviews from people who tried detoxing off of Suboxone after being on it for maintenance and every one is a horror story- methadone detox is a piece of sake in comparison. Good luck.

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how did u feel waiting 24 rs then going to methadone? my hubby did it ok now i want to go back to methadone...(dont care about ur opinon of methadone people ive done both n know what workd for me) just want to know how someone felt taking suboxone one day then methadone the next? I know vise versa it cause hubby withdraws but sub to dome he didnt

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It is so bad to base decisions on what people read on the internet without knowing what everybody's true problems are. This can cause people to maybe make poor decisions about what might be best for them. Somebody has a bad experience and they make a post about it, leaving out the true details of their particular situation, and then that post spreads like wildfire. Not all medications or symptoms affect everyone the same way. This is a fact. I have severe health issues, some of which cause me a lot of pain. I have been diagnosed with chronic pain and also can not have any type of surgeries or blockers due to blood thinners that I am currently taking. I started out on hydrocodone, then got put on oxycodone, then oxycodone ir, then was put on the oxy's together. When these got to the point that they were not working, I was put on methadone. I got up to 90mg and felt the best I had felt in several years. I talked with my doctor after a year on methadone and we made the decision to try suboxone. I went from 90mg methadone, to 80mg, to 70mg, and then I stopped everything for two full days. In hindsight, I should have gotten down to between thirty and forty milligrams of methadone before I switched but, because I was in such a hurry, I made the change. The first day off of methadone was really good and the second day was very rough. When I woke up, I could tell that I was starting to go into w/d's. everyone knows what w/d symptoms are so I will not go into that. I took my first dose of suboxone - 4mgs - on the third morning. I knew in about thirty minutes that I had made a mistake by not going down farther on the methadone. The suboxone sent me into precipitated w/d's. Later on I took another 4mg suboxone film and I did not get any better. It took me about two days to get where I felt better. I got up to 28mg of suboxone and was still having chronic pain. The suboxone did not work for me, as far as MY pain, but it did work for suppressing w/d's. I do know some people that are on suboxone for pain and it works great for THEM. I have gone back to methadone 90mg and I am happy with my decision. This is what is working for me. I also have friends that are addicted to pain pills and both methadone and suboxone works for them to stop the cravings and w/d's. Why did I stop the methadone in the first place? Simply put, I wanted to try something else. Do I regret switching? Absolutely not!! You have to remember, I did this with my doctor helping me. He also wanted me to go farther down on the methadone than I did, but I was in a hurry. That was nobody's fault but mine. I can honestly say that I would NOT do that again (unless it was an emergency). As far as the w/d's being worse on methadone than any other opiate, that is so far from the truth. I can't say how long the w/d's last because I haven't stopped long enough to say if they last months or years. I can only state what has happened to me and what I have "personally" seen from other people. I did and still do so much research on various medications because I want to know about them. I say all this simply because when I first started all this, I was constantly on the internet and I can honestly say that much of what I have read is either straight false or simply misunderstandings from people that have had bad experiences and what I have said applies to what I have been through or "personally" seen. You have got to be very, very cautious when you read postings in these types of formats. If you let some of these get to you, some will mislead you and you might pass up something that will help you. Don't get me wrong, there is a lot of truths out there about this stuff. You just have to read them for what they are and not the gospel according to John so to speak. I am not a doctor but, I do like to see people have the right advice or opinions, if you will, before they make decisions like these. I can honestly say, some medications that work for you, won't work for me. That's life. You don't know unless you do it. Under the care of a doctor of course. I've even gone as far as contacting manufacturers of some medications to get answers that my doctors couldn't answer. I want to know. In my opinion, I think everyone should know all they can about what they take. You'd be surprised at how much gets by a doctor or pharmacist. Especially when they are in a hurry or medicinal reviews aren't done. For instance, methadone doesn't mix well or at all with certain antibiotics. That's one I learned myself and when I brought it to one of my doctor's attention, the medicine was changed. I have severe allergies and it was cipro that doesn't mix with methadone. It sends you into w/d's. I know that some of the methadone clinics give you a list of medications to give to your doctor stating that you can't take medicines on that list. I apologize for this post being so long but, if you don't have all the facts, you can't make an honest opinion. Out of all this, addiction or chemical dependency, you may be in a situation, like myself, where you have no choice but to take this medication and if so, do your best to do what is right for you. I hope, with all my heart, that this might help someone reading and it does give comfort to you. I really wish I could have known more about all this before because I did fall into the internet "trap" and really was freaking out about some things I read. I did learn though, the hard way unfortunately, how to separate fact from fiction. Even still it's sometimes hard to tell. Regardless of what you've heard, everything on the internet is not true lol. It's a hard thing to deal with things like this. When you know that you will be on these types of medications the rest of your life, you have to do the best that YOU can do. Whether it's addiction or chemical dependency either way your body has to have the medication and it is very hard and it takes a lot of self control and support to deal with it. I don't care what people say about it. If you don't have people that know what you are dealing with as far as medications, you will not make it without support. You have to be smart about it because it is so easy to become dependent on these medications. I really wish that there was more understanding about methadone, suboxone, and others like these because they are absolutely great medications for what they are intended for and I know that methadone has saved at least one of my good friends who was addicted to pain pills. He goes to a methadone clinic which is how I know about the medication list. Ok now for my advice. Talk to your doctor, get some good honest support, and learn about your medications. If you have to go to a clinic, go. I truly believe they are a good thing if you can't go to a doctor for what ever reason. This clinic that I know of does both buprenorphine (suboxone) and methadone. The doctor decides which is best for you. It is not a trap per say. They do help with people that need them. Of course, they also do contribute to addiction as well but, for someone that has no other alternative, they are great. I am not gonna say that they are any better than your doctor but, at least they are another alternative to help. Please be safe and I wish all of you the best with your particular situation.

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I'm switching from Subs to methadone. Took my last dose of sub this morning around 8:00 I took 2 mg. And the clinic where I'm going tomorrow to start on methadone told me is it good If I wait 24 hrs ?I don't wanna feel worse or set off withdrawals. Is that cool to make the transition from subs to methadone? Cause I know it's not good the way around my roommate went on withdrawal from methadone to subs. Just wandering . Thanks for the help

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IVE BEEN. ON SUBOXONE FOR ABOUT 20MONTHS AND THANKING ABOUT GOING TO METHADONE. SHOULD. I?

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Wtf is your problem? This person asked a legitimate question and instead of replying in kind like you had some sense, you start trying to deter them from using methadone. You ignorant people are the reason addicts are labeled the way they are. Lmao, anyway yes if you have chronic pain of any kind and you are already on a maintenance medication like suboxone, you should switch to methadone. Especially if the sub isn't working for you. I had this same problem and feel much better then when i took the suboxone. If you are going to be on a med like suboxone or methadone you might as well pick the one that helps your other pain issues as well. Some people just don't benefit from suboxone the same way others do. I'm one that doesn't benefit along with a growing number of people that cant as well. So good luck on the methadone and you will be very sick no matter which of these you cold turkey.

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Debbie is correct, Methadone is much more addictive/habit forming, which could create serious problems if you ever have to stop taking it, even if you are just using it for pain and not addiction treatment, or abusing it.

What type of doctor are you seeing?

With a problem like that, which can cause severe, chronic pain, you should really be seeing a pain management specialist, who can help you get your pain under control. They are specially trained, so they usually have a much better understanding of pain and its effects on the body, than a general practitioner does.

https:/­/­rxchat.com/­wiki/­Methadone/­

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Also, I have an incredibly high tolerance, which also scares me because if I'm not on the suboxone I'm going to use again. I know it

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TRUTH!!!!!!!

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Idk who or why your were prescribed suboxone for chronic pain in the first place. I can understand the methadone, because the methadone can be used and often is used for severe pain management (although not for breakthrough pain, more for long term management) and suboxone is not even a pain medication. It was designed specifically to help people who are physically dependent on opiates/opioids manage their withdrawal symptoms without feeling high and resorting to abusing pain meds. If someone prescribed you suboxone, it was to help you manage your withdrawals with the goal of getting off opioids indefinitely, either that or they have no idea what suboxone is. If you truly do have marfan syndrome and chronic pain then I think it is best to manage your pain and your withdrawal symptoms so yet, methadone combined with some kind of breakthrough pain medications and physical therapy is probably what a doctor would go for. Talk to your doctor. Yes it is absolutely possible to switch from suboxone to methadone and vice versa but it is not as simple as changing prescriptions. For example you have to taper off the suboxone and then stop taking the medicine for a few days and then start on the methadone after you go into withdrawal otherwise your body will go into precipitated withdrawal and maybe even shock. I know this thread is old so my advice is for anyone attempting to google this question. Working with a doctor and a therapist is essential and if you go to a clinic then I suggest working with a dr and therapist outside of the clinic as well and allow them to communicate so you get the right treatment. If this is not possible then make sure you research everything as much as you can and dont be dishonest about things. If you have an addiction or dependency be honest, we are not here to judge you we are here to help and anyone who does judge you on a site like this is a loser for wasting their time looking for addicts to poke fun of. Honestly to me it sounds like the OP isnt giving us all the information which is obviously not a good idea. i think he or she knows what suboxone is and why they were given it and even if they are being honest about their marfan syndrome i think they are using it to make excuses for themselves. as addicts we can never get clean until we start being honest. I hope you succeeded in your treatment and ended up living a sober and drug free life or at the very least a sober and clean one. I am currently on methadone myself and thinking about switching to suboxone earlier than i had initially planned. I have chronic back pain as well as having a serious physical dependence and addiction to opiates. I am scared to death of relapsing but have stayed clean for the last 17 months. I think the most important thing for staying clean aside from being honest to yourself and others especially the people helping you is to plan ahead of time and account for possible mistakes and make back up plans., currently ive actually exceeded my expectations which is why i want to switch to suboxone a few months early. initially i planned on switching after two years on methadone but now i've been thinking about switching at 18 or 19 months and taking it from there. another important thing is to take things slow and to not be afraid to go back if you feel uncomfortable, just don't allow yourself to quit and relapse or put you into a position where that becomes easy to do. recovery does not ever happen over night people and we all have slip ups and relapses its part of the process but never give up.

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Contrary to what most people say, I am a 40 year addict. I was on methadone for 20 years. I switched to suboxone a few years ago. I do not feel sick on suboxone but I cannot sleep, I have extreme anxiety and I wish I was back on methadone. I raised 6 children on MMT and held a job and paid my bills and felt tremendous until I switched to suboxone for no other reason than I wanted to attend the Doctor less often. I havent felt right since quitting methadone and I wish I never switched.

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No you will not withdraw. You only go into precipitated withdrawal when you switch from a full opiate agonist like H or something similar. Depending on how long you have been on suboxone it will almost indefinitely stop any feeling of euphoria from any drug. Unless taking almost a deadly dosage.

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I'm sorry. Your last line is incorrect. There is no correlation, from what I've ever heard - that suggests people on H have any reduced learning capacity.

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You must wate 24 to 48 hours after your last sub,and start with a low dose. I just asked my doc.

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Dont go to methadone, i am switching from methadone to sub now. Methadone is not for pain. I have spine issues and have been thru the whole gammit of pain killers and ended up a opiate addict. Went on methadone for 8 years. Dosent help the pain it just gets rid of the withdrawl. Its like your morning coffee you feel great till the afternoon then its time to sleep. Weight gain alergys to the sun and a thirst for sugar and sleeping all the time is what you have to look forward to. Its no way to live. If you havent been cut off from pain killers and cant live without them that is a better way to go. Methadone is a life of hell. I cant wait to get clean. I am at the point were im trying to get my back fixed to live in tolorable pain. No more drugs for me. Find some way to manage your pain besides drugs. Drugs are pain. i feel for you i know the path you are on..but please stay away from methadone. Again its no way to live..good luck friend

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