How Long After You Stop Suboxone Do You Have Withdrawal Symptoms? (Page 12)
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My 63y/o mother survived chemo and radiation for throat cancer but was unable to stop the morphine 15mg twice a day without horrible withdrawal symptoms. Her MD put her on Suboxone 8mg/2mg once a day in June. She even took half the strip on most days and the doctor was very pleased and anticipated that she would be able to stop altogether in November. She unfortunately had a stroke 14 days ago and has been in the hospital. The first 7 days she was confused from the stroke but now she is weak and forgetful but is no longer disoriented. She told me tonight that she thought she needed her Suboxone. She said she thought she was going thru withdrawal. I was floored. She is not having any outward signs of withdrawal: no back/stomach pain, no nausea/vomiting, no sweating or tremors. Isn't 14 days long enough for the Suboxone to be completely out of your system and for withdrawal symptoms to have come and gone??? Any answers will be greatly appreciated.

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Tommy,

I COULDNT HAVE SAID IT BETTER MYSELF. There are so many of us that have faced the same old bulls*** out of frustration and exhaustion trying to teach the teachers it all seems futile at best. The state of our country's medical system sucks!!!! Hang tuff that's all we can do.

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Meeting with Psyciatrist at 4:40 today. Going off of all meds for sub withdrawal as it has been 13 months. Increasing anti anxiety to 10 mg of Valium. Going to heal strictly with anxiety to see if that is the missing component. Three weeks of testing the morphine reduced then eliminated the fiber pain but cause constipation, it alto dulled the brain like Subs. I have confirmed I cannot deal with opiates or opioids. After 11 years of misery I have concluded cannabus beats out opiates every time. Three weeks of Opana ER was plenty of meds and time for me to decide it is not worth the side effects. There must be another way to deal with the CNS Issues. I was going to check into Henry Ford detox today, however I am positive I have the meds and support to do this safely if I doitnow.

The generic klonopin was changed and it is less tha half the strength. Mfg. is Accord. Milan is also weak. My choice was go to detox which would cost the ins. $6000 or see the psychiatrist and move to Valium for $200 also covered by insurance. GENERIC DRUGS HAS RUINED THE ART OF PRESCRIBING MEDICINE. YOU MIGHT HAVE THE SAME RESULT FROM STREET DRUGS. WHAT A RIPP OFF BY THE GOVERNMENT AND INSURANCE COMPANIES. You finally find something that works and they immediately require you to start over again with the cheapest generic. Causes one to want to go to hospital detox regardless of cost to insurance company. They think they save on drugs only to fing their Guinea Pigs Re spending 600% more on hospital stays to salvage the damage from generics.

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Amber, life continues to be a struggle for me and the first few weeks were really difficult but I can still say I'm 100% better mentally off the medication because at least if I don't take it my brain has a chance to go back to normal even if it feels like it takes forever I'll get there you know. But you have to let go and realize you are completely powerless to what is happening, and let it run its course, you may lose your job but it would be worth it to get off the medication. I lost my job being on suboxone. I was robbed of living. You can do it you just have to want it more then anything and to know you will be better. I'm giving you gold. Get some hydroxyzine and cloNadine and tell your doctor what your about to do and that you will need help to get off it. On day 15 you can start naltrexone if needed, stock up on vitamins iron for the rls, start an antidepressant now. Advice is all I can give you but it comes from the heart. Believe that. You can do it, don't give up on living again!!

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Amber
I truly feel your pain but until you accept the reality that life is difficult and challenging at best for most of us mere mortals.FEAR is concurable but not until we identify the source inner peace and contentment is not.i found that until I reached out to a mental health professional I couldn't see the Forrest from the trees.mine was a professional career that I failed to attain but after much introspection I accepted that a RN is my very best and the MD that everyone else aspired I be WAS THERES not my own. There disappointment IS THERES TO OWN. It's still difficult at times to interact but until you risk exposing your pain to those closest to you those 4 walls will darken and close in until there truly is no way out.hope your feeling better and God bless more people care then you think.

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Amber,

I would recommend an inpatient rehab center to get you through the really rough stages of suboxone withdrawal. I've done it both ways, and its a lot easier when you have all the help you can get. It's tough, probably the toughest thing I've ever done. But, it is COMPLETELY WORTH ALL THE PAIN!!! To not feel like a f***ing zombie again is a beautiful thing. I started taking two 8mgs strips a day, then weaned down to an 8 once a day. Overall I was on that garbage for close to 3 years. Then I just couldn't take it anymore and I decided to jump from 8 to nothing. That was a bad decision in hindsight, but we live and learn. The depression you speak of, I know all too well. The absolute worst thing you can do is nothing. You have to get up and move to start to feel a little better. Laying around all day in bed is only gonna make you go crazy. Music helps me get out of bed before noon. But, you gotta do something or you will just waste away mentally and physically. The world is yours kid!

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Amber - It sounds like you are going through a lot. You have got to fight through it. Maybe you should taper down for awhile until you can jump. This is not an easy fight but you you will surprised what you are capable of. I am off of Suboxone for over a year now...along with coming off benzos. I had to take care of a house and a new born and 5 year old through it all. There were times that I thought I wouldn't make it but I did. You can do ANYTHING you set your mind to. I can't begin to tell you how much it is worth it to be free. Pray and put one foot in front of the other.

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So its me again back from early march or before then I don't remember. My story concluded to me and my boyfriend getting a job again after months of not having one. He has been clean but me I'm still on the wrong path. I did not go back to pain pills (dilaudids) but when I last spoke on here I was taking two tiny corner pieces of suboxone strips a day. Well when I got my at home job for a call center I got scared I would withdrawal and be a horrible customer service agent. So I'm back to taking larger doses of the 8mg strip and withdrawing like crazy again. My depression is stronger than its every been and I absolutely dislike my job. It's now in my head I'm done I've missed many many days and I'm about to quit or be fired. I need this job but the reason I took it was because my car was broke down and I was losing my home and eating on noodles every day. After 7 months I do have my car back thanks to this job but I pay on the loan for the car, the loan for the transmission and the insurance not including house bills. Anyway I'm saying I've never dealt with depression this bad I can't even keep a job. I don't leave the house after all those months dying for my car. I sit in the dark all day I don't go into work I'd rather do nothing. I strongly believe its the suboxone making me this way but I'm so scared to withdrawal again for those stomach pains and sweats. I don't know what to do.

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Chrissy: "Brain Pain Syndrome" is one of those nasty side effects they never warn you about. I realized the pain in two different ways. The first was apparent when my skin started to burn from head to toe on a 24/7 basis. It started on day 7 and I thought it was the creepy crawlies everyone talks about. After it did not subside a year later I checked with the neurologists and the pain research center at the University of Michigan. I damaged my nerve fibers sometime during the ten years I was taking opioids. The Suboxone is so strong the pain was covered up and I did not have a clue I damaged my Central Nervous System. The second clue was the extreme muscle pain that jumped around day by day and is often controlled by the weather specifically the barameteric pressure change apparent when a "high or low pressure system moves through". If one is able to overcome these issues I congraduate you for being tenacious and riding it out.

Working with some great physicians and several specialists, we were able to identify the pain and compare it to similar pain found in other patients. Now the fortunate and not so fortunate; resulting from the ongoing pain and burning. Morphine is very useful in eradicating the Parethesia but does very little for the relief of muscle pain. Cannabus works well for muscle pain but has an aggregating effect on the parethesia.

Cannabus is very individualized as it will greatly assists one patient while at the same time cause another patient great pain in the form of muscle aches and Parethesia.

Tramadol, Ultram, and Oxycodone caused me very uncomfortable pain. I will study any medication heading toward my mouth. There is endless information available for no cost whatsoever. Simply look for it in the search engines and threads available to people like us.

Remember there are several things in the various medications which will react to each of us very differently. Some positive and some negative. Be aware and alert. Your body will let you know so listen for the signals. Do not be ashamed if you know more about the supporting medications than your Doctor.

Try to exercise and eat a good diet. Get plenty of sleep and stay calm. Find a support person or a support group. Do no waste your time with anyone lacking experience. Do not exaggerate the amount of pain as this may get you more meds than is necessary and in the end can cause you to have extended withdrawals.

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Agree re brain healing... My friend and I discussed it and we really felt like it took two years od brain healing . But I think by playing with opiates here and there it kicked on my friends addictive brain again but she simply says she's taking it for pain

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Rebekah: Any real measurement of change takes at least two years. Then you may find like I did that you created a brain issue.

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You will be fine as long as you quit now !!!

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Rebekah, I think it's different for everyone. It all depends on how long you were on it and whether you had anxiety before. I am one year and 11 days off now and it gets easier. You just have to keep putting one foot in front of the other. It seemed to me like every week I improved. I have been confronted about talking about GOD but it's necessary. What really helped me was putting on praise and worship music...it helps to combat the anxiety and give you peace. It releases endorphins. Go for walks. The more endorphins you are causing your brain to make, the better you will feel and the quicker you will heal. Coming off of Suboxone is a battle my friend. Keep fighting the good fight. Oh and also, I bought some adrenal support. It is really reasonably priced and all organic. This really helped me. It's made by HERB PHARM and it's for your endocrine system. Please try it. GOD bless you <3

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Hey, so I thought I'd reply on your subs for pain management comment. I can say 100% it does not give any type of benefit for chronic pain. It also stops you from being able to reap any benefits from taking any pain medication in the future, sometimes, secondly, if you look up your information on suboxone, suboxone cam actually cause you to feel like you are in more pain. I could barely walk to the bathroom in the morning when I was on subs, look up your information and let your friend know, I'm giving you gold. Also, HELL NO I would not still be on drugs and would not be taking them at a higher dose, some doctors need to give us addicts the COLD HARD FACT that at some point or another you are going to have to go thru withdrawal, you did it to yourself so deal with it, or give it to them but start a taper immediately. Also not to mention that NO HOSPITAL OR TREATMENT CENTER will take you, admit you, accept you, or help you because you aren't considered to be abusing drugs anymore when they are prescribed. Sure maybe 30 yr users or illicit drug addicts could need it to originally get off drugs but the maintenance program is only trouble. I used to say the same thing and thought if I took subs it would help my pain, only to find out I WAS WRONG. TOMMY C- do you think my buzzing will go away? Have you heard of others like us and has it gone away?

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My friend is back on subs because she never felt quite right without them. She had 15 year opiate pain management & then about 2 years of sub (seemed like miracle) then tapered & maybe was off 3 months completely...but then took an opiate occasionally & is now back on subs 6mg per day! She isn't using it as op replacement she is using it as pain management & probably antidepressant & to avoid withdrawal ??...she is only 53 so should try to stop...at 63 like original poster maybe should just stay on if it improves quality of life or rather wd is causing more problems...my defense of subs is this...for everyone saying it is nightmare to wd from...without sub would u still be on ops today? Do u think ur op use would be at a higher dose? Or was ur use so bad u would have been dead/in jail/od or otherwise worse had u not switched to subs? I think ops cause a fiercer more acute addiction & perhaps subs cause a longer PAWS...any thoughts?

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Rebekah: I still have buzzing like right now. I am 13 months off and am having a heck of a time getting my brain and CNS working together. Everyday is a different challenge. Most Doctors are clueless when it comes to Suboxone withdrawals. I have been dark because this thread lost it's direction. We are not suicide experts, just folks helping folks kick subs.

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It makes me sad to know that there's people out there that are prescribed suboxone every day. I wish the doctors would do the right thing with the drug and use it appropriately instead of messing with people's heads. Being on a maintainence program with suboxone is nothing but setting yourself up for a long run of a bunch of crap. I am now 121 days off of subs. I still experience buzzing every morning and terrible anxiety and my heart just races and pounds. If doctors were doing the right thing they would start a taper right away when they give patients the medication, this would give them a very close to painless withdraw. Then they should stop the devil drug, because the physical dependence is a night mare to get off of, and if you are on this forum you really need to read about the night mare it is. TOMMY C- can you tell me if you have any idea this buzzing will last for me, I know you said you were still having the parasesis. Anyone willing to help me out with this if you have gotten off of suboxone, I have 121 days and still have very bad buzzing and anxiety. Thanks guys.

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P.S. Melisa

Have you tried a local social service agency ? even if for a referral listing of docs treating with said protocols. It's an outside chance of a name for a treating doc.

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It's a nightmare no doubt my choices were limited as well but methadone was the Only AFFORDABLE option @ $ 260.00 monthly out of pocket bc my wonderful insurance refused refused a kinder treatment protocol. It's a horrific national tragedy playing out in front of us all. Yell, yell loudly after all what more can they do to wonderful people like us that they already havent done be it apathy ignorance or indifference .

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I am on Soboxene for 2 yrs now, last year paying out of my pocket around $600 a month, not much cheaper than my choice of drug. I feel great on Suboxene, but I couldn't afford my Dr. no more, so my last script I got filled in April and it will last me about 3 months , I figured, really tapering off, I'm scared to get of them I'm afraid to relapse. It works for me.

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Hi Matthew,

Dude. It doesn't matter if there's a 12.5 mg xanax or not. I think you're picking the wrong battles. Get over it already. I've lost 3 very important people to suicide. All 3 women. Two left behind children and husbands who loved and needed them. A sister in law had tried twice so her husband and daughter took turns making sure she was never alone. After a couple months of convincing everyone she was better, she manipulated her husband into leaving the property for 10 minutes to get her cigarettes. The 17 yo daughter wld be home in 8-10 minutes after he drove out of site. Her daughter, my niece, arrived home from school, searched the house for her mother. Finally she walked outside & noticed the pad lock to a garden shed was cut off & the door ajar. She KNEW that's where she'd find her mother and ran screaming towards the shed hoping her Mother wld hear her voice......the husband pulled up to hell on earth. My beautiful sister in law had put a bullet in her brain knowing one of the people she cared about most on earth wld find her that way. Her daughter has suffered unimaginable loss. Her mother didn't bother leaving a note. She never found the time to write words her daughter needed to hear. That she was loved. I promise you, there's a lot of people in this world with bigger troubles than you, my friend. Get yourself some help. I can see you need it.

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