How Long After You Stop Suboxone Do You Have Withdrawal Symptoms? (Top voted first)

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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I have never posted a comment, i just felt maybe i can help. I see a lot of people suffering. I am one of us. Everyone who takes subs willllll sufffffer when coming off. Dont fool yourself its not a solution. Just another problem bigger than most previouse problems. The only way it could help iis to tapper off in a few weeks. Never take enough to enjoy. Just enough to stop the widrawl s. i am an expert,regretfully. Suboxsone's widrawls are horrible. To suffer less, there are manythings you can do.
Full of confidence that i will not get addicted to anything. Wrong. I have done it all.

Please note: If you are a heavy heroin user, subs will not help mostlikly. Methadone on 30-60 day tapper program is the way to go. You can go to cliniques for about $10 per day. Do not stay longer than 30-60 days or you will be hooked for years if not forever.

Sub can be hell if done more than a few weeks on a decipline tapper off scheduel.
Methadone cliniques are legal drug pushers. Not all. Only the ones that keep you on it forever. I took it to get off opiade addiction (opium) i was on it for 11 years, then decided to stopp no matter what I stopped after three months of hell After i stopped widrawals got me to try vicodins. I thought i was done with it . Three months i locked myself in my bedroom Only to find out vicodines are giving me similar problems.

Obviously we all made huge mistakes by letting things get to this point. The sooner you stop the better off you are. Doctors dont know what we go through ,since they never got to experience what really happens to a person. I have been on a mission for past few months . Went from 8 mg sub to zero a day ago. Lost my job for making this attempt. Could not take it anymore. Now or never is my attitude. Good eating, sleeping with strong sleeping pills , resting, keeping your mind on what you will feel like when you are normal again and can enjoy simple things in life again have proven very helpful to me. Cold turkey is bound to fail . Create a plan and work it. Tapper off and have just on 8 mm sub for when you are going out of your mind. Just take .1 mg or somthing, then back on plan. The body needs time to adjust. Jaccuzi, swiming, walking, listining to spiritual and motivational tapes by the masters, such as deepack chopra, wayne dyer, eckhart toole, james arthur ray( not a master, but his Harmonic wealth pack is excellent. Feed your mind with positive thoughts. Think and focus on what the end results will make you feel. Remember what you focus on is what you attract and experience in your life. I could write forever, i hope this helps you.. Its not what you know, it is what you do that determines your life's direction and experience

I am not going to say good luck. Like luck has anything to do with it. Just start the ending process , work toward feeling fresh and happy again like when you where a kid and needed nothing to boost your mood.

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Wow! Some people are just clueless. 6 days is not even enough to get it out of your body! The half life of Subs is incredible. I was on it for over 6 years, went into detox ended up staying a total of 13 days. I still yawn, sneeze and sneeze & stil take what my addiction specialist gave me for sleep but I'm stronger everyday now for a total of 20 days! You must eat right, exercise and stay busy. It was never meant to be a life long solution and unfortunately the Doctor I went to didn't care aobut getting me off of it! I'll never take it again cuz I don't need it! Good luck to all!

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This is quite possibly the most terrible advice I have ever heard. Methadone withdrawals will be terrible, even with a taper. I was an IV H user for 4 years, after I started 8mg on Subutex, I never went back to H. Now I'm off of both. For the record, I was doing 3-4 grams a day. Suboxone and Subutex towards the end, saved my life.

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Hello to all. I recently stopped taking suboxone from 4 mg to 2 mg. It's only been about 7 days now. I feel like crap! Can't sleep, can't get comfortable in bed, body aches and I feel like I'm stuck to fly paper. How long before I start feeling somewhat normal again? Just a note I was only on suboxone for about 3 weeks.Have no cravings for pills just want to have more energy.

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I've been on soboxone for 5 years n decided I did not want to be on it any longer n quit cold turkey! Its been 6 days and I feel great! I feel like I've just began a new life in sobriety again! Right before I stopped taking the subs I prayed to my higher power to give me strength n courage to get through whatever I have to,to gain true sobriety again! I had 5 years sober at one time n being on sobos was the stopping me from getting back there! I feel as if I've been given a new lease on life! I'm not questioning it at all but I'm thanking my higher power for giving me the strength n courage to walk through my fears and accomplishing 6 days clean n sober of all substances! I had 3 months clean but I know say I have 6 days clean! Thank you God!

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I just want to say quick that I was on Suboxone, and I tapered down to something very tiny, like 1/8 of a 2 mg tab, and I started having withdrawals before I even completely tapered off. It was the worst experience of my life. It lasted for over a month, and I thought I was dying, literally. My blood pressure went up (first time ever), I couldn't sleep for several days at one time, my throat closed up on my and I couldn't hardly talk, I couldn't rest, but I couldn't do anything awake either. I would have lost my job if I had been working at the time. NO WAY could I have went to work. I was very fortunate from what I understand. In the end, I discovered many people suffer far worse, for much longer, than what I did. I believe he started me out on 2-8mg/day as well, but it was way too much for me. I quickly worked it down to 2-2mg/day. I have other family members that are taking it, and have been for a long time. I tried to warn them how horrid the withdrawal is, but they pay me no attention. I have one relative I worry that she will never be ABLE to get off of it, because I don't think she could physically handle the withdrawals due to her age and health condition, under the extremity of her opiate addiction has been heavy and for a very long time. So, YES, your mother could be just now experiencing withdrawals, they do not come up right at first because Suboxone has a very long half-life, which is in part what prevents drug-seeking behavior from someone who has become physically dependent or addicted to opiates. Please be her advocate. She will likely need some help getting through the withdrawals. Read and learn which symptoms she may have and find out which ones she's experiencing, so you may help her the best way possible. My heart goes out to her, or to anyone, having to endure this. People in general are not talking about how bad the withdrawals are, and I hear a LOT of people who are still taking it, defend the medicine. While I agree there's a time and a place for it, supervised and for a short period of time, there is a lot of misleading by doctors to their patients regarding the severity of the withdrawals they will still experience. I wish I had just suffered through the initial withdrawals from lortab, because although I felt like I was dying, it would have been a much shorter time frame.

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WOW, and I thought I had it bad. You are the first person I have ever seen on the internet that was on suboxone longer than me. I really do not know what to say. Other than I will be praying for you. Im gonna hit day 40 of being totally clean on Christmas. It took 32-33 days before I felt like myself. I have the amino acids to thank, as well as the Valerian Root, I think :) And i can finally sleep. I hope that someday soon you too can be clean, and free of this stuff. One thing, I still have 2 ruptured disks in my lower back, and a 90% torn rotator cuff, yet, I feel 0 pain, and Im not on any meds. Its like when I quit the suboxone, and all the other crap, all the pain went away... Only by the grace of God!!!

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I've. Been. Taking suboxone 7years when does it. End?

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I have been taking 4-6mg of subutex for 5 days now after an attempt to get off pain pills. Will I have withdrawals from the subutex if I stop taking the subutex tomorrow.

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On day 26 of being clean from suboxone, after being on 6mg per day every day for 8 straight years. Long story short, it got too expensive, and being 50 years old, I knew it was doing brain damage to my neurotransmitters. So I quit cold turkey. It put me in hospital for 4 days. Im over the withdrawls, but the PAWS are bad at night. Restless Leg, and Insomnia, after being clean for 26 days is ridiculous. But the key here is Amino Acids. L-Tyrosine, and L-Tryptophan. Ive only been on them 2 days, so not quite working yet. But Tyrosine helps rebuild the neurotransmitters in your brain, and the Tryptophan helps lift depression, and helps with sleep. Still, only on them for 2 days, I still have PAWS really bad at night. Even 15mg of Melatonin doesnt help. I fear that I have been on Suboxone so long, that my brain can no longer create seratonin. Which is why the insomnia is so bad. But Im giving the amino acids a few weeks to work, and see how it goes

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If she has been taking it for a long period of time, then no, 2 weeks may not be long enough for all of the withdrawal symptoms to have subsided.

It may take anywhere from 4 to 8 weeks, in some people, depending on their body's reaction to stopping the medication.

Learn more Suboxone details here.

Is the hospital aware that she was on it? If so, they should be able to help her with any withdrawal symptoms she's experiencing.

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Day 35, and finally, 2 days ago, I finally started feeling 100% normal again. I can sleep now without anything. No more cold sweaty hands. No need to take 3-5 hot showers a day. No more restless leg. Im guessing the 3 amino acids are what did it for me. The L-Tryptophan, L-Tyrosine, and L-methionine. But I read that those would do no good, if you do not have the proper balance of Endorphines. So I found a way to naturally create, and bring back the Endorphines that were ruined or damaged from 8 years of suboxone usage. Certain aroma's such as vanilla extract and Lavender will help to create and bring back proper endorphine levels. That way those neurotransmitters you are rebuilding with the amino acids will have the correct balance of endorphines. Anyways, sorry to get so technical. And I am not sure if PAWS will return on me or not. Im told I could have good days, even good weeks, and then the PAWS will return. Remember I was on suboxone for 8 straight years. Im kind of shocked that Im already feeling perfectly normal again this soon.

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This is my experience as well! 6 yrs on about 150 ml. per day of percs & tabs & now on year 3 of subs. My doc put me on 24 ml. per day strips & on year 3 i'm just now suppose to be taking 20 ml. per day! I had to start downing my dosage on my own about a year ago, i'm was starting to think the doc was trying to keep me on a lifetime plan! For the last 6 months I have been taking roughly 4 ml. every other day & as long as I have them in my pocket (subs) I can handle doing this. Its when I run out that I start feeling terrible. (I support mine & my wife's sub dosage because i could not afford to keep us both going to the doc) This is a drug like any other that one will have to stop on their own! I'm on day 3 of taking nothing now & it is TERRIBLE but I'm going to keep on till its over (I hope) Don't let your Dr's run your life people, most have never felt withdrawal & would love to keep excepting your free money! sooner or later everyone has to just say stop on their own!

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My thoughts exactly. Nothing wrong w/suboxone for H w/drawls.

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I have been clean nw from subs I think the worst is over!!! Right??I can't sleep and when I do fall asleep I wake up in a panic attack even if it is like for ten minutes>>> My heart is beating all crazy it feels like and I am sweating and the anxiety is back!!! will I ever get to sleep normal again?

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Not sure whom you are speaking to. But praying to God, especially if you are a believer, certainly does wonders. If you are not a believer and are praying to God,then you are wasting your time. For me, I chewed tobacco/skoal for 35 years. And not only did I get off of Suboxone after 8 years, at the same time I asked God to let me stop this 35 year habit I had with chewing. And though I will admit, I went thru more than a month of hell, I came thru the fire a new person..No more nicotine, caffine, and no more suboxone. Maybe its because of my age, and I have more willpower, I dont know. Not everbody could do what I did, I get it. But without prayer, and my belief in God, I would not be sitting her typing this right now. Just how I believe and feel.

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Amy, I,m no doctor but if you been abusing pain pills for a long time I would think if you just stop the subs after 6 days you will feel some wds. Like I said, I,m not a dr. I think it has to do with how much and how long you were abusing the pain meds. You may not feel anything for a few days because subs have such a long half life. After that the wds may kick in. I,ve allways found it best to taper off subs slowly.

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I know that Subtex does not have Naloxone in it, which is a great thing for you. The 2nd great thing for you is that you have only been on Subtex for 5 days. Those 2 things alone are a beautiful thing for you. Yes you will have withdrawls for a few days, but you will never experience PAWS. And you NEVER want to experience PAWS, trust me. It was the worst 32 days of my life and I would rather die than ever go thru that again. You should feel very very lucky, should you decide to stop cold turkey.

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I honestly would take the withdrawls from oxy codone any day of the week over suboxone withdrawls/PAWS. The good thing is, if I am reading correct, you have not been on Suboxone that long, which is a great thing. It took me about 40 or so days, 36 to be exact, to get over 95% of the PAWS. And I was on 6mg per day for 8 years. And just remember, its not the dosage, its the amount of years/time you are on it. And you are tapering, so it should not be bad at all. I did it cold turkey, biggest mistake I ever made in my life, but did not have a choice. 72 days clean today, the only thing I take are multivitamins. And strangely, Ive not had any relapse, or any craving to go back to pain killers, and especially not suboxone. That drug is 10x more potent than morphine, and more dangerous. Sure, it got me off pain killers, but what good is it, if its harder to get off suboxone, than it is pain killers, and its worse? No thanks, I get high on life now...and Im feeling so darn good.. Hope you can one day soon feel as good as I do.

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I want to clear up one thing from my prior post. Naltrexone is distributed in pill form also. Beginning dose is 25mg. You can look it up. The danger is you can kill yourself if you do not have the opioids or opiates out of your system. Usually 14 days for Suboxone. My age caused me to try baby doses 2mg. I was way to late with this drug as I waited almost 10 months. By that time the open sore receptor was already filled in.

God bless all of you hero's with families and jobs. Going to work and supporting your family along with Suboxone withdrawal is a heck of a feat. If your sig other is supportive, I send a big big hug. This is one hard painful ordeal and will last longer than you can imagine. During this process my CNS got damaged and I hope the Neurologist can figure out how to get me back to near normal.

Once you are off of the Suboxone, the pain doctors and toxicologists do not want to deal with you because they do not have the answers for the damage they caused. Each of us are also at fault for continuing to take the medication knowing it was not the best choice.

I felt really bad when my Medical team told me I may have to go back on a narcotic because of the CNS damage and my age. I pray not. Even though I have been in constant pain for 18 months weaning and being off for 12 months I hate to give in to the devil and pray there will be an alternative to narcotics. At 70 years old there is a good argument not to spend what is remaining of your life chair bound in pain. I think medical science will ultimately help me make the correct decision.

This can happen to anyone no matter your status in life. I had a marvelous career and both my children are Doctors. One might ask how did you end up in this mess? Ultimately there is one person to point the finger at and it is me. Oh how I wish I could turn the clock back 12 years and make different decisions relating to my health. My goal is to have another 20 years of quality life, pain free as possible and enjoy my wife and extended family.

One other thing I have not read much about on this thread. The dry mouth and opiates will ruin your gums and teeth. Keep a regular cleaning schedule and use the products to keep your mouth moist to prevent gum recession and decay. I do not want to see any of you have to spend thousands of dollars to repair your mouth when it could have been avoided. Tell your Dentist you are on opiates or opioids. When they use an inj. to freeze your mouth, tell them to use their strongest topical. You will need it.

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