How Long After You Stop Suboxone Do You Have Withdrawal Symptoms? (Page 4)

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 found to avoid sub withdrawals just to take them at the height of ur opiate withdrawal...maybe 3 max of the subs over a period of 5 days and ur cured of both...u mite get lingering effect if u r a long time addict but the worst of it will be over

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Hey Seaniebouy, It,s day 7 for me sub free today. I started at 12mg myself around 3months ago.
I tapered dose down to roughly .5mg before I jumped last monday.
Good lord, 12mg is a very high level to jump off at.
Hows sleeping going for you?
Best of luck to both of us!

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again, its not the dosage of suboxone you are on. its the length of time that is the killer. yea, that person will still have withdraw's but I doubt they will suffer the wraith of PAWS... still, being on opiates for several years, and suboxone for a week.. thats a tough one to call. I still think the way to go is tryptophan, and valerian root for the depression and anxiety. As for sleep issues, that was the worst for me. 36 days or so with no solid sleep...your brain quits making seratonin, because of the suppression of neurotransmitters in your brain. but again, you have only been on subs for a week, so I do not really think I have all the answers for you. I do know that several hot showers a day do wonders during withdraws. and exercise and tryptophan ease the depression, while valerian root helps with anxiety.

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Today is day 18 for me and things are starting to get a little better. Still have some anxiety and restlessness at night but it's getting better. I think the magic number will be day 21. At least that's what my doctor says. It is tough but well worth it. If you are coming off suboxone still go to counseling. It helps a lot to talk to a professional and it will help with your sobriety. I will continue to update as I go through this journey. God bless all of you.

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Ya, I can vouch for the hot showers/bath and the excercise in my opinion is crucial.
It,s sunday and a work day for me. Little to no sleep last night,felt like crap this morning.
Actually felt better at work just moving around.
Starting to feel like crap again after sitting around house since I got home.
Gonna walk around block then take hot shower before going to bed.

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Thank u for ur post. It makes me feel better knowing someone else is doing the same. I quit cold turkey I was once a RN and can vouch personally having done this before with IV'able opioids its as good as any I've done it all. My sincerest best luck to u. I sleep fine but I have good medicine. Hang in there. A better life awaits.

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Ill be approaching 90days clean this Saturday. Hard to believe actually. Never went to counseling except during my 4 day stay in hospital. Its just I felt too horrible to even leave the house for those first 35-40 days, otherwise I would have went. But I made it, and what I find hard to believe, is that the PAWS are completely gone, this quickly. Ive heard that they can last up to a year or longer in some long term users cases. And being on suboxone for 8 years, I thought I would be doomed with PAWS for at least a year. Im guessing, and its only a guess, but the amino's and herbs I took from day 1 of quitting suboxone, has helped rid me of the PAWS.. other than that, I do not know why they did not last longer. I always heard you could have good weeks, then they come back.. but they have not come back yet.. maybe they will one day...I hope not. I feel better than I ever have in the last 8 years. And hoping you all can have this same feeling very soon.

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Jolter:
Do you think I will go through any withdraw if I've only used 3 pills in the last 4 days?

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What size tablets? 2mg or the 8mg? and 3 of them in 4 days, you might feel a little uneasy for a couple of days, if you put the 8mg tablet under your tongue.. but if you were taking the 2mg tablets for 3 days.. you should have next to nothing in the withdraw area.. and certainly no PAWS. Everybody is different, but 4 days is nothing honestly. Certainly quitting suboxone after only 4 days, is 100x better than quitting after 4 days of percocete usage. But its the other way around, if you are a long term user of suboxone. Trust me you dont want to go thru it.

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I see this is an older post, but I was also on Suboxone for over 7 years. Some of these "Doctors" (Dr. Duane King - Birmingham AL) are nothing more than dope pushers. They charge more than any other doctors, then when I was ready to try and quit, my doctor wouldn't tell me the best way to ween off. I tried quitting several times during those 7 years, and finally I just went from 8mg 3x a day to zero cold turkey. It was hell for the first few weeks, but be positive and keep your eyes on the prize. You will make it though to the other side.

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Blue, You should be fine, maybe hard time falling asleep for a couple days or something like that. Sooner you stop taking them the easier it's gonna be. Just taking them for several days like you been doing should be a walk in the park stopping them. This is day 9 sub free for me!!!

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I was on Oxy 5 four times a day for 6 years then Wanted treatment and found subox, looking back I did the right thing Wanting to get off just had no idea I was train one addiction for a far way worse one , I've tried to quit a fee times cold turkey was insane good luck making it to day 5 , I did once and thought I was better ? Nope the half life really kicks in and makes u want to drink do drugs anything to make u feel I better , I went crazy for a summer and now we are in 2014 most of the depression is gone and it was bad sneezing , restless leg is the worse with insomnia it will rattle u to the core of your soul , I finally after all the months of drinking and drug use trying to kick subs realized it would of been WAY EASIER just stoping the original problem,, I've kicked many habits crack coke drinking however subs are made by satan himself the worst possible drug there is If u have a good doc that cares about u they will do it right constantly reducing your amount but mine wante me on it for life and I had to run away lost my job didn't care life spiraled but now almost 7 months into it I'm feeling better just the last two days I could sleep right Music is back , world is color , life is coming back I would NEVER EVER tell anyone to use it Way easier to stop the original addiction they each are painful and no fun but sub is way worse way way way worse and you will have a harder time stoping it than anything In the end I would take a razor to a film and slice a 1/16 inch that would last two to three days of just keeping me in the stoping game still is hard even now You have the s***s for months. I feel sorry for someone in a hospital bed make sure u don't cut her off all the way listen to her When i did. My four day original hell I had got arrested , they locked me in a cell for four days and by day two and three my heart went crazy and the cos didn't care finally the nurse told the guards if u don't let him out to walk he can have a heart attack as painful as it was I am happy that happened it took my dose down to a fraction to feel ok
I think it helps one that super bad on opiates but just realize do not stay on them use it to just feel kinda bad until u taper if u keep taking them u will find out first hand what a horrible horrible thing they are to kick

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I was on suboxen for 2 years and quit for 8 months and then started using again for about 2 months. Are my withdrawals going to last as long as they did the first time even though I wasn't on it as long this time? And does injecting sub make the withdrawals last longer? I'm goin on 24 hrs and it's getting pretty rough for me

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I agree with you. Withdraw's, along with PAWS, are way worse on subs, than the original addiction such as Oxy, and Percocet. I cannot speak for H because Ive never done it. But before I was on suboxone, I was on methadone. That stuff was nasty, and it make me lose a ton of weight.. so after 2 weeks on that crap, thats when they put me on suboxone, and thats all she wrote.. 8 years later, Im clean as a whip, and Saturday will be my 90th day clean. I take nothing now but high quality multi vitamins, and I feel better than I ever have. Took a long time to feel 100% normal again, but its worth it so much.. just feels good.

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IV'ing suboxone can kill you.. and it most likely will make the withdraw's alot worse.. but everybody's body is different. I cannot speak from experience with regards to abusing subs, since I never have. But since you relapsed, and went back on, for what, 2 months now... I just do not know how bad its going to get for you, since you were IV'ing, instead of under tongue. You really need to get some counseling or go to one of the 12 step meetings. At least see a doctor and get some clonadine to help with your anxiety. I just fear because you were IV'ing, its going to be much worse for you...I would get ahead of this now, before it gets too bad.

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Well everyone, today is day 21 off Suboxone and I still don't feel good. I was on Suboxone for about 7 months 8 mg and jumped off cold turkey. I hate this drug! The worst for me is still anxiety, can't sleep well, overwhelming depression, and upset stomach still. I feel a tiny bit better today compared to yesterday. I have to agree with Mike and say don't go on sub's if you absolutely don't have too. It is pure hell. Worst feeling imaginable! If you are coming off make sure you taper off. Don't quit cold turkey if you can help it. Wish you all the best of luck. Just remember your not alone in this battle.

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You were on suboxone for 7 months, and now clean for 21 days and are still feeling awful? I was on for 8 years, took me about 36 days, give or take a few days, to feel 100% normal again. Thats the tricky thing with suboxone, everybody's body reacts differently. I only hope you have read thru this entire thread, as alot of people have given some great imput to help out. Whatever you do though, do not relapse. You have made it this far, keep going, as there is indeed light at the end of the tunnel. I too jumped cold turkey, and I feel your pain.... Hopefully you read about the herbs and amino acids you need to take during your withdraw. Also, force yourself to exercise, and take several hot showers a day.. this will greatly help too

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Thanks azumpire! Yeah, I have read every post. I am taking a multi vitamin and vitamin d supplement. I also take valerian root at night. I really need to exercise. I am sure that will help a lot. I have a YMCA membership so I have no excuse. Just have not felt good so I keep putting it off. I can't imagine coming off cold turkey after 8 years. That had to be hell. I do take several showers a day but it has not seemed to help. Sometimes, I feel I did permanent damage from all the pills I have taken the past 10 years. I am hanging in there though. My doctor said it will probably take 30 days to really feel somewhat normal again. I need to get the amino acids and see if that helps some.

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Thanks so much! I've been off two days and no withdraws so far. Just tired :)

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14 days is just in the middle of the withdrawal. It takes a good 4 weeks to be able to even feel somewhat normal, but it takes a person at least 5-6 weeks before they are able to eat, sleep, and feel OK

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