How Long After You Stop Suboxone Do You Have Withdrawal Symptoms? (Page 51)

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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Mckr19,

Thanks for your honest post.Its so beneficial to have an open honest dialogue in a forum where shame and blame is absent.Unfortunately like in life some will always cast aspersions on those least equipped to deal with it.
I believe it incumbent on all in the recovery or chronic pain community to BAND TOGETHER and support eachother since most could never fathom the challenges we and our families endure on a daily basis.Disent by those seeking to hurt can never succeed if the majority of the good hold true to the strong values of inclusion rather then EXCLUSION. Thankyou all for the support so many share regularly.For those who take others inventory and from ignorance and indifference injure those need healing,YOU WILL NEVER WIN!!! GOOD TRIUMPS EVIL EVERDAY EVERY WAY.The goodness of humans shall prevail.

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That's what my husband did. Used it for pain for many years just to get by. Eventually, it will catch up to you. The long term effects caught up to my husband and threatened his health. He is now 30 days off of sub. It was horrible. Sub caused him extreme back pain and pain all over. Once he hit the 3 week mark the pain greatly subsided. He still has back pain but no where near what he had when he would not take sub. He's now realizing that 70% of the pain was caused from sub. He is in a 12 step recovery program and doing amazing. We have great hopes for our future. I wish you the best of luck.

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What happened how did it almost cost him his life? Only asking because you said your husband did the same thing. I know that when you do go on subutex or suboxon it's most likely because of an opiate addiction. Everyone responds to medication differently for me I'm only talking about myself no one else. I know it's helping me balance out my brain chemistry I'm not a scientist or doctor I can only tell you about what and how it's making me feel... also how it's keeping me level that's all. I believe that if anyone takes too much of anything it will cause them issues but everyone is different... thank you for your comment taking the time to say something too!!;).

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Bean, you said you have been on suboxone for 10 years....maybe it's not so much that you are addicted then you are dependent? I only say this because I have been on suboxone for over 6 years now and I definitely do not feel as though I am addicted to it, but certainly dependent. When I think of being 'addicted', I think of how I was with the full opiates I was taking for the 9 years before I started suboxone. I have days where I don't even remember to take suboxone at all, and that was sure as hell never the case with the percocet or oxycodone or vicodin, or whatever the flavor of the month was during my addiction days prior to 9/30/2010. It is a definite monkey on my back, just the same, but I know I echo others in my shoes when I say I still have a level of gratitude for suboxone, because for me, hands down, it is far and above the lesser of 2 evils, for me, in a multitude of ways. I wish I knew of what the best way for me to end my relationship with suboxone is. I read these posts closely & I know what is in store for me should I start the tapering process. I do not have it in me and have no problem saying so. I also know myself well enough to know that no matter how plugged into life I may be and how great things are going and how great I may be feeling on the inside as well as the out, I will ultimately feel that 'void' return and it will only be a matter of time before I have to find something to fill the 'void'. No way in hell do any antidepressants out there fill the bill, either. I have tried too many of them already, and quite honestly, suboxone has worked better for me as an antidepressant then any of the actual prescribed antidepressants I've taken over the last 16 years have worked, and I have tried more than one kind. Sometimes I worry that I just depleted too many receptors, or threw off my chemistry in such a way that I can't naturally manufacture my own 'real' happiness capability anymore? I wish I had the money to be able to afford going to one of Dr. Daniel G. Amen's clinics. He is cutting edge therapy for many of the things I suffer with, such as addiction, depression, anxiety & adult ADHD, very innovative stuff, not the archaic crap they try to pass off as Behavioral Health therapies in my state of Delaware. So frustrating to know there is sublime help out there, but only available if one has the means, ughhhh!!

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You won't feel the withdrawl symptoms the first week wait post acute withdrawl is on its way I am on day 45

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I could not have said it better I also have depression p.s.t a.d.h. along with a few others insomnia tec I have been on suboxon and the last one methadone if taking off or tampered down the right way there's not much suffering but I'm on methadone the dose is supposed to be 2 and a half MG a month the doctor is taking me off 10 MG a week I'm heading back to the old ways hopping I get into this new clinic some can do it some can't only been clean since 2006 but been on them since 2005

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You need to come off them...unless there is a medical problem.. My Dr. Kept me on it for 11/2 years
For no reason... I asked him why and he didn't have an answer.... Just liked my money!!

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What does PAWS stand for? I've been on subs for over 10yrs (here in uk they are scripted for free thru a key worker to fight addiction to illicit street opiates). I've attempted to get off them a few times on my own with no medical help. Longest I've lasted was 2 weeks but the zero energy and lack of decent sleep had me caving in!! I always find that the WDs don't really start until day 4. Day 3 I start sneezing and never stopped sneezing after that lol. Once you hit that 1st sneeze then you know the WDs are in the post on express delivery! My stomach is also completely messed up. I guess after years n years of opiates it's gonna take a long long time for it to 'right' itself! I know that was dumb going back after 2 weeks but I was gonna end up losing work as I was showing up like a zombie dying and I had to force a smile and deal with customers. I'Il be honest, I probably wouldn't mind if I had to take a small dose of sub er'day til I'm gone. If it keeps me off H then it's the much much lesser of two evils. You don't get a buzz off them when dosing every day, but you can function normally & no one would ever be wise to the fact you had took one! It's only when you don't have any for a few days do you realize how much you depend on them! And if you had caused such chaos with illegal drugs like me then 1 little 2mg a day keeping you straight is the better way to live all day long, no debate on that.

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I'm down to .25mg a day of suboxone for 5 weeks now.....after taking 40mg oxycodone 3x per day for 20 years. What am I to expect for withdrawal suffering? Months? Weeks? Days? How severe? I could use some suggestions. My biggest worry is losing my job. Does a person's weight determine how long the opiate stays in one's system? The first time I went cold turkey when I got to 10mg of oxy/day but didn't sleep for 4 days and got so depressed I thought to end it.

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I have been off of 8 years 24mg a day of Suboxone for close to two years now. I was really sick for about a year and a half. 6 months ago I discovered kratom. Many people are now using it to get off of Suboxone and other opiates. The DEA even tried to ban it a few months ago but it helps so many people that there was a public outcry and the ban didn't go through. I have since found out that the pharmaceutical companies are patenting it to use for addiction. That was what is behind the ban. Even after a year and a half of quitting Suboxone, I was still miserable. Since taking kratom, I can live life again. It doesn't make me high and it is cheap to buy. I would probably have gone back to Suboxone if I had to continue like I was going. All the years of addiction have messed our brains and bodies up and no one really knows how long it takes to heal. I hope everything works out for you all.

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Proves everyone's body chemistry is different. I took 8 mg for 3-4 weeks and stopped cold turkey with no withdrawals. I didn't believe you could have any from stopping so this may certainly have had some sort of mental placebo efect.

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Monmck,
I asked my doctor. It takes 5 days from your last dose to be COMPLETELY out of your system.

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My name fred 7 days clean little edge taking dlpa helping little anything else I should take

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I started Suboxone 9 months ago, the withdrawal was horrible and I ended up seeing my Doctor for anxiety medications, depression medications, and sleeping pills. I made it until February when I tried a heavier drug that I will never touch again. To come off I had to start all different medications which I HAD been taking faithfully. I started taking less than and up to an 1/8 of a Suboxone 2 weeks ago, afraid of the withdrawal I had before. Now I want to be DONE with subs and lead a clean lifestyle but I am afraid of the withdrawals and I am afraid of having to start all of my meds all over again. Nobody knows I have started this up again and I don't want to go crawling back to my dr with another excuse as to why the meds are not working. I have maybe a whole tablet left as I cut them all up as soon as I get them. Do I taper? Please help me.

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Hi, can you share with me the thesis? I'm on day 37 of Suboxone withdrawal, feeling like this is never going to end. I'm still going through horrible wds and quickly losing all hope. Will the withdrawals ever go away? I'm getting really nervous since I'm not feeling much progress. Any thoughts are greatly appreciated.

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A year.Trust me.It's the worst of all opiates.You won't even start going through wirdrawal for couple of days.Sorry.

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Keep on out it takes time you need yup realize that your breeding and body need to repair themselves naltrxone is what I'm going to recommend but what symptoms are you having and how long were you on it?

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I would at least get to 1mg a day before doing cold turkey and work with your family doctor anxiety will suck but it gets better. You have too be patient you have damaged your central nervous system and it will need repair. Suggesting naltrxone for a short period of time after you are totally off the subs n neurontin should period of time. Hydroxyzine 50 mg pills or anxiety meds for sleep like valium or Xanax for SHORT SPORADIC PERIODS OF PANIC AND ANXIETY BUT DO NOT TAKING REGULARLY OR YOU WILL JUST BE STARTING SOMETHING NEW AND SUBSTITUTING.

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I just want to put this out there for anyone listening that no sub withdrawal isn't easy but it does get better. You need to take it one day at a time. My short term memory was really bad when i got off and my anxiety. Time people, patience, this is the only way to get thru it. Find someone who has been thru it they can give suggestions or ideas. This forum is a great resource and also working with someone from Na and your doc, be honest about what you are going thru. I thought for a few months I would never see the light at the end of the tunnel but I'm getting there and it's coming and it's been since January 17th of last year I've been off subs. If you want it you can do it, do you want to be a slave to it forever or freedom. Not saying you're going to wake up jumping for joy everyday but you will be okay someday. Longer you're on it harder it'll be and more damage when you get off it.

Tommy C, do you experience any kind of paranoia or have you my stop date was 1-17-16 and sometimes when I over hear people talking and I leave the room I feel like people are talking about me. I'm not sure what to make of it but I'm also weaning off my anxiety meds now so after that I'll be on nothing. But the paranoia stuff was even before the getting off anxiety meds thing. Any thoughts? I asked to see a neurologist and my psychiatrist thinks I have natural anxiety but I never felt like i do now before the subs. He won't refer me. I'm getting off the anxiety meds though and then I think more time and it'll stop hopefully. This is a terrible drug. To think someone suggested this. And it was worse then the pain meds were. Would have been easier to get off of then subs..... And the doctor prescribed me 12mgs a day when first on it which was way too much, so sick I went from a size 9 to a size 1 in a couple months. Let me know about the paranoia anyone please. Thanks, love to you all, love yourselves, pray, and let time pass. Also suggesting you have a lot of support planning. You will need family or friends to support you on this withdrawal. Also you may have to work part time for awhile after getting thru the worst part of the initial withdrawal.

1) Meet with your family doctor and tell them what you are planning and that you will need something for anxiety.

2) Start Naltrexone 15 days after beg withdrawal take only until the buzzing stops or a couple months.

3) Neurontin only if you still have bad anxiety after the first month and take it short term.

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Lisa,

I'm sure he didn't get it prescribed as his first medication for his pain. If he was, he is telling you lies.

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