How To Get Off Suboxone (Page 6)
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Im Marina Im 24 years old and a mother of 2 beautiul little boys. From the years 2006-2007 i was heavily addicted to Oxy 80 and eventually started doing herion. I got help in sep.2007 at a methadone clinic, it worked for as long as i was on the methadone i had NO relapse's. In June 2009 i was completly off of the methadone that first day that i was on 0Mgs I went through extreme withdrawls i went through things that i would never wish upon my worst enemy! i stayed that way for a day and a half and decided to go to a suboxone doctor. He put me on 32 mgs a day which i thought was pretty high of a dose but he explained to me that methadone withdrawls was worst then any other withdrawls. so i trusted him. Now when i go to see him every month i pretty much beg for him to start the weining process and start lowering me and he pretty much refuses. After months of being on 32mgs a day he finally started tapering me down slowly, i never really thought any thing of it till now but i realized he's keeping me on the suboxne for as long as posible so that he can get my $200.00 a month. all he is, is a legal drug dealer bc now im highly addicted to the suboxone. I recently had to go a few days with out my suboxone bc i didnt have the money to see him and i went through hell. i thought methadone withdrawl was bad OMG there is no comparison. i wanted to either use which i havent done in years or rip my face off lol its funny now but it definatley wasnt funny a few days ago while i was feeling that way! So i spoke to a good friend whos going through the same thing and he told me that they just came out with a new pill to get you off suboxone. I just want to know if that's true. I tryed googleing it but i cant find any thing. If you have heard of this new pill please respond or if you even have a good way to get off soboxone as painless and posible... thanx

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Tina I'm in Southern Ca., I'm a therapist, an addiction specialist and I may be able to give you a referral to a good doc who is licensed to prescribe suboxone and will pay close attention and help you get off of it. What city are you in?

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Yes I agree, I have not found a doctor as of yet to help me. I'm seeing another doctor this week. I've gone to 6 so far and two were 1 hour to 2 hour drive away. My faith in these legal drug pushers are certainly at a low. I feel fine if I take the small daily dose age I'm on, but what is concerning to me , is any long term affects and of course the money of which is not in my small budget of course. Also what my health will become as I try to get off this. The stress on my lungs and heart scare me. Not one doctor has taken this seriously because they do not want me to come off. Maybe it scares them too and know if they don't participate in getting me off I will leave them and go to someone else and there off the hook then. No responsibility if sonething happens to me while I'm in their care. So far when the don't try to help me to get off I have changed doctors. Medical will not cover this because California does only recognize this drug for addiction and I'm down on my charts as use for depression so insurance companies will not cover any part. I'm stuck in this loop round and round I go. 12 years later oh my goodness . I still work and have to since my husband died and cannot afford to stop be sick take days off , I am alone and must pay my bills , I don't have family anymore so this has become a topic of overwhelming proportions ! Thank you ALL for listening and your wonderful feedback! I think I'm going to try one thing that a viewer wrote down and see what happens. I do also hope that people have heard my story and don't use this drug for many months only for a short while and just for withdrawals fore it will just become thier next cruch and a duzzie one at that. I wished I had had the info I do now back 12 years ago! Thank you ALL!!

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Tina, what happened to you was horrible and sounds like malpractice. You are a senior citizen who may not know how to be proactive with doctors. Afterall, in your time they were "Gods". Go get the help you need from someone you trust. Ask questions, get answers. If something doesn't feel right, find a different doc. Let a good doctor help you get off the suboxone, then when you have accomplished this, then you can deal with those docs however you feel you need to. But for now, focus on getting off the drug with the help of a real doctor, who cares about you. Get your health back, THEN deal with the crappy docs who put you on this drug.

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I have been to 6 doctors here since I moved and they are all aware of this drug being given for depression, but I'm always the only one on it that they have for this purpose. Not one doctor that has prescribed it to me has ever asked "how do u feel are you depressed or happy or anything" not one of them. Every doctor I've seen has told me to stay on it and pay the fee and see me next month. I have told all of them I want off. They all say "well ill cut the prescription in half and u taper down and the next month jump off" what a joke. , I did just that the first doctor that told me to do it because I just didn't know any better. Never went off it. Well three months I went cold turkey! I'm tuff and stubborn and never have drank or done drugs so don't have a personal clue of what it's like to be addicted to anything. Well I do now! For the three months I was sick went to the hospital 2x 's thinking it was a heart attack, so did the paramedics and the ER doctors. It was withdrawals but since I'm a Seinor with no drug past what are they going to think? After the second ER visit it scared me so much that I have not tried to go off , but have asked two doctors which both have been unhelpful. Told me it's not additictive and just taper off I don't know what I'm talking about! I asked them have u ever taken the drug? Then how the hell do you understand what it's like and how can u continue to prescribe this drug without a way of getting the patients off of it. ???? "Legal drug pushers " comes to mind! There are two hospital programs set up just for Suboxone withdrawl . One in Minn.and Florida. They are both expensive and my medical does not cover them also they told me they would put me under for the emedite withdrawals but that they would not touch me because of my age and because I have COPD this drug affects your chest when you first stop. This costs $5 to $6 thousand just for the first procedure and then the rest I'm not sure but they treat u in and put of house for 1solid year. 3 months of physical and the rest mental addiction. If your used to feeling a certain way for 12 years I suspect I would want to feel that way all the time just out of feeling different. Nobody likes change. In any case I cannot afford this $ wise or health wise but some people out there this is a way off and out ! Use them go for it if you can , I wish I could !!!!

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jntxs, Lala08, Tina, and others... Instead of complaining about how we've been hard done by and talking about ridiculous pipe dreams of suing suboxone/doctor lets grab ourselves by the balls and do something about it. The world owes us nothing. We got ourselves into this problem. It's easy to blame others for our situation because facing reality is hard. There are so many people on here reading our posts with frustration. The answer is right in front of our eyes. There are people that have done it. We can do it too. Lets do it together. Keep each other honest. Share our UA's so we can weed out the gunners from the doers. I've been off it twice but have let excuses, poor judgement and a lack of heart lead me back on it after using again. We all have our reason for using, depression, addiction, the doctor made me etc but if your fair dink lets do it.

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Doctors in the USA also have to have special training and a certificate allowing them to prescribe Suboxone. When it first came out as treatment for addiction, and I believe it's still the case, they have a limited amount of patients they can give it to at any given time. These doctors are supposed to be addiction specialists. I have never heard of a doc giving this for depression! That pisses me off, and I do believe you would have a case against the doctor, not the drug company! I don't believe it has been cleared by the FDA for the treatment of depression. There are so many safe, non-addictive options for depression, it's irresponsible to give something this addictive when there are non-addictive options! That doctor should be reported at the very least. Many years ago, before we had antidepressants, they did give opiates for depression. But those days are long gone.

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They do this all the time now. Psychologist prescribe Suboxone for depression, this is common place now. When I started I was a Ginny pig and they experimented on me and I signed paperwork for them to do so. I got very ill the first couple of times so they brought me into the office for an hour each morning and watched me. I had a bad reaction to it. It made my ankles, feet, and tongue swell. I also felt really sick. They watched me for a month, after that I was not having any reaction except every now and then my ankles. The great part was , I was no longer depressed and I did not want to die. I was able to sleep and eat and hold food. I got use of my colon. Ack as well which I had lost and dropped to 89 pounds. Life was getting back to normal . Well it will never be normal without my son.!! Now for 3 years I want OFF and cannot. I'm in search of a doctor to help but I've been on the for 12 years . I do hope I can do this with a doctor that understands the drug.

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Is it better to just try and taper off pills then go to the clinic for subs or methadone? I can barely make it 8 hours (or something around that) before I start going into hardcore withdrawal. I've thought about going to a therapist. I started using the pills when I broke up with my daughter's mom. I guess I thought it would help get over that. Now I just kind of masked it for long enough to get dependent on the pills. I just put myself in a position to have two problems. I don't know which one to handle first, and dealing with both kind of scares me. I've tried to just taper off and stop. In the past three years, the most I've been able to make it is three days. Honestly sometimes the withdrawal just scares me so much I feel like giving up. I guess really I just want to know if I should stay clear of both, and try to just stop using the pills. The half life is less on pills, so the withdrawal should be as well? It just seems like the subs and methadone treatment is getting on something harder to stop then what I am dealing with now. Also, I'm not trying to be rude at all, but I feel many used this for support and knowledge. I don't really think all the rallying for a group litigation is helpful for the ones looking to gain knowledge and support to get through an extremely difficult time. I thank everyone willing to share their experiences. It gives me hope that one day I'll be able to overcome as well.

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Geez DGR, of course I know I would never win if I tried to sue the suboxone company!! Suboxone was just the next drug to help get off opiates if you didn't want to take methadone. And, suboxone was initially (research shows) used for alcohol withdrawals. I'm pretty sure there will be another drug. But, just like Tina said there's not enough research on suboxone to show just how much it affects you and your life. My doctor told me I need to stay on suboxone for life. At the time, I thought it true until I started feeling like sh**! I told him, but he kept on pushing it just like the suboxone company pushes it on the doctors. The doctors only go through a two week course just to prescribe this crap! Suboxone should only be used to help get thru withdrawals and not ANY longer. Unfortunately, I didn't discover this soon enough. So, yes! I would love to sue the suboxone company cuz I'm paying for their damn profit!!! I'm sure it won't happen, but if I hear of a group that is trying to sue them, I would jump on cuz I'm only one out of hundreds whose life has been turned upside down because of the negative long-term use effects. I do know it is my fault too. I'm not saying it's not. I should have found a different doctor. Now, I have and he's trying to wean me off. I pray for all of you to listen to your gut. If something you're doctor says doesn't feel right, then do some research or find a different doctor. Please, do not take it any longer then you should!!

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I don't understand. A doctor prescribing a strong partial opioid agonist such as Buprenorphine for depression? that's crazy and I'm not sure if it would be FDA approved to be administered for anything else other than opioid dependence. So you have never used drugs, you were depressed and your doctor put you on Suboxone? No that's not right. Any opioid will appear to cure depression because opiates make you feel 'good' but is very dangerous for use for someone with depression as it will inevitably lead to dependence because no one wants to be depressed. Surely if you did the research you would've seen its used for withdrawals from dependence. If your spending as much as you say you have to talk to your doctor. I can understand someone being prescribed suboxone if they have depression as a result of using and may be at risk of relapse because it blocks opiate receptors maybe but being prescribed it for depression seems unbelievable!!!!

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This is not true . I have never been a user of drugs. I was given Suboxone for depression when my family died suddenly on 9/11. They use this drug a lot for depression in New York. I did as much homework as was available at the time in 2002 and with much thought decided to take a chance. This was one of the worst decisions I have ever made. One I would take back and change in a New York minute as they say. I would never sue the company and never expressed that in any of my thoughts. I do think the drug can be used for some good. Unfortunately it not being used much of the time correctly and is getting people in for something they don't know from and don't know how to get out of. This drug was covered when I first went on it for a few years but for the last 5 I've paid $450 to $500 a month. This is rediculas for me to pay this every month. I am much better, miss my children and husband more than u can imagine but have started a new life and am doing well. I moved on so to speak, I will never never stop loving or forget them may the rest in peace. The key to this drug is education and the proper use and the amount of time not to cause addiction. Do not stay on this drug any longer than u have to please. I've been on this drug longer than anyone I know and hate it .

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That's awesome. I'm stoked for you. I bet you feel great not being weighed down and constantly having to take it to feel 'normal' I don't know if it's possible but I'd like to know more about how you did it and how you're going ATM. More than half my clients are struggling with opioid (mainly methodone from H, oxycontin) addiction/withdrawal. The rest are ICE and a few alcohol. I don't give medical advice but recommend was to stay strong and divert or redirect their way of thinking or the cognitive process in which may have lead them to use in the past. You're 100% with the mental aspect. I would love to know more and maybe use you as an example if we can get in contact some how?

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I agree with you 100%. I don't know if I would have been so disrespectful but, some people need to hear it that way. If your gonna sue suboxone then ya might as well sue Percocet, Vicodin, etc...... It's our responsibility to research what were putting into our body. Doctors aren't Gods. Most of them just want their paycheck and once suboxone came out, these a**holes went nuts writing scripts like its no ones Buiness. It's either continue using all the other drugs or let the suboxone take over your body???? If you want to quit, then do it. Yes it's gonna be the hardest thing you'll probably ever do in your life but, if you choose life then do just that. Today is day 115 for me and it was not easy. I went thru hell. Physically, I'm still not 100%. But mentally I am. I know that I had gotten to a point where I abuse the suboxone and that made it harder to quit. I did it cold turkey. I just jumped. Some say that was crazy but, I had to. After being clean about 2 weeks, I went thru withdrawl all over again because it its half life. Up to being clean about 75 days, I would still get chills, feeling the need to stretch, still not sleeping, sneezing and going to the bathroom ( I thought would never be normal again). But now, I sleep too much, no sneezing or any of the other symptoms. Oh and depression. I cried about everything that was wrong in my life. I felt hopeless and I didn't have any motivation. I needed to go thru that for personal reasons. If I hadn't suffered coming off suboxone, I probably would have went back on them. Now, I don't think about them or the pills. I do get aches in my back but, I'd rather go get a massage or just lay down. I'm afraid to even take a Tylenol. Look, long story short, if you want off, then get off. You don't have to do it the way I did. Do what makes you comfortable. You appreciate life once you do it. And you will get thru it.

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I have 0 idea? thats funny. I'm a drug and alcohol counsellor who has used pretty much every drug there is, a poly drug user for those playing at home. My main problem was opiates. I have seen people destroyed by drugs and a massive problem here in Australia ATM is ICE, meth, crystal. They have nothing to help them withdraw. I have done extensive research into not only buprenorphine but all illicit addictive drugs. Methadone is the worst IMO but any drug you take has an effect on the body. My point, why is Bupe the problem? When someone is going through W/D's/Hell, the doctor will say "there is something you can take to make you feel ok" you would say ''No, its ok, I heard it was addictive and damages your body and it's hard to get off'' (but heroin/oxy is ok?) Most doctors would be stoked for you to do it on your own but we're addicts, we're not strong enough to say no and we need instant gratification. If we left feeling like s*** what would YOU do? just go through it? or use again? which is when most users OD. I admit I wish I never used bupe for W/D but we all have perfect 20/20 vision in hindsight don't we? Bupe is hard to get off because of its prolonged half life, heroin leaves your body a lot quicker but the withdrawals are very acute, the worst for acute W/D's are Benzo's but within a week most tend to feel OK. There is a medical term that escapes me but it is in regards to the withdrawal you are going through now is always worse than before, If bupe is what you're coming off it's always going to be worse than coming off heroin but it's not the case. You lose memory of what its like before, when you're in the grip of withdrawal now. I'm not having a go at anyone, I think it's ridiculous and pointless to try and sue bupe. Can we have a debate without you getting nasty please

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Hi I live in Australia and its a VERY different system here!. Regular GP's are not allowed to prescribed Suboxone, you have to go into withdrawals from what you are addicted to (in my case I was taking the highest does of Oxy recorded in my state without dying-15 x 80mg tabs a day- I was a bigger girl so my body coped with it) for 24-36 hr's min then enter into a drug rehab program. I was put on 32mgs sub the first day , you have to go to the clinic every single day to be dosed. We by law are not even allowed to see our prescription for the drug.You have to earn the right to have a take at home dose.And you Must see your case manager once a week. It is so highly monitored,It has to be taken in front of a nurse or pharmacist.And we don't actually pay for the drug just a dispensing fee, I earnt 6 days take away doses so it cost me $15 per week. I have jumped off at 2mgs 2 days ago and feel great. I think a lot of my issue was that it was like a security blanket and I was scared to give it up,but Saturday night I got disgusted with it and just up and decided enough was enough. I had been given permission to jump any day now I just had to mentally be ready.I guess we are lucky over here, It costs nothing to see a doctor, to be treated in a hospital or have an operation the govt pays for it all. Until reading this I didn't realize how much ppl pay / suffer to get this drug and stay on it. Goodluck to all who are trying to get off it!!

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Ovsiously you have 0 idea of what your talking about. This girl made some bad decisions yes, but she went to a doctor for HELP the operative word ! She wants to get off everything and go back to being normal and being productive. She is young and has an addiction. Look up that word so u have a better understanding of what it means. I don't have much tolerance at my age for people that speak before they understand. Please do your research before you speak. Words are harmful. Doctors should stop prescribing this before they understand this drug fully. This is a Hugh money maker for the pharmaceutical company and the doctors. This must stop and the people must become award of the dangers of this drug. It is worse than herion methadone and all the rest put together. And it's disguised as a help drug, a gateway to get off drugs ! It is NOT!!!!! It takes a full year to get off this drug and there are only two clinics set up to do this. This is one of the biggest crimes I see in the 2000's right now!!!! Doctors are a big problem in this !!! The little 45 min. Coffee class to get your suboxone license is a joke and they need much more education in this drug and stop all before one more is written !! Period ,,,! STOP nobody should take more than a few of these strips under careful watch during withdrawal and that's it. That's its only good use to this horrific drug !!! Spread the news so nobody has to go through this please !

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You're not serious are you? why would you sue suboxone? We got ourselves in this situation. If we never used we would never of heard of bupe. Thats the stupidest comment I've ever seen. It is a s*** drug but what would we do without it? Still using hammer, oxy, benzo etc? Your willing to try and sue for financial gain because of the mistakes YOU made? think of what your lawyer would say. You wouldn't find anyone to take it on but if you did you would be eaten alive. You'd be better off to sue the doctor who prescribed it

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Robyn Q-- I am totally down for taking legal action against the suboxone company!!! My fiancé and I have talk about this multiply times, but don't know how and if it could be done. Even if it could, why hasn't people tried to sue Methadone companies?? Suboxone has affected every area in my life and my body. I want to get off this drug. But I'm scared. I live in Wisconsin (Milwaukee) so if anybody else is serious about this, lets get together.
Crystal

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Hey Everyone. Im sorry it has taken me so long to respond to the post I've gotten. Guess what?? I am 114 Suboxone clean and my God, it is the best feeling in the world. The only thing im taking now is a multivitamin made by Spring Valley. I will tell you guys that it has not been easy physically. Mentally im good. You gotta workout, eat right (even though you may not have an appetite). Dont put yourself in the company of those that use any type of narcotic. Just know that staying clean and feeling normal is the best feeling you'll ever have. Keeping faith in God has made things in my life look different. If anyone has any questions for me, just ask.

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It takes 2 years for your brain to heal. Must take supplements...l tyrosine and Sam E vitamins minerals etc....find an adrenal supplement. Spend the money for 2 years worth of supplements it's the only way...if you can take subs like I have for 8 years then you can do 2 years of healing your brain from this stuff! I'm doing it....if anyone wants to just get together and take legal action because it's obvious no one can get off this stuff...it has destroyed our brains and bodies...let's do it ok....I've had enough

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