suboxone

[jen456]

ok, if anyone could give me any answers or advice i would really appreciate it. one of my family members recently started taking suboxones last thursday, a week from today. the last time they did a drug (which i'm pretty sure was an oxy) was last tuesday. how long does it usually take before the person should be looking normal after taking the suboxone? because it has now been a week and i'm trying really hard to give the medicine time.... but so far i think the person still looks how they did on drugs- eyes and voice are funny and still skinny. i'm trying not to be super paranoid and i don't want to discourage this person because i really want them to do good, but i can't understand why he still looks funny. i have also been monitoring his prescription and it looks like he takes it how he's supposed to. i'm really having a tough time here so if anyone could let me know if this is normal and he'll look completely normal soon that would be great!! also, if i was to give a drug test, would suboxone come up in the opiate part? because i was reading that it is considered a partial opiate so i'm wondering if a drug test would almost be a waste... thank you for taking the time to read this! please give me some advice! thanks so much

[Mamaerinr]

Sometimes you refer to “he” and sometimes you say “I”.....are younaskingbgorvyiurselfbir someone else?!

[Mamaerinr]

*are you asking for yourself or someone else

[lm03]

My husband has been on subutex for almost a year.  During the first two months of treatment after he took his medication in the morning he always looked as if he were using and the little specific things my husband liked to do while he was high (ex: smoke, talk alot, work out) he also did in excess his first two months on subutex.  Now that his does has been lowered slightly and he is on what is considered his maintence does for a few months he looks completely normal and acts completely normal. (ex. pupils do not constrict, is not overly energized and has almost quite smoking completely)  If I wasn't monitoring his medication I would not even know he was on medication.  From what I understand it is a long process and it takes lots of understanding.  My husband was an opiate addict for about 5 years. (40 perc 10's per day and what ever else he could find)  I am now seeing things in my husband that I haven't seen in eight years. Example:  Emotions - he gets excited over hearing a song he likes on the radio or watching his kids play football.  He will get sad when he watches a sad movie.  Throughout the years he was using emotions were very rare.  It was always either high speed or dope sick.    He is excited about lowering his dose and hopefully coming completely off within the next year or so.  I have posted questions about the detox of subutex because we have been reading that it is very difficult.  If you have any info it would be appreciated.

[FLaddict]

I have read that most people who switch to taking it once a day take it around lunch time that way it does not affect their sleep by taking it too close to bed time..When I was on it I found it affected the quality of sleep I was getting... I wasn't getting into that "deep" sleep they say you need.. my thoughts always felt somewhat racey and made for strange dreams.. when i got to taking it once a day I felt better..
My suggestion just from what I have read and experienced is to try to get him to 1 in the morning and a half later in the day.. then just to the one in the middle of the day.. then taper that down to 2-4mgs over a two week period or so.. Like I said b4 most people say they felt better and more "normal" on lower doses..so hopefully this will help..

[FLaddict]

I suggest getting him down to less than 8mgs for the day if he is planning on maintence.. It is fairly easy to taper this stuff if you don't wait too long.. Tapering after he has been on it for a while will be harder.. Once daily dosing is kinda the norm from what I have read in my research.. So that would be a good goal to reach for him.. It is very long lasting half life is 36-37hours depending on who you are talking to.. That means that at 36-37 hours half of his last dose is still in his body and working.. so this stuff builds up in the system.. start tapering him down.. despite what the doc thinks.. My doc thought I should take 12-16mgs the first day.. I was fine on only 6mgs... So they don't know everything..

[jen456]

Thank you SO much! i agree and i think a lower dose makes all the sense in the world... right now hes taking 2 1/2 8 mgs a day. the doctor said to take 1 1/2 in the morning and then another 1 later in the day. before the doctor said that he was taking the Sub by halfs throughout the day whenever he started to feel bad. so he is still trying to figure out the best way to take the Sub because the drug is still new to him too. i do think that the amount is a lot because he defiantly is showing plently of side effects. I've been on the website suboxone.com as well as many others. i get online just about everyday and research suboxones and read these forums. i have to say that reading everyone's stories helps a lot. i love reading the ones with positive outcomes. addiction is such a hard thing, i give so much credit to anyone who is strong enough to overcome it!

[jen456]

Thanks for writing back... well I was just concerned about if he is going to continue to look like he's on drugs even though he's taking the suboxone. i know everyone looks different when they are on drugs, but in his case his eyes get really big and pupils tiny and his voice is completely different along with his personality. its really hard to feel like the suboxone is working when he still looks how he did on drugs. i wanted to write this blog because i wanted to make sure that still looking a little funny even though he's taking the suboxone is normal. our family is just worried and we're hoping that the suboxones can help him because he tries so hard and really doesn't want that life. right now i think he'll be on the suboxone more for maintance rather than detox, so i wanted to know if he will always look how he did on drugs while on suboxones because it's so hard seeing him that way. we're hoping that after his body gets used to the suboxones he'll gradually look better and become his old self. thanks for taking the time to read this!

[FLaddict]

I would suggest getting his dose lower... most people "feel better" on less than they do more... Higher doses produces alot more side effects.. He could do maintence at a lower dose and it will make it alot easier to come off of when he does.. Longer use of Sub can still produce wicked withdrawls and they last alot longer than withdrawl from vicodin... sometimes weeks.. So I suggest if he is going to 'maintain or "replace" with the Suboxone that he does so on the lowest dose possible.. Docs are still figuring this drug out.. They are only required to do a 8 hour training in order to prescribe it.. and its only been used since 2003.. we addicts are guinea pigs...While taking Sub it is normal to have small pupils and drowsiness.. he is still taking a opiate.. I think at a lower dose some of this should get better..

[FLaddict]

And your other question.. the suboxone site says that it does not come up on a drug test unless they are doing a specific blood test for it.

I am having a hard time figuring out your question and I am assuming others do to since there haven't been many responses... When I took Sub I looked the same way I did taking pills.. It depressed my appetite so I didn't eat all that much.. so as far as being skinny I doubt he was gonna gain weight in 7 days..
I guess I am not understanding why how he looks is the main concern.. If you elaborate more maybe we can help..

[Bamame]

Hi.
If the doctor is testing for a drug in Suboxone it surely will show up on a drug test. Especially if they send it to a lab.

[FLaddict]

Suboxone is still an opiate so many of the side effects still apply to it as other pain meds.. pin point pupils drowsiness ect..
How is he "looking" that you dont' feel is normal maybe that can help us answer your question.

Suboxone is an actual opiate.. it is a partial anogist not a full one like vicodin or others..

You can also find answers at the site   suboxone.xom