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8th day on suboxone and feel great?..I think?

I finally decided to go sign up at the sub clinic last fri. As far as dosage I don't think my addiction was that big comparatively speaking. It's the length of time I was on them that was outta hand..I've been experimenting with drugs since I was 15 or so and liked pretty much all of them.i always had somewhat of an addictive personality tho..just a little too much was just enough..never considered it out of control though until about 12 yrs ago when I inured my back. Long story short(kinda) went to pain doc and was prescribed hydros..of course I loved them.never took them as prescribed. Always shared them with buddies and just partied and had a good time with them. When I'd run out I'd just go see the doc and get more(my back was killing me after all). Fast forward to present; this story may have something in common with other posters here lol..run out of meds within a couple wks(120 hydro 10s) and hit he streets and find anything, mostly percs or hydros, but pretty much anything that would keep me from getting sick. The last 7 yrs the longest I stopped was 2 mths at my girlfriends request. Didn't have much fun..the withdrawals sucked, which I knew they would having experienced them many times before and not by choice, and I just thought I felt better when I had some kind of opiate in me. I ended up calling my pain doc(drug dealer) back and got refilled..without her knowing of course. She hates them. That was 2 yrs ago and I've been hiding it from her(up until a couple mths ago when she found my stash..promised her I'd take them as prescribed lol..she knew better but went along). Long story longer(sorry) I got sick of counting pills and worrying about running out and payin' out the *** when I did and being sick all the time even when I did have em..pretty much lost interest in the things I liked to do. I like to lay and watch tv and be left alone sooooooo...I went to the suboxone clinic last Friday..for halfway thru my orientation thing with a vey young and inexperience "therapist" and she had to leave. Then met with doc and had a short meeting with me and decided to start me on 8mgs that day(it had been at least 36 hrs since my last pill and I was feeling pretty sick. Made sure of that cause ive read bad things about precipitaed withdrawals. They didn't seem to care as long as I had cash) then when I came in the next morning they gave me 12mgs and Sunday 16! Well I knew a little bit and dosed the one 8mg and pocketed the other. Planning on stocking up to have enough to taper and I didn't wanna start from 16mgs. Today I got a script for 16 mgs a day for 8 days and have to go in next fri for a meeting with my "therapist" and I'm sure a ua. When I took my dose today I just did 6mgs...I gotta say I haven't had any desire this wk for any pills. I can't re bed the last time I didn't think about taking a pill or how many I've got and all that..that's good. And I feel kinda good too..I think..little irritable and some constipation and some nausea, almost puking on a couple occasions(and I don't puke), not sleeping too good on most nights, but overall pretty good comparatively speaking(again). I actually got outta bed and did stuff too. But I must say I'm a bit worried wondering if I just traded addictions and especially for one that, if it gets outta hand, a much bigger one..I know I shoulda just sucked it up and went thru withdrawals from the hydros and oxy's and be done with it but...I didn't and here I am..I was planning on trying Robert's plan but I started out on such a high dose(not by choice) can I still do it in basically the same way? If anyone read this thing I sure do appreciate it. It wore me out lol! Any and all comments and/or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!    Thank you very much      Peace
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Avatar universal
I came across Robert_325 in another forum..you can google "robert_325 taper plan and it will come up. He's helped hundreds of people with their opiate addictions and sub tapers. And I just wanted to say that I pocketed that other 8mg sub cause I was sure that 16mg was way too much to start out on especially with my habit..Robert suggests around 2mgs and no more than 4..idk..I know im on 6 now and planning on tapering as fast as I can. I'm gonna have to do it by myself because I know those people at the clinic don't have a clue and they didn't mention anything about tapering down. ..it's like killing a fly with a bazooka but at least the fly will be dead..real dead. And I do have to see a counselor there once a week but I don't plan on going there that long. I plan on seeking out a professional to talk to about the psychological part which I think is probably 90% if the problem..I'm gonna keep this post going cause it helps to get it out..and any kind of support helps and I appreciate it!
Helpful - 0
3197167 tn?1348968606
LOL.....mine or his??????
Helpful - 0
271792 tn?1334979657
Welcome!

Holy Moly..I have read novels shorter than that..lol

What I think you really need to do is to participate in some form of aftercare. You need to get to the root of the problem as to why you use drugs to feel good. You need to learn new coping skills.

Right now you ares till self-medicating. You have decided how much to take and for how long. Great, so you get through the physical withdrawal. Then what? You go back to hanging out with your buddies and say "just one" and that turns into a thousand.

Suboxone is not just a pill to ward off physical withdrawal. It is a program that should be followed with some form of therapy or meetings or something. It is an opportunity to get your life back so when you do go off you are ready to STAY clean.

I wish you the best whatever you do but I hope you will at least consider the advise given here. It comes from experience..
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3197167 tn?1348968606
Welcome to the forum, Johnny!  
You said this towards the end of your post:

"But I must say I'm a bit worried wondering if I just traded addictions and especially for one that, if it gets outta hand, a much bigger one..I know I shoulda just sucked it up and went thru withdrawals from the hydros and oxy's and be done with it but...I didn't and here I am..I was planning on trying Robert's plan but I started out on such a high dose(not by choice) can I still do it in basically the same way?"

So my question is, who is Robert and where did you read about "his plan"?

I am a recovering hydro addict....I foolishly and ignorantly succumbed to a suggestion by my PA to visit a suboxone clinic/psych. dr to get off the hydros I had been taking for years.  I learned AFTER THE FACT that subs are MUCH stronger than hydros, have a much longer half life, are totally synthetic and stick to opiate receptors much differently than hydros.  They accumulate in your fat cells, bones and tissues in a way that hydros do not.  I also learned the equivalency of hydros to subs.  Here's a chart for you (subs are "bupe" just in case you didn't know the lingo):

http://www.medhelp.org/user_journals/show/18499/Conversion-table-other-drugs-equivalent-to-sub

As you can see, 30 mg of hydro is equivalent to just 1.2 mg of bupe.

So if you are now being prescribed, monitored and expected to take 16 mg of subs/bupe a day that would be equivalent to approximately 480 mg of hydro!!!!!  At only an 8 mg dose....that's still approximately 240 mg of hydro!

From what I read of your addiction journey above, you were burning thru 120 (10 mg)'s in two weeks.  You supplemented from the street, I get that.  But even at that, sounds like you were taking an average of about 80 to 100 mg of hydro/oxy.???  Is that an accurate calculation?

So you see....they put me on 16 mg of subs too.  I only stayed on them a total of 28 days and I ignorantly jumped off that amount too.  I'm still alive and didn't end up in a psych ward....but I didn't have a clue a forum like this one existed.  I learned EVERYTHING about hydros to subs AFTER I already made that huge mistake.  Subs have there purpose....yes they do.  But from one hydro user to another, I'd reconsider this whole experience.
You are already exhibiting "addict behavior" by stashing part of your sub dose in your pocket.  Are you required to go to outpatient treatment as part of this sub program?  (and they too require some aftercare meetings usually).....yes, they UA you, but they also have a recovery program for addicts.  Are you doing that too?

Lots to think about I know.  I'm not trying to be critical of you....but you asked if we see you "trading addictions" and to a much bigger one that could get outta control.  My short answer (without my long winded explanation above) is YES.  There's no "easy" way to get off opiates.


  
  
Helpful - 0
1855076 tn?1337115303
I think you'd be better off to just dump the subs and look into aftercare.  Subs or no subs, aftercare is the key.  I've only read about subs but it seems like most people regret using them.
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