Becoming free of subs is a possiblity....not a dream! I did it. I was put on 24mg / day of subs for over 7 years and I quit January 1st, 2014 and have been clean ever since. It can be done but there are a few things we would need to discuss. Are you looking to get clean from subs or from everything? Are you finally ready to take a different journey? I am a firm believer that if we find ourselves on suboxone, we are not people who just had a problem with that particular drug....we are addicts. We are not chemically made up to be able to use mind and mood altering substances. I can't tell you how many years I switched from one drug to another, thinking the drug was the problem. It wasn't the drug....it was me.
My dr also told me that I should be on it for the rest of my life. When I got clean I was 42 years old. I am a mother of 4 and my husband and I own a small business. I had no insurance ( I was uninsurable due to a childhood illness) and was paying cash (for 7 years) for my visit and my subs. My house was getting ready to go into forclosure, I owed thousands of dollars in back taxes, everything was falling apart around me. On Jan 1st, 2014 I made the decision to quit cold turkey. At the mg's I was taking, to avoid w/d the taper would have been over 2 years. You can totally do the w/d.....it's gonna suck, but you won't die! Make a plan, speak w/ your family and let them know what you're doing! Don't hide it, b/c you won't be able to anyway. I took magnesium, potassium, zinc, lot's of Vitamin C. STAY AWAY FROM caffeine while w/d'ing as it will only make your anxiety worse. Gatorade and water, you will lose your appetite so drink as much as possible. My husband bought me those meal shakes which I forced down. Banana's, dark green vege's, fish, etc....eat REALLY healthy. I layed on the floor of my shower for hours.....I sweat like a pig for months....I took 4 / 5 hot epsom salt baths every day which helped. For the RLS, besides taking 800mg of Motrin every 4/6 hrs, I used tight diabetic thigh high stockings. They help alot more then I thought they would. I could go on and on about how I got through it..............but I did!
If you really want to get off this drug, you can! But the only way to be successful is to make a plan, involve your family (support) and push your ass to do it. Your taper is rather quick so I'm not sure how much w/d you'll avoid doing it that way?
On January 1st, 2020, I will pick up my 6 year medallion from N/A. It's a decision......are you looking to just get off this drug or are you looking to find recovery? I'm here......
Hi. I commend you for coming off the meds. Have you asked about Clonidine? Not Klonopin (a benzo). It is very helpful for withdrawals. I wish you the best
Congrats on your taper you are doing awesome. Just stay the course. Treat your symptoms. As motye51 Suggested the Epson salt baths, the supplements, and you could also drink protein shakes like a boost or ensure.
Once you finish your taper they’re still going to be a detox. Where the Suboxone has to totally leave your system that takes about another 21 days.
You said you don’t want to talk to your daughters about this. Do you have a support group that you can attend?
Keep on keeping on,
Keep the faith,
Debbie
Good morning :)
I agree with you about getting stable between drops. Waiting for after Christmas is a great idea. The slower you go the better it is to make that jump. Don’t be afraid you can do this. Enjoy the holidays and Merry Christmas.
I understand exactly what you're going through!!! I am approximately 20 months clean from Suboxone! I did a very slow taper. I stabilized between each taper because I felt like I needed to gain my strength back up each time - but everyone is different and you gotta listen to your body and know your limits. It's not going to be easy no matter how you do it but it can be done - and I grudgingly worked through the entire process. Please feel free to pm me.
Ps. My post/thread on here is titled "Seeking encouragement on my journey to FREEDOM - tapering from Suboxone AGAIN" if you want to search for it and scan through to see my experience. ALSO, a link to some very good information from a Dr. on suboxone if you're interested in the details like I was: https://www.pbod.org/detoxing-suboxone-fear-caused-lack-knowledge
I relate to you in so many ways! The whole reason I got addicted to pain killers was the energy as well, and I understand about staying on the subs way longer than anticipated too. Careful with the tramadol as it might give you that same addictive energy you crave. But honestly I don't think the tram would do anything for you anyway coming off subs - they're much stronger than people realize. Also, my taper was much longer than it had to be but work was busy, I was scared to death of jumping and so that's what worked for me... Like you said, everyone is different and it sounds like you know how to listen to your own body. Just keep control of your thoughts mentally and keep telling yourself you can do it! Also, I think however you move forward is in the right direction if you're taking less and less. I can only imagine how hard it would be to tell your daughter (same as if I'd told my parents about my relapse) but I'm sure you've heard... "our secrets keep us sick". I never told my parents but I did tell my boyfriend (now husband :-) and it was really good to have that extra support and for the closest person to me to know so I didn't have to make excuses or feel the need to up my dose so I didn't seem like I felt bad all the time. Keep us updated and keep on keeping on! Truly one day at a time!
I don't know if you're still around but I'd love to hear how it went