Tryin to Kick Subutex (Day 4)

[xru11]

I've been on Subutex since October of 2007.   Before then I was addicted to Hydrocodone.  But I decided to to QUIT any any and all prescription meds on or before my 43 birthday. So 4 and 1/2 days ago I went cold turkey after tapering to .5 per day for about a week.  I'm grateful for Subutex since it got me off Hydrocodone  But I gotta say, kicking Subutex might be tougher.  I am on day 4 and the worst of it is over but the general malaise and weariness and aches and pains coupled with the utter lack of energy or motivation to do ANYTHING are driving me crazy!!!!  I must function normally soon.  My family is counting on me and I can't let them down.  No one knows about this.  They think I have had the flu.  I feel much better than I have these last few days,....BUT I could use some kind of support, someone to talk to to... I actually just started to cry typing this... I think its a symptom of withdrawal....anyway is there anyone out there familiar with this process?  Is there anything I can do now to ease the aches, pains, malaise, etc?

[SAPPINGTON]

i AM ON SUBOXONE AND AM DOWN TO 1/4 OF A 8 MG TABLET.  I HAVE NOT BEEN FEELING WELL AND I AM TERRIFIED.  I HAVE FLU LIKE FEELINGS AND RESTLESS LEGS.  I ONLY HAVE ABOUT EIGHT OF THESE 1/4 PILLS.  HOW LONG WILL THIS TAKE??  i WAS ON A FENTENAL PATCH AND VICODIN 20 PER DAY SO I FELT SUB. WAS A MUST.  HELP!

[Giuseppe74]

I am on day two of my suboxone detox/withdrawals. I stopped after taking .5mg a day for two weeks and then on my last day,  I took .25mg and decided enough is enough. I was on Methadone for 6 years and couldn't stand the side-effects anymore and when I found out about Suboxone, I thought I'd give it a try. Methadone and Suboxone are very similar in many respects. They are also very different. Methadone being a full-agonist and buprenorphine a partial-agonist. They are similar in that they are both long acting medications. I thought the lesser evil would be better, because of all the material I've read on Suboxone has said that it has the same side effects as a full-agonist opiode, but just to a lesser degree. BUT even though it's a partial-agonist, it's something like 40X more powerful in it's agonist-effects. I'll get to my real point. Buprenorphine/Suboxone has been in my system for a little over four years now and I'm just now quiting and so far it's a *****, but nowhere as bad as full-agonist withdrawals. Its like I go through moments where I feel terrible (I especially hate the live wire/high blood pressure goose-flesh symptom) and then I have moments where I have clearer thoughts and realize I feel better, but usually not for long. It's like it's leaching slowly out of my mu-opioid receptors and giving me moments where I can still feel the drug coursing through my body. It's not enough to make me feel good for long, but it's there and I can feel it. I'm just worried. I'm only on day two. Will the next several days be hell? Am I doomed to go through the live-wire feeling for over 5 days or more? How long does that part of the withdrawals typically last?
Any help appreciated. Sorry for sounding so stuffy with all the medical talk. I guess I  know a lot about the medical side, but not the practical side of detox. I've been through it before, but that was over ten years ago and that was from heroin... which the withdrawals from that get better after about the fourth or fifth day. Help anyone? Any guidance on when the goose-flesh live-wire feeling will TYPICALLY go away? I'm desperate and it's only day two. -Giuseppe

[refusingbondage]

Hi and welcome.  This is an old post.  Not to many people will respond.  Try posting your comment as a 'new post' question on the forum.

Good luck in your suboxone detox.  For me the gooseflesh/hot/cold sweats were the longest lasting physical symptom but got better over time.. after the acute w/drawal the gooseflesh/hot/cold sweats would randomly come and go.  There is a blood pressure medicine called Clonidine which can be prescribed by your doctor that is generally very safe, tried and true, to use which is supposed to help a LOT with this particular symptom.  I didnt use it, but I have heard many good things about it.. Its a BP med so its not addicting, non narcotic obviously.  Anyway, good luck again and stay well.

[startlookinup]

We are very close in days, and I feel like we are probably going through some of the same stuff. You are just a day or two a head of me and I am interested in your progress.  I have had my ups and downs, felt like everything was just about to turn around and then back to square one.  I have detoxed twice before in the last 12 years and this is by far the worst thing I have ever experienced!  I agree with everyone else I wish I would have just sucked it up and w/d from the pk's instead of this suboxone.  I understand where your coming from with the mornings, I feel so good some times in the evenings that I think that all this is going to end shortly after I fall asleep and tomorrow will be a perfect day.  I finally went to my DR and got some sleeping medication to help me get through the nights, the mornings have gotten much better since I started sleeping 7-8 hours straight.  Tonight is the first night in 3 nights that I cannot fall asleep, I took my sleep meds over 2 hours ago and still feel wide awake......hense the reason I am up typing at 1:22 am.  I share a lot of common ground with you, I too have young children and have to be there for my family.  I think that's part of the reason that we go through the emotional stuff.  You want soooo badly to be there for your family but you just want to be left alone sometimes.  Today makes a full week for me, I really expected after getting through days 4-5 that I might start feeling quite normal again.  I agree with someone's earlier statement...It's just not right to feel this way for multiple days.  Don't get me wrong, my improvement is leaps and bounds from what it was just a few days ago.  I went from constant pain, cold sweats, stomach cramps, restless legs, etc.... To now I am mostly getting the deep tissue pain, light case of the chills, but mostly just tired and lethargic.  I could deal with the pain if I could just get some energy back and get rid of the chills for once and all.  The problem is that Im not sure completely what to expect, most people that post on here don't really give a day to day diary of what they are feeling.  I think it would be helpful for those of us that our dying to know when we might quite possibly be getting close to say.....dropping the chills.  What typically goes away first?  Chills?  Stomach? Depression?  Lethargy? and on what days can one typically expect to start seeing this change take place???  I mean sometimes during the day I may feel almost completely normal and then boom!...out of nowhere it hits me and I feel like s h i t again.  I think the most miserable part of the whole thing is that you really just don't know what your going to get day to day and after so much time you start thinking is it ever going to get all the way better!!?? The last time I detoxed was probably about 5 years ago from hydros, I did it while I was out of town with my family and parents.  The first 2-3 days were tuff.......had the flu......and after that a good night or two of sleep and I was back to 100%.  By the end of the vacation I was back to normal and ready to get on with my life.  Well...for about 2 weeks and then I remembered again how much I liked taking pk's and well here we go again.. I truly believed that the suboxone was going to be the answer......which I would have never gone into that clinic now!!!  Anyway...since I ***** and moan about people not giving a detailed account here you go:

Day 7 - Woke up after a perfectly masterplanned sleep pattern compliments of my lunesta!! Early...like 6:00am.  Decided to get out of bed and go work out.  Spent maybe 30-45 mins running, lifting, and training on my bags.  Afterwards I jumped my 4ss into the hot tub and relaxed for about 20 mins.  The minute I get out of there I feel like a normal human being for about 2-3 hours.  During that normal time I stoked up to get ready for work get showered and dressed and then head off to work.  Want to point out that I open all the blinds throughout my entire first floor in order to bring vibrant sunshine into the house and I usually will throw something into my CD player in the bedroom and rock out to something while I'm getting ready......preferably happy motivating cd's.....nothing depressing please.  Even though some of the motivational s h i t will still make you cry.....sux being emotional.  Anyway, I think that my little sleep pill is trying to take over...may mean it's nighty night time.  WISH EVERYONE THE BEST OF LUCK.....GET OFF THIS ****!!!!!!!!!

[worried878]

exercise really helps..saved me and it sounds like u r enjoying the benefits as well...this is an old post but a good post...posting a new post if u have any questions may be more helpful for u...good lucl

[linux2004]

I'm French so pardon my English which is not my mother language. I'm 42 and am on Subutex since 5 years. My shrink has made a plan for me to stop but that will be a long road. I was at 12 mg and am now for the 28 coming day at 11 mg and the plan is to decrease one mg every month. Has somebody does this plan before on this site and give me a few advice. Thanks so much. Linux2004