Subutex - Withdrawal Days in...

[LIFTOFF32]

It's day 4 and I'm in hell. Its a little better than yesterday but it's hell. Nothing compared to the pill problem I had. I am not trying to persuade anyone from not taking it. I hate what addiction has done to me. I was preparing mentally to stop for a while now and and tapered off Subutex on Thursday night. I was not prepared for what I'm experiencing, my back feels like it was hit by a bull. Hot flashes, cold chills are driving me mad. I realized today that I'm going to need to take the rest of the week off. My emotions are running wild I have no energy and can't sleep. I initially thought it would be a week of hell and then it would all go away but in reading the many that have stopped this medication before me its clear it's going to take a lot longer. My dr prescribed clonodine it's okay but it's not helping much. I need to get off this slave ship but I'm finding it really difficult and don't want it to affect my work 2-3 weeks from now. Anyone else in a similar situation? What are peoples experience with clonodine. Thanks.

[Londonlady90]

Hi I'm not sure how to start a new thread. Im pregnant just found out last week. I've been snorting Subutex for over a year. Buying it off the street. I tapered anyway coz I wanted to get off them I managed to taper to 1-0.5mg and jumped. I'm on day 3 of withdrawals for some reason I'm not that bad and it's scaring me! I've had and still got rls and chills there annoying I'm constantly cold! Goosebumps are jumping off me. I've been eating sleeping I've even managed to walk around town I do feel a bit ****** but nothing like I expected is this normal?

[Sal028]

99% of people are attempting to taper off suboxone/subutex entirely too quickly and then wonder why they are experiencing withdrawals. It takes a full year to be able to taper off suboxone/subutex the right way. I spent one year getting stable, then one year tapering and I felt maybe 1-3 days of very mild hot flashes, and aching in my legs. little tough to sleep at night for about a week but nothing a Tylenol pm couldn't handle. STOP TRYING TO TAPER YOURSELF! STOP TRYING TO RUSH THINGS! Studies have shown that people who are on suboxone for at least two years have a 80% success rate, as opposed to people who only take it for one year are at a 20% success rate.

[spider6]

Hi there, welcome. This is an old thread, why don't you post a new question of your own and tell us a bit of your story.

[lisajam]

Well done im on day 29 started to feel fine wk3 but now feel lethargic no enegy or concentration abd depressesed , any advice please x

[Regfish]

I hoped u were able to do it me I'm was not able to taper. I abused subutex for five years up to 50 mg a day snorting I'm on day six today and yesterday have been the worst I go back to work tomorrow I can not afford to take time off. Hopeless ness is killing me its so easy just to fix this but I can't do this anymore. My two kids need Thier father more than ever I really hope tomorrow is better

[worried878]

tapering off sub if on it for a while, should be slow..like down to slivers every other day.  You are done now, so move forward, dont move backwards!  Meetings help keep us on track too..exercise...vitamins and eating healthy...we need our sleep to stay strong tho so if u r not sleeping, try valerian root or melatonin, or talk to ur doctor about sumpin short term.  Sub has a very long half life so a longer WD time like methadone does.  A person really can get away with taking sub every 2 or 3 days, but doctors prescribe it daily as a rule cos addicts have a thing about popping a pill to feel better...depressed/pop a pill..tired/pop a pill...stressed/pop a pill  no reason at all/pop a pill...lol   Not funny but true

Hold on tight to your dreams

[Tattsbaby]

Hello, I was on suboxone for a couple years and switched to subutex and have been on subutex for about a year, normally breaking my 8mg tablet in half and only taking 4mg.  I am on my 5th day cold turkey, and I must say from what I have read about others experiences with tapering down and going thru hell for months, that cold turkey is the way to go.  I don't feel excellent, but it really isn't that bad.  I took my last dose Sunday afternoon, typically taking it around 4pm or 5pm.  Monday morning I was sick, but I had not even missed a dose at this time so I think it is irrelevant to the subutex.  Sore throat, which has now moved to my chest with a cough.  I must say a little over a year ago, I had a really bad problem with Xanax, prescribed 90 2mg for many years.  This is nothing like when I was jerked off of the xanax at a rehab facility with nothing for the withdrawals.  That would probably rate the #1 worst experience in my life.  I could not take Clonidine or the phenobarbital because I have very low blood pressure.  I never did stop going through the withdrawal symptoms and now take Klonipin as little as possible and would like to taper from it.  I definitely feel very lucky that I am not going thru such a bad experience as you had.  I would never ever suggest to anyone to cold turkey from such a high dosage of benzos for any length of time.  Anyway thanks for posting.  It did reach someone!!! :)

[Tattsbaby]

Hello, I was on suboxone for a couple years and switched to subutex and have been on subutex for about a year, normally breaking my 8mg tablet in half and only taking 4mg.  I am on my 5th day cold turkey, and I must say from what I have read about others experiences with tapering down and going thru hell for months, that cold turkey is the way to go.  I don't feel excellent, but it really isn't that bad.  I took my last dose Sunday afternoon, typically taking it around 4pm or 5pm.  Monday morning I was sick, but I had not even missed a dose at this time so I think it is irrelevant to the subutex.  Sore throat, which has now moved to my chest with a cough.  I must say a little over a year ago, I had a really bad problem with Xanax, prescribed 90 2mg for many years.  This is nothing like when I was jerked off of the xanax at a rehab facility with nothing for the withdrawals.  That would probably rate the #1 worst experience in my life.  I could not take Clonidine or the phenobarbital because I have very low blood pressure.  I never did stop going through the withdrawal symptoms and now take Klonipin as little as possible and would like to taper from it.  I definitely feel very lucky that I am not going thru such a bad experience as you had.  I would never ever suggest to anyone to cold turkey from such a high dosage of benzos for any length of time.  Anyway thanks for posting.  It did reach someone!!! :)

[seenitandidit]

I'm a little late to respond to this but somewhere out there will read this...I was taking 8 10mg norcos a day buying them off the street until I could not get them anymore then a buddy who was fighting a oxy addiction gave me some subuoxen should say introdueced me to them. Bad mistake instantly I feel in love with them for a yr after he quit getting them I didn't know I was in for a nightmate . Honestly I had no idea what cold turkey was. The day after I took my last one is when it began. Third day was the worst I have ever felt in my life. It was like the flu with a really bad hsngover. After a week the acute withdrawals subsided and were quite manageable. Only thing that was really bad was my stomach but ammodiun will take care of that and energy was still deoleted. After about 2 weeks I got back on feet and felt human again overall instead of a zombie on his deathbed. After you conquer this you really do feel so much better about yourself you start realizing all your scents are enhanced again since your sober. You will be able to extend your hand out to someone else who is crying for help on this. Dont think about when its gonna end know that it will end.  Another thing is when I was going through this dark time I researched it and found nothing but horror withdrawal stories and that didn't help one bit. If I can make it through this so can you! I will be honest its a tough pill to swallow but if your willpower is strong enough and you want to quit you can do it!!!! Hope someone is helped by this.

[bigdave492]

hello people im day 40 today off everything i aint gonna lie prepare yaself for 30days of **** although everyday gets better an remember every1 is difrent wat happens for sum people wont necessary happen to you i found a lot of people on hear talk a lot of **** maybe coz they cant stop it so therejust pissed yo guys are i cant lie it aint easy but think to yaself whats say 30/40 days of ya life when you have thousands upon thousandsleft yo can all do it you have two wats the alternative just dont expect it to b a walk in the park coz it aint is hard but lets face it if it were easy it wouldtdeter u from ever going back coz i tell u sumthing id sooner live a life of misery than eve go through that **** again day 40 today an im back slleping well depresion gone im alive an so will u guys just no mater wat happens dont you fuckn give up god gave us all 1 life so live dont jus exist i have rheumatoid arthritis bin on opiate based substances 17 yrs then it lead to heroin my point is my w/d were harder than sum1 without arthrits an i done it so u can all **** it will power say to yaself even if it kills ya then so be it coz i promise it will pass just like life everything must live an then die jus like drugs they live in you an then slowly but surely die 3week of **** an ya all be fine 1 tip dont even try an sleep just make you more angry wen ya body is ready it will go an never 4get wts 30 day of **** then u all got ya whole life ahead an dont look to much into it i was on the internet every day 4 months on end an every1s storys jus drove me mad every1s diffrent jus do wat u gotta do an live *** on people for fucksake dont do the devils work anymore DRUGS devils revenge upon gods subjects in the bible it states a man man made thing will ruin an kill man kind IE drugs godbless you all 40days today an im alive im ******* back an so will u all be dont you ever give up no matter ******* what

[LIFTOFF32]

16 days with no Subutex and still fighting. I'd say I'm 60%; not where I want to be but 16 days closer to where I'd like to be. I'm staying positive. Withdrawal symptoms are still around but not as bad as they were those initial couple of days. My doctor prescribed seroquel and clonodine. I was thrown off a bit by its on label use but I trust my doctor and it appears to be working. I'm sleeping a little better but still waking up sooner than I'd like. I took a nap this afternoon 20 minutes which is a big improvement. I'm still lethargic, very lethargic. And at times I still feel like my backs been kicked by a horse. Friday I went for a 90 minute bike ride and it felt good except for the soreness. I keep reminding myself to be kind to myself as atthebeach suggested. I'm still a bit emotional but I would say the body aches are what's getting to me. This week I plan on beginning an exercise regiment it's ten weeks long but will take it day by day. I'm afraid of being sore, Im still sluggish: standing up after sitting hurts, laying down hurts and walking is still tough but I'm more than able to get around. Thanks to anyone that reads this and I appreciate the encouragement.  

[Gracie2012]

Steve... just re-read my post... sorry for the typos... hope you can make sense of my post. lol

[Gracie2012]

Hi Steve,

I just wanted to put in my cents about your not being able to sleep... it's the worst and I feel so sorry for you. A while ago, one of my friends turned me only Melatonin and I take 6mg and sleep through the night now. It's an 'over the counter' natural substance (not sure if it's an enzyme or what exactly it is... but it's actually good for us - or so my doc said). My 'Sundown' brand of Melatonin also has camomile and valerian root in it and I think that helps a lot. I get it at CVS pharmacy. Not sure where you are, but if you have a CVS store there, they carry "Sundown" vitamins and Melatonin.

Wish you the very best and keep up the great work!

Take good care, Gracie

[LIFTOFF32]

Day 11 - under my belt! I am back at work in body definitely not in mind... I'm glad I made it through day 11 but I am depressed but managing. Keeping in close touch with my doctor. These past few days I'd say I've been struggling with the mental part of this demon. I went out for a bike ride yesterday and it felt good. That bike ride was the best I felt since starting this. After coming home from work today I went to sleep for about 45 minutes  which is welcomed because ever since April 6th I've been sleeping 3-5 hours at best. Before starting Subutex I had a norco habit and a good one at that. When beginning Subutex treatment I could have never imagined it would be this difficult. I'm not trying to encourage or discourage anyone... I'm not sure that Subutex was the best route for me to take but I don't know and don't expect to know any other type of detox method because I hate drugs and what it's taken from me. I've struggled with depression for 8 years, addiction for 6.5 years (cocaine for 2 years accompanied by pain medication for 5.5 - 6 years) December 2010 I decided it was time to tackle addiction to get a handle on my depression which is where Subutex came in as a great help because it allowed me to smoothly transission to an longer acting opiate without chasing a high anymore, over the past 9 months the fog, lack of memory and drive from Subutex made me decide it was time for me to get off. I've forgotten a lot memories both happy and sad I've been numb for a while letting day by day pass but I haven't been LIVING I'm so angry that I've spent so much of my life struggling with this ******* demon. I hate you drugs so much more than I hate depression. I've lost many friends along the way some died from drug abuse others are lost in addiction I'm so angry, dissapointed and depressed. This site and the people who posted here have been on my mind and in my prayers and I ask for yours as well. I logged on tonight wanting to keep it light and add an update on my progress but in typing I feel I need to get this off my chest. Thanks for anyone who listened and to anyone still struggling who is one or two years into addiction STOP... STOP RIGHT NOW... If your hanging out with friends who are using drop them immediately. If your depressed and looking for an escape and justify your using because of it. STOP IT'S NOT TO LATE because it's just not worth it. I haven't been to an NA meeting in years but I find myself needing one tonight. I'm going to sleep and hope that I wake up in a better state of mind but tomorrow I think it's time I walk back in and accept that I am an addict and attend a meeting.

[gnarly_1]

Hey Dude just wanted to offer some encouragement to you some of this stuff like sub and methadone are ruff coming off hang in there it will get better it took me 30 days of being dope sick with methadone then another 60 to feel good again sub is next in line but shouldent be as bad but give yourself a month to feel good again the symptom go a little at a time with sub it ether goes like a breeze or its like pulling teeth you dont know what you get till you do it try and get out and exorcise even a walk around the block will help im a big believer in whey protein shakes its 15 bucks for a 2lb can at walmart just mix it with milk or water it has the raw protein extra vitamins and the amino acids all of witch the brain needs to heal drink 2 a day other then that hang in there keep posting for support we all want to see you get well......Gnarly  

[Gracie2012]

Hi Marie,

What do you think they'd give you to come off sub in rehab???

I'm back on it (4mg, then she bumped it up to 6mg of sub to stabilize me) again cuz I just couldn't handle the w/ds I was having for 4 days.

Doc said she would taper me VERY slowly once I was stabilized. But now I'm reading that people have tapered down to 'crumbs' (as you stated) and still go through this hell of a detox?

The doc also told me I was not only in w/d from the sub, but also still in detox from the opiates I was originally put on the sub for in rehab to come off in the first place.

This is ALL so confusing and complicated. But this last detox was far worse than any opiate detox I have ever experienced... geeze Louise... fear the future when I have to taper off the sub again.

Hope you are doing okay. I also hope you decide to go into rehab... if nothing else, there's lots of support there. If you are in the Bay Area (California), I highly recommend MPI rehab... that's where I went and the staff were all so compassionate and caring. Anyway, I could go on and on, but will stop now. Take good care, sweetie.

Gracie

[Gracie2012]

Hi Liftoff,

You poor thing... hang in  there. I w/in your situation (and in rehab and they were tapering 2mg/day)... was sent home and 2 days later w/d hit and hit like a ton of bricks! I hung in there for 4 days, but just couldn't take it anymore. Robert (from this forum) said that detoxed me too fast and to get more subs and taper really slowly. So, that is what I did!

Liftoff, how much sub were you taking when you tapered... meaning how low did you taper before you quit the sub?

My best to you and hope that you start feeling better soon! You w/be in my prayers.

Take good care, Gracie

[LIFTOFF32]

Happy to say its day 7 without the Subutex monkey on my back... As tough as it continues to be I will make it.

[LIFTOFF32]

Thanks, I haven't been able to get out but I will in about an hour or so. I'm seeing my doctor and plan to take a walk after speaking with him. I'm depressed. I'm angry at myself... Its really tough for me to get around but I will do it. Sleep is tough and I'm worried that I will be heading back to work to soon. The physical stuff has definitely subsided but now I see what everyone was saying about the mental challenge. When can I expect to get my energy back? Thx.

[atthebeach]

it is common for the symptoms to come and go. as the days go on the symptoms will be fewer and further between. just treat the symptoms when they come. immodium as needed, hot baths with epsom salts for the aches and pains. that is great you were able to get around some. some sunshine and a walk will do wonders for you body and your psyche. also it will get you out of your head for awhile. are you eating and drinking? very important.
you are doing awesome. tomorrow will be a better day.
keep the faith. keep on keepin on.
you got this.

[LIFTOFF32]

I was feeling better but I'm getting hot flashes and my back is beginning to ache. I felt some of the fog lift and got a 2-3 hour window where I had the ability to walk around. I can feel some turbulence coming... I hope it won't last.

[Gracie2012]

Dear LIFTOFF32,

I feel for you! Day 4 was my worst day! Some of the folks who posted after your post had some good suggestions. Just wanted to check and see how you were doing. Hang in there.

I couldn't do it and on day 5 went to my chemical dependency doctor and she said the rehab I was in detoxed me too fast off of sub (for opiate w/d from Oxycontin and Percocet in huge amts for major back issues) so she put me back on 4mg and is going to taper me VERYslowly off the sub.

Best wishes to you and take good care, Gracie

[Gracie2012]

Marie, I so agree w/you about Opana... it's a nightmare drug and coming off of it is just horrible! I did it w/out sub and it was crazy. Plus, it did nothing for the pain it was prescribed for. Go figure. Sure makes you wonder how these drug companies test these products. Hmm.  Take good care, Gracie

[LIFTOFF32]

Thank you everyone for the encouragement and yes, I did stop at two milligrams. I found once I dropped below that the withdrawal symptoms were just not worth it. What I really pray for is to have the energy and enthusiasm I had before i became consumed by this habit. A friend this New Years innocently said I wish you'd bring back the old you and it's stuck in my head ever since. But I'm not sure the old me will ever be back. I've struggled with depression for a while now. I have hope, I don't want my kids to ask why daddy's always tired. I see people who have snapped back from addiction and wonder why I couldn't do it. I'd like to go out for a walk but it seems like such a tough thing to do but I will do my best. Thanks everyone for the encouragement God know I needed it... When I have a hundred days under my belt I hope to have the energy to be active and back at the gym.