I have no issues what so ever with pharmaceutical help for addiction such as Methadone or Suboxone. What I do take issue is with newspapers reporting that a drug like Suboxone is a miracle drug because now small town people won’t have to go to the big city for treatment, they can get treatment on an outpatient basis from their own physicians.
While I understand that physicians must first become certified to be able to prescribe Suboxone, I’m just a little skeptical about the type of recovery program a patient will be expected to participate in while they are taking their Suboxone if it is being prescribed by their primary care physician.
If you have been keeping up with your local news at all, I’m sure you will agree that arrests involving possession of Suboxone is becoming more and more common (at least it’s that way in Massachusetts). How is this Suboxone getting in the hands of people on the streets? Someone is given a prescription for it by their primary care physician, they go get it at the pharmacy, and then proceed to sell it to someone for some pretty good money.
Why is this? Because taking Suboxone does not require daily attendance to your doctors office. You get a prescription for it, right from the start, and have your medication at home. This is unlike a methadone program where for a while you have to go to the clinic to be given your daily dose under supervision.
I do understand that there are some positive aspects of being able to prescribe Suboxone to patients and have them be responsible for self dosing. Not everyone is near a treatment facility. If we want people to start recovery with the use pharmaceutical help, we can’t make it impossible for them to get to it.
Being able to take your medication at home instead of staying in an inpatient facility makes treatment possible for those who cannot afford the inpatient facilities.
I guess my main concern is that people are going to see Suboxone as a quick fix kind of drug. If they are addicted to opiates, they can go to a doctor who is certified to prescribe Suboxone and they can get themselves enough of a supply to get through the acute withdrawal stages. But what happens after that?
If they are not actively pursuing recovery…they will go right back to opiates once their prescription for Suboxone runs out. Getting the drugs out of your system isn’t the problem with most people it’s keeping them out of your system that is the hard part.
So while I do agree that when coupled with a strong recovery program, Suboxone is a really good aid in helping someone stop their addiction. I think it’s giving people the wrong idea to be calling this a miracle drug.
***UPDATE***
Since I have been learning more and more about Suboxone in the past couple of weeks I figured I would share an informational video about Suboxone which was created by our friend Ted.
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I started suboxone a little over two weeks ago, and so far it really has been something like miraculous for me.
I understand the concerns you’ve raised about the potential for abuse and people looking at it as a quick-fix though. I don’t know if all doctors who prescribe suboxone have similar requirements, but I did find that every doctor and/or program that I called required some form of counseling/therapy as well as ongoing drug screening to help ensure patient compliance.
Also, all of the places I called when I was doing research had some sort of policy where they would prescribe you a dose during induction onto suboxone and you had to get it from the pharmacy and then return to the doctor’s office (unless they were licensed to dispense the medication on premises) and take it there. Then they would observe your reaction before they let you leave.
None of the doctors/programs I spoke with said they would give out a prescription right away – they all required that you come into the office every day for the first week, then 2 or 3 times a week for several weeks, then once a week, with decreasing frequency of visits until you were only coming in once a month. Even so, my insurance only allows 2 weeks worth of medication to be dispensed at a time.
I don’t know if a person can just get a prescription to help them through withdrawals, because as I have experienced firsthand, discontinuing suboxone without tapering can make you sick too.
It seems like, at least in my area, doctors are making an effort to ensure that people with opiate addiction are getting comprehensive treatment. It’s unfortunate that suboxone is an expensive drug – I’m sure that contributes to people selling their medication, possibly to help offset the cost if they don’t have insurance or their insurance doesn’t cover it.
I have been on suboxone for allmost 3 months the first visit we talked a little and then he gave a script for twelve and told me if i didnt come back he would call the police? so iwent straight to the pharmacy and called my mom to come pay for it. anyway we mad it back after a while and then he gave me a half of an 8mg tablet.then i sat around for thirty minutes or so i was suprised at how fas it made me feel better,so then he gave me the other half and after 45 min my withjdrawls where gone and im talking i used to take 20 -25lorcets a day. so after he saw i was ok he called my mother in and handed her the bottle and said give him two a day which was a smart move.anyway i stayed on 1and1/2for a month now im down to just one 8mg it is a pretty miraculous drug.now i only see him every six weeks and mom still comes by to bring my medicine but now she is letting me have 3 at a time now..well my point iss i dont have to drug seek anymore cause i dont think about it anymore ..but now i have heard withdrawl from suboxone is rough . so im gonna stay on it for awhile untill i learn a way to fight my addiction without it.so right now im working on a plan with my therapist it may take a year or two im not gonna rush it…..
Thank you so much for commenting. I am very glad to hear your experience with Suboxone and that you have found the doctors in your area to be diligent in making sure people seek counseling while taking the medication. Thanks for your input and good luck.
Some of the family docs actually meet with patients a few times a week when they start a prescription for someone addicted to medication or for someone who is going to need any kind of “strong stuff.” Thank G-d.
But I agree. Any drug that’s a wonderdrug is by definition probably a) not wonderful and b) have addictive properties.
And some push program, too, like certain therapy docs I know.
I think it’s great to be able to get some real inside views of Suboxone. It would be great to find that most of the doctors who are prescribing Suboxone adhere to a protocol of making weekly visits mandatory and also encouraging recovery programs. I do hope that is the case.
i just want to say i dont have to attend weekly i never had too.my first script was 12 after those where gone i went back and he gave me a months wort.and now its every six weeks.im glad i didnt have to do that weekly shit i would be broke he charges 75 ba visit
I have known several patients that left Suboxone and went to MMT. While it was left unsaid, I believe the problem they faced was that it was in pill form and they had the bottle (you do the math).
With that said, I am still a supporter of the drug (sans wonder) and do know of at least tw it is currently working for.
I believe in all cases a regimented recovery program is the key to success, doesn’t really matter if it is medically assisted recovery or traditional cold turkey the odds are always much better with regular meetings, checkups, and a support structure.
like bottlecappie,when he or she added,i have also been on suboxone for about 2 weeks at this point to aid in recovery from a 13 yr. heroin addiction (i.v.), because i abstained from use cold turkey for about 4 days prior to beginning the suboxone ingestion and was climbing the proverbial walls in the absolute throes of the most painful thing i have ever endured (withdrawal) the effects of the sub. were absolutely miraculous. i felt like i had never even been high in the first place, i simply felt…..NORMAL? i hesitate to use that word because i have no frame of reference as i had been high 24/7 through my entire adult life. i craved nothing, withdrawal was immediately lifted.this may seem like a defeatist projection but i can honestly see myself on sub. for the rest of my life, if thats what it takes to insure a relapse-free existence.about 200 dollars a month or several thousand. this is simply my own perspective, others may do it differently,in regards to the methods implemented by doctors i can only list those of my own [doctor];weekly urine tests and 3 req’d n.a. or a.a. mtgs weekly, in addition to recommended psycologist visits at varying sequence and interval.
suboxone,willingness to regain control of my life and a supporting family have literally saved my life as i was shooting 20 bags of heroin a day at the end of my active use.there are debates within the n.a.community regarding the use of suboxone and i have even read about sponsors dumping sponsee’s because of participation in suboxone programs pending their abstinence from it’s use,this perplexes me as i know of the steadfast adhesion to the 12 steps that are stressed in the program, it is my conclusion that it all depends on the sponsor.i cannot condone use of any substance, compliant or otherwise, and cannot recommend anything due to ethical conflict,simply put,it is really working for me and i see it doing so for a long time.
i pray with my heart and soul for all the active addicts out there, i sometimes think that there is no one in the world that understands pain and sadness like the heroin addict or anyone who has used dilaudid, oxy.,morphine,or any other opiate in copious amounts just to get through the day. but whatever the substance and the amount my advice is this;get clean,you can do it,
it may sound cliche’ but as a recovering addict i must include that help IS out there look and you’ll find it,
and if you think no one believes in you, you’re wrong, because I DO.
I CAN’T, WE CAN.
Here is my personal experience with suboxone, it neither agrees nor disagrees with your opinion…I mean it simply as a story to base opinions off of. I have had a somewhat unusual relationship with opiates over the last 3 years. I currently get prescribed oxycodone for a pain that is non-existant. It all started when a crooked doctor looking to make money sucked my friend in by offering to write him a large prescription of oxycontin, 100 80mg pills a month, in exchange for a rather large monthly doctors bill. I was sort of invited along and got my own prescription as well. The doctor has since been caught and arrested, but my prescription has been transferred several times between different doctor’s and I still receive it, although over time it has been reduced to only 60mg a day.
At times I would take my monthly amount in 10 days, get extremely high, and then be short for the next 18 days. I would then have to resort to the black market to make up the difference. To purchase 80mg of oxycontin a day would cost $70 a day, not exactly something that I can afford. Fortunately, at least in my opinion, there are treatment options available on the black market that allow you to self administer, the two options being methadone and suboxone.
Suboxone has at times been an answer to a prayer, when facing the choice between crushing withdrawals or serious amounts of money to purchase black market oxycontin, it is a relief to know that for $20 I can buy a suboxone that will last me for 4 days and take away my withdrawal symptoms. It doesn’t get you high, (Although it will if you don’t already abuse opiates) but it does remove the intense craving. Not only that, but for several days afterward it will block the effect of opiates, creating even more incentive not to purchase any.
I am not advocating this as a positive way to go through life, on the contrary I have recently decided that it is disrupting my life way too much and I have made plans with my doctor to get me off of oxycodone, and I intend to follow his instructions and his timeline. I will say however, that while I was leading a more destructive lifestyle, black market methadone and suboxone kept my habit contained, gave me a financial “out”, and though it definitely wasn’t my best course of action it was still far better than many alternatives.
I don’t intend to comment on suboxone as a doctor prescribed, self-administered treatment method because I have never experienced it that way. I will say however, that I am glad that it exists, and I’m glad that it has made itself available on the black market, as it greatly benefits people who want help, but aren’t prepared to seek it from a medical professional.
As a side note, I guess I’ll describe one more extremely positive aspect of this drug being available on the black market. As the media has recently begun focusing on, there are quite a few deaths each year associated with an overdose of oxycontin. In Washington state alone last year there were around 150 deaths. One of the only ways to treat someone going through an opiate overdose is with suboxone, as it blocks the action of the drug, and if administered in time is very likely to save the life of someone who would otherwise die. When going through binges, I always made sure to have suboxone with me just in case. On several occasions I even took some to end my high because I was scared that I may have gone too far, and one time I gave some to a friend when he was starting to get scared. Just another aspect of this drug that you may not hear about in the news, and another reason that I am personally happy that this drug is available through the black market.
Austin
Thanks for sharing your experience with Suboxone. I can see that having it available on the black market seems to be helpful and in a way I guess it is with the whole overdosing aspect of OC’s.
One thing I’m not sure if you can see since you are the one telling the story is that Suboxone seems to delay someone in actually seeking real help and putting the work in that is needed to get off and stay off of Oxycontin.
I’m not saying that is always the case. But when it is not used in conjunction with some sort of recovery program or counseling and it is being bought off the street instead of being prescribed by a physician it is not helping someone recover…it’s delaying their rock bottom.
None of this was intended with any disrespect towards you, I hope you understand that. I appreciate you being very honest about the way that you have used Suboxone and I want you to know that I have known several people who have also used it in this way. Thanks for sharing.
The problem with goin to a doctor to get suboxone is that it is so hard to get into a doctor to get it and it is so exspensive. They exspect u to have alot of money up front. Suboxone gave me a channce to work and not suffer from withdraws from percocet. It has helped me tremendously i have only taken it for 6days like a quarter at a time. I just am having alot of constipation and tiredness. i just wonder about the dosage and should i start taking less to wing me off. Yeah I know a doctor would be nice for these questions but i cant afford that. My intentions are genuine i want to finish my program and stay away from pain killers. Got any advice hit me back!!!!!
i can help u with the constipation take 3 stool softners in the am and three at night i think it is called cllace oh yea drink alot of water i drink it all day after my coffee oh yea that helps too make some real strong coffee.but you have to stay active also
Erin,
Thanks for responding. I do understand the concerns associated with suboxone delaying professional help. I also do hope that anyone who is mixed up with any of the highly addictive opiates can find a way to remove them from their lives. I fully agree with you that any doctor who prescribes this to someone really should be supplementing it with some form of behavioral therapy. I received my degree in psychology, and I think that one of the biggest medical mistakes of this generation is the overabundance of psychological medication being prescribed without the inclusion of some form of behavioral therapy.
I hope nobody thinks that my earlier post was in support of suboxone as a replacement for a more effective treatment option. I only meant it as a personal story relating my experiences, and to hopefully show a side of suboxone that people will probably never hear about in a newspaper article or other media report. For me, it really was delaying me from reaching out for help, something I recently did decide to do. I can say though, that while it was delaying the inevitable, it was also preventing my addiction from worsening.
One of my best friends just got a script of suboxone. He and I and a lot of my friends have been addicted to oxycontin for over two years. He has told me that it is a miracle drug. He says that it takes away the withdraws instantly and takes away the desire to use other drugs. Being addicted to oxycontin does destroy your life and I’m glad to know that there is something out there to help. Going to rehab would really disrupt my life and my business and quiting cold turkey is impossible. I hope to get on suboxone soon because I want to get my life back, and this sounds like the way to do it.
Ryan – I do understand that going to rehab would disrupt your life but a life disruption is what it normally takes to be successful at recovering from an addiction.
If everything goes smoothly and you ease out of your physical addiction to Oxycontin your addictive thinking could convince you that “you’re problem wasn’t so bad”. I did that myself a few times.
It wasn’t until I disrupted my life that it clicked in my brain just how bad my situation was.
Just trying to give you a view outside of your own. Good Luck.
I wanted to stop back in and say the suboxone is still helping me a lot, and to agree with everyone who has said that some sort of therapy or program or behavior modification is key to getting healthy.
In my case, the thing that makes suboxone so great is that it has basically eliminated my number one trigger – pain. And not being on the emotional rollercoaster that I was on when I was using has made it possible for me to work hard and effectively in therapy & to start making positive changes in my life.
That’s the only way this thing is going to work for me. And I agree with Erin’s comment about needing to disrupt my life a bit, to really get some perspective on how my using was impacting my life. For me, outpatient treatment has been enough of a disruption to wake me up, but I can see how inpatient rehab could be really helpful.
bottlecappie,
I found your post to help me the most. I was reading through hoping to find a way in to help my problem & questions….I have been on oxycontin for two years for a back fracture, severe sciatica pain and severe knee osteoarthritis. I have been good about not abusing it and taking it as prescribed, however, it is too expensive and i have no insurance…. i spend $160.00 a month out of my pocket and just can’t afford it, so i decided to get off of it, however, my pain persists without it… it truly helps my physical pain….
so my question is, for those of us who truly need it for pain, will Suboxone alone help the pain.
Alma
It seems that Suboxone has in some cases been prescribed for pain but from what I’m reading it is not recommended.
Also, Suboxone is just as expensive if not more expensive than Oxycontin so it won’t really be a smart alternative for you since the cost is one of your issues.
I hope that helps
Buprenorphine, the active ingredient in Suboxone, is actually a really strong analgesic and has been used as a painkiller for many years in Europe. One mg of buprenorphine is equivalent to 50 mgs of oral morphine, in terms of painkilling strength. But because buprenorphine is not a full-agonist, it does not produce the same kind of euphoric feeling that other opioid painkillers do.
Since I’ve been on Suboxne, my fibromyalgia pain is gone. But I have heard that it isn’t an effective painkiller for some people. And it is hideously expensive, though there are programs to help low-income, uninsured people get access to the medication.
Can you talk to your doctor about methadone? A lot of doctors are prescribing methadone to their chronic-pain patients because it is long-acting, really effective and very inexpensive. Maybe that would help? It is important to have your pain under control, otherwise it is incredibly hard to deal with addiction.
I am a heroin addict who recently started on a suboxone program. From my experience Suboxone takes away withdrawals and being dopesick which is wonderful but not the cravings. Thats where meetings/counseling come in to help deal with the psychological aspects of it. I have also tried shooting it and contrary to popular belief it did NOT put me in withdrawals but just felt the effects a little quicker. Still no high, just “normal”. But obviously I wouldnt advise it I just had to know firsthand the truth.
I can chime in on this subject again with a little more knowledge.
I have a family member who just yesterday began Suboxone treatment for an Oxycontin addiction. The doctor that they found is affiliated with a recovery center but it is not mandatory that he attend any meetings. It is all voluntary.
What is mandatory is that you pay these doctors in cash..no health insurance will cover the actual doctor visits, only the drug itself.
We’re talking $300.00 for the first visit, $150.00 for the next visit…so on. So this really is a cash business. It’s scary.
If my insurance will pay for me to go to rehab then why wouldn’t it cover these Suboxone visits? I guess I don’t understand that aspect of it.
Most insurances will pay for the Suboxone visit but MOST DR’S will not accept it because the insurance won’t pay as much as you would to attend. You can pay out of pocket and call the insurance program to submit your own claim for reimbursement. I am on Suboxone myself and this is how i know my information. One more thing is if you go to http://www.naabt.com you can sign up for the patient / dr matching system and have a dr who is accepting new patients email you to set up to go
I have only one problem. Finding a doctor that take my insurance for suboxone. Most of the doctors on the listing no longer provide this service. The ones that do want $200 for the initial visit and $100 every 2 weeks. My husband’s herion addiction has been a strain. It has also tapped us out financially. I figure they think you can buy the drug then if you are serious about getting off then the same way you come up with the money to get hi then you can come up with the to keep from getting hi. This is scary. We decided to pay the fees and he has an appointment for friday.
Hi Terri
Isn’t it freaky how much of a cash business Suboxone is. My brother had to pay around the same amounts as you said.
They flat out told him that he was able to find the money to spend on drugs to get him high, he should be able to come up with the money for the drugs to get him clean.
I can see their point but I just don’t understand why insurance doesn’t pay for part of this.
So there is no way that insurance will pay for this?
I think it just depends on your insurance. You may be able to find a doctor who will take your insurance for the visits at least, but I think it’s harder to get the medication covered.
Needy Meds has a suboxone program to help low-income folks get access to the medicine. I think there is info on the NAABT site about that. Some doctors also work on a sliding scale – especially if they get any kind of government funding for drug & alcohol treatment services.
Good luck, I hope you find an affordable doctor to help you.
Cash only! What a crock. I’m gonna quit suboxone now after a month because I just cant justify the cost. Im opiate free now so its done its job. If it were up to my doctor he would keep me on for the rest of my life. They are making a fortune off of us.
Hi Ted
You are obviously frustrated. My only advice would be not to do anything that could jeopardize your sobriety.
You should probably find out from your doctor how to safely start to ween yourself off of the Suboxone rather than just stop taking it.
I myself don’t have any real experience with taking Suboxone for an extended period of time but since it blocks the same receptors in your brain as an opiate would I’m sure it must have some sort of withdrawal effects if you were to just stop taking it.
I would actually be really interested to see what you find out about that. If you wouldn’t mind I would love you to keep me posted about what it is like to stop taking the Suboxone. Good Luck.
My boyfriend had a serious addiction to opiates for 3 years, and off and on he would get “black market” suboxone to try and stop…but then would go back to opiates as soon as the suboxone ran out. Last week we paid about $370 to have him start suboxone treatment under a doctors supervision. And considering how much he was paying a day for opiates the 300 dollars is NOTHING in comparison. I am very concerned with how he will ever get off of suboxone without going back to opiates, but only time will tell. Im also concerned with what damage he has done to his body with the past 3 years of addiction and if suboxone will cause further harm depending on how long he is on it. It has been a long process so far and I can only imagine will be a long process to come. But worth every cent. Even if we both had to work 2 jobs to pay for it for the next year or so, it would be worth it if it allows him to feel normal and us to live normal happy healthy lives.
Hey Erin
I went to my suboxone doctor today and asked if I could start tapering my dose off. He said that I could if I wanted to try so now instead of taking 16mg/day, I am only going to take 12mgs. However he still prescribed the 16mg dose. He said to not to feel in a rush to get off of it, some stay on it for a year. I have only been on suboxone for about a month or so now and have been clean the entire time. It takes persistance and determination. You really have to want sobriety with everything you have. This is by no means a miracle drug, but a tool to help. I quit using suboxone cold turkey for a few days because I gave a few of my pills to a dopesick friend to try and get him through the initial sickness. I did feel a little withdrawal but it is not even in the same league as being dopesick. So for now I will stay in the program and deal with the expense. It cost me almost 300 dollars today. There is a free prescription card that I got off the net that knocks about 30% off the cost of the script. FreeDrugCard.us That helps a little. Good luck to all that are living in the solution and not the problem.
Ted
Thanks so much for sharing. The reason I’m so interested is because my brother recently entered into recovery and he is using Suboxone as a tool.
I know that it is costing him (actually my parent’s) a lot of money right now. He gets his prescription paid for, except for a copay, but has to pay all of his doctor visits and Suboxone therapy visits in cash…which is really weird to me.
Congratulations on taking the first steps in coming off of the Suboxone. By reading what you are writing it seems that you truly only want to use this drug for as long as absolutely necessary. I firmly believe that this is exactly how it is intended to be used.
Can anyone tell me if I need to list Suboxone when I do a ua? I am job hunting and am doing drug tests.
Thank you
Shelly
From everything that I have read Suboxone will not show up in a standard drug screen. There is a special test required to look for Suboxone.
It definitely will not show up on a work drug screen looking like an opiate. So I think you are good.
You may want to invest in a home drug test that searches for pretty much everything and see how you register.
Suboxone won’t show up in a drug test unless it specifically tests for it. If it showed up as an opiate on a drug test then how would my doctor know if I used or not the past week? Just food for thought.
Erin- Thanks for your encouragement! It is strange that most docs work on a cash basis, but on the positive it protects ones annonymity by not having it show up on an insurance record that can be found out by work or others. I dont even use my real name at the appointments or to get the script for fear of that exact reason.
Ted
Of course, when you put it that way about the Suboxone drug test it makes absolute sense. I have no idea why I didn’t think of that!
As for the anonymity aspect and not going through your own insurance…I didn’t think of that either.
See to me, when I entered into rehab I made sure to let my insurance know and also my PCP because I was afraid if I didn’t I was kind of leaving the back door open for myself. Meaning I would be leaving open the possibility of getting drugs from my doctor in the future (I was a drug seeker). I figure by telling my doctor and my insurance company I pretty much concreted the fact that I cannot go to a doctor and get not needed prescription for pain killers.
But I would understand why others would not want their insurance to know.
I have a question – for those of you that are commenting on this site that are on a Suboxone program. Do you think you would find it helpful to have a place to go (like a message board) to talk to others who are also on a Suboxone program? I was thinking about starting a message board.
It’s easier than having to scroll through a bunch of comments on someone’s blog…ya know? So what do you think?
I think a message board is a wonderful idea and I would definitely go there. The fact that I can share with other people that are on Suboxone or are interested in it is great. It would sure be an improvement.
thanks for your input…it’s in the works
I think a message board is a good idea too. There are a couple around, but they are so huge – so many members and so many posts – that I don’t feel like part of a community. A new, smaller board for suboxone patients would be sweet.
bottlecappie – thanks for your input on the message board idea. I was looking around at some that already exist and I see exactly what you mean about them being huge. The one I came across had over 61,000 posts…WTF! I guess people really need to talk about his right?
Ok, we are putting the finishing touches on the Suboxone forum. Hopefully within the next couple of days I will be able to have you guys look at it and let me know what you think. Thanks for your input.
When you have the info on it, I will do a post on my blog, which has a readerdhip of about ten people, but still – whatever helps!
ok…the url for the Suboxone forum is http://www.suboxone-doctor.com The name of the forum is the Suboxone Help Spot.
So far, I am the only one that has posted anything on there but I am looking for some other people to become active on there. Anyone interested, please go and check it out.
There are still a few kinks and I’m still getting used to the application but feel free to check it out, add anything you would like and please give me some suggestions.
Please be patient while I work out the bugs.
Erin
Awesome !! I just started posting videos on YouTube about Suboxone and have gotten a very positive response. I will mention this site in my next video and to my audience/friends/subscribers. Great job!
If anyone wants to check out the first video my screen name on youtube is PainPainGoAway or just search Suboxone thanks.
Excellent job on the video Ted. I have updated this post to include it. Really great job.
hello there recovery friend. my name is Lewis, a fellow addict and patient of suboxone. i read your comment from my friend jeffs web page, duppa.org. personally, i absolutely love the stuff. i was a slave to those damned opiates,and subs have helped me get on the straight and narrow again. one bad thing is,some docs prescribe to much,for example,i know someone that gets 90 a month. thats insane! 3 a day? thats poppy cock! i take 12mgs/day,so a pill and a half. which is plenty. my buddy sells about half his script of 90,and makes fat cash. its totally unnecessary to perscribe that much. but alas,from my research about suboxone,is that its hard to come off of,due to its enormous half life. if one were to suddenly stop taking it after prolonged use, you can withdrawal for up to 3 weeks! im talking full blown withdrawal. which we all know,sucks more than anything. i believe its like a 2-3 month weening process to completely get off of suboxone. i definitly dont plan on being on this stuff for the rest of my days,ive been on it for about a year,give or take. at any rate,i love it. but it is another drug,and is misused and abused,and sold for OUTRAGEOUS prices in the streets. upwards to $15-$30 per pill. but id like to hear your feed back on my comments,and any other valuable information u can give me about suboxone and my road to recovery. you can reach me at my email address, locallew@verizon.net. take care and God bless……Lewis C. (hailing from Buffalo,NY)
Hi Lew
Thanks for the input on the site. Let me say that I have no issue with anyone using Suboxone in their recovery. I guess when I was writing this post I was thinking of a situation more along the lines of your friends.
Getting more than you actually need and then selling them on the street. I had written another post about Suboxone helping delay the inevitable. I had bought it on the street before entering into recovery as a way of getting me through the Oxy withdrawal. In a way all I was doing was prolonging my time in active addiction because I was using the Suboxone as a miracle pill. I would get clean, stay clean for a couple of weeks but then would be right back out there stuffing drugs up my nose.
Congratulations on your clean time and the fact that you’re ultimate goal is to be clean of all drugs in the end shows that you are committed to your recovery.
You may have seen it in the comments but I also just started a Suboxone message board http://www.suboxone-doctor.com feel free to go check it out…keep in mind I JUST started it and there have been only 2 other people who have checked it out (besides myself). Good luck and keep in touch with us here at What Winners Do.
hey Erin. hows everything. u know what i think it is,it ALL depends on the doctor u choose. thunkfully, i got a fatastic one. so hows recovery life? its tough right? old habits die hard. real hard. at any rate, i read your biography if you will, and i honestly shed some tears. like you so rightfully put,there was many differences but at he same time some very eery similarities. oh my god very similair. the experimentation,then the progression into addiction. its so crazy. what a life to live. i did many of the same drugs u did too. MDMA was a big drug of choice for me, as a matter of fact i still suffer from the effects of it. but when i found opiates they became my everything, my all, my master. i always had a drug using problem,but opiates was the curse. because of the physical addiction it brings. this is a life time battle erin,its gonna definitly be hard,but we can do it. we all must stick together in this struggle. keep in touch….Lewis C.
Hi Lew
If you don’t mind me asking…what type of MDMA effects are you still suffering from? I used this very often for a really long time myself.
Also thank you very much for telling me that you can identify with my story, it just makes me feel better.
I would love it if you would check out the new site I made, Suboxone Help Spot. It is very new, there are only about 11 members on there right now so I’m inviting anyone I know how has some experience with Suboxone to become a member. I would love it if you would join and also share your story on there so others can identify with your story the way that you have done with mine.
Been off suboxone for one week. Can’t get motivated to do anything. I feel fine, but am tired all of the time and do nothing all day. Is this the suboxone withdrawal kicking in or am I just very lazy? Anybody know? The first 3-4 days were easier than the last couple. Don’t know if I should be thankful and stay off or if I should go back on.
Hi CB
I honestly don’t have the answer for you. You might think about going to the Suboxone message board that I run which is
The Suboxone Help Spot. There are some very knowledgeable people that are members there and would probably be able to answer your question.
Thanks Erin – I just found the suboxone help spot website. I’ll keep reading.
Hey – Iwas so thankful to find this forum. I told subozone about 4 years agao in a high priced treatment facility. I stayed 90 days after a 7 day medical detox. I was given suboxone for about 3 weeks. Once I completed treatment 0nly 6 months cleans) I was back taking a minimum pof 20 Lortab 10mg per day and a maximum of 30 per day. I was so sick anf tired of taking opitates but being dope sick I decided to talk to my pain management dr about getting back on suboxone, because I knew it really worked. Today I am 2 days with no LT’s and taking suboxone. I feel awesome. Absolutly , no withdrawals symptoms at all. My doctor was awesome about the whole process. I’m not sure what my maintenance dose will end up being but right now my script says I can take 8mg every 6-8 hours until I am stabilized. Anyone with any feedback? I am so ready for the road to recovery. Oh, my only complain is I’m having trouble sleeping. My doc told me to call him on Monday and let him know how I am doing and if I needed any scripts for any symptoms he would call them in. Oh one more ? my local walgreens told me for 30 – 8mg pills is $210.00 does that sound right? Any suggestions to get it cheaper. I am 38 years old and have a successful career and marriage. That why I am so happy with suboxone I have been able (at least for the 2 days I’ve been on it) to return with out anyone knowing what I’m going through. So in my eyes it is a miracle drug… Please help me if anyone has any suggestions….
hey there Erin. as far as my mdma side efects,first of all i used to be a heavy heavy user a while back. actually i went to a halloween part and use it for the first time since July 2002. but i would say the side effect that sticksout the most is definitly the random depression. i mean i get depressed for NO reason what so ever. back aches and sometimes,but not very often,my motor skills arent very good. sleeplesness and panic attacks. and lastly memory loss, this happens very often. but alas,i do like the drug but i dont wanna do it ever again. only reason i did it this past halloween cuz its been so long and i felt i needed to get it outta my system. so i did it. but i had a fantastic time in case u were wondering! lol. so how have u been? hows recovery life. one more thing,i thing im developing a dependence for xanax,or any other benzo. im scarred to death of that cuz i hear the withdrawals can be ten times worse than opiate withdrawal,and can also be fatal. how long does it take to develop a physical dependence for it? get back soon. love Lewis C. God bles…..
Hi Ness – glad to hear you are doing so well. I have been / am in a similar situation. I am a mom, wife and career person and most recently was taking between 30-40 10 mg. Lortabs/Norco a day. I also had been on Suboxone before, so I went back on it again. I would be careful about taking anything else, like sleeping pills. I took them a couple of times with suboxone and I was pretty loopy – getting up during the night and waking up on the computer or eating at the kitchen table…pretty wierd. It might be that you should try to cut back on the suboxone. I find taking too much of it keeps me awake more. Besides, I was taking more opiates than you and was able to get by with taking only 2, 3 at the most 8mg subs. Then I went down from there. The price seems about right, but some of the smaller, discount stores have it for about $40 cheaper. Good luck…CB
Hi Lewis
Thanks for the reply. Recovery is going good. I actually just hit my one year recovery mark on January 26th which is unbelievable to me.
There are good days and there are definitely the occasional bad days but all days are better than they used to be when I was using.
So I’m still trying to get some new members to join The Suboxone Help Spot so if anyone who hasn’t joined is interested just pop on over. I appreciate it.
Erin
hey erin, i tried subscribing to that site several times but for some odd reason,it wont let me? hmm. ill keep trying no doubt. but anywyas,quick question for ya,what do you know about people snorting suboxone? ive heard 2 diffrent stories. it makes u go into immediate withdrawal, and also i heard it gets you higher. me personally i would never ever never ever do such a thing. just curious. ive been strugling as of late with the cravings,the place where i work unfortunately is surrounded with drugs of all kind. im so scared to relapse. but thanx to suboxone,id have to wait atleast three days of not taking it to take a lortab or oxy. which would never happen. also, is suboxone withdrwl worse than heroin w/d? i hear diffrent stories bout that too. i wonder how long it takes to ween off of it when i decide its time to do so. TTYL. Lewis from Buffalo,NY
Hey Lewis, If you don’t mind could you shoot me an email with the problem that you’re having when trying to create a membership on the site.
I would really appreciate it. I’m trying to work out all of the bugs that come up.
As for the snorting Suboxone…There is a chemical in Suboxone called Naloxone that is not absorbed into the body when when the pill is dissolved under the tongue. Naloxone has the ability to stimulate certain receptors in the brain.
When Naloxone is introduced into the body it immediately stimulates the receptors causing the person to go through withdrawal symptoms.
So…when Suboxone is taken by means other than as directed (under the tongue) there is a serious risk of the person becoming ill with withdrawal.
i click on the link to the site. the site says either sign in or apply for membership. of course i click on the apply one,it then directs me to some sort of disclaimer, with only one lick that says back to sign in form. i click on that and user name and password come up. i put something in,then it says it cant find my membership??? so basically its not letting me apply in the first place,im doing it via my cell phone,i dont have a regular computer,but my parents do. so ill try to get over there during the week to try from a computer. its just weird cuz my phone has never done this before,and thus is extremely reliable. at any rate,have u ever heard od nicotinamide? i guess its a natural vitamin that acts like benzos. im on benzos due to tremendous anxiety from drug use,and wana ween off. i head this vitamin will help. any suggestions would be great. later….
Lewis – I have had some new sign ups on the site within the last couple of days so for now I’m going to assume somehow the problem has to do with you using a phone…I don’t know.
As for the nicotinamide…never heard of it. I was on benzos before I entered into recovery but I haven’t felt the need for them. I don’t even know if I ever had a need for them, I just liked taking them.
The only thing I do is drink sleepy time tea before bed…I am turning into the biggest dork.
I was on a high dose of benzos of some kind, for close to nine years. Over the past year, or so, I have been tapering down, and weaning off completely as of the beginning of October 2007. I found this really useful web site by a U.K. doctor. Her name is Heather Ashton. She wrote a book and several articles on benzo withdrawal, tapering, and also ran a benzo withdrawal clinic. The link is http://www.benzo.org.uk/manual/. I hope it is as helpful for anyone interested, as it was for me. Good Luck.
i love tea! i drink tons of it. for two reasons,for the main reason the benefits of some teas are absolutely amazing for ones health,and secondly,ive been taking opiates for several years now, and i know a nice hot drink makes u buzz a little better. since suboxone doesnt really give me a buzz,a drink cups of tea after a dose to highten the buzz a wee bit. sounds silly i know,but im an addict. and old habits die hard. but like i said,the main reason is the health benefits. there are antioxidents in teas,and after several years of taling drugs,Lord knows i need to get some bad shit outta my system! lol. i used tot take benzos for fun,i used to looooove mixing tabs with lots and lots of xanax. which is a death cocktail. mixing those 2 kinds of drugs can cause respiratory failure. so yeah your lungs forget to work. anyway,keep drinking tea and stay off drugs!!! ttyl Louie from the B-Lo.
oh one more thing,ur not a dork for drinking tea cuz i do everyday. i recomend earl gray,or any green teas. the black teas tend to have more caffiene.
hey erin how goes it? long time no talk to. howve u been? hows recovery life. its going fabulous for me! well get back soon! love lews c
Hi Lewis
Everything is going really well. I hope the same goes for you.
How is life on Suboxone going? I’m sure you have already told me but…how long have you been in Suboxone treatment? Do you plan on staying on it for a while or are you looking towards weaning off? Just curious.
I’m glad to hear from you.
Erin
its goin great actually. im currently on 12mgs per day,and next month itll be lowred to 8mg per day,im gonna be weened off until theres nothing left to take. im just scared that when it finally comes time to get off totally,will i be ok. thats when i need support of fam and friends the most,and attend more meetings. but everythings ging great none the less!
I have a question. I have been on suboxen for 21 days now 2mgs per day sometimes i take half. How long will it stay in my system and if i am perscribed a pain killer when can i take it. I had the suboxen for opiat addiction please let me know!
queen of sorrow,to answer your question,the half life of suboxone is pretty long,roughly 72 hours,so youd have to wait 3-4 days until u could take anorher opiate. but i have a question,i dont mean to pry,but you got on suboxone to get off opiates. so why take them? its up to you to tell a doctor youre a recovering addict and cant take opiates. i had some teeth work done and had to tell the dentist so,aleve works great,to me they work better than any opiate ever could. hope this helps you.
thats such a low amount, I don’t think it would matter much. I agree with lewis though, skip the opiates and take tylenol. If you must the opiates will work at peak efficiency after 2-3 days without suboxone. Each mg of sub has the same painkilling effect as 6mg of oral morphine, so remember that as well.
hey erin, how goes it? hows recovery life been? long time no hear from. just seeing how youve been. ive recently been put on an anti depressant,its called effexor. been on it for a month now,so im starting to feel the effects. it does help,no crazy side effects yet,except for the dry mouth of course. which blows. but any who,get back when u can. cya, God bless. Lewis
Hi Lewis
I’m glad to hear that you are beginning to feel better. The only thing is that Effexor, just like Cymbalta, has some really horrible withdrawal effects if you ever decide that you no longer need it. I mean some really serious shit.
Just wanted to let you know what you’re getting into. No one told me when I started Cymbalta…found out the hard way once I tried to stop.
But if it’s working for ya, that’s really all you need to be concerned with right now.
I’m doing really well. Just kind of going along peacefully at the moment which is an excellent feeling. It was really great to hear from you, keep in touch.
yeah i was aware of the withdrawal symptons before i started. but i guess its better than any type of benzo. cuz benzo withdrawal is the WORST. i dont wanna be on it long. hopefully with my doctors help when i decide to come off,he can ween me off properly. anyways,if u didnt know,i live in Buffalo,Ny,and it was 88 degrees here yesterday! so beautiful. nice today,but probably gonna rain.
just curious,where abouts are you from? im originaly from nyc. but moved here for school.
I’m just north of Boston in Massachusetts. It has been really nice here to for about the past week. It’s really weird how much weather can effect your mood right?
oh yeah absolutely the weather can effect your mood. did u know,that seattle,which has the highest average rainfall per yer,has the highest suicide rate in the country? crazy right. but what types of cymbalta withdrawal did u experience? and please dont tell me ur a redsox fan!
What kind of Cymbalta withdrawal? Well, you could read my post Cymbalta Symptoms Suck or any of the 1370 comments from the other sufferers of Cymbalta withdrawal who commented on that post.
I went through over 20 days of withdrawal that included everything under the sun from dizziness to flu like symptoms but the worst is something called brain zaps. If you don’t know what those are take a look at the video on my other Cymbalta post which pretty accurately explains what they are. Effexor and Cymbalta cause basically the same withdrawal symptoms so it would be good for you to find out I guess.
As for the Red Sox…they’re wicked pissa, of course I’m a Red Sox fan! Let’s Go Boston!
awww…..im originally from nyc,borna nd raised yankees fan. I HATE THE REDSOX!!!! ever since i was 2. dont worry,we’ll get another ring this year. how can i associate with a redsox fan? ugh! lol. j/k. and please,please dont tell me your a new england patriots fan. people here in buffal hate them. again ive been a new york giants fan since i was in the womb! go yanks and giants! beeting them in the super bowl was one of the greatest events i witnessed in my life! haha(
What kind of Boston girl would I be if I didn’t like the Patriots? The super bowl was a great win for you guys and pretty crushing for us but you don’t get to watch games like that all that often right? Right down to the wire.
yeah that was simply amazing. we are exact polar oppisites. who isnt in new york and boston. how old are u by the way? and youre married and have a family right?
just if ur curious,im single and LOVING it! i have a 9 year old,im 26 yrs old. most people say i llok like Fez from that 70s show. so that sone of my many nick names,Fez. so gay! imbout 6′-1″0and weigh about 240lbs. i was kinda a jock in high school. im puerto rican and italian. just to let u know a bit about me….
oh i hope i didnt freak u out by describing myself,just wanted to give a general idea of what i look like since we’ve become recovery freids. oh yea,i forgot to tell u,i camt beleive i forgot too,i was rushed to the ER with the WORST panic attack ive ever had in my life. theu gave me a shot of valium,thats right a shot! ive never felt better! but in all it was a terrifying experience.
Of course you didn’t freak me out. I’m 30 and…well there is a picture of me on my about page.
I’m sorry to hear about your anxiety attack. Those are never really a good sign. Something going on in that head of yours I guess right?
So what are you going to do about it?
i dont know what im gonna do,just keep taking my meds and hope for the best. i know its from all the years of drug abuse my brain is sorta going through its own withdrawal phase. it suxx.
so what are u gonna do? what are u gonna do with life,
For now I do what I can, the best that I can every day. Make sense?
makes perfect sense. its a day to day thing,hell most of us its hour by hour. unfortunately,im about to take five 1mg klonopin. i still struggle with the benzos. help!
Cut the shit Lewis! You don’t need that shit, it’s your addiction talking through your anxiety.
I’m not trying to get preachy with you but really… come on.
i know ur right. but so scarred to have another anxiety attack like the last one. worst one ever. i should flush them down the toilet
Well I’m sure you already know but if you have been taking benzo’s on a regular basis their withdrawal can be really dangerous.
I know you don’t want to have anxiety attacks but just covering up the reason behind them with drugs isn’t going to get you anywhere and eventually it won’t work anymore and your anxiety will start to poke through.
I feel for ya, you’re in a tough spot. Before stopping anything I would consult a professional to see how they think you should go about getting off the kpins.
I’ve been there so I feel ya.
thanx for all your concern so far. i really appreciate it. we dont even know each other,but our souls sure do through this evil addiction,(corny
) lol
If I could only get you to post over at The Suboxone Help Spot
You never know… it could help you out in just the ways you need.
I did it Erin! I finally subscribed at the Suboxone Help spot. (finally right)
hey what kinda music u like? just curious. i believe music has the ability to move the soul and change moods. me personaly,my fav is electronic music,any type.
It’s weird but I never know how to answer that question. I like all kinds of music. Not really into polka or country but I would say that I’ve been able to enjoy just about anything else.
One album that I find myself still listening to often is Matisyahu Live at Stubs. I would say that his album is my go to album when I need a little cheering up.
I’m not sure if you’ve ever listened to any of it but it is very spiritual… to me anyway.
But honestly I like rock and hip hop a lot. I’m not really into R&B but I get caught singing along with a song here and there.
oh matisyahu is great! i got into him about 2 years ago,seen him live at bonnaroo in tennessee. amazing. he has 2 more albums,Youth which is newer,and his first one which i cant remember at the moment. when i recall ill let you know. i grew up on hip hop so thatll never leave me,and i loike rock as well, Radiohead happens to be my all time favorite band.
hey erin,i told my doc about u and these forums and he said its good. to share and vent with other addicts. but he also said its not enuff,he wants me to attend like 3 NA meetings a week!! i have NOOOOOO time for that.
hey quick question,i mightve asked this already. but did u read my story? and what did u think?
You have to make time Lewis. You’re not always going to be on the Suboxone and you need to develop some coping skills.
If your sobriety is your top priority as it should be in recovery then attending 3 meetings per week is not too much to ask in the beginning.
I think you need to do this in order to get used to the idea of focusing on your recovery. After a while as you get some sobriety time under your belt you can tweak your schedule if the 3 meetings is truly too much.
I think that this will help you with your benzo problem too. You’re going to see people that live successfully without any type of drugs and you will realize that you can have that to. It will teach you to do what the winners do.
i made the decision to get off effexor. i talked to my doc a week or so ago,i know now of these “brain zaps” of what u speak of. awful. i get it not only in my brain,but it feels like my entire top half of my body. have a blessed day today erin. cya
hey erin, remember i was telling u about matisyahu’s first album but i couldnt remember the name of it? well i do! its called: “Shake Off The Dust…Arise” spelled out just like that. i dunno if u download music or not,theres 17 tracks. i can send u a track list if u wish. peace.
hello everyone! hows recovery life going for u people,especially u erin. quick question,i was offered adderell and amphetamine salts(?) the othe day but obviously declined,can anyone tell me more about these 2 drugs? he was telling me its like cocaine. ill never ever do them,im just curious.
Everything is going really well. I’m not too familiar with either of those drugs. Kind of keeping myself out of the loop these days. So how is everything going Lewis?
well,not all is well im afraid. due to the economy downfalling and the prices of everything from gas to milk rising quickly,im not making as much money as i used to. the type of job i have requires the economy to work almost harmonicly. plus my grandfather,whos 75,is in the hodpital right now. had another panic attack on saturday night. which sucked. i fell down and hit my head. but besides all that everythings peachy keen!
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