I am new and "I need help"!!!

brandy,
just a reminder, with you going in for your induction tomorrow, don't take anything in the way of opiates today, even the ultram.
I know you already feel pretty bad but just remember that tomorrow you will feel much better than you have been feeling.
Tomorrow is a new start for you.
Being nervous is normal, not knowing what to expect, how you will feel or how the suboxone will make you feel.

Is your sister still taking you to your induction?
I am confused, I do admit that. You said that you are outpatient now and when the new place has an opening you will be switching over there. Is that going to be out or in patient? Will you be on maintenance or is it a detox facility?

It is understandable for you to be upset over your ex boyfriend passing. When people share a bond and have a closeness but break up that doesn't mean the memories of that closeness or the good times go away. We still have the good memories and over time sometimes that is what we remember.
The bad days or times don't seem to mean as much as they did back in the past. Hold onto the good memories and learn from what has happened.
You have been given a second chance. Live for today.

Check in when you get home tomorrow, I can't wait to hear from you.
Take care and have a great Sunday.
Dee

Hi Dee, the place I will be switching to is an outpatient. Its the place that turned me down previously. But I got in for an assessment there bc I am going thru a different doctor (since that doctor is full and there is a waiting list). I know I am confusing you I am sorry. I signed up for outpatient through there also bc it is closer to where I live and I am more familiar with the route. The counslor that did my assessment told me she couldnt believe that I was turned down for the suboxone program thru there. and that she is going to talk to the doctor and try to get me in when there is an opening. So I go to the doctor tomorrow, my counslor is sending the results for the assessment and she is going to call him and let him know I signed up for out patient treatment once a week. You have to be in outpatient treatment to be on suboxone. So i believe everything is all in place. To answer another question of yours, no its not detox. Just out paitent once a week.

I will also be going to the appt. alone. I do not think they do the induction in the office. Yes I will not do any opiates today or tomorrow. I am happy to be done with them. They sure did alot of damage to my life and I am ready to move forward in my life with out them...=D

Pretty excited!!

Thanks for being there for me thru all of this. <3

Brandy

I have another question...what if the doctor tests me for drugs and I have none in my system? I know that hydrocodone dont stay in the system long...??

In order for a person to be admitted into a treatment program they only have to be an addict within the last year. Is it the same doctor that gave you the Ultram to help with the withdrawal symptoms?
If you are in withdrawal tomorrow when you go in, he will know. And you have already had your assessment, I'm sure the counselor that did your assessment documented what you told him about your past.
When I first went into treatment for Methadone, (before Suboxone) I had come from a detox facility first and by the time I got to the clinic I probably didn't have anything in my system but they went by what I told them my history was.

One thing your provider may want is the medical records from your primary care provider. Maybe not, it depends on who you have and what their policy is.

Hi Dee, I am officially on suboxone. I met with the doctor today and he prescribed it to me. I am prescribed two 8mg films twice a day. DOESNT THAT SOUND LIKE ALOT?? First off he prescibed me "TWO" films "THREE" times a day then after I left he called the pharmacy and had it changed to two twice a day....and from what I read that is still alot. I still did not take "ONE" as of yet and have been two days now with out anything at all. He gave me a two week supply of 74 films. I realize that this doctor is not very knowledgeable about the suboxone. He was very worried about prescribing it to me and said that he would rather prescribe me percoset or vicoden...I almost went for it but I want to change my life for the better. I cant wait to be accepted into the program offered at the MGH hospital by the addiction doctor. he knows what he is doing this guy does not. =( So I dont know what to do right now.. =(

The doctor also said I have to follow the prescibing dose and be in compliance with all the rules. There is no way that I am going to put two of those films in my mouth at the same time for my first dose. And second of all the script was written for two films three times a day that comes to 48 mgs. of suboxone per day. I am thinking that he realized that it was way over the max dose allowed per day and thats why he called the pharmacy and had it switch to two films twice a day. So here I am w/d and scared to take the films. I asked for the tabs but he said no. Do they still prescribe the tabs??

Please someone help me!!!!

brandy everyone is different but according to the induction protocol for Suboxone, it is recommended the patient not exceed 8mg on the first day.
Okay have you taken any Suboxone yet?

Normally the doctor would give the patient:
2mg. to start and watch the patient for about an hour after the strip or table is disolved to monitor signs of withdrawal

If after an hour the patient still seems to be haivng some withdrawal a second 2mg can be given.
You can cut your strips into quaters for this brandy.

I will check back in just a little bit to see how you are and if you need me I will keep checking in through the night for as long as you need me.
Let me know how you are doing okay

Hi Dee, ok I will cut it into quarters..I am really scared how I am going to feel...=( The strips are scaring me...would they make you feel just like the tablets..thanks for your HELP...I have been waiting for your reply cuz I knew something was wrong with the dosing for day 1. I dont understand what the naloxone is either. I am trying to look it up but its not telling me exactly what it is. I understand it is used if someone was to overdose but what is it used for in suboxone. I worry too much I think. =(

Would I then move on to the full 32 mg as prescribed tomorrow???

First, Naloxone is the ingredient in Suboxone that is supposed to discourage people from injecting it. When you use it like you are supposed to under your tongue, you really don't get much of it at all if any.

The ceiling dose of Suboxone is 32mg. Meaning any over 32mg won't do you any good.

The optimum dose of Suboxone according to SAMHSA is 12-16mg a day. There are some people who take more but usually those are people who are also taking it for pain.

The strips disolve pretty fast, make sure your hands are dry though. Place it under your tongue in the back. If you have been off everythig and are in complete withdrawal it will make you feel better. It usually doesn't take very long once you take it.

I will wait here with you while you take it. Dont' worry, I'm not going anywhere.

In the morning when you get up, you can take 2mg again to start. I know the doctor told you that you have to follow all of his rules and you will. But if you don't need that much there is no sense in taking that much. Rarely does anyone need that much Suboxone.
You are right, he is not very knowledgeable.
Don't get me wrong. I am not a doctor or pharmacist. Only a patient/advocate and can only go on my past experience.

brandy what was the last thing you took, when and how much? How often?

ok, its been over an hour now and I dont feel that much better..=(

I took vicoden its been about 48 hours already. i take about 10 a day. probably 1 every 1.5 hour
I feel better about the naloxone. I dont know why i am so scared of it but tha ts just how I am...I know it doesnt make sense when I will take 10-15 vicoden a day.

Thanks again for all your help. I was just thinking back to my very first post and all what I have been thru to get to this point. FINALLY!!

I have to go back and see him in two weeks from today. He said that if I lived closer I would be back in the office in 2-3 days just so he could check on me and see how I am doing. But since I live so far away I dont have to go back for two weeks. I told him that I would call and let him know how I was doing. It was really weird tho today when he said that he would rather prescribe me percoset rather than suboxone. He was really worried about me being non-compliant and him losing his license. It seemed like to me I could of had any drug I wanted today. I never had that oppurtunity before. He even asked how many pill6s I would need a day and I said six. He counted and realized that would be 180 pills a month. Then he asked me why I was changing my mind. I felt like he didnt want to prescribe them because he said he was going to be watched by the state or something. I told him that he looked very worried to have to prescribe me suboxone. and thats when we decided to stick with the plan. I can see where he is coming from tho. I have only been in to see him two times now and he doesnt know me. I told him i promised that I would not do anything wrong and that I would follow the rules. He asked me probably three times if he could trust me. I told him he could. Then he checked me for track marks on my arms which I have none and never will have. Another thing that seemed odd is that...he did not drug test me even. - Just wanted to share a little about my appt.

Thanks so much Dee, for taking the time to give me advice and being here for me.

Ok, I took 2 mg last night and it helped just a little bit, I fell asleep shortly after that dose, I was so tired from driving yesterday.

This morning I started out with another 2mg and i feel a little better i guess. I am going to take another 2mg in about a half hour and see what that does.

I will also have left over strips do I take them to the next appt. with me? I cant imagine take four a day.

ALSO!! He said that I would be in the program for 6 month MAX. I am hoping to get into the program at the MGH. They are way more experienced with this stuff than him. I am also his first customer for suboxone.

If he is putting a time limit on your treatment, he is wrong. You cannot limit someone. Everyone is different.
It sounds like a detox and not a doctor that is set up (mentally) for maintenance.
For some doctors 6 months is max and for others like the provider that I have, they let the patient decide the length of treatment.

Take for instance someone who has been abusing opiates for a short period of time, the norm would be to use Suboxone as a detox tool and send them to a lot of AA/NA meetings to fill in their time.

For people who have been overtaking or abusing opiates for longer periods and have tried to stop several times but eventually end up back on the rollar coaster of using again, the maintance route seems to work better.
You need to give yourself time to heal, to get back on your feet and get your life together. When I say "you" I don't literly mean you, it is just the way I talk. I usually mean we as addicts.

I'ts fine for you to take another 2mg if you don't feel up tp par. Protocol says the second day is to not exceed 16mg. And I do realize we are all different. Just give your body time to see if it helps. Suboxone peaks after a couple of hours. If you feel sleepy towards the end of the day it is normal. You have been through a lot. Drink plenty of water and eat well, nothing super heavy but make sure you eat and don't put it off.

You should start to feel somewhat normal. No cravings, no withdrawal. When do you go back to the doctor?

Thanks Dee =) I got back to the Doctor on December 5th. I am now starting to feel better after the 2nd 2 mg dose. I am not craving anything at all and feel a little HIGH!! (jk jk) =O

Good I'm glad you feel better, if later on your start to feel bad you know you can dose again.
Ii'm not going to condem you if you feel a little high, it has been awhile since you have had anything in your body, I would think it would be normal as long as you don't get to the point that you start to look for that hight.
How is your energy level?
Some people have said they did the most house cleaning ever during their first couple of days.
I have to get ready for my counseling appointment today but I will be back when I get home.
What is MGH? Is that another Suboxone program? Are you on a waiting list for them or do you already have an appointment?

MGH is the where I am on the waiting list. I am hoping to switch over to them. And it is also the place I go to outpaitent. My energy level is really good. I am having a problem with the taste of these things tho, it just made me kind of sick. Is there any way to off set the taste? I also do not like the strips I would rather have the pills. What could I say to the doctor for him to switch me over to the pills?

Thanks Dee!! =)

You can ask him about the tablets but they taste just as bad and some say worse.
You would have to check and see if your insurance would cover the tablets. In the state that I live in, new patients are being placed on the strips due to insurance reasons. Also they say the risk of diversion is less of a risk with the strips as there is a bar code on each packet of each strip and that bar code traces back to the pharmacy where you filled the prescription. Wheather or not your pharmacy keeps a record of who gets which strips I don't know, but the hope is if someone sells their strips it can be traced back to the original patient.

The tablets are supposed to taste like some kind of lemon lime. But to me it tasted awful. Really awful.
some people suck on peppermint after they disolve, I brush my teeth about 15 minutes after I take mine.
No thanks needed, glad to help anytime.
Don't take your meds to late at night as you might have trouble sleeping.

I am having a hard time on these suboxone. I find myself wanting to keep taking more and more. And I am feeling alot of anxiety. I am even thinking of stop taking them. I have also not had a bm since my first dose. I even took four laxative pills today. =((

what dose are you taking now brandy? It is not uncommon to be constipated while on Suboxone as with most opiates. Using stool softeners do seem to help and make sure to keep drinking lots of water to keep your body hydrated.
It does get better. You are still in your induction period, once you settle in on the dose that is right for you, it will get much better.

You can try stopping if that is what you feel is best for you. It is always your decision.
Try and keep yourself busy it helps. Again, what dose are you taking.
With Suboxone you should not be in withdrawal or feel cravings. It is possible that you may need an adjustment in your dose.

Hi Dee, I am taking four a day sometimes more. I guess my addictive mind is taking over. =( I need help. I dont tknow what to do. i am not having any cravings or withdrawels tho. But still I am acting like a addict.

It's okay brandy, it will take a little time for the addict brain to stop thinking. Once you get yourself stabilized, it will change.
A lot of addicts go through this. We become addicted to taking something, anything. Once is not enough and the need for more takes over.
Mental addiction is real. This does not mean your weak or that you cannot do this. You are an amazing strong person. Take a look at the past few weeks and how long you had to wait to get on the program. You didn't give up then, and you won't now.
I have faith in you.
I have to run for a minute but will be back in just a few minutes.

Thanks Dee. Thats makes me feel better. I am feeling like I have no hope lately. I mean I am doing ok on them no withdrawels, etc. Can still function and go to work. But I guess I am feeling like im at a all time low. =(

Hi brandy
how are you doing today? How are you sleeping? Do you carry your Suboxone to work with you? How are you taking your dose. I mean, how often or what time are you using the strips? And how much each time.

I want to help you get yourself on a dose that you are comfortable with. If you need someone to talk to, I can call you at your convenience? Send me a pm if you would like me to call you and I will. I do have an appointment this afternoon from 1 to 3 and then again at five.

The town that I live in is trying to bring in a new Suboxone program. A wrap around program that will include not only the medication part of treatment but medical services as well and I would like to attend the meeting. We have a great need here for something like that. There is a need everywhere actually.
We have 3 providers here, used to have more but one moved and one retired, the rest decided they didn't want to be known as an addiction doctor.
Which really shouldn't even be an issue when it comes to treating the patient as a whole.
Please check in and let me know how you are today.
Don't' look back, only ahead, your future is yours for the taking.
Dee