Our newest members, what can we do for you?

Good morning!
We have had several new members join our little forum over the last week or so. And although we have new members we haven't heard from you yet.
That brings me to the question: What can we do for you?
Do you have any questions that you need answered about Suboxone or your treatment? Or are you just looking for general information?
Whatever the case may be, we are always happy to help out whenever we can.

Please don't hesitate to post.
Best wishes to all,
Dee

Hi, I just started suboxone 1 week ago and although I'm not sick I am having cravings like crazy. Do you think this is from too small of a dose or is this normal?

Without knowing your current dose it would be hard to say. Do you mind if I ask you what your dose is and how often you take it.
People react differently but Suboxone is designed to relieve cravings along with withdrawal.
If you are having cravings it could very well be your dose. When are you do to go back to see your provider?
What is your typical day like?

I am on 16 mg a day. I work a full time job and have a five year old. I see him tomorrow but I don't know if I should tell him or not how I feel cause he's gonna make me come back in another week then. I don't feel sick at all but very anxious and the cravings are definetely there. I came down from 70 mg of methadone I had been on for 3 years in 40 days to 30mg then started the sub.

I understand exactly how you are feeling. I also was in MMT. I took Methadone for four years before starting Suboxone.
The highest I got while taking methadone was 70mg but quickly brought that down to 40mg which is where I stayed.
Being on Suboxone for a week you are still in the induction phase and being a former methadone patient it can take a little longer for you to stabilize.
There are a couple of things you can try here. You can talk to your doctor about how you are feeling which is always recommended.
Or you can try to tough out the cravings. I know that telling you to keep yourself busy would sound crazy since you work full time and have a small child as well. You probably don't have a minute to yourself as it is.
Keep a log of when the cravings hit and what you are doing at the time. How long they last. This way you can see if there is something you can change in your routine that might help.
It is not uncommon for the doctor to want to see you once a week or even sooner in the beginning of treatment. This isn't a punishment but to make sure you are on the right dose for you.

Will you be using Suboxone for maintenance? What made you switch over? Not very many people switch and I'm curious as to why you did.
For me it was because I no longer had access to MMT. The state that I moved to only had one clinic at the time and it had such a long waiting list. I went CT for a month before starting Suboxone. Not by choice, just had to wait for a slot with a certified provider. That was one of the worse months of my life. I think the worse part though was the exhaustion and cravings that I felt.
Since starting Suboxone I have rarely had cravings. Not saying there not there from time to time but when they are they only last a few minutes and for that I am grateful.
I'm glad to have you here with us, I hope that some of our other members will stop by to offer their feedback to you as well.
I am always around if you need anything.
Dee

I really appreciate your reply thank you I am planning on maintenance I think I don't feel confident I could go without anything I switched because I was tired of going everyday and bringing my son now that he's older. I also could never stay awake and I gained 80 pounds in 3 years

Weight gain, very common with MMT. I went in weighing 104 and came out at 170. I have only been able to get down to 160 so far. I also discovered that I have hypothyroidism as well. I know a lot of the weight gain is because before recovery I hadn't been eating like I should let alone taking care of myself.
Why weren't you getting take homes from the clinic? I think the going everyday is what enabled me to "re-train" my brain to not take pills all day. Having to dose just once a day is What I needed. So far I haven't had any problems with over taking my medication. So things are working out well.

I think you will do well on Suboxone, you sound motivated and like this is what you want to do. That is half the battle. Some people do well on Methadone and have no problems with it. The same goes for Suboxone. Now that your out of the clinic system take some time for you and your young one. Enjoy yourself!
Good luck.
Dee

I did for a long time get take homes, that is until I took a vicodin from my mom while having a tooth ache and forgot all bout it until my drug screen came back positive. Then I got back up to 3 take homes a week and had a brilliant idea to go cold turkey off of 70mg. When I went crawling back I had missed a week and lost them again.

I understand the frustration, I really do. And sometimes we do things that at the time seem it is the best and sometimes in the long run it isn't what we thought or as easy as we thought it to be. Going CT off 70mg. I know must have been terrible for that week. Is that when you decided to try Suboxone?
I know that you don't want to tell the doctor how your feeling because you don't want to have to go back to see him in a week. It can get to be a hassle going back on a weekly basis. But you have got to get yourself to a stable dose and if seeing the doctor after a week so that he can evaluate you that might be the route to go. For previous Methadone patients as I said it could take a little longer for you to settle in on a dose that is right for you, at least in the beginning of treatment.

It is always up to you want you want to do because your the only one that knows what is best for you. So, how did it go at the doctors appointment? How are you feeling today? Any better as far as the cravings go?
Let me know how your doing okay.
Dee

Hi Dee and all,

It's nice to be here again. I've meant to come by long ago, but you know how it is...the longer you put something off, the harder it is to do. I thought of, "what makes me move?" It's usually something horrible. So, I decided I'd rather come here with things going okay than things unraveled and with regret. I'm still on 4 milligrams of Suboxone as I have been for some time now. This $150. every month is putting me behind and if I went anywhere to taper off, it's here. Dee has such a gentle way of nudging you in a way you believe it's your own idea. Yes Dee, I do need your help with this. I've wanted to be drug free since forever. Now it's important for me to taper off. I've tried even getting to two milligrams and I was in such a state, I had to return to 4 milligrams. This was a few years back and I'm wondring if some of you are or have been through this too. It's just so hard to change when I feel comfortable and secure today and I know I need to come out of my comfort zone and go through the pain and misery of adjustment to a smaller dose. I'm by no means a new person to this, but I feel new when I want to escape from treatment. I want so badly to wake up and not need anything but a cup of coffee. I remember when I was this person I want to be. Maybe because I can still recall who I was, I can be there again. I don't know, I'm grabbing at straws. It's hard to come here needing help when I was the one who helped others. I remember another group I belonged to which I've managed to have 21 years sober from alcohol. They said, "keep coming back." This is what I'm doing here. I'm back. I'll keep coming back until I have found the answers I so deperately need. Thanks for letting me share and for being here.
Yours in everyway,
Barbara

Hello Barbara my friend!
It has been a long time since we have talked. It is great to see you again. Just remember, slow is the way to go.
I too want to be free of everything and I believe I will one day but for now I am good where I am.
Your using the strips now aren't you? Can you cut the strip down a little bit. Not quite in half if it is a 2mg, just a little bit off.
If you try that and start to feel bad give it a little time for your body to get used to that dose before you try to cut it any more. No sense in making yourself ill.
I am proud of you my friend. Remember, you didn't start at 4mg.
If I remember correctly you have gone down from 16mg in the beginning. That is quite a step.
You deserve a big pat on the back and much congratulations!
It is late and I have a few things to do before bed so I am off of here until tomorrow.
Sleep with the angels,
Dee

Hi so I went to the Dr on tuesdãy and I told him how I felt and he increased my dose I feel so much better the cravings are almost completely gone thanks for your advice

Thank you for the update, I'm glad to hear that you did talk to your doctor about how you were feeling and are doing better. It isn't worth not telling him if it means that you would be feeling like cr*p.
Just like with MMT, there are some things that you have to do. We may not want to but in the long run it is what gets the job done.
Great job!
Dee