Taper/Titration/Getting Off Suboxone after 4 years

Greetings everyone. I literally just joined this site 10 minutes ago... and I would like to hear some people's experience with GETTING OFF this drug.... as the research I've done with my practitioner points out that it's nearly impossible!

I have been on Suboxone for 5 years - 3.5 years of which I have been an active member of AA/NA. I am very active in fellowship and I continue to work a spiritual program.

I am ready to be free of Suboxone, finally. I have put together some sober/clean time (3.67 years) and I have the tools in place that will keep me sober - i.e. a desire to stay sober, connection to a Higher Power, a homegroup, and a sponsor.

I do understand all the pro's and cons of the drug, so please - I am not interested in hearing why I should stay on it... This post is to GET OFF the drug.
I have created a titration schedule in order to get me from 3mg to 0mg. Here is what it looks like:

Month Date Dose
June 6/1-6/8 3mg

6/8-6/15 3mg

6/15-6/22 3mg

6/22-6/29 2mg

6/29-7/6 2mg

July 7/6-7/13 2mg

7/13-7/20 2mg

7/27-8/3 1mg

August 8/3-8/10 1mg

8/10-8/17 1mg

8/17-8/24 1mg

0.8mg
0.8mg
0.8mg
0.7mg
0.7mg
0.6mg
0.6mg
0.5mg
0.5mg
0.4mg
0.4mg

November 0.4mg
0.3mg
0.3mg
0.3mg
0.2mg
0.2mg
0.2mg
0.1mg
0.1mg

To get the desired mg dosages below 1 mg... follow this model... Crush an 8mg pill and dissolve in water. Once the 8mg pill has been crushed and dissolved in the water, measure out your dose with an oral syringe. Do the math yourself, to try and figure out what you need to be at according to the spreadsheet.
*Dissolving an 8mg pill in 10 mL's of water - you will need 1mL under your tongue to yield .8mg's of Sub.*

*Dissolving a 4mg (half) pill in 10 mL's of water - you will need 1mL under your tongue to yield .4mg's of Sub.*

*Dissolving a 2mg (half of a half) mg pill in 10 mL's of water - you will need 1mL under your tongue to yield .2mg's of Sub.*



*Squirt it under your tongue and hold it there for 10 minutes or so (similar to regular dosing), and don't drink or eat for 20 minutes after you swallow or spit it out. You're still taking it sublinqually, it's just liquified already.


AS you can see, its a slow process - and if its done correctly I will be off in November.

For me, this process is 99.9% mental.

Anyone have any positive Experience, strength and hope for me as I am halfway through this journey?

Johnny,
I'm glad you found the site. As for the weaning off, I'm in my taper too. My dr cuts back one strip a month and if you divide 8mg over a 30day period that's nothing. My dose is down to less than 1/3 of what it was a year ago and so far I've had no w/ds. That being said be careful about how you titrate down. I'm not a dr, but the studies I've read say that it takes at least 5 days for your body to adjust to a dose change because of the extremely long half life of sub. If you want I can email you the article. You're right about much of the process being mental, in my honest opinion. That's why I think the suboxone is so wonderful combined with step work or some type of therapy, because it relieves the physical symptoms and for me allowed me to stop obsessing long enough to start the process of dealing with the things that made me an addict, and that wasn't the drugs. For me drugs are a symptom of a larger problem. You will find that people here may respond more slowly than over at ITR, but they are happy to share their experience without judgement. As for the time you've been on sub, you know what is right for you. There are people who will say you should only be on it for so long, but that's usually people who were either detoxed only or have never tried sub.

Thanks, Monica. Ive outlined a titration method as listed above that you may want to consider if you're ever thinking about getting completely off...

With me, its totally mental...

Welcome JohnnyP610,
It is good to have you here with us. As Monica has already told you as long as you are here, none of our members will judge you on your treatment. As a support forum we do recognize that every person has their own recovery and must be allowed to work their recovery in a manner that is best for them.
I don't think you have to worry about anyone telling you not to stop taking Suboxone. As long as you are stopping because you are ready that is all that counts.
I hope that you will continue to post and share your experience with us and I am looking forward to hearing more from you.
Dee

Thanks!!!! I really appreciate the kind words! I look forward to hearing more from you, as well!

Monicas what is ITR?

itr is another website...in the rooms

JohnnyP610,

Welcome to the forum !
Sorry, I'm a little late in responding, I've been away.

I love to read other people's taper methods, since I have yet to begin mine. I agree with you that's it's mostly mental. I am really working hard on breaking that pattern.
I'm a newbie with Suboxone. I'm on it about 7 months now.

I look forward to hearing more from you