How Long can I stay on Suboxone

First of all, Beth you have a heart of gold and feelings for others that is a gift you give so well. I'm so glad you are with us. Dale will get a lot out of what you said. I hope he stays with us and finds his comfort zone and his jumping off spot. I get into the movements of the moon and planets. I think we do better when the moon is getting bigger and not as well when it's getting smaller. I know my plants and garden grow this way. I still have all my faith in God above...but then again He put all of this here for us for some reason.

Dale, if you are still with us, I hope you can work with Dean and Deborah to see if you can find another doctor and get yourself comfortable so you can think about how you are going go about getting yourself normal. Please do stay with us so we can help you work this out. There are avenues you can take if you look for them.

I'm a bit blistered from work today and I very much need to put my feet up. I had to come in and check on you and everyone here. You all mean so much to me. I'll be back after dinner. Things got so bad today, I had to do an extra dose myself. I made my eight hours and cussed everybody on the freeway. Then I said I was sorry, I just wanted to get home. Know what I mean?

Yours in the struggle,
Barbara

Hi everybody,

Thank you all for your kind words of wisdom and experience.

Barbara- How are you doing with your taper? How are you feeling?

I've been steady on 12mg a day for about 4 months now. I had started at 24mg per day, stayed on that for 7 months, decided to cut down, tapered to 8mg in 2 months. Then I decided I was going to get be done by my one year anniversary (2/12/09). I did get down to 1mg every other day, but I had totally freaked out and knew it was not time. So, I went back to my doctor and we decided I would just stay on 8mg per day. I did that the first day, still didn't feel right, took another 4mg and felt fine. The next day the same thing happened. So I called my doctor and she okayed me staying at 12 mg per day and I've just stayed on that ever since.

Lately I'm getting the urge to make some changes again. I want to cut down to 8mg. I feel really lucky right now in that I am on medicaid and it pays for everything. Before that, for the first year, I had insurance but was dishing out at least $300-$400 per month for all of my meds/appointments. My old doctor would not write me out a script for Suboxone for more than two weeks (and that was after months of one week scripts). It was $50 each script (and I'm grateful, don't get me wrong, the last time I tried this years ago I had no insurance and was paying a ridiculous amount of money), whether it was for a one week supply or a one month supply. I can see the doctor whenever I need, I see a therapist every week, I don't have any copays on anything (meds or appointments) and I'm grateful. I only pay a $33 premium every month. I know I will have this until at least October. After that, I don't know. I'll have to reapply and see where I'm at then. I'm not working right now (which is why I'm eligible for medicaid) and money is tight (my main bills are paid, so I'm not struggling but I'm not saving anything). If in October, I'm working (I'm going to have to find some type of job by January at the latest) or if for some reason I'm not able to get medicaid again, I'll be able to pay for the Suboxone for about a month and that's it. I know I will be in the middle of a bunch of classes at that time, so that is not going to be a good time to cut down. I have no idea how this will play out until it happens.

I notice that I'm really irritable lately and I'm thinking some of it has to do with the Suboxone and that's why I want to lower my dose. So, I was taking 8mg in the morning, then 4mg at night. I was too sleepy during the day (with my other meds.) so I switched to 8mg at night and 4mg in the morning. That worked out good. I started to not take the 4mg every other day (so one day I get 12mg total, the next I get 8mg total, then repeat). I don't know if I'm stupid for doing this or if I really should try to cut down or what. I would like to someday be off of the Suboxone (and my anxiety medication and my anti-depressangt), but I had many years of doing so much drugs and this is what is working for me right now. I don't know.

Right now and for the rest of the summer, my life is not going to be that stressful. I am looking for work a little bit, but there is nothing around here. I have a little bit of money coming in and I kind of decided I wasn't going to stress myself out trying to find a full-time job that I probably won't like (500 people just got laid off in this area in the past month, there is nothing available and I'm not going to make myself crazy looking for work when I just worked so hard taking classes and now I finally have a few months to just learn to be okay with myself and my thoughts). My last full-time job (that I got laid off from in November) I didn't do so well. I had a really hard time dealing with the day to day stress. So I'm only applying for jobs I really want, but I'm assuming I'm not going to find one right now so I have the summer to myself to really try to get better and learn how to be okay with who I am without covering it up with work or school. Do you know what I mean? School will be in full swing in September and I feel like if I'm going to make any changes, I should do it this summer while I have the extra time to meditate, exercise, do yoga, learn other ways of dealing with my anxiety and cravings, etc. I'm not stressed out and nothing is pressing right now. I'm not married, I have no kids, I am not working, so all I have to do is take one intensive class at a time that takes up about 20 hours per week, it will only be like that until the end of August. I feel like this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to have a summer to myself without working, get to know myself, get more time under my belt and decide what I want to do with the rest of my life. I'm rambling but do you know what I'm trying to say?

Maybe I should just stay where I am for now and not worry about it. I'll have 16 months in a week. I think the part of my brain that says "get off you meds, you don't want to be on them the rest of your life do you?" is talking loud now that I have a lot of free time and am not totally consumed with schoolwork. I don't know if I should ignore it or really try to taper again.

All in all, I have my problems, but my life is so much better than it has ever been. I actually see a future for myself. Thinking about tapering a little right now isn't consuming my thoughts or anything, but it did pop back into my head now that I have lots of free time.

Sorry I'm rambling. I'm trying to explain my situation right now because everything will change in three months, when school starts (and then I'll be working within a few months after that hopefull).

Does anybody feel irritable and think the Suboxone has anything to do
with it? Does anybody get pressing feelings to try to taper off Sub? Especially when life changes and you have more free time and might actually be able to taper a little bit? That's just where I'm at and I'm wondering if anybody else has experienced or is experiencing the same thing.

Thanks for reading this.

Take care.

Laura

Sammy,
It's not Barbara but it is Dee.
Yes, when you come to the forum. You do need to log in each time you post.
Soon the forum will be made that if members do not log in, they will still be able to read, but will not be bale to post.
That way it reminds people to log in when they post.
So try logging in and see what happens. You shouldn't have any problems that way.
Dee

Dee:
I sent a rather long post under the user name Dale1, responding to Beth's post and another one resopionding to Barbara's post. Neither appear her. Did I lose them?
Dale

Dale,
I don't see the post under the name Dale 1. But the other post is here:
https://suboxone.forumotion.com/non-drug-related-f11/depression-experience-t412.htm
I had to move that one. I gave it it's own title. It is a good subject to post about.
Many people suffer depression without realizing what it is or what is wrong with them.
You are more than welcome to post about the subject, it does deal with issues surrounding addiction. I only had to move it because it was under questions and information about Suboxone.
I hope you understand.
As for the Dale 1 post I think it did get lost in cyber space because I looked for it and can't find it.
Dee

i am a pretty new suboxone patient only on it since april of this year and my doctor keeps lowering my dose and i'm still getting sick every day he won't listen to me i guess he thinks he knows what i need i don't understand even my counselor doen't understand can someone please help me find a doctor who will help me my email is lrenfro@centurytel.net

Hi All,

I have been reading your postings looking for answers. My son is an addict. I have been trying to help him and be supportive. It is hard because there is so much I don't know and understand. Reading your postings really helps. My concern is that he wants to go away to school but the suboxone seems to be making him sick. The doctor won't put him on subutex until he gives the suboxone two more weeks. School starts soon and I don't know what to do. He was inpatient earlier this year but relapsed when he came home. He is sick all the time except when he is using. He has missed work because he has been sick. I don't know how he will manage college if this illness is not under control and who knows what will happen at shcool to trigger a need to use again. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Mom who cares.

Hello to a Mom who cares,
God bless you Mom!! I have very much respect for you to come onto here looking for information for your son! We also have other mothers whom are also members for the very same reason, to try to understand & gain the knowledge to help your own son. Has your son completely stopped all opiate use due to being on the Suboxone? I just didn't understand why he was also so sick on the Suboxone if all of the opiates were out of his system. if not, it will bring on what's called "precipitated withdrawl" thus making him quite sick. Although, that usually goes away as soon as the opiates are out of your system, usually 12 hours or so. (if he's on the Suboxone regularly) How long has he been taking them? What dosage is he on? What symptoms is he having while being sick on them? I can tell you that the first week or so that I took them, I threw up after every dosage. But, imagine this, I still felt a thousand times better! I also had headaches on a near daily basis for a few months into taking them. That seems to be a common side effect, but usually does level off.
I can certainly understand your panic about him going away to school & would truly discuss your reasons why with him. The triggers, the relapse, (which is "normal" or most likely to happen within the first sixty to ninety days), the need of a constant support system, the right dosage for him to have his addiction maintained & certainly not only feel well while using. Also, just for your FYI (for your information) please be cautious about him switching to Subutex as it can be easily abused if he's not quite careful, much more likely than Suboxone could. I'd just hate to see that become a problem for him. I hope that I am not coming across as offensive whatsoever towards you or your son, I only want what is the best for him. I have considered the Subutex myself for times of pain, but I know myself & will, most likely, abuse it as I have every other drug that I have taken a liking to. I hope that you will let us hear more about how he is doing & what he decides to do about school. You are welcome here with no judgment or anything that we haven't done or heard of before, welcome Struggling Mom! As I said, I respect that you have come to try to learn about your son's disease & how to keep it maintained. I hope that the Suboxone will begin to start working for him soon! I will keep you both in my thoughts & prayers, as I do all of the members here, as well as their families. We all need each other! Welcome home to you, Mom who Cares!
And I always seem to do this, but by the way, my name is Beth & I have been on Suboxone since May of 2008. It has completely changed my life around, as well as many, many other people whom I have come across. We've referred to it as a "life saving miracle medication" who has pulled so many of us out of the grips of hell, of opiate addiction!! I had given up hope, this was my last ditch effort. I didn't know what else to do. Suboxone has given me my life back. I have a future again. I hope that your son has this same desire & success, as it has done wonders for so very many people. I don't know if he'd consider coming onto here to read some of the stories, as there are just some absolutely astonishing stories of transformation right before our very eyes!!
Please do keep in touch & know that you have many people here who now consider you family & do want to know how you are & how we could possibly help.
Talk with you soon!
Blessings to you, your son & family!
Your in the Struggle,
Beth

Hi I am one of those people who needs a doctor that won't force me off in six months. Prior to coming to this new doctor I had a doctor who was content to let me stay at a maintenance dose. Unfortunately, he passed away. Sooo I had to find a new doc. But now we're on a path of destruction because I know I can not do this. I am located in the DC area. I have been taking painkillers of one kind or another since I was 14 I am 28 now. I have always needed the pain because I have had an on going knee problem in both knees. i have had 20 various Knee surgeries and have had my knees totally replaced and the left one done twice. So i'm not the usual suboxone patient. But then again who is. PlS help.