i took my last vicodin last night (tuesday). i have an appt with a family physician i found that treats vicodin addicts with suboxone. my question is....can you start it after being off of the vicodin for one full day?? also, is it really worth it to get on the sub??? i've been taking v. for 2 1/2 years now (up to 12 a day), i usually quit for 2-3 weeks until the cravings take over and i can't take it anymore so i relapse. i'm wondering if the sub would work for me??
i don't have time at the moment for rehab or meetings. i don't know if just a plain therapist would work...i don't know what to do.
Hey Aquarius,
Your Doc will know best if you're a candidate for suboxone, though I do agreee with a previous poster that you could be turning this ultimately into a bigger problem, being addicted to suboxone.
Make sure your doctor knows everything. If you're able to stop for 2-3 weeks before your cravings get the best of you, then definitely you should consider a therapist to discuss your psychological need for the drug.
If you don't have time for meetings (follow up support after detox), then I'd say you lack the motivation to get clean and sober and anything you do at this point would be a waste of time. Without support you will always relapse. Maybe you have not had any serious repercussions from opiate addiction and are not ready to get clean.
If you are adverse to 12-Step meetings try Smart Recovery meetings.
But it sounds to me more like you want to substitute one drug for another, but not get clean.
That said, there are I suppose some minor benefits to suboxone (buprenorphine and naloxone combined) versus Vicodin (hydrocodone). Suboxone may be covered by your insurance, while Vicodin may not be. The naloxone element in the Suboxone will discourage ancillary opiate use, since it blocks opiates in general.
So, if you get on Suboxone you will probably take nothing else. Also, Suboxone can have a bit less of a euphoric effect, especially more than an hour after the dose is absorbed, than Vicodin. So you may find yourself to be more productive under the influence of Suboxone if the high of Vicodin is getting in your way. However, after using Vicodin or any opiate for any length of time I doubt you are feeling much of any high unless you increase your dose. Further, Suboxone tends to make you feel quite lazy (at a minimum relaxed) and sleep a lot more than you would clean, but one could say the same things about Vicodin too.
You mention whether or not it is safe to start the Suboxone after being off Vicodin for a full day. Yes, that is more than long enough of an interval.
For more details, please look up all my posts under username CromeYellow and find this long two part post:
Opiate detox -- 3 methods I tried -- How to do it
I'm from Texas also. I've been taking Suboxone for 2 yrs. this May. I heard about the medication and the doctor from a girl I worked with. Believe me I did my homework on Suboxone before even thinking of trying it. My biggest fear was trading one drug for another. The medication doesn't give you any kind of a high even close to what Vicodin can. It doesn't make you "lazy" either. When I first started I'd get a little headache and kinda-sorta tired. It can and should make you feel normal..not euphoric..not fuzzy..not all woohoo feeling. Just normal. Your normal will be different from someone elses normal but if you try it you'll see what I mean. Doc said I couldn't take any Vicodin after 6pm Monday night and my appointment was at 9am Tuesday. Depending on how much Vicodin you take and for how long that is how he decided when for me to come in. I had to be into withdrawals when I went in. Doc had written me a Rx Monday and on my way to his office Tuesday I picked it up. By the time I got in his office Tuesday morning I thought I was coming unglued! While sitting in front of him I took the medication. Over time he's adjusted it. Giving me less and less. I can sit here and tell you all this and more but you have to really want it to work. Everyones "rock bottom" is different and everyones "normal" is different. Only you know what yours is. Just know that Suboxone does work and I didn't trade one pill for another. This message board helped me so very much. Some folks on here think they know everything and judge us all. There are lots of us on here who only want to help others find their true smile again. Please holler (a Texas word :-D ya know) at me anytime you like...Houston, Texas.
