Suboxone...Is this normal or "routine"??? - Page 2

CLEANandSOBER · 07-08-2008, 03:03 PM

I have been on Suboxone (2nd time around) for about 2 months and my Dr. has me at 24 mg a day. I cannot take a whole tablet at once because is makes me so physically tired and heavy I could not work. I break them in half and take them about 2 hours apart. My worry is that I have been on 24 mg too long. I spoke with my Dr. and he told me I should be in no hurry toget off the Suboxone. He said he wants to go slow andsteady. But how long do you stay on 24 mg? I honestly think I could handle a lesser dose but I will listen to what he says. I do have a major problem sleeping though and thought maybe Suboxone had something to do with it. But then again I am coming off of 60 Ultram tablets a day so...go figure. I am curious though...I have read here that Suboxone is stronger than vicoden or morphine...where is that information located?

g8trgrl15 · 07-08-2008, 05:59 PM

Kelli,

I can tell by your posts that you are very against sub.. but as I said, everyone is different and it is a controversial subject. I didn't say that I got back on sub to "produce endorphins". I got back on it because I couldn't stand the way I was feeling off of it, and even after 2 weeks my body wasn't picking up any. I feel that a person's brain needs time to heal after being in addictive state of mind for so long, and it's proven that sub can help you get through the recovery stage because it doesn't produce that "high" feeling. But I'm not on this board to discuss the pros and cons of suboxone. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion about it. I do wish that I had done research on it before I started it, but I didn't know what the Dr was going to do for me once I went to see him. All I know is that I was desperate for help and that he gave it to me. I see now that this medicine will be harder to get off of than I realized. But can it be done? Absolutely. You just have to have the will to do so and get down to the smallest dose possible.

trinity1212 · 07-09-2008, 12:18 AM

I think you are going in the right direction g8rgrl. Like you said, no two people are alike and some people take a dim view of sub and try to force their opinions on others. The bottom line is I'd much rather take 2mg of sub and feel fine (without any high) than chase my drug of choice. I go to a very experienced addictionologist that is in recovery himself and he has indicated to me that some people simply do not produce enough endorphins to function "normally" and the sub is a much better alternative than oxys, or vicodin, etc.

tiredone47 · 07-11-2008, 07:27 AM

I can't thank you all enough for your replies. I take everyone's opinion very seriously and I will ask more questions at my next appointment. I did want to mention that my doctor DID try to lower me down to 2 pills per day, but I felt I was going through withdrawals at that dose. I told him about it and he mentioned to me that more than likely it was mostly psychological because sub stays at a level in ones system for 24 hours or something to that effect. It's just a confusing drug to me. Granted, I would rather be on a small dose and a small dose for the rest of my life than to worry about ever being addicted again to hydrocodone. That was not living...just existing and existing in a perpetual fog. What kind of life is that? I never want to go through that again. My poor family...I had put them through hades. Ended up on parole because of my habit and the manner in which I was getting the pills. An educated woman from a wonderful family background, wonderful career and ended up forging prescriptions for pills. How messed up is THAT? Addiction can be one of the most humbling and humiliating things to happen to someone. I live for the day when I can feel "normal" again without having to take so much as an aspirin. I remember those days.

Thanks again to everyone. I really and truly appreciate your responses.

oh-notagain · 07-12-2008, 06:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CLEANandSOBER

I have been on Suboxone (2nd time around) for about 2 months and my Dr. has me at 24 mg a day. I cannot take a whole tablet at once because is makes me so physically tired and heavy I could not work. I break them in half and take them about 2 hours apart. My worry is that I have been on 24 mg too long. I spoke with my Dr. and he told me I should be in no hurry toget off the Suboxone. He said he wants to go slow andsteady. But how long do you stay on 24 mg? I honestly think I could handle a lesser dose but I will listen to what he says. I do have a major problem sleeping though and thought maybe Suboxone had something to do with it. But then again I am coming off of 60 Ultram tablets a day so...go figure. I am curious though...I have read here that Suboxone is stronger than vicoden or morphine...where is that information located?

the sub could very well be interupting your sleep. make sure to stop dosing early afternoon so it wont affect your sleep so much. also, you may very well be ready to taper. the affects of the sub at 16mg are almost the same as they are at 24mg according to brain scans i have seen. you could try to go ahead and reduce this yourself and see if it helps with the "heavy feeling" you are describing. you should just feel fine while on this drug. no effect at all. just a suggestion; go down to 16 for one week and then report the effects of doing so to your doctor. he/she might agree a reduction is in order if this dose DOES work better for you.

good luck,

michelle