7 days off subs and no W/D??????

I won't go into my back story, because well, the past is finished, and all I'm worried about is this moment. I have been on Suboxone for three months...and now I'm not. I finished my last dose of .25 on Monday and here it is Sunday...and no noticiable withdrawals. I just wanted to know is the half-life possibly that long...am I out of the woods? Or tommorrow am I going to wake up in agony? I'm just a little confused that's all.
Sometimes the only way out...is through. Take care all, and thanks.

Hey Grace..

I know what you're talking about... I'm down to .5 a day and then starting Tuesday I will be doing .25 a day for 3 days and then quitting... and recently Ive been feel rather good on that low of dose and I dropped to .5 yesterday and I slept fairly well, very light anxiety and not too achy.

So I think with proper tapering and not lingering on your taper helps a lot..

I've tapered off of OXY with Methadone and this is similar to that taper/detox...

So keep up the good work and post on here or PM me if you want... I'm on here daily..

We can help ourselves quit!

It's nice having someone to talk to about this, coming from a family where they debate on taking Tylenol when they have a headache! Not saying anything about my family, this girl was blessed with an AMAZING one, it's just that all addicts are family, though not bound by blood.

Maybe my taper is the reason I'm feeling pretty great, maybe it's the fact that I feel like I haven't set down in a couple weeks! My life is full to the top, and maybe I haven't had time to process what my body is going through. LOL
Aside from the sneezing.....nothing so far. Hmmmmmm?

I hope you are feeling okay, and everyone else going through this. This tunnel may be long, but I have seen the light on the other side. And it's beautiful.

And we can help eachother get clean....I like that one. Very Happy

Take care...and write anytime.

What a great job !!! I'm so happy for you, I've been on sub for 4 months now, I'm down to 1mg per day and thats all I'm taking, no matter how I feel, I think DOAQ said it takes 2 weeks to adjust to a sub. reduction and she was right on !!! I'm staying here for at least 3 weeks... Thank you for this post, Good luck to you and your family as you continue to move on through life, w/o opiates... Thank your higher power ( I threw that in for ronnie ), Mike

Consider the fact that you keep yourself busy a very good component to your taper, when you keep yourself busy it helps with the negatives of the taper. I am happy to hear of your success, please spread the word so that others can see that it is possible to come off of Suboxone without major problems. Too often we only hear of the bad tapers, it's nice to hear your story- thanks for sharing!
_________________
"Don't compromise yourself, you are all you've got!" - Betty Ford

Thanks everyone! And while taking into consideration that everyone is different, I completly agree with you all. It is only as bad as we believe it will be. I had no expectations going into this, stayed away from the terrible stories, and just went with what my body was telling me. And my body is a happy one now. Even after all I've put it through.....God knew what he was doing. The human spirit is amazing.....And I do thank him everyday..... Smile

And yes, my family keeps me completly busy! LOL They love to get up and go and showed me what life could be like off of the couch.

If anyone has any questions or stories, I'd love to hear them. This healing process is may be a long one.....but not a lonely one.

Take care....Amber ( my daughter's name is Grace Very Happy

)

Glad things are looking up Amber!! Things for me are pretty groovy!!! During the last few days of decrease I've felt modertly anxious but I just keep distracting myself and staying busy and I've been feeling pretty dang good overall, compared to what I should be feeling.. Starting tomorrow I got 3 more days of .25 and then I'll be off or debating of doing every other day at .25 but we'll see how I feel / think.

But I hope this is the road to recovery and not just a smoke screen... but honestly I don't think it will be bad! Though I'm planning if shit hits the fan to take a couple extra days off from this upcoming 3 days weekend, since by Saturday I will be completely without and my WD will start to be full bore.

Anyways, thought I'd pop in again and say hello.

Isn't it amazing! I'm so proud of you...and of everyone on their road to recovery! I did alternate days when I reached .25, and you will feel fine.

I would try to go to work, as it makes the days go by faster....and sleep come eaiser at night. But then again, this is your body. And noone can tell you how you feel.

Keep me updated...and don't let all the other stories scare you! Yikes!...I can see why people get upset at the thought of getting clean. You will do wonderful. Very Happy

Ah yeah well thats good to know.. yeah wasnt sure how I wanted to handle the .25, but I know the slower and the better I let my body adjust the better overall I'll feel on the final days.

Yeah it is a drag getting clean, but eventually the fog lifts and you're like OH YEAH... I don't need this as a crutch for life.

Grace and Gobulars...how long were you guys on total? Everyone is different and of course a lot depends on how long the opiate abuse was but it seems like gettign down under .25 is one of the keys to no withdrawals. Gobulars I'm hoping you haven't been on opiates or sub long because 3 days at a lowered dose seems a bit short. Again everyone is different so if it works then that's awesome! For me I need a week or two at each does reduction to give my brain time and I am more worried about PAWS then I am about the immediate withdrawal.

Wow, you guys gave me a lot of hope. I really like Suboxone and plan to be on it for years for maintenance, but I know one day I will end up tapering off. In the back of my mind, I have had this real dread at thinking of having to do that. I've read of other people's really awful taper experiences, where they were sick for a solid six weeks. But you must have done something right, probably just getting the dose down low enough, long enough. Good for you. And good luck to you!
james

I was a heavy opiate user for about three years total. Oxycotin being my drug of choice...and by God's good grace I survived.....Thank you, God.

I was on suboxone for three months, tapering low and slow. Near the end, I dosed, .25 skiped a day, dosed .25, skipped two days, dosed .25 skipped three days and then I was done. And I'm not kidding, no noticable withdrawals. I did exercise every chance I got....it made me feel amazing.

And last night, I went to sleep on my own! A small milestone, I suppose...but not even having to have Tylenol Pm made me super excited!

A quick hint for those aches and pains...should they arrise.....Take three extra strenght Tylenol, and the equivalant of 800 mg Ibuprofen. (usually 4) I was a med tech...(ironic I know) and that equals one Darvacet....a secret the docs don't want you to know. LOL Very Happy

Don't be scared...we are all in this together. And your story can be one of sucess, not unbearable pain. It does not have to be bad. And just think...a few days for the rest of our lives!!!!! Whoo- hoo!!! You are all so brave and amazing.

Take care...and let me know how it goes. Very Happy

Very Important !!! Everybody get off your asses !!! Spring is only a couple months away, lets all get in shape, Mike

hawk:

I've been on and off opiates for 2-3 years, but the last year I was doing them pretty solid, but like 30-50mg a day, not really that much if you really think about it..

Used subs for the last month or so around 2-4mg a day, not much I know.. and then the last 12 days ive tapered from 2mg down to .25 a day now.. and I feel very little or limited withdrawals...

Tapering is a great method if you're dedicated and have the will power to do it. We play mind games with ourselves and we end up exaggerating the final outcome of the WDs... so you just go day by day and then eventually you quit....

I'm down to .25 now and will do that for 3-4 days and then may alternate like Grace did, but I feel the end is near! Wahoo..

Then after that it's all about staying clean and reminding myself why I want to stay clean.. I think staying active in NA/ message boards like this, or any other outlet to talk about your past and help yourself stay clean.

JD:

I'm glad that Grace and I were able to provide hope! Because hope is sometimes the only thing that can get us through the tough times. Just realize that nothing gets fixed over night and that it takes time, but over a small amount of time you can get through it.

Use SUB to get yourself out of the habit of the "ritual" of getting high or whatever the case was. Once you feel that you do not have those urges to snort, smoke, or shot up opiates and don't wanna seek that out, then that should be a good indicator that its time to start tapering off subs...

Subs are amazing for getting your mind off that pattern, take it once in the morning and forget about it... even if you get slight "WD" symptoms later on, as the doc would say, those will go away in 15 or so minutes, regardless if you dose more or ignore it.. just a couple things to think about.

That's funny, Mike...we all do need to exercise! Very Happy

We need to reteach our bodies how to make those happy feelings on our own. I've always been an athlete...so I enjoy it.

Gubulars...so you have only been on suboxone for a month? Not being a doctor...but I can assume that you will have very minor if ANY withdrawals from the suboxone, as your body may not even be physically addicted to it yet. Reguardless, you will be successful! I can't tell you how amazing that is......BRAVE, BRAVE, BRAVE.

Thank you all for your kind words.....they go straight to my heart.

Take care and keep pushing through......Amber.

Graced4, I believe working out on a regular schedule, every other day for instance, without finding an excuse NOT to, Is so important, Your posts are so positive, being thankful and happy can become a life habit, since starting sub 4 months ago, being happy and greatful has come very easy to me, I love my family more than I ever have, for some reason I dont want to waste anymore of my time being upset about anything, being happy is easy when you practice it, it also really helps with anxiety !!!!

------------------------------------------------------
Card carrying member of the YMCA

Hi everyone I just joined the forum. Did the subs give you energy when you first started taking them. I guess it just like pain meds you body adjust to the med. I'm tapering and that is my worst problem aside from Dizziness with headaches and a little stomach rumbling. I have no energy without the normal dose of sub since I started tapering in Dec. When does this get better or does anyone know. Will I feel like a normal person again.

I'm almost finished with the subs altogether. I'm taking less than 1mg a day prob. like .5mg. I take an 8mg cut it in 4ths then I take 1 third of one of those pieces, that has been for about 3 weeks. An 8 mg is 12 doses if that makes more since. I'm scared to just stop ,(just the addict in me I guess) but I only have 2 left so I don't have much longer to go. I used tabs 20 or more a day for at least 3 years. I quite tabs cold turkey once then relapsed about 5-6 months later. I have been taking subs since august 29 2008. My dosage was 2mg once daily occasionally 3mg if I felt I needed it. My first day I took 3mg and I was amazed.

As far as my tapering I feel a bit better today. When I read the horror stories I think it makes me think that will happen to me, you know how the mind is. Needless to say I stopped reading those and found you guys and had to join. I felt like you all no exactly how I feel and don't want anyone telling me in 3 months PAWS is gonna strike. Any advise from you guys would be great....Thank you all so much for posting positive stories. Sorry if I rambled ,I'm just so excited to find someone I can relate to.[b]

I'm glad you found your hope...hang on to it! And I can relate to what you are going through...but you are braver than you think.
I wish I had time to really talk, I have alot to say...but the bed is calling my name. Very Happy

I just wanted to let you know that we are all here for you, and we will work this out together. As low a dose as you are currently on... I'd say, no, I KNOW you will do wonderful.

Take care...and great job. You are amazing!!!!
Amber

The energy thing is a problem, it will come back slowly, I'm at 1mg a day, mornings are slow, PLEASE keep us updated, Mike

slyn:

Glad you came a long and found us here! We will keep each other strong! Posting does help alot and that is something I found out by finally mustering up and making a name here and posting something.

--------------------
Though I hate how much games our minds play on us. Last night I woke up about 12:30 and felt like I was having severe anxiety ... I stumbled into my office and cracked off like .5ish crumb and took it, DIDNT FIX ANYTHING..( crazy thing I wasnt having severe night sweats which are a typical sign of acute WD) I was thinking oh God... why.. but I just said no, im not going to take anymore and then I fell back asleep and woke again about 2am ..... feeling anxious and very very not happy.

THEN! All of suddend I had to puke, puke real bad.. I went and puked up some nasty looking stuff and my stomach finally felt way better and ate two tums... and then wham, anxiety went away.. OHHHH it wasn't anxiety.. it was my stomach not being happy with me.

So just realize your mind will play some fucked up games with your head. So if you feel like you're having anxiety think about what other things your body is telling you.. normally that is what is causing the problems and not the WDs

Anyways, I'm not taking my normal .25 dose today since I took some last night.. I'll wait through till tomorrow and start my normal .25 dose.. since I took some last night.

Just thought I'd share this experience.. I'm not letting myself feel guilty or that I fucked up.. so I will continue my taper and hopefully everything will be okay!

Hey everybody....boy last night was a rough one for me too! Just in a different way...woke up with a migraine. UGH for migraines. Wink

Gubulars.....Don't you dare feel guilty...even for a second. Your body was telling you something, you just didn't know what it was! I can't speak for everyone, but that happened a time or two during my taper. You just do exactly what you plan on....picking right back up where you left off. And I hope you are feeling better this morning.....and you are right, the mind games are no fun. But you are doing so well.... Very Happy

Slyn......Alot of those scary stories are from people who tapered the wrong way or not at all. Don't be discouraged. I'm living proof that it is not that bad. I didn't even miss work! As for being slugglish...I'd try getting your body into a strict routine. I know it sounds goofy...but believe me it works. Like even on non-work days...set your alarm. Up by 8am, EXERCISE (even if it's just stretching), shower, a good breakfast, and so on. Plan your days full, so you have no time to even think about all of this. Although somewhat physical, the mental part will try and get you down.

Stay strong...and let me know how things are going. Amber

Yeah I've been feeling pretty good this morning and so forth.. so just kind of making it through the motions. I got an event tonight that will be keeping me fairly busy until probably 8 or so.. and those things always help.

I'm not feeling guilty really, kind of at first, but then I said well since I dosed then I'm going to wait till tomorrow morning until I start my .25 again and do that for a few days and then work on abstaining from there on out..

I'll make it.. everyday is a little hump ya gotta get over..

I thank all of you for all of the post.. That really does help me. So last night after reading about dissolving the subs in water, I tried it. I put approx. 6mg into 2 tablespoons of water, I used to much water. I didn't realize until after the fact, but anyway so this morning i took my syringe of 1.5ml. I'm not a math wiz so I really have no idea how much I actually got in my system. But while it was just sitting in my mouth , I felt as though I wasn't getting the sub at all, since it was already dissolved in water. I don't know it's hard to explain. I swallowed the mixture after about 10 min. I feel okay not as well as I did yesterday. The feeling in my head is what I don't like or should I say bothers me the most. It's almost like a dizzy headache, I still have some body ache. I want to just stop the subs cause I'm down to really low dose, I guess I'm just scared to. Can't remember who posted the liquid mixture but if you read this, If you can figure out what amount you think I took today will you let me know or anyone.
I'm starting to feel more normal except for my weird head feeling..
Again Thank you all so much for the replies... Good luck to everyone and have a great day. Smile

Sorry guys I meant to add this to see if anyone else experienced itching. All of the sudden I will just start itching like crazy. Randomly ,not all day. Just noticed it a few days ago. You know when you first start taking opiates you itch a little, but this is like a nervous itch that just drive you nuts for a while once you start scratching. I've taken benadryl for it that seems to help. Just wonder if anyone else had this happen. Thanks again everyone here.. Have a great day!~lynn

Sorry guys I have posted 3 post in a row. I just had to take a tiny piece of sub. If you read above I tried the liquid formula today and made it with to much water. I wasn't feeling good so just took a tiny piece off of a 2mg piece. I feel horrible for taking it, I could have toughed it out but it's too late now. But I have no idea how much I took this morning in liquid???? I think I wasted 6mg that just means I'll have to stop sooner.. I have 2 8 mg left and the liquid I made. Just felt like writing. Wanted to see if anyone was around.. Thank you guys, Lynn[b]