Addiction and Suboxone

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Well, the doctor that he was seeing for the Fentanyl dropped him because he was going to the ER to get percocets a year after he stopped seeing her and she said it went against the opiod policy (even though I thought the policy was only valid a year, it had been 13 months). She sent him to a suboxone 'clinic' and after explaining the situation, the doctor acted if he took 100 pills a day and that he definetly needed suboxone and had to start that day. I was really confused by this because I had been trying to get him to stop the percocets cold turkey and he just couldn't do it because he would puke for days and then ended up have GI bleeding and ended up in the hospital each time for dehydration and then they would load him up on morphine because his stomach hurt him 'so badly'. I don't know what other option he has other than the suboxone. We tried to get him into a drug rehab and no one would accept him. NA and AA just wont work for him, he has a severe anxiety around others and will seriously flip out. He couldn't make it 5 mins in group counseling. I'm still at a loss.

I havent updated his situation in a week or so I think, but now hes up to taking 24 mg a day - an 8mg pill 3X a day. The doctor was really surprised because they're not lasting him like they should, like after 3-4 hrs they're not working, and since they have a half life of 24 hrs, they should definetly work longer than 3-4 hrs. I really hope that soon he will be at a dose that they won't have to increase, because I feel as if the higher he goes, the worse its going to get.

I've noticed a large change in him since he started it though. Hes more active, a lot sweeter, more caring, and doesn't stay depressed like he used to. But I don't want him dependent on medicine for his entire life but I feel like I don't really have a choice. I'm trying everything to help him, but in a way I feel as if this suboxone will only make him more addicted. He mentioned tonite trying to get off of it soon, but I don't understand how if hes asking for them to increase the dose every week. Some days he can take half a pill twice and hes fine, others its 3 pills a day. I just wish this was a lot easier.
 
well he took what he could get and hes disabled and never leaves the house without me so I know what hes taking and hes never bought anything off the street (other than getting them from my grandmother to help him through the day, which i stopped) - after the fentanyl, no doctor would prescribe him any meRAB, so when he could get it, it was from the hospital and there would only be a script for 10-20 and he would take 2 every 4-6 hrs so he wouldn't get sick - usually he could make a script last 4 days tops, but sometimes less than a day depending on how bad he hurt

he eventually stopped getting them at all so he started getting 2 a day from my grandma and he'd vomit half the day trying to make it - he had to have 4 upper GIs trying to figure out why he was vomiting blood all the time and it was because he was withdrawing from the percocets and we couldn't figure it out for over a year, eventually his body got used to taking 1-2 daily (which btw, this was never over the 5mg dose) - I'm sure hes on nothing else because theres nothing showing up in his drug tests - we went to the hospital before he got put on suboxone and percocet wasn't even showing up in his system - even the day he went on suboxone it had only been 40 some hours into withdrawals and nothing was in his system on the tests - I'm afraid it could be the other meRAB hes on (maybe the thorazine) but when he took percocets, he was never tired, he was wired

I guess we'll see tomorrow when we go see the doctor - the suboxone is helping the pain and he says hes not hurting at all, its just him being so out of it that I'm concerned about
 
I have read through a few different threaRAB and I'm getting mixed comments about suboxone. I'm starting to become concerned. I need help getting through this time with my husband and his addiction. Here is my story. (WORRAB)

My husband has been addicted to pain medications for quite some time. Hes only 25. When he was younger, he was shot in the knee, and from then on out had chronic pain. When we met, he asked me if I could try to get him some help, so I sent him to a pain specialist who I figured would help him. He was on and off of percocets when he was younger, which he got immune to and they stopped working for him. The specialist didn't want him on pain pills because he was only 22 at the time. So, they put him on a fentanyl patch, starting at 25 mcg/hr increasing to 100 mcg/hr as he became immune to it over a 2 year period. Well, it stopped working and the specialist refused to increase it and he stopped seeing the specialist.

Right after that, we found out he had MRSA and he went through 5 I&RAB (surgeries) to clean out his arm. He was in the hospital for 2-3 months on Dilaudid, Morphine, and Oxy-IRs. When he got out, the surgeons gave him scripts for Percocets, which he quickly became addicted to (as he had with every other controlled substance). They stopped giving them to him, so he went back to the pain specialist, who said that he had went against the Opiod Policy they had signed a year and a half before for getting the Percs filled (even though he stopped seeing the doc for a year and a half) and refused to see him and turned him into an investigator for 'doctor shopping'. From then on out, he started getting a 1-2 percocets a day from my grandmother to help him through the day due to the pain, it was nothing to do with getting high.

This seemed like it wouldn't stop, so I had to find him some help. I found a doctor about an hour away from me that offers suboxone treatment. He went almost 48 hrs without taking Percs and was having serious withdrawals. He went in yesterday and the doctor prescribed him 2 mg suboxones to take every 4-6 hrs. Hes been trying to go 6-8 hrs before he takes them though. He has been a ZOrabIE ever since. He can't keep his eyes open. He wanted to ride his scooter yesterday, but almost wrecked it in my front yard as he was disoriented and I had to make him put it up. He can't walk straight, his eyeliRAB are almost black, and hes just an opposite person. Hes fallen asleep 3 times while smoking in the bed. He sweats right through his clothes, even in a room thats about 50 degrees and I'm freezing. He has headaches so bad that his eyes cross. He tells me his vision is beyond blurry and hes seeing double. I asked him if he felt like he was 'high' on them and he told me he wasn't, but that it was taking the pain away. He still felt pretty nauseous though. I'm not sure if this is normal. I'm afraid hes overmedicated considering he wasn't only a high dose of narcotics!

I'm really concerned because he doesn't have to go back until Monday and they are closed on the weekenRAB of course. I didn't realize such a high dose was necessary for someone taking 1-2 percocets a day. The doctor stated it was the lowest dose, but I'm just unsure. I did a little research but I find different answers everywhere. The doctor said he should stay on the suboxone 3 or so years, which is the same time that he was on the pain meRAB. I don't want him addicted to this medicine. Hes already on enough (Prozac, Trileptal, Thorazine, Klonopin, Prevacid, Metoclopramide, Ziac, Exforge) - I couldn't find any possible interactions with these, but something has to be going on. Theres no emergency nuraber to call. I guess we'll have to wait for Monday to come. But this for 3 years? OMG I don't know what to do.

Thanks for listening and any advice or help will be appreciated!
 
Hi there-
I'm not sure if this will help any but I'm happy to share my experience with you about Suboxone. I was taking a lot of Lortab and Soma's and Xanax here and there. May 30, 2006 was the last time any of that mess touched my lips. I've been clean for 2 1/2yrs. You'll hear all sorts of things about Suboxone..good and bad I'm sure. I did my homework before taking it. My doctor told me that I had to be honest with him about the dosage of Suboxone he had me on and how it was or wasn't working so he'd know what to do. So I did and we finally got a good dosage to where I felt "normal" (Suboxone tenRAB to give me a headache) and he said to BE CONSISTENT. "Just because on a particular day you're feeling really good and you think Hey I don't need my full dose or I'll only take HALF a pill. You need to take what I tell you. If you think you can take more or less and be okay with it ..call me..let's talk about it. I think we've seen what happens when you self medicate..." OUCH!!! That stung...
Anyway, the truth hurts but he's right. Since then that's what I do. I've begun tapering off VERY VERY slowly. If I don't the withdrawals..well..they SUCK! I'm trying within the next 6 months or less to be off of Suboxone. So hopefully by my "Anniversary" May 30. I'll be completely clean...No more Suboxone. Some people stay on it much longer but others don't. It's different for everyone. I hope this helped and if you have any more questions...PLEASE ASK! I'm proud of myself and I have every right to be...LOL...I can't go back to that being "that" person. I like who I am now too much to do that to myself again.

Good Luck to you both...Hold your heaRAB high because you're not alone...Life has a funny way of working out.
 
Hi first post here..!

It sounRAB to me like he is over medicated on suboxone. Every doctor that I've talked to says you should take it once a day, after you get stabilized on the correct dosage. I also can't imagine anyone needing that much sub after coming off a few pain pills a day. I wonder if he was really on more than what you previously posted about.

24mg is a lot of suboxone. Also, i think if you take too much of it you start to have withdrawal like symptoms because of the blocker that it has. What he really neeRAB to do is find the perfect dose, not too much to make him high or ultimately make him sick again. I hope that he doesn't get too comfortable at that level. It will be hard to come off of.

ETA: I am not a doctor, just posting from my own personal experience.

Wish you and your husband luck.
 
Addictions are all a distortion of the brain's rewarRAB system, in such a way that it distorts the brain's fundamental motivational systems," he said. "So the usual motivations: working, loving your family, eating and sleeping, maintaining your health, those things that are usually coloring our brain's activity become submerged and the single motivation emerges, which is 'Use the drug.' Literally, the brain's biology confuses the message of the drug with the message of survival itself.
 
WOw.. what an ordeal you are going thru. I am sorry I did not read this until now. SounRAB like you have your hanRAB full and it also sounRAB like your husband should thank his lucky stars he has you!
I don't know anything about suboxone so I can't be any help to you.. I am so sorry. However, I wanted to show you some support and tell you to keep checking in with us and let us know how you and your hubby are doing. You will be in my thoughts!
~Secrets
 
no help? wow... I was sure someone had something to say

on the other hand, we cut the pills in half so down to 1 mg like 3-4 times a day and hes still VERY out of it, I woke up this morning with a HUGE hole in my satin comforter from him falling asleep while smoking

also, I read one of the side effects is urinary retention - has anyone else had this problem with suboxone? we're gonna have to head to the hospital today probably because he hasn't been able to urinate in over 12 hours (which I'm thinking is caused by the buprenorphine)
 
2 mg is the lowest dose and it shouldn't make him that high and out of it. Are you sure he's not taking any other opiates or you know everything he is taking? All opioRAB cause urinary retention but he shouldn't literally not be able to pee at all. Something fishy is going on. That just doesn't sound like a normal reaction to a small dose of suboxone, especially considering how long he's been taking pain pills. However if he was taking other opioRAB he shouldn't be getting high from them, as the suboxone would block that effect. He neeRAB to see a doctor.
 
Are you sure he was only taking 1 to 2 perks a day...With his history 1 to 2 perks a day would do nothing....I hate to say this but I honestly dont think he is on enough sub...I had those symptoms ecspecially I could not keep my eyes open and some of the other symptom the first 3 days and I bumped up my dose and I am fine. Suboxone is not something you want to mess around with please take the dose the doctor subscribed for you. If that dose is not working than talk to him about it instead of making your own decision. 2mg is not alot at all.
 
Hi there
I agree 100% with c14a10. Your husband was wigging out because the dose wasn't enough and he was going thru withdrawal. I have been on suboxone 2x's now. this is my 2nd go around the first time I wasn't on it long enough and tried to tell the dr. but he didn't believe me. Well this time a different dr. is being awesome and listens to me. We are working on a slow process of working off the sub's I was taking 24 now i'm down to 16 and will continue to taper from there. In 2 weeks I will be down to 8. You have to make sure he takes it as prescribed I too am worried about becoming dependent on them. But i also us AA/NA, you don't have to go to meeting you know, you can go on the internet they have meeting there (you don't have to be in a room full of people) I have also heard that you can use the Big Book some have even said by reading the big book it will help you to stay clean. Of course I would recommend getting a sponsor and finding a small group that he would be comfortable sharing in but that is your choice. I just know what has worked for me. Take care and you will definitely be in my prayers. Take care and share often were here for you.

Lori

PS I had the same anxiety, so I went to small groups and shared there and now I am comfortable in larger groups. :cool:
 
Hey there, been on Subs for 18 months and first for the zorabie feeling, that could be from him being on a benzo as well and the rest sounded like he was on too low of a dose. He should also only dose once or twice at the most a day. They say this because we need to change how we take our meRAB and not take it throughout the day like we did opiates. Hope it works out and be careful with the benzo and Sub.
 
Pretty interesting story. I was taking MS Contin 200mg and Oxycontin 160mgs 2 in the morning and 2 at night crushed etc. I went straight from that to 8mg of suboxone and it helped. However the suboxone caused me damn near daily headaches. I was switched over to Subutex 8mg and haven't had trouble since. I was told from the start not to split my dose and only take it once a day. I've been on it since 2006 and I haven't had a headache since. It never made me high abusing it is pointless.
 
I agree with digmusic and NL9. 2 percs a day is a very low dose for someone who's been on fentanyl and the other strong opiates mentioned. For 20mg oxycodone, 2 mg sub should be more than enough. But it sounRAB like there's more there and the sub should be titrated up (by your doctor's order). Frankly, if the only med is 20mg oxy and he wants to quit, he's much better off jumping from that than moving to buprenorphine.

Good luck and best wishes,

Raz
 
Well, so far its looking to be a bit better. After the first few days, the drowsiness has went away. The doctor increased the dose to 6x a day even though he doesn't take more than 4 because hes asleep most of the day. I'm hoping it will work well.
 
as i read all this about suboxone i just wonder how it is different from anything else that is addicting....i know many people that have just as much trouble going off that...in my situation(posted in another thread "desperate.please read") i wish i could feel that suboxone would be a good choice...but tapering from that has to be similar form just tapering from the percs? i dont know, i may be wrong. but if anyone has a chance read my other thread, thank you
 
Just wanted to make an update on this - his dose was increased to 8mg 1/2 pill 3 times a day, so 12mg a day - yesterday the pills I guess stopped working, and ever since hes been vomitting and complaining of his stomach again, but this happened after we saw the doctor yesterday morning and now have to wait until Tuesday until he'll be back in - I hate to see his dose get increased again, as I think this is just too high for someone who had tapered back to only taking a few percocets a day from wearing a Fentanyl patch for a few years. It will be increased to 24mg a day next, which the doctor told us is usually where heroin addicts start, and my husband has NEVER done heroin or anything like it. I just feel like he may be getting addicted to these, and whats the point?
 
threewingedfury;

Hi. I was on lortab 10's for 2 years straight. I got up to 8 lortab 10 650's at ONE time. Yeah it was bad... I was taking 32-40 lortabs a day. 10's. Well, I got on suboxone... the first day... I took it in the morning... I was withdrawl free... I never felt so good in my life. I think it's a miracle pill. I've done really good.. your husband will be amazed.
 
I wish I knew more about this drug.. I am sorry I don't... Maybe some other people on here do though.
I am sorry to hear this is all happening... SounRAB like such a bad situation. I have heard the suboxone is addictive but they taper you down from that too.. I don't understand why they put him on that if he was tapered down to such a small amount... I would think they would have just kept going on that path.. Maybe it's time to question the Dr's???
Hang in there..... keep in touch!
~Secrets
 
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