From methadone to suboxone?

[koolbrez]

I am a newbie too & your the first one that I've read & you have already helped answer some of my questions. First off I am glad to hear that your doing much better. My husband & I are on 130mg methadone a day & the clinic is horrible. The time it takes, all the crap you have to put up with, & NO matter what since we are the addicts we are automatically viewed as not telling the truth, just looked down upon. I hate that feeling. I have NEVER had anything in my life that controlled me so much. I never done much until I was 31 yrs old & had already started using hydro's to stay happy then my dad passed away which about killed me. So a friend told us about the methadone clinic & it sounded like what would help us since we had moved up to taking Oxycontins & LOVED them!! We started & long story short have been in there for 5 yrs. TOO LONG.

I am very scared to change but want to switch to Suboxone & just seen that a Dr. in my home town can treat us. Great news for us since we have to drive 45 minutes to the clinic & pray that we get thru that long line in time to get daughter to school & us to work on time. Sorry to be rarabling on, but I am excited that you was on the methadone then went to suboxone & it was not that bad for you right??? I have been reading up on it & they say that coming from methadone to suboxone most people are not happy with the results. Does it feel like methadone? I have gained so much weight on methadone too. We crave sweets & i was never a sweet eater. Did you lose weight?? or was that not a problem for you? You said that they cut you down to 75 mg when was you able to start the suboxone? I have read at 50 mgs you can start taking it to switch over. I just get in a hurry & want it to be done now. I know I did not get here over night & should not expect it, but just feel like Methadone has really brought us down. Not to mention the damage to our teeth. I really appreciate any info. you can give me on changing over & what about the cost of it v/s methadone? The clinic is very high for us both. So I really hope it will help us money wise too. Good luck with your recovery & I do look forward to hearing from you. I hope they will work with you on your anxities too, I have had problems with that in the past too. Really sucks!! I wish you the best & stay strong you have really came a long way. A very big accomplishment in my book. Congrats!! Thanks for any info. too!!

 

[JamJam]

I was hard core hooked on opiates for almost 2 yrs. The withdrawls were so bad I actually did hang myself (and die) b/c I didn't have any hope...I couldn't quit or wean down. A friend had given me a Methadone once and it helped...a bit. But, luckily my little nephew told my bro. that something was wrong b/c I was in the closet...and he resuscitated me. I came here...to healtrabroadoarRAB, and that's when Suboxone was first coming out. I live in Waco, TX, and I had to drive 240 miles round trip to get to the closest Dr. and pay @$300 to see him, then pay for the meRAB. But I tell you, it killed the cravings, I had absolutely NO withdrawls, and didn't go into that deep depression. It takes a minimum of at least a year for your brain to learn to be ok w/o all that artificial stimulation. Suboxone has a sabotage med in it, so that way if you try to take an opiate w/it, it won't work at all...or worse, it can send you into w/drawls, which we hate. No one knows how bad they are. I too was a total non-drinker/non-drug user until I was 33 and a back Dr. started giving me lots of Lortabs then Norcos...and I could take 20 at a time, no problem. Suboxone works, it comes in generic now I think, (for sure the Sebatex does b/c that's what I've graduated to), and you only have to go once a month to the Dr. If you can make it stretch, the better. It's only been about 4 mos. since I finally found someone in my hometown to prescribe my meRAB. The Dr.s are so lazy...most won't do it b/c they have to take an 8 hr. certification class. Anyway, after being on SB since 2003/04 til now, and my last Dr. tested me to make sure I wasn't "hooked", I can honestly say it's a lifesaver and very reliable and my safety net. It takes that tempatation away in my head, and allows you to heal as slowly as you want. Good luck and God bless. That drive is worth it. It took me 3 yrs. to find a Dr. in Groesbeck (45 miles away), when I had been driving to Bryan forever. Now it's only 10 minutes! It's gonna work out. You'll see.

 

[VampireBarbie23]

My advice would be to get on suboxone as soon as you can. Methadone is a synthetic opiod, they are by far the hardest to come off of. I recently went to a detox/rehab center and was detoxed with methadone, i found it to be a horrible detox. I went in for addiction to dilaudid, heroin, and xanax (even though i never abused benzodiazaphines, i was not allowed to stay on any potentially addictive meRAB). I was sick the entire time i was on the methadone taper. It was my fifth detox and was the second time i was detoxed with methadone, all other detox centers used suboxone. Anytime i was detoxed with suboxone i did not have any withdrawal symptoms with the exception of waking up soaking wet. I came out of the detox center in severe withdrawals, so severe i went and purchaced herion just to get by until seeing my suboxone doctor. I have now been on suboxone for six weeks and it's working wonders for me. I have not expierienced any withdrawals or cravings. I give this drug 5*****'s when it comes to the best detox/matenince medication.

Now you had asked about the cost of suboxone compared to methadone.

Well unfortunatley suboxone treatment is much more expensive. Even so i think the benefits outweigh the cost. Many suboxone doctors do not accept insurance and a lot of insurances do not cover the script. You may be able to find a suboxone clinic, then it's most likley covered. I payed $175.00 for the first visit, where i was given a weeks supply of suboxone and other detox meRAB that i did not even need, the suboxone was enough. A week later i paid $100.00 to see him and given a two week supply. Not all doctors work like that though. A doctor in brooklyn, ny i was seeing charged $150.00 for the first visit and gave me a months supply. So shop around for a doctor or clinic that you can afford. Also think about the price you pay for your addiction, that's what i thought about. So in conclusion i hope i helped you, Jessica

 

[jwynn]

According to the suboxone website you need to taper to 30mg of methadone a day to make the switch. Otherwise you will have precipitated withdrawals.

Unlike methadone suboxone will not get you "high" it basically stops withdrawals and makes you feel "normal."

Some people may feel depressed because they lose their "high" however, if done right it is a better treatment in my opinion because if you take it correctly you basically can't get high on anything unlike methadone. In this way it helps with the psychological aspect of wanting to be high, you wont physically feel the need, however you may miss the feeling and this will keep you on track to recovery.

Best of luck,

- Recovering opiate addict, suboxone user.

 

[IainDonald]

koolbrez;

Heh there my name is Iain i live in Glasgow Scotland.
Unfortunatly that stigma of once an addict always an addict is how society in general looks upon people who in actual fact have a problem they may want help with but instead get punished it`s bloody crazy and upsets me, i mean if someone had cancer or whatever you certainly would`nt get treated like that.
Anyway that societies problem not ours.
With regarRAB to you and your husband changing from methadone to suboxone,
i stand by the belief that if something isn`t broken why fix it?
I just recently detoxed myself off my methadone 2 months ago so it can be done, you also mentioned that you feel as if the methadone is controlling you, it`s up to you to take that control back, don`t let any health profesionals or treatment workers tell you it has to be done this way or that way, do it your way NO ONE knows how you are coping better than yourself as long as your honest with yourself.
A slow steady detox and alway`s keeping one eye on the main prize (substance free) got me off my medication, try not to be too impatient recovery`s not a race, god knows it took me a good few years to get to where i am, and i`m only at the beginning.
At the end of the day the choice is yours i just wanted to let you know your never alone and if some CRAZY Scotsman:dizzy:can do it then you and everyone else can to.
Best of wish`s whatever you decide upon.
Remeraber it may be raining outside it may be cloudy or snowing it may even be night time but NO MATTER what the sun is always up there shining bright like a big round shiny ball. Take care. Iain:wave: