Suboxone for a chronic relapser?

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FullCircle08

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With this said --how do all of you feel for the chronic relapser? I have tried everything, even one of the best rehabs in the world and still go back to pills. I was told today by my pyschologist that SUB may be the only option. I want to live a normal life on it though. I wake up each day and have to take a Previcid with breakfast, if I dont I pay later. I hope that the SUB is the same way. I used SUB for a 5 day only when I go into rehab, they weened me off SUPER fast and I still experienced WD, I was active and it wasnt that bad, but it still was unpleasant (5 days -10 more of lethargic, no energy or sleep) BUT now here I am with great tools and an NA program 94 days of clean time and BANG I relapsed again (3 weeks ago) and I cant even tell you why. I am ashamed and baffled at the same time. I do not want this any more. Is SUB the thing for me corabined with therapy. I want to run and bike and swim and clirab and be super fit and all the stuff that is part of my life currently. Can I do that on SUB? 2mg a day was fine for me in rehab. still confused. To all my frienRAB, I am ok. I am holding my head high and getting back on the horse -once again. :-(
 
Sorry to hear about your relapse Full. But you know it is just a bump in the road and I know you will not give up. I went to detox the same time you went to rehab. I used Sub like you did for the 5 days and then tapered off for 3 more days. About 8 days after being off sub I got hit with withdrawals. Now they were no were near as bad as the oxy withdrawals, but I decided then I would go back on it to maintain and to get my head in a better place. It is now three months later and I am still using the sub. I take between 1.5 and 2mgs a day. I plan to start weaning down slowly but it has definitely aided in maintaining a sober life and get my act together. There are many more things that I need to do for my health that I haven't been doing, but I feel I would not have made the small steps I made without the suboxone. I would go back on it for awhile and use it as a supplemental tool to maintain your course for sobriety. It does not make me feel high whatsoever. It makes me feel "normal" and it helps alleviate the anxiety I have concoted in my head about my whole drug addiction. I am fully confident that I can come off it slowly and live a sober life because that is what I want to do. Good luck.
 
Oh and furthermore, I started exercising a bit and was walking 3 miles a day while I was on the suboxone. This is something I never would have done while taking the oxycodone because I would think that since I was already poisoning myself with the oxy, what would be the use of exercising while I was hurting myself with the pills. Teh suboxone has allowed me to feel much more confident and I do not feel as if I am poisoning my mind, body and soul. So the subxone totally has given me the confidence and encouragement to take care of myself. I also do not feel that I am going to be dependent on it forever.
 
I went on the sub after about 12 hours I took my last oxycodone. I was not in full physical withdrawals, but I was totally a mess mentally. I did not have any negative effects from doing that in that time frame. The one or 2 mgs really works for me. In fact, I was never on more than 6 mgs when I started. The doctor told me that he usually doses between 12 and 24 mgs so I felt really confident that a low dose was holding me. Over the years when I was having the cycle of addiction, it really was the physical withdrawal symptoms that got to me. During the past year, it really became much more of the mental withdrawal syptoms. I was having intense anxiety and ironically, every oxy or hydrocodone I took made me worse. It gave me no pleasure and it exacerbated my anxiety to levels I thought were not possible. Funny thing though, my tolerance never increased over the years. I only took 10 -15 mgs a pop. Granted I would redose many times during the day, I never took more than that at one time.

My desire to live a sober life is extremely strong. The anxiety I feel from the abuse really has gotten to me and the thought of going back to drugs would just make my anxiety unmangeable. Never say never and I know I am vulnerable, but the suboxone has really cleared my head and yet I do not feel dependent on it like I did with the opiates.
 
Be careful with suboxone though! Yes, it really helps take the cravings away but it is still an opiate! I was addicted to oxycontin/heroin for a couple years then started suboxone treatment- that was about 3 years ago! I've been on sub way longer than I anticipated. If I could go back I would never have started it and just toughed out the w/d from regular opiates instead of suboxone. The thing about sub is it has an incredibly long half-life which means your w/d are gonna last much longer than regular opiates. The w/d is milder but MUCH longer. That means when you detox from the sub it will take about a month of being clean to start feeling normal again instead of the standard week from most painkillers.

I'm not saying sub is a bad choice for you I just want you to know that is not a complete fix! I would use a small amount of sub (2mg tops) for a SHORT period of time (a month tops). Don't get stuck in suboxone dependence like I am... it's hell and I think the detox is much tougher b/c it lasts so long!
 
Music --thanks for your response. I am not going to give up. I still have a family that loves me and I have a nasty disease that will return if I am not careful. I was cocky getting out of rehab and now I am right back at it. I am going on the SUB on Tuesday and will try and get some sober time under my belt and learn what it means to be sober and live sober. I hope my wife understanRAB. I have not told her yet. We are meeting with my psychologist tomorrow together to break the news. I am scared and bummed at the same time. -- Music --how did they dose you? do I really have to be in full WD on tuesday to get the right SUB dosage? I already did that in rehab and it seemed that 2-4MG in the am would be fine for me. what do you think
 
Hey D,

I have been on Suboxone for over a year now. It was the best decision I've ever made.

I was a chronic relapser - always went back to the pills.

Since the day I started suboxone, thoughts of using were gone, the cravings went away within 30 minutes of taking the sub. I didn't anticipate it to work "that well," but I was pleasantly surprised.

Ultimately, you have to decide if Suboxone is right for you. Being a chronic relapser like myself, I think you should educate yourself on the drug and consider asking your doctor if it seems right for you.

Suboxone saved my life. Guaranteed.

good luck,
emsmom
 
Hey D!

It's funny you bring this up... This has been something I have been REALLY thinking about myself. I feel like at any minute I am on the verge of a relapse and seriously, at that point I am totally a chronic relapser if I am not one already!

I have done some research and honestly, I don't think it's a bad idea personally. Sobriety is what is most important and if this medication can take away the cravings and the drug seeking behavior and everything else that goes along with addiction than I say more power to you.

In my research I found that a woman trying to conceive or who is pregnant is not recommended to use SUB except in very extreme cases so for me, I think this is something I will have to fight on my own until after we are done with having children but it's something that if I still fight with the way I do now that I will highly consider so I can have some peace in my life with this. So with all that being said, I don't think it's something that you should feel bad about doing. I wish you great luck in telling your wife. I am proud of you for making a decision that will help you in your fight towarRAB sobriety.

Please keep us posted. I have a really dear friend of mine who swears by this medication and that it has truly changed their life forever. I hope it does the same for you because you really deserve it D.

Blessings to you!
 
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