February 29, 2008 - 1:21pm
So i just started on suboxone yesterday (2-28-08)
im on 2mg and this is how im supposed to start taking it for this week. 1 pill for 2 days then 2 pills for 2 days then 3 for 3 days.
I go every tuesday to the clinic to speak w/ the therapist and get my weekly script. What i dont really understand is WHY i'm starting on 2mgs and going UP? My therapist told me that she's gonna start me out on 2 mg and then each week ill be going up and up on my mg. My therapist explained pretty much everything to me and she said that for the first 2 days ill be very sick and might not be able to go to school or work. but i was only drowsy and sleepy thats about it. As far as sick goes, i wasn't sick at all. I also got ambien for sleep,some kind of pill for anxiety and naseua clonidin for high blood pressure cuz she said i might have heart palpatations, hydroxyzine HCL 10mg for pain or migranes and all of those pills are supposed to be used AS NEEDED. I def get occasional heart palpatations but the clonidin helps for that..... So my main concern is why im starting off low on suboxone then going up??? Shouldnt i start high then go down low??? And i def feel something, like im high.
My friend referred me to the methadone clinic but i would never go after all the research i did. I heard it was harder to come down off then herion which seems like a stupid thing to turn to for addiction. I've actually tried methadone and after that expierence i never wanted to do it again bcuz it made me feel like a zombie and it was only 40mgs that i took. i couldnt imagine what any higher of a dose it would make me feel like...ew yuck!
Anyways; is there anyone out there who has started on suboxone low like me then as i progress each week i go up on my dose. Anyone out there in the same boat as me??? I'd like to hear comments or suggestions.
ALSO, my therapist told me that methadone clinics are like cults, they wanna try to keep u there FOREVER so they make money!! MY friend said either $99.00 a week to be on methadone if ur insurance is payin for it or $200 if ur payin cash... Thats just insanity!...........................
Id like to hear from ppl if they are on suboxone and how its helping them. thanks
(edited by admin)
February 29, 2008 - 2:47pm
#2
Every suboxone patient is
Every suboxone patient is different so the doctor will titrate your dosage up till you feel comfortable then with this dosage stabilize you for how ever long it takes. Some patients are on suboxone for years and maybe even life, it really depends on how bad the addiction was and how your mind and body react to such an addiction and recovery. When your stabilized and feel ready to ween off then the lowering of dosages will occur. The comments expressed by me on this forum are opinions and should not be perceived as recommendations or advice. Medical professionals are at best your main resource for anything medical.
February 29, 2008 - 4:52pm
#3
I almost never say this
I almost never say this about another medical professional, but I think your therapist has no idea what they are doing. The therapist is certainly not following the recommended suboxone induction guidelines. Go to http://www1.buprenorphinecme.com/PageReq? Anyone can register and view the materials for free.
February 29, 2008 - 6:59pm
#4
my 2 cents
I definatly thing you are on way tooo low of a dose. When I started my suboxone treatment my dr allowed me up to 3 8mg pills daily, in fact i didnt need that much at all. I generally keep it at 1 8mg pill a day there are just some better days than other for me. What I do is keep my pill under my pillow and break it into 4 or 6 little pieces. I set my alarm clock 45 minutes earlier than i need to get up. Throw them under my tongue and go back to bed for a hour or so, get up drink the residue with some OJ and call it a day. I am also on ativan 1mg 3X daily at MAX. Again there are some days that I only use 1mg and others that I could prob use 20mg hahahahah. My dr prescribes me 90 8mg tablets and I am allowed to take 3 a day. I am instructed to bring my prescription in with me every month at my visit and whatever extra I have he counts, documents and subtracts from the next month, so this month I had like 25 extra pills so he wrote the script for 65 8mg pills. He also alternates me between valium and ativan for my anxiety I get 90 1mg ativan or 60 10mg valiums, with the valium I am only allowed 2 per day in which he really tells me to take half of a 10mg pill and only the whole thing if it is bad. He just recently gave me a script of 6 1mg xanax for when i have a panic or anxiety attack. He has me keep a journal and part of his treatment is that I MUST see a therapist as well. I also attend AA meetings for my own choice. Sorry to be sooo long Personal message me if you have any more questions
Thanks and have a wonderful night.......Anthony
Hey there, glad to hear you started on the Suboxone, its worked wonders for me. I actually started the other thread that you posted in recently called "Starting on Suboxone" right when I was first going in for treatment. I am currently on 3 8mg pills a day, as needed so sometimes 2, sometimes 3, just depends on how I feel. So far they have worked great for me. I have been clean completely since I started on them (actually plus about a week, because I came off hydro's a week before I went in and got my first script)
I still get a very very slight rush from my morning dosage of them, it could be mental though, I dunno. Most of the time I take two together in the AM, then one in the afternoon and thats it. My dr has started writing my script for a months supply now (90 count) and for the first time in a LONG time, I don't run out of my medication before my next visit :)
Feel free to PM me if you'd like, and I can give you my email address if you want it and have any questions. I started back at the end of December, and have been TOTALLY clean now since Dec 28 2007, so two months and a day. Feels great to be back to myself finally! Wish you the best success if I don't hear from you. Take care.