Any success stories with Suboxone for fentanyl withdrawal?
Posted , 4 users are following.
Hi everyone,
Well I went to another pain management doctor that does not prescribe, but he did know several places that I could go to get Suboxone for the withdrawal and thought that it would be successful, especially after I kicked 200+ Vicodin in a month's time. However, I was not physically addicted to it, like I am to fentanyl.
Please tell me there is someone out there that has been successful with suboxone for withdrawal from this nightmare of a drug. Time is ticking by...I only have about a month's supply of patches left and I don't know if I can find anyone to prescribe to me anymore.
The doc also mentioned going down 25mcg every 2 months but I think that would be just horrible, constant withdrawal, I would rather be done with it, once and for all. He also was aghast at what my other pain doc wanted to do...admit me and put me in a coma and fill me full of narcan so that when I woke up I would be addiction-free. He said "Maybe in an intensive care setting" with emphasis on "maybe". The other doc thought I could do it at some rehab hospital, I always knew THAT was not gonnna fly.
OK, please, please. please...let me hear some success stories??
Love and hope to you all,
Leigh
0 likes, 4 replies
melissa7471 leigh65923
Posted
Hang tight!!!!!
Melissa
timslide leigh65923
Posted
I really don't want to rain on your parade, or to be too pessimistic - it can be done. BUT I think Suboxone is similar to (maybe the same as?) Subutex, or Naltraxone (these are UK names). If that is the case please be aware that although they all have some narcotic/pain killing properties they are normally used to keep heroin addicts off heroin, and they do this by being antagonists - which means that if you have any opiate in your system when you start them you will go into instant withdrawal, and the more opiate you have the worse it is. I have personal experience of taking Subutex when I was on a relatively small amount of methadone and it was one of the worst experiences of my life.
These subtances also work by blocking your opate receptors, so that once you are on them, taking opiates has no effect - this could, of course, be a disadvantage.
I'm really sorry, I'm guessing this will not be what you want to hear, but it is pretty easy to check out, and I do have personal experience of these substances. To use Suboxone to get off Fentanyl is not something I have heard of, but you would have to have reduced the Fentanyl to virtually zero before taking any Suboxone or the impact of sudden withdrawal doesn't bear thinking about - sadly many GPs simply don't have the training or the information to fully understand what this means.
It IS possible to come off long term opiate use - much harder when one is actually using the opiates to kill pain, because aside from withdrawal the pain still needs managing. A big part of the process is the initial decision, so all I can do is wish you all the very best. Good luck!
leigh69697 leigh65923
Posted
Hi Leigh, I am also Leigh69697. Read my post "my hell journey on Fentanyl is over'. I was on 150 mcg every 48 hours. With help from a pain clinic, I was able to kick the impossible addiction fairly easy in 4 months by using percocet 10/325, 4 per day. After 2 months, I no longer got high on that amount, but it kept me from getting too sick as I tapered down the Fentanyl and kept my pain at bay. I was too afraid to try suboxone...I was familiar with Percocet. Did you start your withdrawal? I pray it's going well!
Actiquser leigh65923
Posted
Can I ask why are you so keen to use suboxone and have you read the Suboxone Debate?
Have you thought about the following.
1. Suboxone is replacing one addictive drug with another, unless you come off it quickly you will have withdrawal.
2. In the UK you have to inform the DVLA if taking it and you may have your driving licence revoked. I do not know about the USA.
3. It uses a agonist narcan and an opiate usually in a ratio of 1:4. I question what happens if you require emergancy surgery and no one knows you are taking Suboxone. Do normal opiates work at normal doses or what? I asked my Dr this and he did not give an adequate answer but did not recommend suboxone.
4. You have to visit the pharmacy daily to get this when you start it to ensure it is taken as prescribed.
5. One big plus is it does treat moderate pain so the pain issues are dealt with.
Sorry its not anwering your questions or giving you success stories, some others here are managing to get off Fentanyl without replacing it with suboxone and quickly too. Its worth looking at the other postings. However they all are gettiing withdrawal to some degree. Is it because you only have a months supply of patches? Most others do the taper programme which I am going to try first.
I have the offer of suboxone for if I need it later but not before I have tried to taper first. I also think you may find only private clinics will offer suboxone as its seen as a quick fix.
I am saddened that your pain management Dr is not supportive. He got you in this mess. Please consider finding another Dr to prescribe more patches and try a taper programme. Give consideration to what timslide has said in his posting.
If you do the suboxone please let us all know how it goes for you.
Hugs and love to you and wishing you sucess whatever you decide.