Heroin addict, doing a rapid suboxone taper

So far so good, this is my last day at 1mg, still feel fine, tomorrow I drop to .5, I think all the exercise my superfast metabolism and weed is helping, my appetite has been great too. I keep reading that it is in huge part mental, so I have been telling myself that I feel fine, and I do, I hope it continues working for me haha. I appreciate the support.

That's both crazy and excellent. Fingers crossed things continue smoothly.

I can sympathize with that, I've quit dope cold turkey a few times only to crash and burn, and with sub, idk why but it feels different this time, like in the past I always thought that I could get clean and have enough control to still be around the same people, and just do sh*t occasionally. Obviously that's not possible, mentally I'm not letting myself feel bad, im gonna keep rocking it out, I'd be down to hit a meeting or something, but all my area has is a.a. and regardless of what people say its not the same, I'm trying new things like reaching out on a forum, and familiar things like basketball. If I need to be on it beyond this last 4 mg over 12 days I will, but I doubt it=-O ;-)

NA does on line meetings. You're right I've found the same with AA - I just don't relate as well.

Pleased to hear you are sticking with it and still feel good. Once the sub is totally out of your body - maybe 4/5 days?- you will of course get the usual physical symptoms. But you know all about them.

My only input would be be careful once you have got through the physical stuff. Look in to ways you can STAY stopped - that's always got me.

I know what you mean about changing the people you spend time with. It's important but I've found it hard - I feel like I need a new social life!

Well done and keep posting!

Oh I've had symptoms, but its weird, putting music on, or something like that, and telling myself I don't feel bad really is helping me. I really want this, weed helps me sleep, and when I have the "bubbleguts" I have realized I'm actually hungry, I eat and it goes away. I'm going to cut to a half mg tomorrow, for 4 days, then .25 for 8 days. Do you think by day 8 of .25 my buildup will be low enough that the actual jump will be semi tolerable, from what I have read, the steps I've already made should have been much worse. I mean the drug addict in me would love to stay on the sh*t forever, but I don't want to be trying to get off it after 3, or more years ya know

I also watched that Fran, Thats what has made me taper, I dont want to end up like those poor souls, I just hope Oxycontin and Vicodin don't start to become widely available here in the Uk!!!

Hi , sadly oxycontin is widely prescribed for difficult to manage pain so I expect there are many people like me who were on it for years , but  we dont have the awareness here. Neither do our gp's have enough experience in dealing with non drug abusers  becoming addicted , they use a gentler term "dependent " but has just the same consequences coming off , you just dont have the highs when using it for pain that you would for recreational purposes. 

I feel sad you call yourself "ashamed" ... You are trying to do the right thing and thats admirable , pat yourself on the back ! 

You can always talk to me x

 

My GP summed up the UK problems with prescribed Opiates - I turned up for an appointment after about 4 months on heavy Morphine/MST and said I had reduced my Morphine consumption, he said "Why have you done that?". I didn't know what to say to him, it just seemed such a stupid thing for a Doctor to say - he should have been gushing with encouraging remarks.

The charter of the Doctors is to ensure we are not left in pain, that means we can always ask for pain drugs and get them any time - they have very little basis to refuse therefore it's an open door, narctoics for all, broken system.

These opiates were only confined to terminal patients at one time , and although they confer huge benefits , im sure no one ever thought we chronic pain patients might potentially be on them for life! 

I for one,am pinning my hopes on research and technology , otherwise old age is going to miserable ,and I need to be enjoying the here and now without always being in pain .

perhaps we expect too much , there are limits , but I always suspect that somewhere theres a dr who really understands what my exact problem is if only I could find him or her . But the lumbering  wheels of the nhs , grind so slowly ...

Not in the United States. My Dr had me on dilaudid 2mg 4x a day due to me being admitted into hospital for a month on my death bed they said i had about 4 months to live. I have stage 4 liver disease and Chronic Pancreatitis (so painful I would rather have quadruplets all natural no drugs) my Dr told me thathe doesn't want to lose his license for keep prescribing me meds. He actually tried to just stop me cold turkey. I said what Dr would do such a thing why not wean me down like I asked the previous month when he kept insisting I see a pain specialist. Although with my public aid/Medicaid insurance I can't find a pain specialist and the one I found won't prescribe anything unless my primary Dr is through that hospital he is affiliated with. My Dr stormed out of theroom when I said to taper me down he came back in the room with a total attitude and wouldn't give me anything for discomfort during this time. He cut me down to 1 2mg pill a day!