Please help! Suboxone doin' my head in!

[pello78]

Hello, I'm new to this site and would like a little help or advice regarding "SUBOXONE"!

SWIM is a reformed Heroin and Crack Abuser, SWIM was addicted to the shit for 12 to 13 years. Apart from a couple of lapses, SWIM has been clean since SWIM came out of prison - June 12th, now SWIM is taking "Suboxone". The problem is sometimes when SWIM smokes a bit of Cannabis or sometimes has a drink SWIM's eyes go pinned and SWIM looks like they've just smoked a bag.

Why is this happening? It is starting to put a strain on SWIM's relationship with girlfriend as she thinks SWIM is using again and other people like SWIM's friends and family.

SOMEONE PLEASE HELP!

Reputation Comments on this post:

first post should not be taken off for self incrim

[chillinwill]

Well suboxone is a partial agonist and has opiate like properties to it that might resemble one being on heroin. Also, please remember not to self-incriminate as this is a direct violation of the rules. Learn how to use SWIM (someone who isn't me) or something similar to that such as a dream, a pet, a friend, etc. A good place to start looking for information can be found Here and Here

[teddybearpicnics]

swim thinks it is on an individual level...his girls pupils get pinned when she is on the subs too, like real small...she doesn't even have to be drinking or anything. swim however doesn't experience this. how large of a dosage are you taking? be careful about how long you stay on them, swim has heard of horrible w.d.s when swiy stays on too long. cheers.
.teddy

[moda00]

Originally Posted by teddybearpicnics

be careful about how long you stay on them, swim has heard of horrible w.d.s when swiy stays on too long. cheers.
.teddy

Just to address this- please be careful of such statements. If one is on an opiate medication for maintenance, they are already opiate dependent and will already have a tolerance, and likely some withdrawal effects, when coming off. The most important considerations are NOT the length of time on the med, but how one is doing in their recovery, and how one approaches the taper. Coming off too soon has very high rates of relapse- the point of maintenance is to stabilize and give the person a chance to focus on other aspects of rebuilding their life. As for avoiding withdrawals, much of this is hearsay- all opiates cause withdrawals in dependent persons, but swim has heard that for many people, coming off of suboxone is less stressful than coming off other, full agonist opiates, which makes sense if you think about it- that said, this will vary for every person based on their own body, tolerance, dose, and situation. The most important thing when choosing to come off a maintenance medication is to be ready for that step, and to do a slow taper, rather than jumping off cold turkey or trying to decrease too rapidly, if one wants to minimize withdrawal effects. That said, the OP states he is fairly new to suboxone and to recovery, so no need to jump into discussion of coming off it unless he feels a need or desire and has discussed that with the people involved in his life and recovery. Just my two cents, back on topic!

[Spare Chaynge]

For the family,, an easy solution would be to have swiys dr talk to the family and explain.. or easier have the pharmacist talk to the family and explain.. or even easy show the medication form that comes with the scirpt when you get it filled.. it should say that pinned eyes are a side effect.. or even easier dont smoke pot and alcohol ..pot could send swiy straight back to the pin.... Stick with legal scripts if swiy can.


Swiys eyes being pinned should not be a problem if the subs are legally prescribed and swiy is not driving.

For example swim and his buddies all got searched one time.. The pigs found nothing because the swims ate it all... But they tried to bring them all in for public intoxication..The only one they did not care about was the girl who was the most fucked up... because she had a script and the bottle of subuxone on her.. Therefore she had the right to have her eyes pinned....according to the pigs.

[moda00]

Hmm, do you think swiy just notices this more when he ingests other mind altering substances? It's true that suboxone can have this side effect, and as someone else pointed out, it would be best to get some more info or have your family and significant other read through it, such as the prescribing info, or meet with swiy and the doctor.. There are misconceptions about opiate maintenance, and swim can see how this could contribute to distrust/conflict. Over time, this effect may decrease as swiy gets more used to the medication, and if swiy is maintaining his recovery and making changes, hopefully the level of trust and communication will increase- it takes time for the family members and friends of an addict to trust them again. I know this can be hard, it was for swim, since one is doing well it can be hurtful when others question you, but just give it time and keep working on swiyourself. And in the meantime, like I and others have said, find a way to educate them on the purpose and effects of the medication, to dispell any misunderstandings.

In addition, it may be worth laying off the booze and marijuana. It's a personal choice, but this may help swiy to stabilize on the med and adjust to the changes he's making, and will also take away some of the risks of combing an opiate with alcohol, which isn't generally advisable. But again, no judgment, it's a personal choice.