Journal - Methadone to suboxone

[youdontknow]

Ok so im planning on going from methadone to suboxone, hopefully today or tomorrow. Im gonna try and get my doc to prescribe me suboxone. Ive been going to a methadone clinic for about three or four months now and ive been clean ever since i started there. Now i want to quit the methadone too though.

Will i get withdrawls from the methadone if i have the suboxone? Also im planning on going from 16 mgs starting out to 0 in a month. Im so tired of this shit and i want to be done with it.

Im very strong mentally and as long as i dont get sick i think ill be ok.

[Naked Lunch]

You will have to stop taking Methadone for up to 5 days before taking suboxone or you will precipitate WD symptoms. Talk to your doctor about it, he will know what to do to get you on suboxone.

[youdontknow]

well my family doctor just straight up will not give me suboxone. Im finished with that fuckin idiot. Ive always thought he was a shit doc. Hes the type of doctor that youll tell him you have extreme depression and that you want to kill yourself and hell tell you to take vitamins and excercise.

Dr.Jennings at depaul medical center in st.louis is a FUCKING HACK

[Naked Lunch]

The doc that's prescribing your methadone can also prescribe suboxone, unless of course this is the doc you are referring to, then i don't know why he wouldnt swap your meds.

[electrolingus]

SWIY needs to inform his methadone prescriber of his plan to switch to suboxone. The transition will be a lot smoother if one tapers to a low dose of methadone before the switch. One does not necessarily have to go five days without methadone to start taking suboxone. Suboxone can be taken successfully once symptoms of initial withdraw from methadone are evident. The least amount of suboxone possible to keep one stable will also make it easier to taper and eventually stop all together. SWIM commends SWIY on this decision. One will find that a positive attitude and the desire to be free of opiate addiction will make this process somewhat more bearable. Just remember that it CAN be done and don't try to do it too fast.

[youdontknow]

see the problem with getting it from the doc who gives me methadone is that its at a clinic and they offer it through the clinic. Itd cost me 175 a week and id have to go every day. Where as if i were to get a scrip from my family doc itd only cost me 20 bucks and i would have it on me.

Well anyways im done with my doc, im gonna start looking for a new one today. I have an appointment on thurs to go see a suboxone doctor so that should work out fine.

[electrolingus]

Originally Posted by youdontknow

see the problem with getting it from the doc who gives me methadone is that its at a clinic and they offer it through the clinic. Itd cost me 175 a week and id have to go every day. Where as if i were to get a scrip from my family doc itd only cost me 20 bucks

Swim was suggesting informing SWIY's MMA doctor or the clinic technician so they could start a rapid taper to make the transition a bit easier. Sometimes a private doctor can be more expensive than a clinic depending on ones location. It is always a good idea to let both doctors know what is going on as far as the switch to suboxone from methadone.

Again, SWIM wishes SWIyou the best with this transition. This forum is an excellent place to find support and to just vent about SWIY's journey through detoxification. Please keep SWIus posted of SWIYs progress.

[youdontknow]

my doc is such a....ergg he makes me so fuckin mad.

In his words, he hates methadone.

He wont give me suboxone because i havent included him in my treatment so far...way to act like a 5 year old.

And he brought up the fact that i used to get adderal from him...

[drug-bot]

are u sure your doc is trained to prescribe suboxone?, not all doctors can just prescribe suboxone they have to go to special classes and be certified, and even when a doctor is certerfied they can only prescribe suboxone to a certain amount of patients. swim recomends seeing if ur doctors cetified before finding a new primary care physician.

swim has heard that most suboxone doctors require a person switching over from methadone to taper down to 30mg and then go cold-turkey for 72hours before taking their first 'test' dose of suboxone, they do this in order to make sure your sick when u come in so precipitated withdrawl is avoided.

heres a web site that has lists of suoxone doctorsw/contact info by state and city/town- http://www.buprenorphine-doctors.com/

good luck.

[Amazing Andy]

Yes, you will get withdraws from suboxone. Their isn't much advantage to switching to suboxone to taper off, rather than just tapering off methadone. The only one I can think of is that suboxone withdraws are more severe, but shorter in duration. Methadone withdraw lasts a LONG time due to its long half life.

The thing is, you are gonna have to taper the methadone and get most of it out of your system before you can take suboxone. You will be most of the way there already. However, if you want to do suboxone make sure the methadone is well out of your system before you take the first suboxone, so wait 2 days minimum, and not before you get withdraw symptoms, if you want to be safe. Personally, I need nearly 5 days w/o methadone until I get withdraw symptoms.

My favorite method to kick personally is in a medical withdraw with buprenorphenine, or bup alone.

Remember, no matter what, you WILL eventually have a withdraw. A taper will help ensure it isn't too miserable, but even w/ suboxone, no matter how far you taper, once you kick you will get withdraw, and no taper will have any effect on the month or two of depression you get once the acute symptoms pass. You can do it though, many have. GOod luck!!