Author: ontoolong
Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2012 5:13 pm
Fireman,
I hope I am able to help a little bit. I been on 32mg for five years, am down to 4mg right now. I have tried to taper/come off several times, long story. But I have the w/d when I get go down to 2mg. I am working with a doctor who specializes in this and we are planning for me to be off work for three or four weeks to make the "jump" as we call it.
The half life of sub is tricky, the first time I went off I did not feel any w/d until the eight day, and it was really bad. I want to be honest with you, i have detoxed before and this has been the hardest yet, it seems to be the lingering of the sub to the receptors.
Do you have a doc that is helping you with the wean, in order to really do it and get through you will most likely need some medications that will allow you to sleep and help with the w/d. Some people are really strong with the w/d, I am not, I get really really really sick and feel like I am dying. Sub was never really meant for long term use, of course you will hear different but the stats are coming out now. I have a case with the FDA about being left on it so long. I have had a rough time, it was used for pain management and was really not intended of that.
I have a lot of information, I have been rearching for about a year and working with my physician. I can certainly tell you my expericene and enlighten you on the hundreds of people I have spoken with. If you really want to do this, you have to be metnally and physically ready to endure it, exspect the worse and if it does get there that is wonderful but if you don’t prepare for it, you might be shocked.
Let me know if you want the advice I can offer, it’s a lot of information. First, you need to make sure of what dose you are on daily, fluctuating by forgetting a dose can really mess things up when you get to the lower doses. Right now you have so much binded to the receptors it clings there and you will not notice much on 16mg or even 8mg if you miss a day here and there. It is when you miss several days that it will hit you. You have to be very precise when you taper due to the half-life. It’s a bit crazy. All other opiates (except methadone) leave your system pretty fast, within days, but the sub likes to hang in there making you feel fine for days and then "BAM". That is all I can say on that one.
Let me know like I said, I hope to talk to you again and I wish you the best. Don’t give up, it can be done but you have to be prepared.
