Methadone Withdraw: Methadone Detox Clinics

Question: Methadone withdraw after almost a week of suboxone ?

(Posted by: on 2011-04-17 01:18:05)

After tired of the bum counselors at clinics, high prices, and success rate of methadone treated patients I decided to make a jump to suboxone and played the rules like doctors advise. I went from 100- 30 over 6 months and quit taking it for 24 hours before starting suboxone because of the Narcaine forcing percipitation withdrawal (supposively terrible). I did not feel any withdraw for the first 5- 6 days from switching. Now after a week my legs are aching, restless, irritable, ect.. just like withdraw. I started taking 8mg of subs for 2 days then switched down to 4mg because I hadnt went to a doctor yet to get suboxone because of being out of town. I just got them from a friend untill that happened and it worked out perfect as the day of my doctor appointment I took my last 4mg. The doctor then prescribed me 8mg strips per day for 2 weeks until my 2nd checkup. I dont have any benzo's or neat narcotics to trick the effects. Im not sure if even asking the doctor to prescribe me something like that would work. Im sure he would render treatment defective and I would have to go back to methadone. I am wondering after explaining is it possible to take more suboxone and feel better to a certain reasonable point or what should I do. I need people that have a serious education or experiance switching over . Any help would be fine though and thanks.

Posted by: Taziketoro on 2011-04-17, 10:30:15

You probably do need an increase. If your dose is too low you can still have some withdrawal symptoms especially when it's getting close to the next dose. Suboxone has a ceiling effect meaning that after a certain point taking more does not make it more effective but you can usually go as high as 16mg until you hit that ceiling. I would recommend that you call your doctor and tell him that you are having withdrawal symptoms and see if you can come in early for an increase. Don't start dipping into the next day's dose as you will run out early and be even more miserable. See about going up another 4mg and if that doesn't work take another 4. You can also ask your doctor for a prescription for clonodine which will help the withdrawal symptoms some. It's not impossible that what you are experiencing is not really withdrawal but side effects from the Suboxone. Restlessness and irritability can be a side effect. But if I were you I'd try getting an increase and stay there for a few weeks and if it doesn't get better talk to your doctor. Exercise and a good diet is also important to feel better. Taking extra opiates is not going to do anything for you and taking benzos is not a good idea when you're trying to stay clean. It can also have a dangerous interaction with the Suboxone. FYI, it's actually not the Narcan (naloxene) that can put you into precipitated withdrawals as many people think. The narcan is inactive in the suboxone pills or strips unless you try to dissolve them and shoot them. What it is that can throw you into withdrawals is the Buprenorphine itself (buprenorphine is the active ingredient in Suboxone). Bupe is a partial agonist which means that part of the drug is like an opiate while another part is like an antidote to opiates just like Narcan which is a full agonist. This works fine if you only take bupe but if you take buprenorphine after taking another opiate like oxy or heroin the buprenorphine will block the effects of it. It basically knocks the heroin or oxys off your receptors in your brain. So if you are physically dependent on opiates and take buprenorphine you will go into immediate withdrawal as the buprenorphine knocks the opiates out of your brain right away. The narcan is not needed to do that and it has no effect at all if you take the Suboxone orally like you should.