Actually I have been tapering down but am kind of stuck at 2mgs. I guess a little background is due...

The first time I used Suboxone was in 2007 when I was treated for taking 10 30mg Roxy's a day for 3 months. I was treated for two weeks with Suboxone and that was it.

In 2008 I was treated with Suboxone again for Lorab use because of a chronic knee injury. Once again I was treated for about 2 weeks and was off Suboxone with no problem.

On July 5th of this year I began Suboxone again. I started with 2 8mg pills a day and am now down to 2mgs a day, 1 mg in the morning and one 12 hours later.

I tried going down to 1.5 mgs a day but had a problem in the afternoon and had to take the extra .5mgs I was missing from the 2mg a day dose. Maybe it was a minor thing but I am afraid to drop down even though I badly want to get off Suboxone. My doctor said "So what if you are on 2mgs of Suboxone for the rest of your life, at least you are living a good life." I really only thought I would have been on Suboxone for 10 - 14 days like the past.

I am afraid to drop down anymore for fear of getting sick. I guess I put myself in this position and I have to deal with it. However, I am literally alone and have no support system. Sad to say but I don't have any friends and even fewer acquaintances. I have an excellent job and don't have the time to take off and be sick at home for a few days. I am in the middle of a move, and my father is sick with reoccurring lung cancer.

This wasn't meant to be a woe as me pitty party. I just thought it was better to be honest so you can comment fully informed on my situation.

Hi OOTW - First, welcome to the forum. I think you'll find lots of information and support here, I know I have.

So, this is your third time on suboxone...Don't take this wrong, but are you seeing a pattern here? Maybe that's why your doctor said what s/he said (about staying at 2 mg). The way I see it, there are two reasons people stay on suboxone long term (and by that I mean more than a couple/three years): 1-They need it for chronic pain control and can't go back to using full agonists (regular pain pills); and, 2 - Because they've relapsed so many times that their life is simply better and safer staying on it. You and your doctor would have to sit down and decide if you fall into one of these.

But before considering whether you should be on it for life, maybe you should consider one more thing. That is, it's my understanding that for the people who are not on it for life, long-term treatment (1-2 years) is said to be much more successful than short-term treatment (a few months or less). What I mean is short-term treatment generally leads to higher rates of relapse. Suboxone doesn't cure addiction (as I think you've learned). It's merely a powerful tool at our disposal to help us get our lives back. We still have to do the work - learn new coping skills, learn to deal with life w/o taking a drug, get comfortable with our own emotions and in our own skin, etc.

With regard to tapering off (and I'm one of those lifers from category #1 above, so this is not based on personal experience), it's said that at low doses such as what you're on, the drops are felt more than the drops at higher doses. In other words, you won't feel it going from 16 mg to 15 mg, but you WILL feel it going from 2 mg to 1.5 mg. So I'm not surprised you're feeling your latest drop. The good news is that many people who've been where you are say that the discomfort subsides once you adjust to the lower dosage (a few days or so).

What about trying to cut your morning dose by .5 instead of the afternoon dose? Maybe you'll be able to last longer and make it until the pm dose. Just a thought. Either way, the key to a successful taper is a long, low, slow taper. Many people stay at say 1 mg for 2 months before their next drop to .5 mg. In other words, make sure you get good and accustomed to the drop before doing it again so soon.

Sorry this is so wordy, but I hope it helps. Good luck and keep us posted on how you're doing. Again, welcome!

_________________
-As I have grown older, I've learned that pleasing everyone is impossible, but pissing everyone off is a piece of cake.

-I'm only responsible for what I say, not for what you understand.

Hi Hatmaker...

I was talking pain meds for chronic pain as yourself. Injury in an auto accident brought about multiple knee surgeries and constant pain. I just decided in July that I didn't want to be on meds anymore. I was also taking other meds for bipolar/anxiety issues. I just stopped taking everything which was definitely the WRONG way to do it. But it is done.

The doctor I am seeing is a cash only doctor. Very expensive for me. However, the doctor was the only one I could find on short notice. He isn't a bad guy but it is just too expensive for me to see him even twice a month. If I could find a doctor on my insurance plan and had to go long term, it would be more economically feasible.

With that being said, I want to learn to live with the pain by utilizing exercise, PT, and just an overall healthy lifestyle. I've gone to meetings and found them very useful. I have discovered a lot about myself.

As I've said in my first post, I never had trouble getting off the Suboxone before and just can't understand why this time is different. I am going to try and cut the morning dose instead of the evening dose. And if that doesn't work I will try taking .5 at 6am, .5 at 12 pm , and .5 at 6 pm. I could always stay at 2 mgs a day until I see the new doctor and then figure out a plan from there. But I WILL discuss what you said Hatmaker...thank you!

You need to go slower, just nip one of the corners off your 2mg pill.. Maybe stay at that amount for 3 weeks, stop being in a big ass hurry.. once you start feeling better trim a little more off your pill, ect ect ect... I also have some bipolar issues , doing this very slow is the key, .5mg cuts are to BIG for "US" I was at 2mg for 7 months, going below 2mg is were the real work begins.. Good Luck, Mike

I would agree with Sullimi - you need to slow down a bit here. I have seen multiple recommendations of dropping no more than 10% at a time once you reach 2 mg. You are trying to drop 25% -- or more than twice the recommendation. If you try 1.8 mg instead of 1.5, your body (and brain) are more likely to be able to tolerate the change and you will get used to it and "stabilize" at the new dose. Sit at that dose (1.8mg) for about two weeks and then do another 10% drop. Keep doing this every two weeks and I'm willing to bet you'll be able to reduce your dose without having the trouble that you have had with larger drops. Yeah, it will take longer this way, but it really is the way to go.

Good luck with it.

I want to thank everyone for the advice they have given me.

I am going to my current doctor this week and then I see my new doctor on the 20th of September. The reason I am switching doctors is because I found one that takes my insurance and so a visit will cost me $25 instead of $75.

My current doctor says I should stay on 2mgs a day, which I will for a while. I am not sure what the new doctor will say but I guess we will come up with a treatment plan. As much as I want to get off Suboxone, I decided I am not going to rush off of it. I have a disability and it will never go away. I need to address the long term issue here and not try to find quick fix. I was taking pain meds everyday for the pain and that didn't matter to me so why should Suboxone? I know that the stigma that comes with taking Suboxone bothers me, but I can't let others ignorance dictate whether or not I get better.

I just hope I can believe in myself enough to stick to my guns!

Smart thinking, Stay at 2mg and start moving on with life, work on your bipolar stuff, its also a BIG pain in the ass... 2mg of sub and your bipolar meds work great together, ( I Know ) things start getting really f___ed up under 2mg. I will promise you that you will stabilize within 2-3 weeks and life will get so much easier.. If an hospital emergency occurs you'll be happy at 2mg, Saboxone is that wonder drug, like any psych med It will take a while before your confident of it, Good Luck again, Mike

So as I mentioned I am going to be changing doctors because the one I go to doesn't take my insurance and in general ,he believes that most of his patients are "Scumbags." This new doctor takes my insurance but I don't know anything about him...

And that scares me! It scares me because what if I don't like him? What if he wants to rush me off subs and I'm not ready? Are new doctors required to call the old doctor and let them know they are taking over treatment? I am guessing they may have some sort of obligation because they don't want you getting subs from multiple places. But I don't want the old doctor to know because if I don't like the new one I can still go back to the old one, can't I?

Maybe I am worrying about nothing, but that is part of who I am and it is very controlling.

Your thoughts? Comments?