My Long Form Taper Journal

[Sublimaze]

Hi Gang. This is round two for me on, and tapering off of, Suboxone film. Last time I worked with folks on a sister site called SubSux (that site was a dedicated taper site). The site, info, and the people on it helped me tremendously and I credit them for facilitating my success. Sadly, I went to that site and it has closed permanently. I am very happy to have found this site as the support and information really helps me stay on track. My story: from around 2010 to 2018 I was on Suboxone and tapered off over the last year. I tapered down to micro-dosages...I jumped off at 0.045mg or 45 mcg. I learned a lot. I went too slow and suffered unnecessarily. This time I'll move a bit faster, not bounce around (I did a lot of backsliding) and not drag it out quite as long. I took 10 months to taper off of 1 mg...too slow IMPO. I do maintain that the 1/2 way point between 8 mg and 0 mg is not 4 mg, or even 2 mg, physiologically it's 1 mg...again, this is my humble opinion. At least subjectively and symptom wise most of the difficulty comes at, and below, the 1 mg point...but I'm sure I am speaking to the choir haha.

I have a long way to go. I started on 16 mg (way too high, I know). I have tapered down from 16 mg to 3 mg. I went down 2 mg every week, 16, 14, 12, etc. until I got to 6 mg...then I went down 1 mg every 10 days...6, 5, 4...when I got to 4 mg I dropped by 0.5 mg...4, 3.5, 3, 2.5, 2...still every 10 days. Once I get down to 2 mg I will drop by 0.25 mg...1.75, 1.5, 1.25, 1...once I am at 1 mg I'll drop by 10-15 %. I may vary this as needed but this is probably very close, if not exact. For me, dropping based on when you "reach homeostasis" or 'stabilize' was a problem because there comes a point where, again, for me, it just doesn't work like that and you have to keep moving forward.

I am taking a much lower dose than my Suboxone doctor thinks I am. In the past, I had a lot of anxiety (at least from time to time) about getting prescriptions written, filled, covered by insurance, etc. I just didn't want to go through that again so I have at least 1.5 - 2 years worth of Suboxone stockpiled...supply chain issues...you never know...at least I have peace of mind.

So this is my story. I am a bit older than average for a sub user at 60 y/o. I know a bit but can always learn more from other's that share...and if I can help in anyway I am happy to. I appreciate this site and thanks to all.

[rule62]

Sounds like you have it planned quite well. You know more than most users considering you've been down this road before. The slow taper wins the race.

We used to recommend SubSux years ago to visitors here that had it in for Suboxone and kept bashing it and causing all sorts of trouble. For a while that site had a lot of members. Some started there and ended up here where we were more sympathetic towards their use. No bashing allowed on this site. This is a pro Suboxone forum and if you don't like it or agree then we'd ask them kindly to leave or just not post. Hated banning people but we had to draw the line somewhere. But like SS, we too are dying a slow death from lack of members. How long the owner will hang on to this forum is anyone's guess. I seem to be the only moderator left so I do keep checking in just to make sure there isn't any spammers or drug dealers here.

Thanks for posting and know that at least you have some support from the few members that are left here. They may not post much but they do log in and read the posts.

[Sublimaze]

Thanks for the kind and informative response Rule...now that I have looked closer at some of the other forums and threads I do see it's been quite long since any new posts were made on most of them. This site is important, as was SubSux, but the technology has changed, not the value of either site. FaceBook suboxone groups, Discord, and especially Sub-Redits (haha pun intended) have made the bulletin board and forum formats obsolete.

For anyone that may want some advice and support from someone that has tapered 100s of people off of Suboxone...you can get down to 1 mg from any dose, 8, 16, 24, even 32...doesn't matter. If you do it properly you can get to 1 mg a day with nearly zero symptoms. If you have any symptoms they are psychic or poor planning. I have tapered from very high doses to 1 mg many times and taken 100s of people from high doses to 1 mg and I am telling you it is nearly symptomless if done correctly.

However, below the 1 mg dose things do get tougher. I just came across my last taper schedule from 2017. I took 9 months, 260 days, to taper off of 1 mg. I did 10 - 15% drops every 10 - 14 days. I jumped at 0.043 mg or 43 mcg which is .5 mm of a 2 mg film (very easily cut to that size). Looking back I believe I drew it out a bit too much. I think around 90 days to taper off of 1 mg is plenty. I took 3 times that long last time, unnecessarily so, IMPO.

If it helps anyone...I'll post my journey. I might stay on 1 or 2 mg a day for 60 - 90 day because I want to work really hard at some things that will make those last 90 taper days much easier.

And, for the record...I am not anti-suboxone. Suboxone has saved my Italian ass several times. It lowers harm and allows you to work on all aspects of your life. I am, however, anti un-reality. Suboxone is one of the most potent opioids ever formulated. That's my only issue with it. I am not clean until I am off this stuff. But I appreciate the stuff itself haha.

Best to all. Thanks Rule...You Rock.

[cm3882]

I just wanted to say I was on this forum in 2019 and it had already started slowing down then, but I hadn’t realized it had so dramatically continued down that path and I am here and need this forum and you guys. I believe I am ready to do the first part of my taper and wanted to comment on as many current threads as I can so I can hopefully keep it going. I am undecided on whether I will get down to somewhere under 2mg and stay there or if I will come off of it completely but I have decided after reading a lot of the posts here and just from my own brain that I don’t need to be taking as much as I am. My kidneys don’t need to be processing that much etc. but anyway I just want to comment on as many threads as I can. I find it invaluable to be able to read others experiences and talk about them and be supported and support others and this is where I went for that.
I really do hope it survives

[Crazy_Cat_Lady]

Hello,
I hope this forum is still alive. I was a member here during a pregnancy in 2014 and there was a lot of support.
I am back on Sub, but I hope to taper down.
Thinking of the group

Crazy Cat Lady