When Is It Time To Give Suboxone the Boot?

Hi everyone, this is my first post here, but before I ever registered I found an excellent post about a methadone clinic in my area. So it safe to say already that this site has already helped me!

Here's an overview of my situation and what I'm struggling with:
I was addicted to opioids for around 3-years, mostly oxycodone or whatever I could get my hands on. I got on Suboxone a year and a half ago to finally take care of my drug problem. I was as so many say 'sick and tired of being sick and tired.' For that year and a half I did really well, only relapsing once for about two days. Sadly 6 months ago I relapsed, using IV heroin. I attempted to get back on Suboxone on my own, but to no avail. I bounced back and forth until my father found out about the heroin. It was then that I decided to make a real effort to get back on Suboxone for good. That was January 28th, I told myself that I wanted that to be it, no more dope. Just using Suboxone until I taper down and get clean. Well, here's my problem, Suboxone isn't taking care of my cravings. It supposed to especially at a dose of 24mgs daily. But it isn't. I stayed on that dose for approx. 2 weeks then relapsed for 3-4 days, got back on Suboxone after again. My cravings are out of control, they are debilitating.

I've been considering methadone, Suboxone just doesn't feel like it's working anymore, it simply isn't handling my cravings. It's supposed to do that, but it isn't. I want to get back to living a normal life again, not constantly being *this* close to relapse because of cravings.

Has anyone experienced something similar to this? Does it make sense to switch to methadone, or should I just try and wait it out on Suboxone? I'm assuming from what I've heard that methadone WILL handle the cravings better. I'd probably end up doing a shorter period thing on methadone and then switch back to Suboxone and finally taper off.

Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

Привет!Не могу обратиться к тебе по имени но это сейчас не так важно,а важен твой вопрос и возможность помочь тебе!Я уже 2 с половиной года на метадон!И могу сказать исходя из личного опыта.Советую тебе перейти на метадон потому,что у тебя не будет СРЫВОВ даже если тебе захочется уколоться уличным наркотиком героин то поверь ты не почувствуешь ни чего нет эффекта героин не сможет пересилить метадон просто напросто ты поймёшь,что употребляя метадон ты хоть сколько уколи эффекта 0!Потому,что метадон блокирует МЮ рецепторы и из-за этого нет эйфории!Но главным и очень важным фактом является долгое употребление метадон если ты сможешь выдержать первые пол года то ты почувствуешь то,что тебе хватает той эйфории которую даёт метадон.Но опять же главным в этом есть условие не употреблять в течении этих полу года ни чего не алкоголь,не барбитураты,не успокаивающие ни чего КРОМЕ метадона!Если выдержишь то ты поймёшь,что можно быть долгое время на метадон и другого не будет нужно.Ещё такие плюсы от метадон в сравнение с Suboxone это то,что метадон нельзя увеличить действие если уколоть героин,а Suboxone можно и если его не будет то можно снять ломку героин,а метадон ты не чем ломку не снимешь.Это не мало важная деталь как мне кажется для само мнения ведь все желания наши у нас в голове ,а если не будет желания то и конечно будет легче.Разве это не существенный плюс у метадон?И ещё главным и не мало важным фактом является на мою точку зрения это тот факт,что долгосрочная терапия является лучше чем краткосрочная!Так,что мой совет тебе перейти на метадон.С уважением Ден.


Hi, I can not ask for you by name but this is not so important, and important question and your chance to help you, I have 2 and a half years on methadone "I can tell you from personal opyta.Sovetuyu you go on methadone because you will not have FAILURE even if you want to prick a street drug heroin, then believe me you will not feel any effect, which is not the heroin would not be able to overpower the methadone is quite simply you'll find that eating at least you methadone as a shot effect 0! Because methadone blocks the receptors, and MJ Because of this, there is no euphoria, "But the main and very important fact is the use of methadone for long if you can stand the first half of the year then you feel that you lack the euphoria that gives metadon.No again mainly in this condition is not to drink during these half a year of that does not alcohol, barbiturates, sedatives or not anything other than methadone: If you stand it you'll find that you can be a long time on methadone and the other will not nuzhno.Esche such advantages of methadone in comparison with Suboxone is that Methadone can not be increased if the action to prick the heroin and Suboxone, and if it can not be something you can remove the break-up of heroin and methadone do not you break-up than not snimesh.Eto not a little important detail seems to me to self-views because all our desires in our mind and if there is no desire, and of course it will legche.Razve is not a significant plus for methadone? And yet the principal and not a little important fact is in my view is the fact that long-term therapy is better than the short term! So that's my advice you go to metadon.S respect Den.

Hello and thanks for writing. My name is RuthAnn and I moderate for this forum. I have not had any personal experience with suboxone, only methadone. Now Dee, our other moderator, she has had experience with both and if I am not mistaken, she told me she prefers methadone over suboxone. Maybe she can tell you a bit more about her experience there.

All I can say is that if suboxone isn't working for you, then what have you got to lose by trying methadone? I believe on a stable dose of methadone you will be much better off. I personally, notice I said PERSONALLY don't think suboxone is all "that" and the "miracle cure" they are touting it to be. Ppl still manage to abuse it just like they do methadone and the only difference I see is that you can get it from a GP (and most of those who have taken the ONLINE course to be allowed to prescribe it don't have a CLUE about addiction and some don't even support ORT (opiate replacement therapy) in the first place) amd it is more expensive than methadone.

Methadone on the right dose and a stable dose will provide a "blocking" effect so that even if you do try to get high from other opiates, the methadone is "stronger" than the other stuff and you can't get high from it. I know in that first year or so of MMT, I tried to still use opiates and I never could get high so it was like why even bother? After that, I had no more problems with wanting to abuse opiates because I knew it wouldn't work anyhow. Matter of fact, right this moment we have a big bottle of hydrocodone in our medicine cabinet and guess what??? It is SAFE from me lol! I don't even desire to take them anymore.

Anyway, I tend to ramble so I will close for now. I am so glad you wrote and shared with us and I am glad you have found our forum and joined. I will say it again, if you are having trouble on suboxone and still using, what have you got to lose by trying methadone? If it works, you will be free from abusing opiates and if not, you are in the same boat you are in already........but I have a feeling you will do much better on methadone so give it a try.

If you need help finding a clinic, let me know and I will get the info for you.

OH! one other thing, we do also have a suboxone forum if you want to join it as well. The link for that is www.suboxoneassistedtreatment.org

Good luck and keep us posted!

Good morning,
Welcome to our forum. My name is Dee and I am the person that RuthAnn spoke of. As RuthAnn said I have experience with both Suboxone and Methadone. I was on methadone for four years before switching over to Suboxone.

I have told RuthAnn several times that I prefer Methadone over Suboxone. Although I really don't have any cravings on Suboxone, I don't like the way it sometimes makes me feel
but switching back to Methadone is not an option for me. I live in a state where we have only one clinic.
That one clinic has such a long waiting list as you can imagine.

There is something I'd like to say about Suboxone. It has been my experience that with Suboxone "less is more." It only takes a small amount of Suboxone to do the trick, if you are meant to be taking it.
Some people can take 2mg and do very well. But Suboxone is not for everyone. I've heard that if you are using Heroin, Suboxone will not work. That is a false statement. It depends on the person and certain circumstances.

If you are having problems getting back into recovery with Suboxone, then I would suggest that you really give Methadone a try. We do have a patient on this forum who goes to an excellent clinic in Minn and in reading your post above you have already seen his post.

There is something that I want to mention and I don't want to be out of line or anything but if you are having cravings and reoccurring relapses. It's not a good time for you to think about stopping maintenance therapy. You said that you thought about taking Suboxone long enough to taper down I honestly thing that would be a mistake.
Methadone has been a lifesaver for many people, I am one of those people.
Being in recovery and having the chance to live a normal life is within your grasp. But you need to make a decision and can't keep going back and forth between treatment and using. If you continue on the road your on now, your taking a huge risk that the day will come that you will not wake up. Please post and let us know what you decide your going to do. We care about you.
Dee