Bupe Basic Help/Question regarding Bupe

[Pat84]

Won’t bore anybody with too many mindless details. Basically, been on bupe now for about four years, lot longer than I’d planned for. Pretty much have to now admit to myself that it became just as habit-forming. Mainly because it helped me sleep. Don’t know how I did this, but I just wasn’t keeping track; in fact, I was supposed to be doing a self-taper, but somehow, I only ended up upping my regular dosage. So now, I’m almost certain I’m up to two 8 mg strips each day, when I used to be only at one 8 mg strip.

My doctor is very nice, but he doesn’t really get too involved with thoroughly helping people taper. I guess what im asking is how should I go about this. My insomnia is so terrible that if I couldn’t sleep, I would just cut off a thin piece from the strip with a Benadryl (which I also now have a physical dependence on) to help myself get tired; this, in addition to my regular dose…I think. I finally realised though how stupid this is and I have read that it is rare for anyone to be on anything higher than a strip and.a half (12mg) because there is just no benefit in this. I honestly can’t even tell how high up in milligrams I’ve stupidly gotten myself. I have been determining it by observing my pupils basically. I’ll look in the mirror and if they aren’t small, then I’ll reason to myself that that must mean I need to take a piece. Stupid, I know. Believe me. I’ve basically been taking it the way I would with regular opioids, which I understand is not really how suboxone is supposed to work. Another reason I think I allowed this to happen is because I have no steady schedule; my schedule is all over the place because I’m currently laid off and not doing much except for my schooling, which is online. So I’m never taking doses at proper, regular times. And I take one half as soon as I get up in morning, regardless.

Any suggestions? I don’t know why but I am admittedly a bit nervous about it. Like right now, I think I’ve had a strip and a half’s worth already, but I’m feeling a little bit of mild withdrawal, so what i usually do in this situation is, I’ll take another thin sliver off of a strip to settle it and make it go away. Please excuse my rambling on and on too much, I just want to know how I should better organise this. Any suggestions on an ideal schedule? I usually will take a half, then wait 8 to 10 hours, then take another. I basically have been taking a half every 12 to 15 hours tops, but sometimes even sooner. Am I not supposed to take them that soon?

From now on, I plan on getting up every day at the same time so that I can get the ball rolling on tapering again. Is there a way that I can effectively taper at home without going through agony and, if so, how long, realistically, do you think it would take me to get down to say…one half of strip (4mg)?? Does anybody with experience think that can be done effectively in say…a year or less?

 

[negrogesic]

I've never been on buprenorphine but i was able to get off of an enormous amount of methadone by simply tapering slowly and intense physical exercise. Easier said than done. But physical exercise helps alot.

Sounds like you are having trouble with the actual mechanics of tapering though. Not sure how to better approach. Those strips always seemed like an imprecise way of measuring the drug, especially if you are trying to taper. The handful of times i played with those strips I actually weighed the strip on a milligram scale and used that to inform my dosing.

From my recollection an 8mg suboxone brand-name strip weighted exactly 50mg, thus 10mg (1/5th) contains 1.6mg, etc.

Personally just from recreational attempts i found suboxone to be kind of hollow, i took 8mg within 12 hours with zero tolerance, and while it was quite strong (it nearly made me vomit), other attempts at a similar dose weren't nearly as effective. Essentially i developed a rapid tolerance to it. The duration of action also seemed to get shorter. If were maintained on I feel like I'd need at least 2 strips a day. Glad i never was, because compared to methadone, buprenorphine makes me feel weird, sort of dysphoric and jumpy.

 

[Pat84]

I've never been on buprenorphine but i was able to get off of an enormous amount of methadone by simply tapering slowly and intense physical exercise. Easier said than done. But physical exercise helps alot.

Sounds like you are having trouble with the actual mechanics of tapering though. Not sure how to better approach. Those strips always seemed like an imprecise way of measuring the drug, especially if you are trying to taper. The handful of times i played with those strips I actually weighed the strip on a milligram scale and used that to inform my dosing.

From my recollection an 8mg suboxone brand-name strip weighted exactly 50mg, thus 10mg (1/5th) contains 1.6mg, etc.

Personally just from recreational attempts i found suboxone to be kind of hollow, i took 8mg within 12 hours with zero tolerance, and while it was quite strong (it nearly made me vomit), other attempts at a similar dose weren't nearly as effective. Essentially i developed a rapid tolerance to it. The duration of action also seemed to get shorter. If were maintained on I feel like I'd need at least 2 strips a day. Glad i never was, because compared to methadone, buprenorphine makes me feel weird, sort of dysphoric and jumpy.

Yes, that’s one of the biggest pains with it. It seems to increase rather quickly if you are not careful.

 

[DeathIndustrial88]

You should be able to make pretty big jumps without discomfort.

It's not until about 2-4mg for me & I imagine most people to really start noticing withdrawals between doses.

I find it's more effective for sleeping in the lower doses, so it's new for me to hear some one using so much bupe just to help with sleep.

There's many alternatives for sleeping.


Keep in mind, once you do finally stop the bupe (if you choose to), the withdrawals can last weeks. If not longer (Post-acute withdrawal syndrome), especially after 4 years.

 

[Pat84]

You should be able to make pretty big jumps without discomfort.

It's not until about 2-4mg for me & I imagine most people to really start noticing withdrawals between doses.

I find it's more effective for sleeping in the lower doses, so it's new for me to hear some one using so much bupe just to help with sleep.

There's many alternatives for sleeping.


Keep in mind, once you do finally stop the bupe (if you choose to), the withdrawals can last weeks. If not longer (Post-acute withdrawal syndrome), especially after 4 years.

Wait a minute…years?? Oh, my. What kinds of symptoms will one have that could last years? The gut symptoms won’t last years, will they? I have major stomach problems, so I certainly hope not.

And I find that I do get withdrawal from lowering my dose, whether significantly or not.

 

[DeathIndustrial88]

Wait a minute…years?? Oh, my. What kinds of symptoms will one have that could last years? The gut symptoms won’t last years, will they? I have major stomach problems, so I certainly hope not.

And I find that I do get withdrawal from lowering my dose, whether significantly or not.

How long have you been using opioids/drugs altogether in general?

It's possible you can have vague withdrawal symptoms months from now.
But it really depends on how long you've been using, how much you crave drugs, etc..

I don't want to scare you though, but be prepared.
One person may have persistent stomach problems, or one may have persistent depression, cravings, lethargy, etc..
All depends on various factors though.


I personally have been using opioids since I was 19 and I'm almost 34.
I don't see myself ever being able to function without them at this point.

Everyone is different though, so it's hard to say what your withdrawals will be like or how long they'll persist or if you'll have PAWS (post-acute withdrawal).
I think if you're already in the mindset of wanting off of it and not caring about drugs anymore, you'll have a better time than most.

Some people have even come off of bupe and had little to no withdrawal symptoms.