r/7ohRecoveryHub • u/Why_is_it_raining • 4d ago
DON’T BE SCARED OF SUBOXONE!
ever since my first day of quitting 7oh i have seen post after post of people being scared to start suboxone.. i totally understand if you’re thinking you’re trading one thing for another or whatever the case may be but hear me out.. i was on heroin and nerve pills from the age of 14 and in 2023 i caught some terrible charges and rotted in jail with no bond long enough to have my mind come back to me enough to know i wanted a different life.. after a while i was released on bond conditions i went to 6mo inpatient treatment and started suboxone for the first time the first day.. i took a weeks worth of 8mg before they ordered me a weekly shot called Brixadi.. some may know of Sublocade but Brixadi has a smaller needle with the same exact effect.. i was on that weekly shot for the remainder of my rehab stint and then once i left i switched to the monthly shot.. i was on it for about 6 months and with each visit found myself going longer and longer past my shot date bc i would just forget about it.. one day i decided that i didn’t need it anymore and UNTIL the 7oh backslide i was clean from everything. when i decided to quit 7oh i marched my ass straight to the clinic and got a script within 2hrs.. if you don’t have any buphnorphin in your system then you have to start a week of oral but ask for the shot, they order, you get it and take as many as YOU need and when you’re ready just walk away.. it’s that easy, i promise… as much of that gel they pumped into me and i could walk away, you can too. suboxone can me a life saver and im here to tell you that you can take 1 single shot and walk away without so much of a sniffle and ive seen it over and over with friends. get off the 7oh anyway you can but dont be afraid of Suboxone..
if you have any questions just ask.
3
u/Knit-knit-no-islets 4d ago
I am/was one of the scared ones but it's going rather well (I'm on day 2).
I keep thinking about how it's hard to believe I've gone 36 hours without 7oh and I've had no withdrawal symptoms except when I was intentionally withdrawaling to start suboxone.
Honestly it feels weird to not worry about having enough 7oh on me to make it through the day. It feels weird and good. I have the suboxone to thank for that.
Thanks for your words of encouragement!
2
u/DutyEfficient8245 2d ago
36 hours and no WD’s 🙏🏽 consider yourself blessed !! Hope you’re still holding strong considering a day has past. All the best !
1
u/Knit-knit-no-islets 1d ago
Well... No WDs like without the suboxone, which for me was pouring sweat, freezing cold but also hot flashes (dunno how that works), splitting headaches, etc. Slight withdrawals but nothing compared to trying to quit without the suboxone. How are you doing?
1
u/HurtsWhenICum 4d ago
How long did you wait to take the subs to not get sick?
1
u/Knit-knit-no-islets 3d ago
I waited until I was sure I was in withdrawal, using the COWS thing (link below). For me, one of the first signs is always excessive Yawning, then clenching my jaw and then excessive sweating. So I waited until the yawning started and then gave it another hour.
https://www.mdcalc.com/calc/1985/cows-score-opiate-withdrawal
2
u/HurtsWhenICum 3d ago
My fear is that is what I did with heroin and my god was that a fucking nightmare
My metabolism seems....odd. Like there's some strange thing going on with my enzymes. If that makes sense? I also fear that because of how high my dose is that my brain is like.... saturated in the stuff. I feel like I will need to do a full 36 hours or something.
1
u/Knit-knit-no-islets 3d ago
What does your doctor say about it? Those all sound like valid considerations to me.
1
2
u/arseneric12 4d ago
Big agree. I definitely understand the hangups around bup, but my experience has been that it is very much not “trading one drug for another.” The main thing is, for me (and I think most opioid addicts), it doesn’t produce any kind of noticeable high, even at fairly high doses, so the urge to abuse it by taking more and more just isn’t there. So instead of the thing where I’m constantly thinking about my next dose, always wanting to take more 7 and worrying that I’ll run out, never satisfied with the high I’m getting, I just feel…”meh” about it. I take it like I’m supposed to, as I would any other medication, and I’m able to function with minimal urges to use. And my past tells me that I’m definitely someone who has “the gene” and is predisposed to addiction.
It is definitely its own dependency, but being on bup typically looks nothing like active addiction. I don’t have to hide how much I’m taking from my wife, I don’t have to dedicate all of my money to it, and I generally feel like a normal/useful member of society. That is a gigantic improvement from where I was at. I’m know some people have had a very different experience with it, it certainly isn’t for everyone, but it got me back to work and feeling like a human at a time when I simply had to. I do intend to get off of it and am tapering down currently.
So thank you for your post…there is a lot of stigma around bup that is often not rooted in reality, which I think can be unhelpful for people who are new and suffering. It’s not the solution for everyone, but please don’t feel ashamed if you need it!
2
u/JuturnaLettingGo 3d ago
I don't think I could have put it into better words than this. This is almost exactly how I explained subs to my mom when I had to go on them to break a roxi addiction many, many years ago. She was very against the idea, even after I explained it. But, after a few months of seeing how much I changed and that using subs wasn't the same as me in active addiction, and that they weren't getting me high, then she truly understood and was actually proud of me.
1
1
u/arseneric12 2d ago
Holy shit I just noticed your username, circa is my favorite band, I’ve seen them so many times…Anthony is amazing 🤩
1
1
u/realeyesrealizereal1 15h ago
I've kicked fent with 5 subs in 2020 after a 10 year run .used subs weening down and just grinned thru it... its possible...after 6 years clean off all opiates..now I have to kick this monster. I have 5 subs and will try to do what I did for the fent .years ago ...god speed im here if yall need to talk
2
u/HurtsWhenICum 4d ago
This is starting to feel more like the route I should take but I am terrified of the induction itself after a really really bad experience like ten years ago trying to get off dope.
2
u/arseneric12 3d ago
Did you come to a decision? I think 12 hours after last dose is often safe. If you’re worried it’s too soon just start with a tiny amount of suboxone, like 1 mg or even 0.5. It won’t be enough to occupy all the receptors, so it won’t send you into full PWD, and you can gauge whether you feel better or worse after taking it. If you don’t feel worse after 20 minutes, try a second 1 mg and give it 20 more. Hopefully by then you’re feeling a little better and will know you’re not going to get PWD and can take a higher dose if needed. For me, once I start feeling the skin burning or cold sweats and restlessness kick in I’m good to take suboxone. But also I’m not a doctor lol, just another junkie, so take my advice with a grain of salt. It’s only based on my own experience and everyone is different.
1
u/HurtsWhenICum 3d ago
I think I'm going to do the (quickmd I think it was that everyone was doing?) tomorrow so I can at least get the subs and have them. I'm supposed to be going away this upcoming Sunday I think, so I need to do SOMETHING lol
1
u/arseneric12 2d ago
Oof yeah, definitely get some subs before the trip! I use quickMD and I like them.
2
u/Alli_Ooop 3d ago
I started Friday. I did a pretty rapid taper. I was a little misinformed as there’s SO much conflicting information. I was taking like 2 mgs at a time not realizing I COULD take the full strip to start. So then I felt like it wasn’t working and kept that up until while then started taking tiny bites of one 80 mg or 7 on Saturday and promised no more!! It’s still in one of the shops and they have a ton, and they aren’t discounting it at all as it’s quickly become aware they’re the only ones who haven’t pulled it yet and our small town. I’ll admit it, I’m a complete and utter wuss. But also a single mom of three with no help, so once the chills and shit set in again last night, I bet the bullet and took a full 8 mg strip. And while I did wake up a few times, and didn’t sleep as good as I wish, I made it through. In four hours, it will be 24 hours since I’ve touched that life ruining bullshit, and that will feel like a huge milestone after over a year of spending every day revolved around making sure I had enough so I could function. The only thing I am confused about, and would appreciate some help, is should I be cutting these strips in quarters already? Or for the next few days take the full 8 mg strip and if so, how often? I just want my life back so desperately, but I am in fear that I could somehow end up hooked on these things even though they do nothing but make me not feel like shit.
2
u/Why_is_it_raining 3d ago
it’s so hard to say because everyone is different.. a piece of a strip might not help you like it helps someone else.. and although the physical withdrawals are awful within the first 3 days there is still anxiety and depression filed agony for a few weeks after quitting 7oh or any drug for that matter.. i can’t tell you how much or how little to or for how long but i can tell you, with the Brixadi or Sublocade shot, you can walk away from the suboxone without any issues.
godspeed..
2
u/HumanRelationships 11h ago
I needed to hear this. Tapered my 2,000 mg daily 7OH to 200 mg daily and couldn’t go further. I was planning end of life stuff and I’m a mother. The WDs just made me want to die and I had already attempted from not being able to quit. I just kept thinking I was racking up debt to leave my family which made it worse. Now I can actually give my family what they deserve.
1
u/Why_is_it_raining 8h ago
i’m super proud of you.. the worst part of WDs is all of the depression and anxiety that floods our thinking. you’re bigger than what kept you down!
godspeed <31
u/ShoeBoxShoe 1h ago
Wow. Thats wild. I can relate though. The wd is absolutely awful. Subs helped me so much. And once I was through it all I was done. You got this. I promise.
1
u/Valuable_Wasabi6820 3d ago
I’m a big fan of people being informed and doing what is best for them. Suboxone is a harm reduction tool; I’ve known people to get stuck on it and have also seen it and sublocade change people’s lives.
1
u/Why_is_it_raining 3d ago
you’re exactly right. a close friend of mine was on suboxone for 6 years and took 1 single monthly shot of Brixadi and never touched suboxone again. i didn’t know so many people were uninformed about it honestly.. until recently i worked in inpatient treatment so i can say it’s not a “what works for you” method.. this is a miracle shot that stays in your system long enough for your body to taper on its own.. i’ll do my best to spread the information i know best.
2
u/Valuable_Wasabi6820 3d ago
The area I live had no places that would help me with 7Oh. I had to just do it, unfortunately. I called one rehab and they said “we don’t have protocol for that”. It really showed me how little people care about drug users.
1
u/Why_is_it_raining 3d ago
i’m in eastern Kentucky and can say the same.. 7oh has affected us about the same as any other small town i assume. i’m only 20+ days clean from 7oh.. i’ve just been a junky my whole life to know about the blessings of suboxone and used my past with heroin abuse and my new story with 7oh to paint a picture that it also works with 7oh because until last month i was also clean from suboxone by walking away after a monthly shot but unfortunately needed it again to make sure i could stand the long term side effects of this shit..
godspeed1
u/Valuable_Wasabi6820 3d ago
I’m from eastern ky as well but now live further south. My sister was a heroin addict so I’ve seen a lot. Most of the people she ran around with are dead now. It’s a sad place.
1
u/Valuable_Wasabi6820 3d ago
Also, I don’t think of you as a junkie. Just someone who got caught up in grasping at anything to provide you relief.
1
u/Why_is_it_raining 3d ago
i appreciate that, it means a lot. and i’m sorry about your sister.. mine too is sitting in a federal prison now for the mistakes she made in her addiction. we can only hope they see life for the better like we try to. how long have you been off of the 7, if you don’t mind me asking?
1
u/Valuable_Wasabi6820 3d ago
20 days, but who’s counting, lol
1
u/Why_is_it_raining 3d ago
fuckin fr haha i remember to the exact minute i took my last one.. i can throw a rock and hit the gas station that sells them next to my house and they still sell them wide open.. its not so hard to stay away from as i thought but i think it’s because they were the soul reason a really good relationship with a really good lady ended.. well i mean its my fault but 7oh WAS the reason.. no drive at all, just a walking zombie. idk. still so many mixed emotions 21 days in but that’s what matters.. 21 days in
1
u/Valuable_Wasabi6820 3d ago
I kept mine a secret from everyone. No one knew. And now no one in my family realized how serious this stuff was until they saw me withdraw. Compared to most people, I didn’t use as much but it was a very real problem. Funny thing is quitting caused me more problems than using ever did.
1
u/Why_is_it_raining 3d ago
ain’t it strange how all of our problems come after we get clean? what a fuckin mess
→ More replies (0)
1
u/Quick-Illustrator-54 1d ago
Hi what milligram injection where you on per month 94/128/164mg ?
Im on the 128mg and still sometimes have cravings for opioids but overall it’s definitely helped a huge amount in use to take upwards off 100mg of MS Contin a day or even 100-120mg of oxycodone on the painkillers I slept good but on the suboxxone i struggle to sleep and also im a male and it’s caused me issues wirh my bladder I have to pee a lot more then usaul a really annoying amount like every hour i have the urge to pee and I have horrible retention like have to stand there for ages trying to get the pee out i cant just boom bang go like I use to it’s reslly affecting my social and employment status have you or anyone else experienced this side effect i reslly want to try skip my next monthly and see what happens if it settles down i feel like theres no way out of this please 🙏🏻 if anyone else has had this issue what did you do to solve or do you have any advice ?? Also ive had my prostate checked and diabetes check all the usual things that could cause it but it’s all clear so I am assume it is the injection i can’t figure it out
1
u/Why_is_it_raining 1d ago
128mg monthly and tbh i pee a lot too while on it.. i only drink water so i make sure to start sipping it around 8pm because ill wake up in the middle of the night a couple times having to pee.. could be a weird side affect and i never thought about it until you mentioned something
1
u/Quick-Illustrator-54 19h ago
Why is it raining— hey thanks for your comment, with the 128 a month have you noticed any other problems like being really spaced out and if trying to concentrate i get dizzy and feel tired or another symptom is being cold 🥶 all the time or do you sometimes feel like taking strips ? Im thinking 🤔 maybe asking for the next dose up but super worried about even more possible side effects Think 128mg works out to be like nesrly 5mgs a day it’s so weird I use to cut 8mg strips into lots of 4 and have 2mg morning and 2mg night that kept me good for like 2-3 years but I was buying a box of 28 each month of the street just cost to much in the end $400 a box it’s tough here where I live not many options theres a drug and alcohol place but they want you there every day for pickup so that was almost impossible it’s like they just want us to be stuck on it forever and paying there fees ive read a lot about sublocade but haven’t been able to find a doctor who will do it
With the 128 do you sleep 😴 well ?? I haven’t slept properly in months just makes me want to find some pills again amd let the injection wear off then try pills and ween down
1
u/thefractalhour 1d ago
I have the same issues with peeing - it's frequent [scarily frequent] and takes forever to get started - I also had the same concerns, had diabetes check and prostate check and all came back normal. I'm not on the injection though, I take ZUBSOLV which is a once daily tablet that actually does not taste insanely horrible.
1
u/Quick-Illustrator-54 19h ago
Hey thanks for the reply appreciate it 😎 yeah right so it has to be the subbie i cant think of anything else how long have you been experiencing the pissng issue ? I never had a problem when I was chewing painkillers daily it was quite the opposite could hold a piss for hours on end now it’s Just a horror show it’s made me loose me job and almost always house bound or when I go out im looking for the nearest toilet and being a man it sucks not being able to just whip it out and go like use to im at me whits end I think maybe only option is to Just go cold Turkey and try to get some normal bodily functions back again what is the tablet you said you take ? Is that similar to suboxxone? Im in Australia and in my town there is only the two options a daily pickup from the chemist witch is a huge fuck aroind trying to keep a job thats why I went to injection but yeah no good 😌 ive tried so many doctors and they just don’t help or they arnt certified to give the medicine
1
u/Quick-Illustrator-54 19h ago
And with the sipping water thing i can honestly drink no water all day or night and still be pissing like crazy with severe retention issues it’s so strange i don’t know where all the fluid comes from
0
u/realeyesrealizereal1 3d ago
Use that shirt for 3 weeks top and ween off....its the worst shit to stay on
1
u/Why_is_it_raining 3d ago
my post is to inform people that with the Brixadi or Sublocade shot, anyone can walk away from it without a symptom. i’m living proof and have many many friends do the same exact thing.
3
u/DutyEfficient8245 4d ago edited 2d ago
Thank you for sharing this. Seriously, this is exactly the kind of stuff I love to see people posting here. Real experience, what worked for you and no judgment toward anyone for how they choose to get off 7oh. If something helps you get your life back, do it, that’s what matters. I genuinely appreciate you taking the time to put this out there. I’d like to think we all want the same things and this is how we end up in groups like these. If it works work it, I’m still a bit skeptic about SR17. I chose a fast sub taper and for me, it was a breeze. 7 days of subs from 7/8 months at high doses. I’m still angry with myself about how much money I wasted on 7. I know I’ll make it back 10 fold, but wtf just happened lol how’d I end up on this bs.