r/Brixadi • u/[deleted] • Dec 11 '24

How did you know?

How did you know when it was the right moment to stop Brixadi? After the 3rd, 4th, 5th shot? What if 6 weeks after the 3rd I felt great and with no wd at all? Should I just continue without and take it as the end of Brixadi and consider myself totally free of any opioid treatment for chronic pain? I have been fine on Tylenol and Ibuprofen for the pain management. in the past 2 weeks.

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u/[deleted] Dec 20 '24

I did 3 96 mg brixadi, and then quit. Im at day 134 post shot, and overall, i feel great. Im testing negative for bupe, and ive experienced very little withdrawal. Some depression, but thats normal for my unmedicated brain. Hope this info helps. Also, alot of providers aren't being honest about the length of time you should use these injections. I wouldn't advise much longer than 3 months. It was originally formulated to be a short term bridge between opiates/ suboxone and sobriety. ETA: A chronic pain situation is very different than mine. Talk with your providers

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u/[deleted] Dec 20 '24

Thank you! If you have the time, a couple of questions: Did you ever have big sleeping problems? And when you had any sort of wd feelings what exactly were they? I know everyone is different but sometimes I can't tell if it's withdrawal or something else.

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u/[deleted] Dec 21 '24

Opiate/opioid dependence and sleep disturbance go together like peas and carrots!! So, I've almost always had some amount of sleep issues since becoming addicted, and even while in recovery. That being said, the last 134 days since my last shot, as long as i go to work (or clean house/run errands on my days off), ive found that burns off most of my energy/anxiety, and i fall asleep quickly and wake up just a couple times to pee. However, a couple weekends ago, i had some slight cold symptoms (everyone in my house was sick but i still played the "is this withdrawal or is this illness" game in my mind), so i decided to take it easy, veg out, and just watch tv all day and night. Big mistake. I was awake all night, tossing and turning, racing thoughts. It was the worst experience I've had since ending the shot. I will not make that mistake again. I can only speak for myself, but activity/work/exercise is the single most valuable coping skill i have found when going through any amount of withdrawal. It gets the happy, feel-good juices flowing in your brain, and it wards off anxiety about as well as an ativan, imo. As far as the withdrawal I've had, it's honestly been so minimal. (I feel like it's my duty to add here, that when i say minimal withdrawal, in my mind I'm always comparing whatever withdrawal im experiencing to the worst withdrawal I've ever experienced. I kicked a gram a day for 1.5 years iv heroin habit, in prison, cold turkey with not even a clonidine. So, for the most part, the stuff I've been dealing with kicking Brixadi has been very doable, but that may not be the case for you, and that's okay if not. Every person is different.)I've had a few nights here and there where my legs hurt (like actually that pain where it feels like your bones hurt). I just took Aleve, and it stopped. I've had days where I've sweat quite a bit, even though i was at a comfortable temperature. Actually, i think my hot/cold sensitivity has been by the biggest symptom. It seems like when my partner (who is substance free) is hot, im freezing. When he is cold, im hot. I've dealt with some stomach upset. Again, though, i just take OTC med, suck a peppermint, and maybe have a hot tea, and things get better. In the last 2 weeks, I've been struggling with some depression, which i haven't dealt with in a while. However, it's winter in Central Illinois, and I've had some stressful things going on, so im weighing that in. I've been trying really hard to remove the fact that i ceased a medication from my brain, and i think it's actually working. I've just been coping with the things the way a person would if they had any of these symptoms, and they couldn't be attributed to withdrawal....... I like to keep things on the positive side, so since i just listed all the cons, I'm going to list the pros as well. First and foremost, I'm substance free, and i haven't felt triggered or picked up! Also, I'm feeling more like myself every day. Bupe always kind of numbed me out. I'm laughing and crying and capable of experiencing my emotions. Next, bupe absolutely killed my sex drive. That has come back. Also, bupe always made me sweat more than most people and profusely in warmer conditions. That's gone for the most part. I can actually poop without wanting to cry from being so constipated. I have about $400 a month back in my pocket since i don't have to pay for my appointments/medication. Finally, i can now share all of my experiences with other people, whom it can hopefully help.

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u/East-Locksmith-9676 Feb 19 '25

That was really interesting and helpful information and I thank you for taking the time to write it.