I was on methadone maintenance for 5 years this time (clean from other drugs for 4 years) and I just switched to suboxone. If you are just on dope or oxys, you need to figure out what you want. You will feel better/higher off the methadone. about an hour after you take it you get that kind of warm feeling and you can still catch a nod. I switched off methadone b/c I got sick of going to a clinic all the time, putting up with the bull**** and everyone treating you like you are a worthless junkie, even if you are doing everything right and working the program--but I am in a fairly big city, so my experience may be atypical.
So far on suboxone, it will hold you esp. if you are just coming off dope or pillls. Some people say they feel high of it but I am taking 24-30mg of suboxone per day and I feel not sick but a little off. Then again, I have used opiates for a long time and coming off a full-mu agonist like methadone straight to suboxone can bring on withdrawal symptoms.
Suboxone can be prescribed by a physician, in a regular doctor's office, and you can get monthly scrips unlike methadone where you have to do to a clinic and usually have to go every day. If you don't make it in time, door's locked and your out of luck till the next day.
One more thing, there is a difference betweeen Subutex (which is only buprenorphine) and Suboxone(buprenorphine and naloxone).Naloxone is also knows as Narcan, that lovely substance they shoot you up with if you OD. The Narcan has a blocking effect for other opiates and the Dr said you can't shoot it up which is why they prefer to prescribed Suboxone for monthly scrips.
Anonymous1234, He does not have to go to a clinic to get methadone. I was getting it from a regular doctor a couple years ago for pain. It is a good pain med if you have no medical insurance as it is so cheap compared to others such as oxy,etc. I don't take it anymore because of the side effects but a regular doctor can write a script for it.
I personally would say that suboxone does not get me high like methadone or any other full antagonist could. I have not had the nods once from the sub and I am confident that even if I took an extra pill, it would have little to know high effect. Again, this is just me. The sub will also take longer to get out of your system and therefore will take longer to withdraw from but the w/ds should take more time than from pills with shorter half lives. The one qualm I have with how sub is prescribed is that they want you on a threshhold dose, meaning 8mg plus so that your opiod receptors are occupied by the sub and if you take a few other opiate pills they cannot get you high because the receptor cannot receive the meds. This is good for keeping you from relapsing but obviously makes tapering/quitting that much harder. Overall, I would say that sub saved my life. I can function without worrying about nodding off in my car and or getting my next fix to keep from getting sick. That said, I have not tried to get off the sub yet. I expect the withdrawls will be a little milder but also longer than for full opiates. But the great thing is you never have to go off the drug if you don't want. i have heard that some DR's won't allow maintenance but maintanence has been approved by the FDA and my DR says I can be on sub for life if I need to. If it were most cost effective I think this could be an option for a lot more people. Also speaking from personal experience, i feel I got into abusing opiates because they were the one drug that cured my anxiety/panic attacks. The sub is nearly as effective at keeping my anxiety in check and because I don't fear w/ds it actually is much better for my state of mind than the full opiates. Hope this is somewhat helpful and keep your heads up out there!
I'd also like to note that a regular/family doctor can prescribe methadone but only for pain. For opiate maintenance/WD it must be from a clinic etc. So if you want to get methadone from your regular doc he must prescribe it for pain, not for w/ds. And 1 more general comment. My personal belief is that Sub will work for you if it is worth it to you to never be high again as long as you never are sick again. The sub does supposedly decrease cravings but those I know whoo have been able to stay clean (only on the subs and not shooting it) were so fed up with being sick that they were willing to give up getting high. If you can't honestly answer that you would rather be clean and not sick rather than high and sick on occassion, then I don't know if Sub is for you. Methadone would be a better route as you can stabalize your life and not worry about W/Ds and you can still get a buzz from it. Again just my two cents, every brain is different and reacts differently.
HOW LONG SHOULD I USE SUBOXNE BEFORE I GET ADDICTED TO IT \. WAS ON METHADONE BEEN ON SUB FOR 6 DAYS NOW... I DONT WANT TO BE ADDICTED TO ANYTHING ELSE I WANT TO STOP SUB BUT DONT KNOW WHAT TO DO
Hey Piper. you really need to ask Pheobe or Pru to help you out on this on, ok? Maybe your familier can walk you through it also
Pat
10
Verwon Says:
[Moderator]
Tuesday, 10/13/2009 6:53:59 PM
Suboxone contain the active ingredient Buprenorphine, it is used to treat only cases of SEVERE pain and opiate addiction.
The main difference between the two is that most people who are treated with Methadone never get entirely drug free, they end up having to take a lifelong maintenance dose, however, the Suboxone is eventually tapers, without causing severe withdrawal effects, and has enabled many people to entirely beat their medication dependence.
Suboxone however CANNOT be prescribed by just any doctor, to be used to treat addiction, it CAN only be prescribed by a physician who has special training in its use.
You can check to see if their is one in your area at:
is it harder to get subutex than suboxone? I am on xanax and vicoden for 10 days a month,as well as oxycodone,it sounds like i would not have to suffer the pain with that as appossed to suboxone. It's really hard on me given i lost my father in an accident i just need to know if its something they wont predcribe? any help would b greatly appreciated. Thanks
Home Page
Post Your Story or Question
Follow Us On Twitter
Registered Community Experts
Committed to Your Privacy 
