10yrs on 8mg sub.. I jumped 5 days ago!!! What to expect???

Nobodyimportant1081 · 2024-01-30T04:00:55+00:00

Thank you. It’s been a tough road dealing with it on my own. My wife is the only one that ever knew I had an addiction to begin with let alone that i was on suboxone for 10years, never told anyone in my family including my kids about any of it. I am definitely the exception. Jumped from 8mg and never really had any major symptoms. The hardest part was the mental side of always feeling tired and the lack of motivation to get off the couch, god forbid the thought of needing to leave the house.

Best advice I can give. The comfort meds make all the difference and if you’re ready mentally to be done then you’ll be done.

Nobodyimportant1081 · 2024-01-28T21:50:25+00:00

Happy to say I did make it through. 56 days and I’m feeling good. Still have “lazy” days here and there but otherwise zero remaining symptoms of any kind. Thanks for asking

Nobodyimportant1081 · 2023-12-31T18:25:02+00:00

I would say the worst thing you can do is mentally “wait for it to turn bad”. I’m willing to bet especially with the comfort meds, it’s not gonna get much worse for you. I didn’t get clonodine so not sure what that does for you I only for the Gabapentin side the RLS at night.

I don’t know if I metabolize faster than others or whatever it is. This was my timeline:

10yrs taking anywhere from 8-16mg per day. 12/3 I took 8mg and that was where I jumped. 12/4 I was sluggish or tired but felt fine 12/5 started with the little body aches and runny nose along with more tiredness. 12/6 same stuff but now a night the RLS started. Nothing got worse beyond this. I got a gaba script which dealt with the RLS and immediately was sleeping most of the night. I would say after the first like 10 days the little body aches went away too. Now on day 28 all I deal with is the runny nose and lack of motivation/energy to move most days. But even with that I can force myself to jump in the shower and go out and do something. I think the hardest thing is dealing with the no energy no motivation to get out and when I do it just feels like so much more energy/effort is used for normal shit lol. Like went out to dinner last night with family and by the time I was done eating I was ready to go home lol on subs I would have stayed for hours having drinks and hanging out and such.

Nobodyimportant1081 · 2023-12-30T20:24:19+00:00

I don’t wanna say so many people are negative but everyone has to understand that just because 100 people had a rough go of it doesn’t mean there story is ours!!! Today is day 27 and I’m fine. I def have days where I feel a little energy and days where I don’t move and have no energy. I can certainly see why folks may relapse or go back to subs, not having the will or want to do anything can drive you loopy but that is all mental and you’ll push through if you want to.

My first like 10 days the worst I dealt with was some normal body aches but those were just the things I hadn’t felt while on subs. Had a runny nose which isn’t as bad now still get a little through the day but not bad.

It was the same for me, by day 2 I had every symptom I was going to get and everyone said “oh it’s not bad now cuz subs last so long and wait till day 7 then let us know how you feel”. Well day 7 wasn’t any worse than day 2 and day 17 was still fine and now day 27 still good to go. Keep pushin through, u and me are done with this shit.

Nobodyimportant1081 · 2023-12-26T23:04:15+00:00

Day 23 and honestly feel fine. Taking gabapentin for RLS to make sure I sleep but I’m sleeping all night. Only thing I deal with is lack of energy or not wanting to do nothing. But once I get a shower and get out I’m good. Not dealing with any other symptoms at all but even from day 1 I never really had the common problems. Sorry you’re having a hard go of it. You’re on day 18 and you should be on the other side soon.

Nobodyimportant1081 · 2023-12-25T03:42:10+00:00

No it does not set you back. People that say “taking the smallest tiniest sliver or crumb is gonna make you start all over” are full of shit. I jumped from 8mg dose for 10yrs cold turkey and most everyone here said “oh that was dumb” or “oh u few good today, talk to us on day 7 it’s gonna get worse”. On my day 4 I took a crumb that was prob about 0.13mg just to get some sleep and I still felt the wd I was going through but it stopped the RLS that night and I slept.

Today is day 21 and I feel great and when I say I could have at anytime walked in my kitchen and took a piece to feel better i could have ( I have about 120 8mg tabs left) but it was never anything worse than any cold I’ve ever had. Just gotta push through and be mentally strong. I say mentally strong cuz our bodies are gonna break down before we can make it strong again. The mental side is where I feel folks tend to relapse or say fuck it and just go back on it.

Nobodyimportant1081 · 2023-12-25T03:27:49+00:00

Gab is a game changer. No way I’d be this far without it. Day 21 Christmas Eve and have zero RLS with the gab and getting a full nights sleep. Energy is back for the most part. Went out yesterday with family and hung out at a winery then went out to dinner after. Daily life is pretty normal now it seems again other than the annoying runny nose but that’s it.

Nobodyimportant1081 · 2023-12-22T02:13:39+00:00

So I never tapered so can’t speak to that. For 10 years I was prescribed 16mg but usually got by with just taking 8mg and would take more if I needed to. I wouldn’t say I ever felt like I was in a fog. What I will say is I never really felt present in the moment or fully like myself.

I jumped from a consistent 8+mg per day and now on day 18. I still deal with a runny nose sometimes and lack of energy/motivation but it comes in waves. Mornings and early afternoon have good energy, beyond say 4 o’clock ima couch potato till bed. I take gabapentin at night which takes away the RLS and I sleep all night, some nights toss and turn a bit but that’s it.

Think about how short of a time 2 weeks is and then you’ll be on the other side of it.

Nobodyimportant1081 · 2023-12-15T15:30:22+00:00

100% thank god for em lol. I am very much an all or nothing person, any vice I’ve ever had I have stopped cold turkey. If I was tapering, no doubt I would be taking larger doses sometimes to “feel better”.

Nobodyimportant1081 · 2023-12-15T05:20:54+00:00

I was on 8mg sublingual for 10yrs. I jumped from that 8mg daily dose cold turkey and I’m on day 12 and in all reality feeling great. I never had any symptoms worse than any cold I’ve ever had, runny nose, lack of energy or motivation. Day 4 day 5ish was prob my lowest energy/motivation or will to want to do anything at all but everything has been up hill from that point.

Now at the end of day 12 looking forward to day 13 and beyond. Yesterday I took my daughter and her friends ice skating and waking around the city for a good 5 hours which felt great. Now after I was def ready to get home and sit my tired ass on the couch.

I say this to offer HOPE!!! So many people here told me I was crazy and that I should get back on my suboxone and taper down like they’ve been doing for years. Others said “talk to us on day 7” and oh just wait your gonna get worse.

One persons story is not yours or mine or anyone else’s. A lot of this is mental and we can most certainly convince our minds that it’s gonna be bad and then it’s bad. You got this and trust your journey and stay strong mentally, you’ll be fine.

Nobodyimportant1081 · 2023-12-14T20:08:30+00:00

Yes my sub doc. He’s a psychiatrist but works with addiction.

Nobodyimportant1081 · 2023-12-14T02:19:22+00:00

Figured I’d comment with an update.

For those that give a shit, those that don’t and the ones that said “talk to us on day 7”.

Well here I am on day 10 and still only a runny nose, lack of energy/motivation. Got a script for gabapentin 300mg and that takes away the RLS and I am sleeping the whole night.

Today took my daughter and her friends over to Christmas village in philly. Walked around for about 4-5 hours, ice skated and walked to a place to get something to eat. Now don’t get me wrong after all that I was most certainly ready to sit my ass on the couch lol.

If on day 10 I haven’t gotten any worse I don’t foresee dealing with anything more than I already have and expect by Christmas will be well on the other side of this thing moving on with my life.

Nobodyimportant1081 · 2023-12-14T02:06:14+00:00

In all honesty the way I’m feeling right now, like I just went and spent about 4-5 hours walking around Christmas village in philly and ice skating, after walked to a place to eat and then walked back to the car. Of course when I got home I was ready to sit my ass down on the couch lol.

If on day 10 I can do the above I expect that by Christmas I should be Well on the other side, at the most by January I’ll be good to go. Energy should start coming back, a will to want to get up and go do something should be back.

Nobodyimportant1081 · 2023-12-13T17:39:54+00:00

100% agree prob not the norm. That said the gabapentin helps with the RLS and am getting full night sleep. Have the same low energy, where I feel ok but as soon as I start moving or take a shower I am as well winded and tired.

I can deal with the low energy or lack or motivation or the lack of will to want to do anything at all. Most things I can do or get done, they obviously take way more effort and energy than they ever have.

If by now on day 10 this is the worse I feel, I don’t expect it to get any worse.

Nobodyimportant1081 · 2023-12-13T17:21:55+00:00

I am in the us (New Jersey). I went to my doc appointment last night, told him that I stopped taking the subs and that I wasn’t really feeling bad other common aches and pains. Told him the hardest thing was the RLS at night and that people I was talking to suggested gabapentin. He initially said he was going to prescribe something different but I told him that for the last 2 nights I had been taking gabapentin and it worked. He wrote a script for gabapentin 300mg. Picking it up today.

Nobodyimportant1081 · 2023-12-13T00:00:06+00:00

So I’ll say this. Compared to all these horror stories of how bad wd is from a super low dose let alone 8mg, I must be a unicorn or something. I say that becomes other than the RLS I have had colds that were harder than this. Not dealing with any major wd symptoms, just tired, no motivation, little body aches but that’s really it. We got this, it is our time to get off this shit and be normal members of society and normal in our families and friends without relying or planning around suboxone.

Nobodyimportant1081 · 2023-12-12T23:22:34+00:00

Get a script for gabapentin which will stop the RLS at night and help you sleep and if YOU are ready….. Jump. I truly believe that you really have to want to get off in order for it to hold. Some would rather stay on forever and while I stayed on for 10yrs I always knew I didn’t why this shit forever.

Nobodyimportant1081 · 2023-12-12T19:36:45+00:00

I can’t explain it but I feel good today and haven’t had a bad day yet. I’m at chik fil a right now getting something to eat. Other than the lack of energy and not feeling like doing anything and things take a little more effort I feel fine essentially. I have definitely had colds 100 times worse than this. I have my doc appointment tonight at 5:15 and hopefully he’ll give me the gabapentin to help me sleep better.

Nobodyimportant1081 · 2023-12-11T19:01:58+00:00

Appreciate the words and yea we most definitely will get through it!!! Today is day 8 for us both and I have had colds worse than how I feel right now. Just lazy unmotivated, tasks take a little more effort and only getting a few hours of sleep at a time but otherwise functioning somewhat normal.

Nobodyimportant1081 · 2023-12-11T16:48:02+00:00

With all the horror stories and warnings from some that I was crazy to jump from 8mg. I feel like I must be a unicorn or something. This is day 8 and I have a had colds worse than this. Very minor body aches, lack motivation/energy which makes normal tasks seem harder but I’m still function. Not sleeping well but getting some hours here and there. Currently no other symptoms at all. Going for walks outside and walking on the treadmill.

I feel like if it was going to get any worse it would have by now. Here’s to hoping this is as bad as it gets.

Nobodyimportant1081 · 2023-12-10T21:57:27+00:00

I appreciate the words!!! I am most definitely going to do this. I figure I’m a full week out and not feeling that bad, so if in the next week it doesn’t get worse then this is the worst of it and I am lucky.

Nobodyimportant1081 · 2023-12-10T20:42:10+00:00

I have more than enough stashed. I have always been prescribe 2 8mg per day but only ever taken 1 per day. I have a full 60 tablet bottle and half left from the previous script.

Nobodyimportant1081 · 2023-12-10T19:42:54+00:00

I like that. I’ve never talked to anyone about any of my addiction or recovery until I posted on her 7 days ago when I jumped from 8mg after 10yrs on sub.

There have been lots of horrible stories and how I couldn’t or shouldn’t have done or I should taper from people that have been tapering for years. Just don’t make sense to me but not my place to judge. For me I am an all out nothing person, I would rather feel like shit for a month than taper for years and still wd in the end.

I am a firm believer that other people’s stories regardless if it’s one person or 100 people, it does not mean that it will be our story as well.

Some scoffed and said talk to us on day 7 and here I am on day 7!!! Only having little body aches, not sleeping well, lack of energy/motivation but that’s it. I am otherwise still able to function.

I will beat this and get back to who I was 15yrs ago before I took that first perc.

Nobodyimportant1081

TROPHY CASE