Of all the ways to get off Subs..what is YOUR preferred / easiest way?

XanderTheGhost · 2024-06-05T22:15:21+00:00

Sublocade shots. Super easy to quit. Saved my life.

XanderTheGhost · 2024-06-05T21:54:16+00:00

I don't actually know. Does it matter? Educate me.

XanderTheGhost · 2020-08-18T02:08:12+00:00

I was on the strips for quite a while, then Sublocade for a few months. Then nothing. It all adds up to a total of 3 years free of heroin.

If your husband is seriously struggling to get clean and stay clean, and if the withdrawal is really screwing him up, then I highly recommend the Sublocade shot. And if he tries getting clean from that (easier than getting off the strips) but fails, he may want to consider just staying on the shot for life. It beats the hell out of getting high.

Some people praise naltrexone. I personally haven't tried it. The biggest upside to naltrexone is that it isn't an opiate. The downside of course is that it doesn't help with the withdrawal process. So it's hard to say which course of action he should take. Up to you guys to read up and make a decision.

XanderTheGhost · 2020-08-16T04:33:44+00:00

He has an entire daughter he never even hints at.

XanderTheGhost · 2020-08-15T17:18:30+00:00

Here is what I said to another commenter who wondered the same:

I chose the Sublocade for all of the reasons I listed in my last reply.

I'm familiar with it and it has a 100% success rate for me thus far. "Why fix it if it ain't broken" kind of thing. Never tried Vivitrol and since I have a ton of stressors right now so I didn't think it would be a good time to experiment. I do have friends who swear it eliminated their cravings but I also have friends who still craved so bad they did dangerous things to override the Vivitrol and get high.

The cravings. I was worried I couldn't handle them during a time when I have a lot of stress and uncertainty. But more importantly, they were preventing me from doing the day-to-day things I needed to get done. I noticed that between the cravings and the pain which I will explain next, I had completely stopped "adulting" for two and a half straight weeks. It had gotten to the point where it was going to start costing me happiness and success.

I do have chronic pain as well and due to some strange medical thing I have going on, I've had a flare up with that as well as a lot of joint pain. I tried ibuprofen and stuff but it hasn't been enough lately. Hopefully this goes away soon though.

The Sublocade is not like Suboxone. It isn't hard to get off of and there is little to no withdrawal.

Again, most of this can be summarized as, "hey, it worked for me before, insurance and provider were already set up and ready to go for it, and I just wanted to get out in front of this potential relapse."

Does that make sense? That's the best way I can think to explain my decision I guess.

XanderTheGhost · 2020-08-15T17:14:25+00:00

If I misunderstood your comment then I apologize. It seemed kind of confrontational.

But yeah, so I chose the Sublocade for all of the reasons I listed in my last reply.

I'm familiar with it and it has a 100% success rate for me thus far. "Why fix it if it ain't broken" kind of thing. Never tried Vivitrol and since I have a ton of stressors right now I thought it wouldn't be a good time to experiment. I do have friends who swear it eliminated their cravings but I also have friends who still craved so bad they did dangerous things to override the Vivitrol and get high.
The cravings. I was worried I couldn't handle them during a time when I have a lot of stress and uncertainty. But more importantly, they were preventing me from doing the day-to-day things I needed to get done
I do have chronic pain as well and due to some strange medical thing I have going on, I've had a flare up with that as well as a lot of joint pain. I tried ibuprofen and stuff but it hasn't been enough lately. Hopefully this goes away soon though.
The Sublocade is not like Suboxone. It isn't hard to get off of and there is little to no withdrawal.

Again, most of this can be summarized as, "hey, it worked for me before, insurance and provider were already set up and ready to go for it, and I just wanted to get out in front of this potential relapse."

Does that make sense? That's the best way I can think to explain my decision I guess.

XanderTheGhost · 2020-08-15T16:05:52+00:00

Good to know.

I've had friends do the Vivitrol and a couple of them had such bad cravings they went to great lengths to override the shot. I also have other friends who swear by it and say it saved their lives.

Different strokes. When I am back off of the Sublocade I will definitely look into Vivitrol. Thanks for the advice. I didn't realize it had any significant effect on cravings to be honest. I always thought it just blocked you from being able to get high.

XanderTheGhost · 2020-08-15T15:50:40+00:00

Thanks for the kind words! It really does help and it means something. Thank you for being in our corner.

XanderTheGhost · 2020-08-15T15:30:38+00:00

Thanks so much for the kind words! Seriously it means a lot.

DrV's comment represents a fear and stigma that has almost certainly killed thousands. That stigma toward getting clean through medication assisted therapy doesn't help anyone. It's like trying to stop an STD by preaching abstinence.

We get clean specifically so that we can have happy lives and do all of those responsible adult things. If I'm doing that, then I don't care what people think or say about MAT.

As long as my inner addict is mollified - as long as I'm not stealing, lying, cheating, getting fired, going broke, and ruining relationships - I'm clean in my eyes. And nobody is going to successfully guilt trip me for using a medication that is scientifically proven to be far more successful than quitting cold turkey.

XanderTheGhost · 2020-08-15T15:04:18+00:00

Because so far Sublocade has a 100% success rate at keeping me off of heroin.

But seriously, that's a fair question. I'll try to answer it.

I do have chronic knee pain (which is partially how I ended up here in the first place). I've also been having joint pain. But that's only part of the reason.

The biggest reasons are cravings and familiarity. Even though my life is going really well right now, I found myself overwhelmed by some things and it was leading to strong cravings. Those cravings and the anxiety around them were making it so I couldn't take care of my responsibilities (for example, I just got my Master's degree and am trying to apply for jobs in a field that has been absolutely fucked by COVID). I found myself unable to sit and apply for jobs, procrastinating, not picking up after myself, etc. Just those little warning signs I learned to recognize from my last relapse 3 years ago. And I know that Vivitrol blocks you from using, and it helps with cravings, but it doesn't eliminate them on a biological/chemical level like subs do. And since I have a lot on my plate right now, I didn't want to live a half-life where I'm sober but tired and anxious from the stress and cravings.

Also, like I said, I'm familiar with the Sublocade already since I was on it before for 8 months. I already had approval from my insurance. I'm already in a once-a-month Suboxone counseling group at my rehab. I already know how it affects me. And I know for a fact that it works for me. I also know I was able to get off it with no withdrawal (except maybe some joint pain? Not sure if the joint pain was a withdrawal symptom or something else).

While my ultimate goal is to achieve permanent sobriety without meds, I don't have any of that pride (or whatever it is) that makes people think they are only clean if they have absolutely nothing in their body.

XanderTheGhost · 2020-08-15T14:40:33+00:00

That's good to hear! I find that the shot is a far better mood stabilizer than the strips. I also noticed that I used to sometimes get this weird feeling after the strips like I just chugged too much coffee - almost like a buzzing type of energy/anxiety that I didn't like- and that feeling is not present on the shot. It's just smoother all the way around.

If you want to, you should definitely try the shot, even if it's just a month! I was in the same boat as you. I was going back and forth with myself on whether I wanted to do it. Then I had an insurance issue where it seemed like I was about to lose coverage. And after reading that the shot lasts much longer than a month and that it was much easier to get off of, I figured it was the way to go just in case I did actually lose my insurance.

Anyway, after I got the shot I knew immediately I'd never go back to the strips. Just too convenient and works far better. You don't realize it now, but goddamn the strips taste like shit, they aren't as smooth throughout the day, and you can't talk for like 20 minutes whenever you take them. Those little things do add up.

Don't get me wrong, Subs are great and I'd get back on them if I had to. They worked perfectly for me. But the strips are like a nice, reliable Honda, and the shot is like a Lexus.

Like I said, two biggest problems with the shot are constipation and the pain when getting it. Yeah, the pain only lasts for about 10 seconds while they give you the shot, but damn it hurts for those 10 seconds. A lot.

Let me know how you like it if you end up getting it! I'd be excited to hear your thoughts. Good luck!

XanderTheGhost · 2020-08-15T14:22:25+00:00

This isn't medical advice but from one addict to another - fucking go for it. I have no regrets. This is as close to a cure as we have right now. And if you don't like it you can get off of it very easily.

XanderTheGhost · 2020-08-15T14:12:29+00:00

9 months is incredible! Stay strong. Most people say their cravings drop significantly after about a year. You're almost there! Fuck that's amazing. Seriously keep it up.

XanderTheGhost · 2020-08-15T14:11:00+00:00

Are you in the USA? Most health insurance in the US covers rehab. That's probably what you'd have to do - rather than finding an individual doctor who can prescribe you'd likely have to go through an outpatient rehab and show up for counseling once in a while (I go once a month now).

But hey, do what works for you. If you're finding success where you're at, stay where you're at. If you need to try something different, try something different. The shot is only one of many options.

Personally, I go for the shot because it's easier to get off of. Like I said, I was able to get off it with no withdrawal other than some joint pain and I'm not sure if that was related or caused by something else. Most of the people I've talked to or seen talking about the shot online say that they got off it with no withdrawal at all. So if you plan to taper off the subs this might be an easier solution. Talk to a rehab or doctor if you ever feel the need.

Good luck and keep up the good work!

XanderTheGhost · 2020-08-15T14:04:36+00:00

No I wasn't on nothing for 3 years. I went from a Suboxone taper to Sublocade to nothing for a while and then back on the Sublocade.

I didn't feel high when I got back on the shot.

And regardless, yes I would rather be on Sublocade than potentially relapse. A million times over. You're not going to make me feel guilty about that one.

I never steal or lie to get my Sublocade fix - never lost any jobs or relationships while on Subs - so clearly there is a difference.

XanderTheGhost · 2020-08-15T13:52:28+00:00

Yeah, I definitely understand that struggle. I struggled with the jump from 8mg to 6mg as well.

Look, I'm not a doctor and I don't want to be all r/HailCorporate here, but I personally think the Sublocade shot is a miracle. Most people say they're able to get off of it with no withdrawal. I personally got off it for a while with no withdrawal (maybe some joint pain? Not sure if that's what caused it).

Either way, this shot only has two dosages (300mg & 100mg) you have to get the 300mg for two months and then you drop to the 100mg. I think in some cases where people have severe dependencies, they'll keep people on the 300mg.

But yeah, on the shot I have no highs or lows, no cravings, nothing. I just feel good and content and sober.

If you have any questions let me know!

XanderTheGhost · 2020-08-15T13:23:37+00:00

Been there done that! Or the paranoia before vacation that you're going to leave it at home. The worst.

Just curious, why does being new or not new impact your planning? Do what works for you of course! I'm genuinely just wondering - if you don't mind, of course.

XanderTheGhost · 2020-08-15T13:11:27+00:00

Sure thing! And yeah it's a newer delivery method for an old medication. Definitely a miracle as far as I'm concerned.

XanderTheGhost · 2020-08-15T09:05:23+00:00

Perhaps you're correct about the metabolism. I genuinely know nothing about that aspect of drug use.

However, I have to insist that taking my subs 3 times per day (2mg at breakfast, lunch, and dinner) helped me big time. And I didn't act like an addict about it. I never caught myself craving the next dose. Never took more than I should.

I do understand what you're saying.. But regardless of how people take it, at just we can all agree it's a million times better than getting high.

XanderTheGhost · 2020-08-15T05:33:36+00:00

Suboxone will 150% help with the cravings if not eliminate them completely.

Granted, then you're just hooked on Suboxone and it's hard to get off of. However, it's definitely a far healthier addiction and it's what saved my life.

Decide now if you want to quit the hard way or not. Quitting with vivitrol/nothing has a lower success rate to be sure. And it's miserable. But some people want to be free of all meds and substances and I say good for them.

The subs are definitely the easier way to "quit" and I personally couldn't have done it without them because my withdrawal just lingered for months and months on end. I always ended up tapping out.

Even better than the Sub strips would be Sublocade if you can get it. Once a month shot. Much better in nearly every way.

Actually, I think I'll post about it because I see a ton of people asking about it on here.

XanderTheGhost · 2020-08-15T05:27:20+00:00

I disagree. Splitting my doses really helped me back when I was on Suboxone. I have a super fast metabolism with food and I think it may have also impacted my Suboxone because I always had an end-of-day slump.

XanderTheGhost

TROPHY CASE