methadone to buprenorphine to nothing

[Blind Willie]

Does anyone have experience with the transfer from methadone to bupe? I've read that I have to get down into the 30-40mg/day range first, & I've also read that it precipitates w/drawal unless you are 2 weeks off 'done. I've kicked from 140/day, and it lasted 4 weeks(!). I'm at 200/d now. I have a doctor who'll prescribe the bupe. Can I wait until I'm a week sick from 200 and then switch? Would SWIM be better off switching back to dope, then doing the traditional 12 day kick? Please help---

[miffy]

Ouch!



Sounds like you enjoy being cruel to yourself, no?



Can't you get any lower on the methodone before you make the switch?
I've never been on more than 80ml/day meth, but whenever I've come off
it I've stepped it down at no more than 10ml a week, then donw the last
10 ml at 2ml / week decreases.



When you say bupe, I think you mean what is called 'subutex' in the UK?



They do say that, in order to start subutex, you need to have no
opiates in your system, or it'll throw you into withdrawal. They say
you have to be off gear for at least 12 hours. Dunno about meth. They
do use subutex here to detox from meth, but only when you get down to
around 30ml.



Maybe this is what you should try to do? I think, compared to just
dropping off from 200, this'd be practically painless - and I find
that, the more I suffer, the more likely I am to relapse! If you
did go on subutex when 1 week sick from 200ml, it'd certainly
make you feel better - if you had enough subutex.



I've detoxed on subutex from a £30/day IV habit. I had to wait about 24
hours, until I was pretty sick, before I started the subutex - but it
worked fine. Did a 21-day reduction on the subutex, and it was (not
really totally) painless. After that, I relapsed - was supposed to stay
clean on nothing for a couple of weeks, then go on to Naltrexone
(Thanks to you-know-who-u-are, who sent me the msg - we do have
it here, but it's stupidly hard to get on to!). I relapsed while
waiting tthe 2weeks for the Naltrexone. But then - that's me.



Go easy on yerself, mate! Why do it hard if there's an easier way?

[Blind Willie]

The problem w/ reducing to 30mg/d is that the clinic I'm w/ only does reductions of 5mg/MONTH. At the dose I'm at, that would mean 5 years(!). I've been on methadone for 4.5 yrs. and clean for 4 - I want out of the methadone prison! I have a doctor who'll prescribe buprenorphine (Subutex) and benzo's, but only a clinic can dispense methadone (except for chronic pain). That's why I'm looking for a non-methadone alternative, even though I am reducing at the pidly rate the clinic allows. Funny how their reccomendations always work out to longer times paying their fees (I pay out of pocket, no assistance. Less than dope but still expensive). That's my dilemna.

[miffy]

I find that if I really push myself, I can reduce meth about 10ml /
week. So maybe a DIY detox is a possibility for you, hitting the
subutex (Bupe) for the last 20/30ml? Unless you have to consume the
methodone on-site, as some clinics here do. . . ?

[acolon_5]

I have gone from both Methadone to Bupe...and from H to bupe.....Bupepenorphine is great for bringing down a habit...I however had some trouble at the low doses. My doctor had me cutting 2mg pills into 1/4s...Methadone addiction is very rough (worse I think that a morphine or H addiction) but the w/d's from Bupe is relativly light. I however was snorting the meds soooooooo....not sure how that affected the addiction....I have heard many reports (even from the doctor) that people were getting clean and STAYING clean.....I went from a $80 raw habit a day to next to nothing on the B.


I went from 100mg a day to .25mg of Bupe within a month.


if you live in the US you can go to an approved doctor and get a script for it.


You may also want to check out a Valium detox (20mg 2-3 times a day) or if you want to do it yourself Kratom or Poppy Pod tea (rapidly decreasing the dose)





Hope this helpsEdited by: acolon_5