Suboxone and Methadone Q&A
3 experts · 47 questions answered
Latest Q&As
Is suboxone helping anxiety or contributing?
Suboxone is not designed or even given to have an impact on anxiety. The question is if you have had any issues with anxiety and either the thought of not having the support of suboxone or experiencing discomfort in the withdrawal process, that could trigger an anxiety attack if you are already pron
Answered by Yerachmiel Donowitz
Getting off of Suboxone,
On one hand it sounds like you are taking very little. On the other hand, the mere fact that you are asking the question, you realize a little bit is still significant. You are correct. The only way to "put it away" is to first determine is it doing anything for you now other than preventing you fro
Answered by Yerachmiel Donowitz
Article Response
Hello James, Thank you for writing. I'm glad you read my article. I'm sure you are aware of how dangerous benzodiazepines are when combined with methadone. I'm so happy you have been able to decrease from 135 mg to 30 mg. That is amazing progress! You should be so proud of how far you have come. You
Answered by Anna Deeds
How to find a Detox
Thank you for your question. A hospital can detox you in about a week, depending on your tolerance and how severe your withdrawal is. Since you live in a smaller area, it is possible not every hospital in your area has a detox unit. You can call several hospitals and ask them if they have a detox un
Answered by Anna Deeds
Sickness when Starting Suboxone
Thank you for your question. There could be a few reasons why you got sick when you started taking Suboxone. First, Suboxone has a blocking effect on other opiates. It fits in the same receptors as the opiates you were trying to stop taking and will push out all other opiates. What this means is tha
Answered by Anna Deeds
Is Withdrawal Worse the Longer You are on Suboxone?
Thank you for your question. Unfortunately, I don't have a clear answer for you. I think it depends on a lot of factors. Everyone's body is different so everyone experiences withdrawal different. Factors such as age, other health problems and tolerance can effect on how much withdrawal a person has.
Answered by Anna Deeds
Is There an Advantage to Withdrawal?
Thank you for your question. I think the answer to your question depends on the person and the situation. A lot of addicts are afraid of withdrawal. This fear can keep some people from relapsing. But people have a tendency to forget the intensity of pain over time. Most memories fade and the emotion
Answered by Anna Deeds
Suboxone Tapering
Thank you for your question! I think you are probably having so much withdrawal because you are tapering too quickly. Slow the taper down. If I understood correctly, you are currently at about 1 mg. Stay at that dose until the withdrawal has passed. Your body will adjust to any dose in time. The pro
Answered by Anna Deeds
Suboxone Drug Testing
Thank you for your question. Suboxone treatment is less regulated than methadone treatment. Because of this, every program is different so you would have to check with the doctor or clinic that you intend to go to find out how they handle drug testing. They generally test clients through urine or mo
Answered by Anna Deeds
Detox Using Suboxone
Thank you for your question! You have to be in withdrawal before you start taking Suboxone. If you're not in withdrawal, the Suboxone will cause you to have withdrawal. Suboxone is a full opiate blocker. When you start taking it, it will block your opiate receptors so any opiates in your system cann
Answered by Anna Deeds
Vivitrol after Tapering off Opioids
Thank you for your question. Vivitrol is definitely a good option after you taper completely off methadone or other opioids. Vivitrol is naltrexone in extended release form. It is given in the form of an injection every month. Vivitrol can help opiate addicts stay clean because you cannot use opiate
Answered by Anna Deeds
Withdrawal During Pregnancy is Dangerous
Thank you for your question. Withdrawal symptoms are extremely dangerous to an unborn fetus. Your wife needs to continue taking Subutex at least until she gives birth. She would be at higher risk of having a miscarriage if she suddenly stops taking Subutex while pregnant. I suggest you talk to her d
Answered by Anna Deeds
Subutex
Thank you for writing again. Congratulations for going down on your dose! 2 milligrams a week may cause you to feel some mild withdrawal but you're right that it's not as bad as full blown withdrawal. If you get the methadone covered by your insurance, you might want to go down slower as you get clo
Answered by Anna Deeds
Pain, Legal Prescriptions and Suboxone
The first thing that needs to be established is how bad is the pain? Is it something that the person is ready to put her job on the line for? It could be. If yes, why is not ok for her to take a legally prescribed pain medication? Would decreasing the anxiety and depression have enough of an effect
Answered by Yerachmiel Donowitz
Vicodin Addiction
Thank you for your question. Your question does not make it clear why tapering off Vicodin isn't working for you. It could be psychological, in that as you decrease you have mental cravings and obsession or it could be the physical withdrawal that makes you unable to taper. Your therapist can teach
Answered by Anna Deeds
Time frame for Suboxone Treatment
This is a very delayed answer, but worth answering in any event. Suboxone treatment has no fixed timeline. It varies greatly from one individual to the next. There are three basic guidelines that need to be kept in mind that even in your case. First, give full year to basically change your life. Cha
Answered by Yerachmiel Donowitz
Suboxone and Alcohol
The fact that you asked such a question seems to indicate you have some notion of the answer. One of the properties of Suboxone is to be a central nervous system depressant. One of the properties of alcohol is to be a central nervous system depressant. If there are too many CNS depressants in a pers
Answered by Yerachmiel Donowitz
Suboxone vs Subutex
It is great that you are determined to make a positive change in your life. Generally Subutex is used for the detox phase and Suboxone is used for maintenance. There is an issue with Subutex that makes it subject to abuse. It does not block the high that you could get if you were to use opiates whil
Answered by Yerachmiel Donowitz
When Will the Cravings Stop?
Thank you for your question. Cravings are different for every person in recovery. Some people have a lot of them and some people don't. I think what you are doing in your life has a big impact on how many cravings you have and how strong they are. Cravings are usually triggered by something in your
Answered by Anna Deeds
Kratom and withdrawals
"Do you support or recommend the herb kratom for people going through heroin withdrawals ? Do you think that people will get addicted to it if they just use it for the first 2 weeks?" This herb is unregulated and not that well known in this country. It seems clear that it is addictive. It could be t
Answered by Yerachmiel Donowitz
How to Take Suboxone
Than you for your question. I suggest that you try taking your Suboxone medication once a day. The reason I believe once a day dosing is better is because it will make it easier should you choose to come off Suboxone one day. If you are taking it twice a day and begin reducing your dose, you will ha
Answered by Anna Deeds
Coming off Methadone
Thank you for your question. Each person is different so you have to find the best methadone reduction method for you. I do believe blind dosing (having your dose reduced without knowing when it happens) is a great way to get off methadone with less cravings. When you know exactly when your dose is
Answered by Anna Deeds
Pain Relief and Operation Recovery
Having an operation will naturally cause pain. The severity which you will feel the pain is dependent on a number of factors including your tolerance to the pain medication you are addicted to. Your options are a little like buying insurance, the greater piece of mind you buy raises the cost. If you
Answered by Yerachmiel Donowitz
Suboxone Side Effects
Thank you for your question. Unfortunately, constipation is a common side effect of medication assisted treatment like Suboxone and methadone. Metamucil is fine to take on a regular basis because it an all natural fiber supplement but it is not advisable to take laxatives on a regular basis. Your bo
Answered by Anna Deeds
Opiates as an Anxiety Treatment
The fact that the opiates helped is no surprise. The problem is that it is an opiate and similar to using a hammer to kill an ant. Anxiety can be a lingering and constant battle and discomfort. The way to handle it is with therapy and possibly antianxiety medication as well. It is a more involved tr
Answered by Yerachmiel Donowitz
Alternative Ways To Detox
Your question about Tramadol is a good one. An expert dealing with substance abuse is really no substitute for a medical Dr. or researcher. It has been tried for detox and there was some success. The fact that it is not widely used and the research that was done, that I am aware of, was more than fi
Answered by Yerachmiel Donowitz
Suboxone or Methadone for Long Term Treatment
Thank you for your question. I really can't say if methadone or Suboxone would be better for you without knowing more about you and your situation. What I can do is review each medication so you can make a better informed decision. I'm not going to say which are the pros and cons because while I may
Answered by Anna Deeds
Patient & Doctor Rights
I can understand your frustration. It seems one thing has nothing to do with the other. Consider it like getting stopped by the police because your tail light was out. Now that he stopped you he sniffed the weed you had and you got busted. Your Dr. has the right to say he/she wants the pt. to be dru
Answered by Yerachmiel Donowitz
Sexual Side Effects of Suboxone
Sexual side effects are not common. You might possibly be experiencing a different side effect, like stomach upset, and as a result of that have a loss of sexual responsiveness. The general guideline is to speak with the person who prescribed it. Your Dr. is the on who will be in the best position t
Answered by Yerachmiel Donowitz
Which is More Cost Effective: Methadone or Suboxone?
Hi! Thank you for your question. The cost of either Methadone or Suboxone depends on a number of factors. Prices can be affected by the following factors: The area you live in The doctor or clinic you go to Whether you need to see a counselor outside your treatment facility Whether or not you have i
Answered by Anna Deeds