Suboxone Talk Zone

Hi Jeff...Thanks for writing me back. I was wondering what your experience is in terms of approx how long people generally stay on the suboxone. I was using approx 100mg plus per day for approx 1 year & using on & off for 10 years. Just curious. Also what is a typical maintenance dose, I currently take 12mg per day & split it up into 3 times daily. Also keep in mind that I am a nurse & work in a rehab/long term care facility. I work with oxy daily, the sub help tremendously with craving the drug & the danger of diverting.

Thanks,
Ruby
 

I think that the best course is to stay on suboxone indefinitely, or at least until something better comes along. Opiate dependence is a chronic condition, and I think it is a mistake to stop treating it. I generally prescribe 16 mg per day-- I prefer dosing once per day, as that reduces the conditioned behavior that makes up addiction. The desire to take the second and third dose are really purely psychological-- if you can distract yourself for 15 minutes the need will go away. The med lasts a very long time-- usually w/d won't come for 3-4 days after stopping suboxone.

In summary, I recommend 16 mg per day, once in the morning, for long term use. If the person really is bothered by needing a second dose, I go to 8 mg twice per day. I would avoid more doses than that, as the benefit of suboxone is forgetting that you have a need for opiates. Try it once per day-- in a few weeks you will find yourself forgetting to take it. That is a great sign in my opinion.
 

Hi Jeff, I am a 22 yr recoverying poly addict (mostly on stimulants) and have been a masters level therapist specializing in drug counseling for that time period. I have run the full range of treatment settings from long term residential (Odyssey House) to my current setting which is 8 week IOP.
My current group includes 7 opiate addicts on suboxone, 2 opiate addicts not, a meth addict, two alcoholic (and a partridge in a pear tree....). I am using standard techniques for IOP with fully dependent folks in early remission including steps 1-3 in group and an emphasis on all members attending 12 step in the community. The suboxone clients all seem to want to reduce their dose to 0 and work an abstinent format. This combination in group and with suboxone clients is novel to me and I am interested in suggestions and your perceptions.

Thanks,
Tracy
 

Hi Jeff
I am a 41 yr. old pregnant recovering S/A. I have been on suboxone for almost 2 years, when I found out I was pregnant, the doc's immediately switched me to sebutex! The original goal was for me to lower the dose slowly and be completely off the medication before my 3rd trimester, however as I approached that time and the lower I got the tougher the W/D was. I was also extremely concerned with the health of my baby, and had been told that withdrawl from sebutex could result in a stillbirth, and that maybe I should just stay on a very low dose. I am currently on 2 to 3 milligrams and am 28 weeks pregnant. My major concerns are the fact that I am having a scheduled C-Section in May, and I am fearful that the anesthesia will not work properly and that I will be in agonizing pain after the surgery. I am also concerned about what my baby may have to go through once she's born, in regard to the withdrawl of the sebutex. Any information you could give me, or refer me to would be extremly helpful. It seems that nobody really knows anything about the surgery aspect of sebutex, or the pregnancy aspect of the drug!
Please respond ASAP, I am desperate for information!! Thankyou in advance...