I’m on 300 mg Wellbutrin and 30 mg Prozac.

If you have a week free, I’d just cold turkey it and use your comfort meds.

Most schedules have you increasing your sub dose for 7 days, doubling what you take daily, in two doses, morning and night. You gradually reduce your fent intake, and if you get symptoms of pwd, use fent to counteract it. I think the suboxone subreddit has a pinned post on it, and tons of posts. This isn’t how I did it tho (I didn’t just take 2 doses a day). I dosed the sub throughout the day, in smaller doses. The fastest I’ve done it was over the course of 3 days, increasing frequency of dosing but only taking 1mg at a time (max 2), never less than 2 hours apart. I jumped off the 4th day, and stayed in bed all day and called off work. The next day I took off too but was pretty functional, I coulda gone in. It wasn’t nearly as bad as cold turkey or full on pwd, though I did get some mild symptoms like loose bowels, cold sweats, and anxiety.

I remember looking into this years ago, it had something to do with the kappa opioid receptor. Exactly what, I don’t remember. Wikipedia says this receptor can cause dysphoria, perhaps you can research from there.

I believe oxy has more thebaine, which affects the opioid receptors a bit differently (kappa or delta or something) which is why it can tend to be both more energetic and crabby-inducing.

Hate it, ruins the high and makes it harder to hide. Scratching feels great but it’s only cuz it offsets the itch. Oftentimes the itchiness turns to bitchiness.

Fatigue is a very very common (and long lasting) symptom of withdrawal, but it’s almost always accompanied by insomnia, so you’re super lucky that you can sleep! I’m no scientist, but perhaps it’s because when we use, our brain produces less norepinephrine (adrenaline), so when we stop using, that system is down regulated and it takes time to rewire the brain to produce the correct amount of neurotransmitters again.

I’ve done it 3 times, what are you wondering about exactly?

Are you microdosing (taking 1mg max at a time?)

Depends on how much and how long you use. If it’s just once, nah, you’ll just have a mood crash.

Is this $820 fee new? I’ve been an independent contractor over a decade and never filed quarterly and never got a fine like that.

Following this post cuz I only worked 4 months in 2024 and worried I’ll have to pay a fine now.

But do you use every day? I find if I’m just chipping, I can’t sleep for shit either on days I use of days I don’t. If I use everyday for like 10-14 days, then I sleep just fine.

Yeah that makes sense, cuz you were using more than your used to. Too much, can’t sleep. Too little, can’t sleep. Gotta do a Goldilocks dose

Very common, especially with low tolerance/just starting out/returning from a clean break. Then once that side effect goes away and you can sleep “normal, you’re physically dependent

I took smaller doses more frequently; i never took more than 2mg at a time, and would wait at least 2-3 hours in between doses. The idea of taking increasingly large doses just twice a day is insane to me.

I’ve done it in 3 days. Jumped off the 4th day. What do you need to know?

Just to branch off this great advice, think of “I GET to —-“ instead of “I HAVE to —-“. I get to do the dishes cuz I have money to eat and a stove to cook on. I get to do laundry cuz I like clean clothes and I’m lucky to have them. That type of thing.

Also, once you’re in motion it does stay easier to stay in motion. Don’t think too much, just do the thing.

I struggle with your same issue and these suggestions were given to me by my therapist.

Sounds about right.

There you go, you wanna quit cuz you don’t like being a physically dependent slave. That’s a great and legit reason. Despite what we think, we’re not in control, the drugs are.

Of course you feel damn good while high, cuz you’re high! And of course your miserable doing things right/being clean, your brain needs to rewire itself. And then if in 1-2 years you still aren’t ok, then consider using for life, but give this a full chance.

You’re so young, you’re not fucked. Your brain isn’t even fully developed yet, you’ve got a good 6 years before that happens. And it’ll be easier to learn to live clean the shorter you let this go on.

I’m 36; I started smoking and drinking at 14, taking pills at 15, shrooms, acid, MDMA, coke, at 16. Then at 21 I discovered opiates and I’ve been addicted since. Longest I’ve been clean in 15 years is 9 months, on suboxone. I too feel miserable all the time, and I did even before I started using, probly why we started using to begin with. I’ve been fighting so hard to stay clean, I can get clean, I’ve gotten clean probably 50 times, and relapsed 49. I’m on day 7 clean again today. I had a two month relapse where I thought I could just use sparingly, every few days, but I cannot. It sinks its claws into me and I can’t think about anything except getting high, do I have enough, do I have money, when will I pick up? All my money went to my dealer, who over the last 6 years I’ve had the same guy and seen him get multiple new cars, clothes, shoes, jewelry. Why am I funding this guys lifestyle so I can be a Slave?

It’s hard to stay clean, we gotta relearn how to live. But it’s better than the alternative. Please don’t be like me and drag this demon into your 20s and 30s. I’ve accomplished nothing in my life. I’m super isolated. Nothing brings me pleasure (unless I’m high, than everything does). I’m on multiple psych meds to try and combat this lack of joy, motivation, interest in anything, constant anxiety, anhedonia. I regret not quitting when I was 24 and realized the extent of my problem. I regret not quitting at 28 when pills started to dry up. I regret not quitting in 2021 when heroin turned to fentanyl. I regret not staying quit when I relapsed in January. Hell, I regret not quitting at 15 when my parents discovered my pill and weed stash. No idea what my life could look like if I hadn’t lead this life of drug use.

If you truly don’t want to stop, you won’t.

It’s really hard if not impossible to sleep in withdrawal. It’s most likely over if he fell asleep, at least in my experience. Hopefully he wakes up feeling ok.

I can imagine, you must feel so helpless. It’s even worse to experience, been there. How’s he doing now? Any better? What symptoms he going through?

Usually lasts 3-5 hours in my experience. And no it won’t happen every time, just the first time.

What’s happening is the suboxone (buprenorphine) has a higher binding affinity than the other opiates so it kicked them off the receptors, launching withdrawal. Once the bupe binds to the receptors he should feel better.

I’m anxious just watching him.

I relate to this so much. I’m currently on Prozac, Wellbutrin, Vraylar, klonopin, gabapentin, seroquel for sleep, and Xanax for panic attacks. I still don’t have motivation to do shit and nothing is pleasurable or satisfying unless I’m using, then everything is. I have GAD, MDD, panic disorder, OCD, social anxiety, PTSD, possibly bipolar (Mania induced by Prozac). I really wish after a certain number of years trying different meds for mental health they’d prescribe opiates, but it’ll never happen.

I really do think there’s something wrong with my brain, endorphin deficiency is a good way to describe it.

Don’t you think about it constantly on those 5 day breaks? I know I do. I’ve tried chipping, can’t handle it, wish I could. Maybe I’m just weak.