Some non-professional, non-profit advice on
How To Quit Opiates

Including Vicodin, Oxycontin, Hydrocodone, Oxycodone, and perhaps Heroin

Important Disclaimer

All of the information on the website does not constitute nor should it replace professional medical advice.  I am not a doctor, have no professional credentials, and no expert knowledge.  Opiate addiction can be a life-threatening problem, and you should discuss any actions you undertake with your doctor.  In the event of an overdose or other serious emergency, please call 911.

Keep in mind that Vicodin, Oxycontin, etc, are trademarks of the companies that produce them.  Nothing on this page should be taken as an indictment of those medications, which are very helpful to people when used correctly for short-term pain relief.  The context they are being referred to on this page is wherein they have been abused.  Further, although this page contains links to the "National Alliance for Advocates for Buprenorphine Treatment" I am in no way associated with them.

Why Did You Make This Page?

First off, I'm not selling anything.  I'm simply putting this information up for a "friend" who was addicted to Hydrocodone and wanted to pass along his personal story of how he easily (yes, easily) conquered the addiction and returned to a normal life.  Here is my friend's story, told in his own words.

"I initially started taking plain codeine that I ordered off the Internet.  I used it only occasionally.  At some point I stumbled across a site selling Vicodin (Hydrocodone) online, and ordered some.  Again it remained only very occasional... if I had a bad headache or wanted a little buzz.  Unfortunately, pretty soon it became several days a week.   At some point along the way I was starting to get withdrawal (achy legs, restless legs when going to sleep) on the days I didn't take it, but didn't even recognize those symptoms.

In any event, on vacation once I took it every day, after which I always needed to take it every day.  As my tolerance built, I wound up needing to take more and more to get any effect.  Eventually I was taking up to 15 tablets of 15mg, or up to 250mg a day.  Fortunately the tablets I was taking contained only 200mg of acetaminophen, so while it was probably hard on my liver, I didn't do any serious damage.

I spent a lot of my time waiting for the FedEx truck, trying to figure out how to get my refill(s) a few days early, asking my wife to help convince FedEx release a package on Saturday that was schedule to be delivered on Monday, and so on.  I had read online about rapid detox, various rehab clinics, etc... I knew which way I was heading, but always thought I was still under control.

I tried to taper often, but it never lasted.  At the 250mg level, running out of medication with no refill in sight, I admitted I was out of control.  I called my doctor, spilled the beans, and was fortunate enough that he was caring, non-judgmental, and helpful.  I had read about Suboxone and asked him about it.  He was kind enough to give me enough Vicodin to hold me over until I could get in to see a doctor who could prescribe it (only certain doctors can). 

Once I got signed up for Suboxone, I took my first dose on a Tuesday morning.  You have to be in withdrawal when you start Sub.  In ten minutes I was withdrawal free.  The best way I can explain it is that my first day on Sub was most like my last day before I 'dsicovered' Vicodin.  I had my life back, and I still have it today."

What is this magical "Suboxone"?

Suboxone (also known as Buprenorphine) is a drug that is known as a "partial opiate agonist/antagonist".  That means, in simpler terms, that it "mostly satisfies" your opiate receptors in the brain, while binding so tightly that other drugs cannot get to your opiate receptors.  This has the following happy effects:

• Keeping you entirely out of withdrawal, but without a "high"

• No cravings at all

• Preventing you from being able to have a "temporary lapse of reason" by using another opiate (like Vicodin)

So, once the Sub is in your system at an appropriate dose, you are completely without withdrawal because all of your receptors are kept satisfied.  At the same time, if you were to take another opiate like Vicodin it would have no effect, because it couldn't get past the Sub to activate your opiate receptors.

Obviously some drug company makes a profit off of Sub, but I don't:  I have no financial interest in promoting Suboxone sales.  It has just been so instrumental in helping my friend painlessly end his opiate addiction that I have put together this page to alert other people to it.

Where can I get Suboxone?

One thing that irritates me is that any doctor can help you get addicted to a painkiller, but only certain doctors can prescribe a far less dangerous drug, Suboxone.  Basically, doctors have to attend a few classes before they are allowed by the DEA to prescribe Sub.  They are also limited to managing 30 patients on Sub at a time.  From what I understand it used to be 30 patients per office, but now its 30 per doctor, so its become a little easier to get.

To find a doctor in your area that can prescribe Suboxone, I recommend you go to the "National Alliance for Advocates for Buprenorphine Treatment".  There you will find directories of doctors that can help as well as a wealth of information about Suboxone in general.

If you're nervous about contacting a doctor and spilling your guts about being addicted, don't be!  A doctor that has gone through the training needed to prescribe Sub should be, I assume, well-versed in addiction and he or she has heard a lot worse stories than yours!  If they weren't caring and genuinely interested in helping people with painkiller addiction, they wouldn't have gone through the hurdles to be approved to prescribe Sub.  So, while maybe you're the type of person that could never tell your regular doctor about it, telling a doctor who specializes in this area should be a lot easier!

What does it Cost?

It really depends on your insurance.  If your insurance covers it, you can expect about $250 to start treatment and around $40/month for the drug itself.  Your doctor might charge for urine tests, etc as well.  If you don't have insurance, it can get a little more pricey... but I would have to imagine its got to be cheaper than maintaining a opiate painkiller addiction.  Not to mention that you really can't put a price on your life, and you've probably spent more on a lot less important things.

How is Suboxone Used?

Again, I recommend you go to the "National Alliance for Advocates for Buprenorphine Treatment" for a lot more in depth information.  In essence, before starting Sub you have to be in withdrawal, which, depending on the type of opiate you're on, can vary in terms of how long it has to be since your last dose.  For a short-acting drug like hydrocodone, I'd guess 12-18 hours are enough, though the doctor may request 24 hours.  If you think you can skate by this requirement, you're putting yourself at risk for some serious mega-withdrawal:  all the opiates will be kicked off your receptors by the Sub, but you won't have enough Sub to satisfy them.  Better to follow the instructions and it will be much easier on you!

Suboxone is dissolved under the tongue.  If you swallow it, I don't imagine it would have any useful benefit at all.  Your doctor will start you with some amount (perhaps 2mg or 8mg) to see how you do, then maybe add some more to figure out how much you need.

Once you're stabilized, your first couple of days will be amazing.  You will be free of true opiates for the first time in a long time, but with no withdrawal and no high.  You'll be normal.

I've heard it can take up to 2 weeks for some people to truly feel "normal", while others are fine on day 1.  Stick it out either way.

Is it Really That Easy?

As far as the physical part, yes, its really that easy.  And from everyone I've talked to, if you're at the right dose, you will have no cravings for Opiates.  I would have to imagine, though, that you should seek some counseling for the psychological aspects of your addiction.  Even if you don't feel you need it while on Sub, eventually you will taper off the Sub as well, and you need to be prepared mentally not to run back and relapse.

Once on Sub, How do I get off the Sub?

Essentially you taper down at a rate that you and your doctor agree on.  That will be a rate that is productive without being uncomfortable.  Keep in mind that doctors, with the 30 patient limit, have some incentive to get you through and open up the slot for another patient.  In my friends case, he went in one month increments from 16mg to 12mg to 8mg to 6mg to 4mg to 2mg and then off.  He added his own extra step of 1mg at the end to make it easier.

Each time you reduce your dose, you might have 3-4 days of adjusting to it, but stick it out, and you'll feel fine again at the lower dosage.

One thing that I think is important is to get yourself down to once-a-day dosing.  Because Sub has a long half life and lasts up to 3 days, some clinics even dose only every second day.  Some people start to feel edgy later in the day and need to split their dose, but my conjecture is that this is a psychological need:  you've spent months/years waiting for your "next dose" of your drug of choice, and that's a hard habit to break.

That's why I strongly advocate, as soon as possible, getting to a once-in-the-morning dose like it was a multivitamin.  Then you stop worrying about it and re-train your brain out of the habit of counting the hours till your next pill.  I think that makes a big difference.

What are the other benefits of Sub?

One of the biggest advantages is that it blocks other opiates from having any effect.  So, in a moment of weakness if you decide "I really want one more dose of Hydro..." it won't work.  And since the Sub stays effective for about 3 day, odds are the feeling will pass before 3 days elapse.

I've heard that most people "test" this at least once by taking their old drug of choice.  Once they see that it has no effect, they get large mental relief from that and stop worrying about it.

How does it compare to Methadone?

I'm sure Methadone has saved a lot of lives, but I've heard nothing but horror stories from people taking it.  It's certainly better than an addiction to Hydrocodone, Oxycodone, or Heroin by a long shot!  But it does still maintain an addiction, and its a pain to have to head to a clinic every day (unless that's changed, I don't know) to get your dose.

I have heard rumors of people switching from Methadone to a short-acting opiate like Hydrocodone, then onto Sub and then off.  Makes sense in theory!

What about pain?

A lot of people started on Vicodin because its a very good pain reliever.  Maybe you have chronic pain... but unless you've got tumors poking out of your liver from terminal cancer, you don't have pain that needs 200mg of Vicodin a day.

The good news is that Sub is actually a pretty decent painkiller.  In fact, its used as such in England to this day.

If you fear chronic pain will resurface when you're done the Sub and cause a relapse, I recommend you seek out a good pain management doctor and discuss a way to manage that issue long-term without opiates.

What about Heroin?

This I don't have a lot of knowledge about... so ask the doctor!  I would guess, and its only a guess, that if you can taper your heroin use down as much as possible first, and maybe even step down to a shorter acting opiate like Hydro for a week or two to make it through, then Sub should work.  Remember, you heard it from a complete stranger on the Internet with no expertise, so take that for what its worth.  But if it does work, and I think it does, that would be awesome!

Who else can I talk to about this?

The link I'm about to give you is a double-edge sword.  Its a link to a set of forums that includes, unfortunately, addicts talking about where to score.  It also includes one great forum of people discussing withdrawal, sub, and so on.  You can find it by clicking here.

There's also a forum at the National Alliance website, which you can get to by clicking here.

Get on the forums, register an account, and talk it out with the others there.  Lots of sub users visit and contribute.  And let them know you found them via "Brad's Sub Page" so I can see if this effort of mine is having any benefit!

Thanks for listening, and best of luck on getting your life back together!  It's possible, it can be easy, and hundreds if not thousands of people have successfully reclaimed their lives from opiate addiction.  Remember that a journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step:  make that first step and make an appointment with a doctor!  As mentioned, you can locate one at the "National Alliance for Advocates for Buprenorphine Treatment".

Was this page helpful?

If so, please add it to your favorites so that you can find it later.  Running the advertisements for this page up against the online pharmacies costs me a fair bit of money out of my own pocket, so I'd appreciate hearing any success stories that began with that first click to this page.  Drop me a note at bradth1969@yahoo.com to let me know!

Please do not be offended if I do not reply.  I am not a professional therapist or anything like that, so I think it would be dangerous for me to correspond with anyone needing treatment; for that reason, I really can't reply.  But please rest assured that I will read every email!