Preventing The Pain of Precipitated Withdrawal from Suboxone

Buprenorphine (brand name Suboxone or Subutex) is a life saving treatment for opioid use disorder. However, it can be a double edged blade as it can cause intense discomfort if taken too soon after a patient's last dose of opioid drugs. These painful symptoms are known as "precipitated withdrawal" and include muscle and joint pain, sweating, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach cramps, anxiety, restlessness, tremors, and insomnia. Once precipitated withdrawal begins, there is little that can be done to treat it, aside from waiting for it to pass. In this video, I describe why precipitated withdrawal occurs and how it can be prevented!

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North Tampa Executive Health Clinic is directed by Dr. Jack McGeachy. He provides confidential and comfortable addiction treatments and therapy for opioid and alcohol use disorder. Rather than a rehab or detox, meaning that each patient is cared for one-on-one by a medical doctor, in contrast to other treatment programs. Book your in office appointment in the Tampa office or via video conferencing today.

[rachellejones]

There are a few symptoms that weren't included that I'd like to add: involuntary body movents; uncontrollable, repeated jerking of head/neck, legs, and arms; electric shock sensations; sneezing over and over; gagging while coughing that feels like you're going to choke to death (personally most dreaded)... these are the ones that I can think of right now. On another note, I want to thank you very much for these videos. They are organized and informative as well as respectful and non judgemental. Too many people in the medical field are still treating addiction (and not even understanding the difference between it and dependence) as though the patient doesn't deserve treatment. I've known people that have died as a result of these biases. Praying your videos, and others like them, help to educate more and more so that people needing help are helped rather than shunned. ❤WITH MUCH LOVE❤

[tantawan]

Why is it that most people don't mention 'Restless leg syndrone' ? arguably the worst part of the 'Jone's' when your leg's twitch and impossible to comfort them and adds up to Insomnia,

[rickp]

Aside from the insomnia and akathisia, it wasn't bad. I was never sick. I was on 8mg films for 16 years. I jumped from .25mgs in November '22. Now I'm free!

[LincolnGTX]

And yeah, this channel really needs to grow cause it's really useful especially nowadays with opioid epidemics around the world, as an ex polytoxic addict I can really confirm that

[Xxplicit]

Times everything he just said by 1, 000x. Worst days of my life. He also forgot to note hallucinating

[stevenphillips]

You Doctors need to have a much better withdrawal protocol when ending Suboxone

[garypedigogaeu]

Entered a treatment center that used buprenorphine after quitting 10 years of methadone with a very fast detox. (Kicked off program) at about 10 mg level of detox a bed became available at treatment center so I took it. I had to lie to them to get admitted and say I was on 10th day of no methadone and just hope for the best. I got the worst. About 20 min after 1st I.M. dose of buprenorphine it went from fine one minute to the next minute the most unusual and bizarre and SCARY sensation I’d ever experienced. Different that hard withdrawal symptoms like cold turkey gives you there was an otherworldly almost roller coaster like sensation of being shot toward the end of your life by heart attack. The unknown. Oddly this only lasted about 15 minutes. And about an hour later I was pretty comfortable. I wouldn’t do it again.

[Ephesians-ynux]

It’s a travesty that you don’t have a lot more subscribers, this is good info and well produced.

[psychedelicartistry]

This doctor is top-notch, and I'm saying that as a person who's been on and off subs for 10+ years. Been interested in these vids lately b/c I'm considering doing peer recovery coaching. The way I taper subs is like this (though everybody is different):
Every Month (28 days)
16 to 12
12 to 10
10 to 8
8 to 6
6 to 4
4 to 3
3 to 2
2 to 1.5
1.5 to 1
1 to .75
.75 to .5
.5 to .25
.25 to .125
Jump at .125

This is the way I do it. I've also tapered off Methadone 120mg/day. To do that I went down by 5mg a week down to like 40mg. Held for an extra week if I had to. 40 to 30 is 2mg a week. 30 and below is 1mg a week down to as low as you can get like 1mg, although I jumped at 10mg with some withdrawals but not too bad.

Methadone is more dangerous to w/d than subs, but subs is harder IMO.

[afrowitchdr]

Being put into precip was hands down and I imagine will be the worst experience of my life. Nothing only next to a long drawn out death describes the torture associated with experiencing precip withdrawal

[PedroTorres-zk]

Yes, I noticed that a long time ago, its the total opposite of the opiate high.

[melissakdaniels]

Definitely experienced this trying to switch from methadone. It was terrible.

[lifelearner]

I just took on a nursing position at drug & alcohol rehab, and have been seeking out more info on medications and terminology used. This video was very informative and easy to follow. Thank you!

[francesmartel]

When I try to stop taking them, I sweat, get anxious, my nose runs, my stomach cramps so hard and then the diarrhea starts-it’s literal body torture . I keep putting it off.

[MySpaceDxC_Suffo_AtTheGates]

Worst thing I ever felt in my 27 years. When they say extreme they mean it. I tried to drink myself into chilling out and it just made me drunk and equally as sick.

[colinclement]

I went into precipitated wd once offer inducing bupe to soon

I didn't need a doctor... I needed a priest for an exorcism

[jazzminebrierley]

My precipitated withdrawal from started when I use buprenorphine one full day after stopping fentanyl. I used an 8mg sublingual film correctly, after 30 minutes I was in full precipitated withdrawal. An hour later I tried using another Suboxone table of 8 mg. It started all over over again. I ended up having to use fentanyl again later that night to make it stop.

[joshuastephens]

Precipitated withdrawal put me in the hospital for a week. Had never heard of it. Some jackass gave me a suboxone...next thing I know there is frozen glass running through my veins. Huge heart palpitations, a constant loud sound in my head and I was truly struggling to breathe. I then attempted to drive myself to the hospital before crashing into the rear of another car at the light to turn into the hospital. So yeah...F around if you want to. Do what this Dr said. Hell might be a better place than precipitated withdrawl. ✌🏼 Love is all powerful.

[Madocthevindicator]

I switched from oxy to bup on my own at home. It was horrible. I followed the steps described in this video, (I never saw this vid, just did similarly due to reading up on the subject) and I guess maybe not exactly timed. One week of grief. Now im on 24 mg bup for my neuropathy and spinal damage. It's working perfectly. Oxy is a dead end street, bup is different, its a smooth experience with no high or withdrawal if you miss even a day. I suggest people try it. I never thought it would work, it does.

[REALDEALMMA]

Day 16 after 12 years on suboxone 8 mg and alot of days 16 mg .. very tough withdrawal, feel like im coming back to reality slowly