The Best, Fast, Near-Painless Suboxone Taper We’ve All Been Waiting For
DISCLAIMER
The information on this page is being offered for entertainment purposes only and is not being offered as medical advice in any manner. Any and all Suboxone use should be administered under the care of a clinically trained physician with an “X-DEA License”.
The Best, Fast, Near-Painless Suboxone Taper We’ve All Been Waiting For
If you’ve suffered from opioid dependence and started a Suboxone Therapy Program like the ones offered here at Nashville Recovery, then you’ve probably wondered about the very last step – tapering off of Suboxone. Below, is an example of some people consider a “fast” Suboxone taper. It’s considered fast since the length of the taper is about one month. Everyone is different: Some people require a longer taper, some shorter. The only thing that matters is finding what works best for you. Be sure to discuss your Suboxone taper with your prescribing physician.
Tapering off of Suboxone can be done in one of two ways:
- Stop taking Suboxone cold-turkey, and feel the affects for days or even weeks of discomfort.
- Perform a guided Suboxone taper under the supervision of a trained medical professional and experience a few days of mild discomfort at the end.
Not sure about you, but I opt for option #2, and for good reasons:
- Stopping Suboxone “cold-turkey” can be very uncomfortable, and is totally dependent on how much you’re accustomed to taking, and for how long.
- Quitting Suboxone abruptly can mean days, or even weeks of mild to medium discomfort.
- Doing the Suboxone taper shown below is a somewhat long, more comfortable option that means only a few days of mild discomfort at the very end of the taper.
I Should Know – I’ve Stopped Suboxone Using Both Methods
Not too long ago, I did my last Suboxone taper using a declining schedule similar to the one below. (Download the Suboxone Taper PDF by clicking here!) I have to say, I did get antsy at various times through the month, but I realize now that it was only my nerves and not necessarily the lack of medicine causing the anxiety. Suboxone claims to have a three day half-life, so that means it should take three whole days before actually feeling any withdrawal symptoms. I’d say two days is more realistic.
I attempted quitting Suboxone cold turkey and went through 13-days and nights of total hell. Quitting cold turkey was a terrible decision on my part. I then chose to get back into a Suboxone program and (under the care of a physician) took my time tapering down to 4mg per day before beginning a more aggressive taper. I was in no hurry, and neither should you be. In fact, I recommend people get their lives in order, put some money in the bank and get the family happy before you consider a taper.
The final three days that followed the very last dose were mildly uncomfortable. I was jittery and probably not too pleasant to be around. But, I got through it. My body was only dependent on a very, very small amount of Suboxone. This taper is not for everyone. It’s aggressive. Most people prefer a longer taper. My advice? Talk to your doctor.
Do it right and do it once.
Look at it this way – You can do it right and do it once, or you can wind up back on Suboxone (or worse, drugs) by simply rushing it. Don’t be in a hurry. This is your life! What you do now with a Suboxone taper has everything to do with the quality and cleanness of the rest of your life. Do it right and you’ll be drug-free for life.
My husband’s doctor will not taper him down . I feel very doctor he has been to only cares about the money they get from his visit. I am going to help taper him off ourselves. We are sick of these lousy doctors not helping.
Here’s a taper that really works and is painless. I hope it helps your husband: Painless Suboxone Taper
Hello Andrew, (I’m sure it’s Dr, so I mean no disrespect). Thank you for posting that. I left quite a lengthy message for the user above, stating that your taper schedule is exactly what I’ve been looking for. I’ve tried it myself, I’ve done well, I’ve just felt the withdrawal a little bit in between. That tells me I’m not completely accurate on how I’m doing the taper. I’ve been sober 4 years in December, from cigarettes and opiates (fentynal patch/norco), and as I stated above, the biggest temptation at a relapse that could ever happen in my life, happened, and I didn’t even think about going back to pills. My mom passed and she was my best friend, and on top of that, I had major regrets, so I know me, and if I didn’t even think about it then, I’m ready. Plus, I have a son with autism, he’s 13, and I’ve put him through enough, now that my mind is clear, and I can actually see the hurt it caused him, there is no way I would risk it. It took me 4 years to win back his trust, and I still feel I haven’t, even though he has stopped asking if I’ll ever leave again, 2 years ago, it’s not enough for me, I will make it up the rest of my life to him. Sorry I went off on a rant, originally, I wanted to say thank you for the taper schedule, so thank you 💙🧩
Thank you for sharing this. Very kind of you. Seems like we all had a bunch of “things” to deal with in addition to our addictions. I was sure when the pill problem was gone, all my problems were solved. Turns out, the pills were just my escape hatch for dealing with life – Or, not dealing with it. I’m so sorry to hear about the challenges you’ve faced and are facing now. It sounds like despite all that’s happened, you’re pushing through and changing your life to be your best, and the best for your son. Congratulations on your sobriety and meeting the challenges you’ve dealt with. To me, you are a 100% success story! Your post is sure to inspire others!! Again, thank you Angela. God Bless.
Hello Andrew Steven & thanks for posting your painless Suboxone Taper. I am about ready to give it a try. I will let you know how it goes. I have a question though; I could not find the right place to ask it so I’ll ask it here…I was rereading the comments about the best generic Suboxone film on the market and i noticed that there are no posts (that i saw) from 2022. I followed your advice on switching from the bad film that i was getting to the Pills and have had good results (thanks for that). But i am now wanting to get off of Suboxone and I was given the same Alvogen strips that were giving me so much problems back in 2020. So has the bad Generics problem been “solved” or has the information been moved to another place? My pharmacist has been exceedingly kind in that he said that i could bring back my boxes of Alvogen and he could get me either MYLAN or Dr. REDDY. Regretfully i had alreay opened my first box of the 3 of ALVOGEN so I am stuck with trying it first. (I have had problems like upset stomich, headaches, duration differences, irritability and Tinnitus from Alvogen in the past…and regretfully the pills can not be broken down to predictable consistent doses). So what I’m asking… Are there still big differences and problems between Generics? Has ALVOGEN fixed their manufacturing problems and should I stick with it or have you herd of a clear favorite of these three? Alvogen, Mylan or Dr. Reddy. Thanks if you know the answer. Deon
Hi Deon. Thanks for reaching out. Of the two, Alvogen appears to be a much better, more consistent product than Dr. Reddy’s. Our other threads are all Dr. Reddy’s related. Literally hundreds of people (500 at last count?) specifically complaining about the crummy side-effects from Dr. Reddy’s. Alvogen rarely gets mentioned, Mylan is almost never mentioned. If it were me, I’d go with the Mylan for that very reason. It seems to be the safest of the three with almost no complaints thus far. Please let me know what you do next and keep us posted. Your feedback really helps other people in recovery. If we can help someone avoid relapse by avoiding crappy medications, then we’re doing a good thing here. Thanks again Deon, and best of success!
Hello there, I am having the exact same issue with my Dr. I have been sober over 4 years, I know I’m ready, I have no cravings, and the biggest challenge i could ever imagine happened, and I didn’t even think of a relapse, so I know I’m ready. I quit smoking on the exact same day. So I started tapering myself a bit back, but I’m kinda stuck at a smaller dose, I noticed that there was a Dr below who posted a schedule, that is exactly what I was looking for. That will definitely help your husband, I’ve done mine somewhat similar, just not as accurate, so unfortunately I’ve felt the difference between the amount of medicine in between, and it brought back all the awful feelings of the very first withdrawal, I am on Zubsolv, which is almost the same as suboxone. Good luck to your husband, I’m sorry to hear that there are other Drs that don’t want to take us off the medicine. I can’t completely discredit them though, because at one time, they saved my life, so I am very grateful. Good luck to you 💙
What about insomnia? For me that is one of the most unpleasant symptom of opiate withdrawal and it’s the last one to resolve. Man I came off a low dose of methadone(20mg.) and I didn’t sleep for 10 days. If I wasn’t locked up, I would have at least tried Ambien, but no. They just watched me suffer. I was just another slob waste of society junkie to them. I’ve been on Suboxone for 7 years. Only 4mg. a day, but the idea of that insomnia coming back is freaking me out.
I remember 13 sleepless days and nights in 2013 thanks to withdrawal. The difference was I jumped from 250+ mg of oxycodone and OxyContin. If you comfortably get down to 1mg Suboxone and live there for a bit, the every other day taper really works. I’d call it “mildly uncomfortable sleep” for a few nights, but nothing like I went through before. I also recommend doing this taper when you have plenty of Suboxone. Don’t force yourself into taper, do it slowly and evenly, and have extra in case it’s not going well. Getting down to 1mg and feeling great may take a month. You can also do the “every other” anytime you reduce to make it smoother: When going from 8 to 6 or 6 to 4, flip-flop the 4 and 6 mg every other day. I promise, it really helps. Best of success Frank.
As stated, I am currently down to 1 mg per day. I take 1/2 of it now and 1/2 before sleep or bed in 10-12 hours. I am worried that I may not have enough tabs to last through theVirtually Painless Schedule. Should I call the same doctor who would not help me taper or give me a smaller dosage to assist in problem cutting? I have paid and downloaded all of the cutting charts for films and am currently cutting the 8 mg film. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated! I have been down to 1 mg per day for 4 days now. I will definitely follow the chart you supplied but just be more aggressive. Thank you!
This isn’t medical advice, it’s just my personal experience and the experience of many others. Cool?
You’re doing great by splitting your intake twice daily. If you can focus on 1/2 of 1mg and then start spacing it out (slowly) you’ll do just fine.
Since you already split your dose, you could consider taking the half every 24 hours, then 36 hours, then 48 hours, etc. Your body needs a little time everytime you make an adjustment, so you might need a little more medication, but who cares – You only have to do this once! Keep up the great work and if you need more meds don’t be afraid to go back to your doctor (or find a new one and tell them your plan). A good doctor is going to help you in any way possible. Please keep me posted – Very excited for you!!
Any tips on finding a good doctor that can be trusted? Unfortunately I am from out-of-State. I tried!
Really, I think reading g Google reviews is the best way. Patients like us are usually honest, so that’s where I’d start 🙂
Today was a usual appointment day with the trusting Suboxone doctor who had me on 2-8mg. Tabs.
Today I also drop to 0.50 mg. Per day. Cutting is a pain but well worth it!
Nice work Andy!!
My doctor had me at 2 each of the 8 films for 5 years. I had told him 1 year ago that I needed to taper off of Suboxone. He and his wife loved the $175 a month they were getting from me.
I just dropped down to 1 mg myself after 1 month and am almost ready to jump-off! I had set a goal of January 19th, 2022. Can I do it without too much discomfort or depression?
I am not rescheduled at the $175 per 5 minute visit Doctor. Is that cool? I have about 10 – 8 mg strips left and am good there.
Congratulations Andy! A successful taper off Suboxone is a huge accomplishment. Here’s a link to a great Suboxone taper that includes how to manage the last 1mg. I hope this helps. Best of luck and please let us know how you do! The Best Suboxone Taper on the Planet
Thank you! Unfortunately the cost and trusting the doctor..well….
I am so sorry to keep asking questions. I just have little idea what to expect and until I researched Suboxone recently online, had little idea what is entailed. Is the last 1 mg. that terrible? Since I started the 1 mg. and am taking half of it in the morning several days ago, I am still at 1 mg. per day. I feel okay and am ready to go down to the next step.
It’s a process that usually takes a little time. A doctor told me that lowering dosage should be done at a max of 25%, and then stay there at at least a week to acclimate. Then, drop another 25% and repeat. He told me “Take your time and do it right vs being in a hurry.” Stay the course!!
Thank you!
Thanks! On Monday I will push it by going to .5 mg. After a full course of that according to the chart, goodbye for good suboxone!
Awesome Andy. I wish you the best of success!
At a 0.5 mg however haven’t skipped a day yet. Today, after several days at 0.5I went until later in the day. Trying to avoid losing much sleep. So far, later in the day has worked for me. Hopefully within the week, I can skip a day without too much issue!
Thank you, Andrew
You are my Angel!
How do you feel overall?
Good overall!
Following the schedule that you sent! Just being a little more aggressive. By nature, I am an impatient person! Ha! This is with much going on in my personal life too. Won’t bore you with the details! Here, there is no such thing as “stress-free”!
🤪
With your help, not bad!
Overall I feel great! As long as I take a very small amount before bed. Only a few days into 0.5 mgs and I went about 34 hours but haven’t skipped a day yet. No sleepless nights yet! So far, so good!
Even enjoying some activities that have been missing from my life!
Thanks for your help Andrew
This is exciting Andrew. Seeing someone successfully taper off Suboxone is awesome. Great job!!
I have been at .5 this week and I am scheduled to drop-off tomorrow but I just don’t feel right! Spoke to my regular Doctor yesterday and he was extremely pleased I was almost rid of Suboxone. He stated that he would prescribe anything I may need for sleep or restless legs. I may need to go to .025 just before bed for a week or so. Is it psychological at this point?
That’s awesome to have support like that. You’re doing great Andy! Keep going!
Still doing the .50 mg dose. Last evening, about 4:00 am I awoke to restless legs and in insomnia. Therefore, the .50 mg. dose was taken to fall back asleep. I will adjust the time taking the .50 mg to later to sleep. According to the schedule forwarded, I will wait about a week to feel level and go to .025 mg. for a few days before falling off. I must do this right, take some time to avoid ever having to go through this again! Unless you are in a proven program like this one, watch your doctor as mine was not cooperative when I wanted to drop!
Thank you as I am in Ohio!
Tried to go two days without .5 mg and ended-up going 36 hours, not 48 due to withdrawal. While Doctor did prescribe for sleeplessness & restless legs, the medication had many possible side-effects including dependency. I was surprised and will not use it. It is actually abused by snorting! While that Office is looking into it, I won’t hold my breath and just accept the withdrawal when I drop dose frequency of suboxone.
It’s difficult to drop more than 10% in a week without feeling it. I know the 10% every week rule isn’t perfect, but it may help if you have enough medication to make it last. Best of luck Andy, and please keep us posted. What you’re doing isn’t easy, but I believe you can do it!
I just cut another strip of 8 mg (to think that 2 of those were taken in a day) into .50 mg triangles (16)! Now I go to every-other day. Just got comfortable taking one of those a day! I may try to drop after that.
Isn’t that something? I remember getting 16mg and hoping it was enough. Congratulations Andy!!
Still at .5 every-other day. Step 4 on the new schedule. Tried every two days last evening. Was tough! Just want to rid myself of this!
You’re doing great Andy. Just keep pushing forward!
Doing .5 gram every other day.After a week of this I will go to the next step. Will try to stop thereafter. Thanks!
You’re doing awesome Andy! How are you feeling at .5?
Waiting for body to adjust to a .5 gm every-other day. Not as quick as I would like but definitely more bearable so far. Thank you! Really!
Scary too getting ready to stop completely. Didn’t expect to actually be afraid to go without!
Kinda like smoking cigarettes. Quit those as well. I would not advise quitting both at the same time however, the suboxone wean is taking a little while longer than planned!
Neither is optional so “Oh well”.
Today moving to every 3 days. May need to rearrange times to avoid sleepless nights!
How are you feeling overall?
One step left! Goodness,, it has been a bit longer than I realized! Honestly, I should have just gone without the suboxone and just sucked it up! Same effect!
Would have saved alot of cash that I gave to this doctor that I trusted for a long time.
Nice work Andy! You’re setting a pace for others to benefit from and it’s much appreciated!!
The first night dropping I experience insomnia and restless legs but….
I am sorry! I am on Step 5, which is .5 mg every3 days. Third dose but the 3rd evening is sleepless. I figure that each drop now has the last evening being the worse as far as sleep. Melatonin seems to help for me. Almost done!
I hate hearing that evening 3 is sleepless. Is it shaky legs, twitches, or just general agitation?
Ps – Great thinking with the melatonin! It really works!
In a strange situation here. Some sleep on night number 3 but General sleepless! Gotta go to final steps!
Well, today was day 3 but I am waiting until later tomorrow (day 4) to take the .5 mg. Starting Step 6 of the new schedule! I am amazed that such a small amount of suboxone can be so powerful! Ready to stop but I have one 8 mg film to cut-up so I will follow the plan to make it more bearable and final!
It really is interesting how strong even 0.5mg is. Seems like you’re doing everything right Andy. Great work!
Went to Step 6 last yesterday! Took .5 before bed last night however it was a bit rough and like I didn’t take it. Ready for final Step then done! Thank you Andrew, for your help and encouragement!
You are inspiring myself and many others by doing this Andy. Keep it up!!
Day 4 and haven’t taken the .5mg since Monday. May try to hang it up from here and skip the final step. Any experience with that?
It’s all about personal comfort. You’ve done such a great job with tapering Andy. Do what feels best while staying the course. You’ll know when it’s time to stop completely.
Went right to 5 days. Took .5 mg shortly before heading to bed last night but was up periodically throughout the night. A bit anxious as I would like this to be the final step! Will use melatonin tonight as I must get-up early.
Haven’t taken.5 mg since May15th and have 1 1/2 8 mg. tabs left. I think I will just pass and drop now since it has been a week. Good Lord! This was unexpected.
Amen
You have done so well with your Suboxone taper Andy. Great work! Thanks for updating us – much appreciated!
Thank God and you for the help!
Absolutely. You’re an inspiration!
Was a long haul but definitely worth it and using the chart really helped! Finally sleeping the right way again!
Thank you!
I feel great and you and your organization really helped!