Kicking an opiate habit---whether heroin or prescription painkillers---is not an easy thing to do. Suboxone is an opiate that is the last in a series of "step down" drugs in the battle against opiate addiction. Even though Suboxone has its own addictive qualities, it is considered the least addictive---and has the fewest withdrawal symptoms---of all the opiate-based drugs. In this last stage of the battle against addiction, you can detoxify from Suboxone by decreasing doses and fortifying your body's systems.
Suboxone in a Nutshell
The main ingredient in suboxone is buprenorphine, an opioid agonist. Suboxone comes in 2mg and 8mg tablets or can be taken under the tongue. Suboxone also contains nalaxone, which blocks the pleasurable effects of methadone, heroin and morphine. A person cannot get "high" on Suboxone, so there is less likelihood that he will try to inject or "snort" it.
Lower Dosages of Suboxone
If you have been taking Suboxone for an extended period of time, and have successfully stopped using heroin and methadone, then your doctor may begin lowering your dosage of Suboxone. However, even if you have gotten down to 1mg per day of Suboxone, eliminating it completely is a difficult point for any opiate addict.
There are some drugs like clonidine that can help reduce the withdrawal symptoms; however, there are some side effects to clonidine such as dry mouth, constipation and drowsiness. And while there are no known natural ways to detoxify from an opiate addiction, there are many natural ways to alleviate the withdrawal symptoms.
Naturally Reduce Suboxone Withdrawal Symptoms
After your physician has lowered your Suboxone dose enough to finally quit taking the drug completely, you have to face the final withdrawal symptoms, which may last anywhere from four to seven days.
The symptoms of opiate withdrawal are due to low endorphins (the pain relievers of the body) brought about by the extended use of opiates.
Exercise is one great weapon against suboxone withdrawal, as physical activity elevates your endorphin levels. Walk for one-half to one mile in the morning, and repeat once in the afternoon or evening. Because of the effects of opiates on your body, you may be too weak to do much more than that.
Sweating through exercise or a sauna can help remove some of the toxins in your body and should cut down your detoxification time by a day or two. Because the inability to sleep is one symptom of suboxone withdrawal, exercise will help to wear your body out so you can sleep.
Some foods to eat while going through withdraw include eating bananas and other potassium-rich foods to replenish this mineral depleted by from the diarrhea and restless leg syndrome. Drinking plenty of fruit juices and water throughout each day of withdrawal.
Throughout your detoxification, take L-tyrosine (500mg) tablets up to 2000mg and scale up or down, as needed. This amino acid should help you get moving in the morning by giving you a surge of energy and boosting natural brain chemicals that can improve your mood. Take a vitamin B-12 supplement along with the L-tyrosine to improve absorption, and include one multivitamin each day.
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