Since it's so slow in here, and I'm bored...
Some of you may know this but my sister is a recovering alcoholic and drug addict. She's been clean for five years. She was addicted to heroin. For the past couple years, she has been on Suboxone, which is basically a rx drug from her doctor that blocks her from getting high if she were to take any opiates. It was just one more way to ensure her continued sobriety.
Well, she decided a couple weeks ago that she doesn't want to be on it anymore. She doesn't want to be on anything. So, like an idiot, she tried to quit cold-turkey. Suboxone is a VERY VERY strong drug that stays in your system for a very very long time. To wean off properly can take close to a year. To quit cold-turkey, she could be in severe and painful withdrawal for
weeks. Medically speaking, she can quit cold-turkey and it won't kill her like detoxing from some other things may.
So, after about a week of suffering, she couldn't take it anymore and took a Suboxone. That made her feel 1,000x better. Well, three days later, here we are again, and she is in the throes of horrible, painful withdrawal. She is refusing to wean off (not to mention it's next to impossible because the doctor who rx'd her Sub is a JERK and if she wants his help, she has to pay him $500 for an office visit - he's the only doctor in our area who rx's Suboxone) and she wants to just be done with it.
But she is suffering soooo much. Her therapist gave her a few medications to help ease the withdrawals a bit. She lives alone (my mom and I are taking her son while she's going through this as she is in no shape to care for herself, let alone a child). I'm so worried about her. This withdrawal greatly affects the mind as well as the rest of the body. She is SO depressed and anxious, along with vomiting, diarrhea, chills, body aches, etc.
As an addict, I just don't trust her with medications. When she is in severe pain as she is in now, I wouldn't put it past her to pop six Xanax instead of one just because one didn't work, then two didn't, etc. Plus her body is very tolerant of everything.
My point is...... (sorry), I'm just afraid she's going to accidentally overdose or something. She is so miserable, she's an addict (even though recovering) so she wants a fast fix, and I just don't see how she's going to get through this next one to two weeks of HELL and come out okay.
I've called her three times this morning and she hasn't answered. I will probably drive over there at lunch (luckily she lives close to my work) to check on her if my mom hasn't heard from her yet. But am I going to have to check on her 10x a day in order to not worry?? She doesn't want anyone staying with her. She says she is so depressed and sick, she doesn't want to see a soul.
UGH! Just had to get that off my chest. As you were.