From my experience.....Unfortunately I "detoxed" 3 times as noted in my post above regarding prices. Thankfully the 3rd time did the trick and I have been opiate free for over 8 months now.....Please believe me when I tell you that the shorter the length of time you take the Bup or subs, the better. If you stay on past a few weeks, you WILL have w/d's from the subs. Not nearly as bad as from hydro, but not pleasant nonetheless.
Think about it...the subox or subutex is a synthetic opiate, which satisifes your need for opiates, and yes there is also an antagonist in the med which blocks the euphoric effects....but still, you will become "addicted" to a large dose, or even 4mgs per day, and will go through w/d similar to opiate withdrawal,though not as bad. The general consenuse, after reading about the topic for 8 months now, is the shorter the time, and the lower the dose of the sub, the better. The long term maintenance is advocated by some docs who do not personally go through the detox, so who knows better than the patient. ( me in this case.) After 3 trys, the one that worked best for me and most cases I read about was 4 to 6 weeks on the sub until you taper down to 2mgs per day....then take naloxone, for another 2 weeks....then stop!! A bit uncomfortable and craving at first, but nothing as bad as "quitting" the subs and nalox following an extended maintenance program I know maintenance is the less scary route to opt for in the short run, but in the long run you will be in what we refer to as "bup" hell....plenty of stories on the net. I can personally vouch for the less, the better. You will pay for long term maintenace and have w/d from the long term use of sub.....it is a synthetic opiate........ In the case of sub or bup...less is more!
Good luck....used correctly, subutex or suboxone is a blessing. It is better to detox with subox than subutex, as the subutex just makes you feel "too good" due to the opiate and euphoric sensation that does not have the opiate "blocker" that subOXONE has.
The meds are a Godsend....try to use a Family Practioner who is on the list. THe psychiatrists, in my experience, ar MUCH more expensive.
Good luck and God Bless.
Nicki