Many of you are familiar with my e-book, ‘User’s Guide to Suboxone,’ that has been available for sale on the web. The copy that is sold through that site is ‘print-protected’ and copy protected; a password is required to open the document and it cannot be printed– at least not without a bit of digital trickery. 
I was just looking through the book, and realized that it ain’t that bad– I’m no Hemingway, but I think that it contains some good ideas, and the words are spelled correctly. The chapters are listed at the end of this post.
I plan to upgrade ‘the forum’ in the near future, and part of that process includes raising money for a web designer. My friend Jim will always be the ‘right-hand guy’ with the programming, but I can only ask for so much free help before feeling guilty! So if anyone out there has considered making a donation, now is the time…. because a $5 donation will get you a copy of the e-book, User’s Guide to Suboxone, sent as an e-mail attachment that unlike prior forms can be printed. I do ask that you respect the copyright, and if you want a dozen copies for your treatment center, send me a note to work out a discount– rather than simply making 11 copies.
Instead of automating things this time around, if you want a copy of the printable e-book I’ll have you use the donation button on the right side of this web site. Just make a donation of $5 or more, and I will use the e-mail address that you use for the PayPal or Google Checkout donation to send the book as an attachment. I’ll get it out within a day or two. Proceeds will go to the new SuboxForum– the more I raise, the nicer I hope to make it! As always, thank you all for your support.
List of Chapters:
A Caution
Introduction
Introducing Buprenorphine
Practical considerations
High Tolerance at Induction
Precipitated Withdrawal
Pain control
Surgery
Pregnancy
Length of Maintenance
Tapering
Other Medications While On Buprenorphine
Other Drugs of Abuse
Benzodiazepines
Other Medications
Buprenorphine Side Effects
Twelve Step Meetings
Future trends
Tag: user’s guide to Suboxone
Tired and Sick on Suboxone: What Would Junig Do?
I recently receive e-mails or read posts at Suboxone Forum that go something like this:
I used all kinds of pain pills over the past ten years—Vicodin, then oxycodone, methadone, and even fentanyl patches. Then I got into heroin for a year and finally hit my rock bottom. I went to a Suboxone doctor and he put me on 16 mg per day. At first everything was great, but I don’t like the side effects. I get so tired every day. I’m not happy like I used to be. I wake up in the morning and don’t have any energy or excitement for life. I really don’t like what the Suboxone is doing to me and want to stop.
Sometimes it is a little different—the first part is the same, but then the person writes:
I really wanted to stop taking it so that my body is free of chemicals so I stopped. I was real sick for a month and now I don’t feel like myself—I am tired, I feel depressed and angry, and I’m wondering what the Suboxone did to my opiates—am I ruined forever?
I am a psychiatrist, and only about a third of my practice consists of addiction work. I get e-mails at times after people read the blog for my psychiatric practice at www.patienttimes.fdlpsychiatry.com. A typical message will be similar to this:
Dear Dr. Junig (they tend to be more polite to me there),
I used to be a very happy, energetic person. In high school I was outgoing and everybody liked me, and I had tons of friends. The problem? Now I am in my 30’s and I’m never happy anymore. I have worked at the same place for ten years (or maybe, I change jobs every 18 months) and every day I wake up and dread getting out of bed and going to work. I keep telling myself I should exercise, but I never get started actually doing it. I’m single and don’t have any interest in dating (or maybe, I’ve been married to the same person for ten years and sometimes I can’t stand the look of him). I’ve read about vitamin D deficiency and wonder if that is my problem—all I know is that I am getting more and more depressed and tired. My sleep is crappy too. What should I do?
I have an answer to the first two messages, and the third message is a hint. Does anyone know how I would reply to the first two messages? What would I say? If you get my point and describe it correctly in the comments section—either describe the -general point, or write the reply that I would write– by 6 PM Central time tomorrow, Sunday, September 27, I will send you a free copy of my e-book ‘user’s guide to Suboxone’. EVERY person who gets it correct will get a copy. The ONE person who explains my point the best will receive the user’s guide plus a copy of each of these three recordings—stopping Suboxone, how long will you take that stuff, and opiate dependence treatment options. That’s like almost a thousand—or a hundred dollars—something like that. You don’t have to put your real name or e-mail address, but your comment MUST be entered in the comment section after this post. I might have to approve it if you haven’t written a comment before, but that’s OK—it will still count, as long as it is written and submitted by 6 PM. C’mon folks—take a shot!
JJ