buprenorphine
I was reading an article about it today...I cannot find it. the doctor was saying that "we should treat addiction like a disease"...that you don't stop taking insulin if you are diabetic. he believed in keeping on taking meds...maybe even forever...in some cases, and I have searched, and I can't find it.
that med above is what he was talking about specifically. I will keep looking.

OMG...I found it....http://www.thefix.com/content/what-if-we-really-treated-addiction-disease-it

and a group that I am on in facebook called Shatterproof may have some other resources for you.

My son just went through methadone withdrawal and switched to Suboxone. I am a little concerned about the methadone recommendation. Like Suboxone, that's an opiate replacement It seems like getting off the methadone would trigger some of the same withdrawal symptoms that she just went through. I'm not a doctor, but that doesn't make a lot of sense to me.

It is not recommended that anyone quit either methadone or Suboxone cold turkey. Studies show that the best way to prevent relapse, not to mention the symptoms of withdrawal, is to taper slowly. I don't know what her dose was, but if it was high, then the best way would be to gradually lower the dose and then the frequency until she was taking essentially nothing.

At this point, I think her options are: 1) go on a very low dose of Suboxone or methadone and taper off or 2) treat the symptoms of anxiety and depression.

A 3 day course of methadone doesn't seem to make sense because it is not a tapering plan.

Regarding anxiety and depression, she could try the natural approach first with B vitamins, a healthy diet, exercise, plenty of water, etc. If that doesn't work and the symptoms are intolerable, she could also get a short-term. low dose prescription for Xanax or a similar medication. Use caution on that, though, to make sure she doesn't end up addicted to something else. If you do a google search on opiate or Suboxone withdrawal, you'll see lots of discussions from people that have been through it. Xanax is one suggestion that keeps coming up.

I hope that she's also getting support so she doesn't relapse on the opiates.

My daughter is currently trying to get off of suboxin she was on it for over two years. She's been slowly lowering the dose with her doctor help. She is I think she said down to 1 MG and she is now having withdrawal s. The not sleeping sick to her stomach anxiety and cranky very cranky I ask her to talk to her doctor but she said she just wants to be done. It's been 3 weeks now and I do belive she is doing better. She live over 300 miles away so i don't see her. As far as I know she's still working and working a program. I'm trying not to medal because it drives me crazy. It is her fight and SHE has to want the sobriety. I support her 100 % with that. (Not with money). I'm so proud of everything she has accomplished and I do let her know that. She wishes she would have gotten off suboxin a long time ago. Not sure why that's just what she told me. I do feel it saved her life from heroine. .

I think avoiding withdrawals is key to not using again.
My son is currently on methadone and since it is managed and supervised...I feel a lot better about it.

His life has changed drastically in the last 2 months...and for the better.
I also do not think 3 days is enough.

Unfortunately in my opinion without some sort of withdrawal help she will soon be back using. This was true for my son at least. He has been addicted to "anything' for the last 10 years and everytime he or any of his friends went cold turkey..they were back to using something to manage their moods/withdrawals.

I'm ok with a Dr. monitoring my son taking this "methadone" drug. I will be honest when he first started I was like....OK...one drug for another. But after seeing the positive changes in him...I'm for it.

My therapist just told me one of her clients finally was able to stay off drugs because he started on suboxone, it really helped with the cravings. I have also heard a lot of good stuff from the support group I go to (the leaders work in a treatment facility and it's used a lot).

My son only took suboxone for 1 week in rehab. He's on nothing now. That was his choice. I'm not sure what causes one recovering addict to need something and others not need. Maybe the time spent using heroin? My son was an oportunist addict for a while. Take what's available at the moment. He was in opiets (pills and shooting heroin) for just about 1 year before he got help.

maybe because he wasn't on them that long, his body recovered quicker?

As for the methadone x 3days thing, hmmm sounds odd. I think a second medical opinion is in order.

Thank you all for your help and input. It's been 3 weeks now and my daughter is off the suboxone and didn't use the methadone. She is however really depressed, she's seeing a new therapist but I am still worried. I just don't think she is over the hump yet or ever will be. She was using for so long I don't think she really knows how to live sober! I am trying to give her some space but boy this is hard!!!

you are going to think this is crazy...but vitamins.
my son got into working out (endorphins) and vitamins...it helped him over the hump.

I agree with the working out and endorphins. Getting a full blood workup and checking vitamin ( A, D, E, &K) and iron levels. Low D and iron can cause fatigue and depression. Remember opiets mess with the brain chemicals, the"feel good" ones. It takes weeks or months to have your body and brain learn to produce the proper amount of these again.

My son is heavily into cross fit which helps him not just be sober but thrive sober.