Will methadone help with suboxone withdrawals?

Yes. Suboxone is for the treatment of mild to moderate opiate addiction, like Vicodin addictions. Suboxone is itself an opiate; it replaces the other opiate, but it doesn't get you high, so you can quit getting high without the painful physical withdrawal. It also has an ingredient called naloxone in it. Naloxone is a partial opiate antagonist, meaning that it blocks the opiate receptors in your brain, so you cannot get high on opiates while you are taking the Suboxone.

In order to begin treatment with Suboxone, you must wait at least 18 to 24 hours since your last dose of Vicodin. It is absolutely essential that you be in full-blown, severe withdrawal from the Vicodin, before you start taking the Suboxone. If you take the Suboxone before you are in full withdrawal from the Vicodin, it will produce the worst, most horrible withdrawal symptoms you can imagine. You will get really, really sick.

Once you are in severe withdrawal, you can begin taking the Suboxone. Start with a small dose (say, half a pill, 4mgs), and wait 30 to 45 minutes to see how you feel. If you still feel sick, try taking another half a pill, and wait another 30 to 45 minutes. Continue taking small doses, every 30 to 45 minutes, until you feel well again. Remember that Suboxone must be dissolved under the tongue; it won't dissolve in your stomach, so do not swallow it.

You will have to continue taking the same dose of Suboxone every day, or else you will start having withdrawal symptoms. Once you feel you are ready to stop taking the Suboxone, you can start decreasing your dosage little by little, over a period of several months, until you are able to stop taking it completely. The slower you decrease your dosage, the less painful getting off of it will be.

You would be much better off having a doctor supervising your Suboxone treatment. I have included a link to one treatment program, The Columbia University Buprenorphine Program in Manhattan (buprenorphine is the main ingredient in Suboxone, besides naloxone). If you don't live in the New York area, the Program can probably help you find treatment options where you live.