I have had a long road with opiate's and have mostly self detoxed and it was hell.
I would go years off pain med's but always pain drove me back. My last round was in 2008 being on 90mg morphine 3 times a day plus oxy/s
I Googled 'Safe narcotics" and came upon a clinical trial of suboxone at Columbia-a inpatient program.
Firs day was sheer hell but eventually I was given the buprenorphine and quickly felt normal again.
Yeah I know it was one drug for another but I gotta say it was not the same. I was able to stay on dose and never felt drugged. I stayed on a year or so then went super, super slow in a taper. I was taking mere crumbs of the pill! I skipped days and then stopped. next day went with buddies to Atlantic City swam and gambled and spent the night. Okay I still had to take a few months to feel 100% normal but it was not a hellish WD like from other opioid medications.
After a year or so off, my pain got to me and I found a clinic that prescribed suboxone and after a while just subutex or regular buprenorphine without the naloxone.
On it since 2011 and itis okay for pain control but slowly losing it's effect. I guess it is normal but I have had 4 major surgeries and it did not do well at all the last hip replacement so that stinks.
However, I do not worry a lot I am just glad i can come off if and when I want but can make that choice.

Glen