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Bupe High dose of codeine to buprenorphine

Codeine.monster

Greenlighter
Joined
Jul 14, 2015
Messages
4
Hi all, advice needed! I have been taking a high dose of codeine daily, I'm talking about 750mg every day at around 5pm. This is usually a mixture of prescription (codeine phosphate 30mg) and otc cocodomol (cwe of course!) basically I came clean to my doctor and ended up at 'turning point' a UK based drugs centre, after a couple of assessments, they decided the best thing would be to go on to buprenorphine, 2mg to start, increasing to 6mg over a week. I find it very difficult to taper down from codeine, every day it's just one more day (I'm sure many can relate) so I kinda like the idea that it's just one or two tabs, rather than my current situation where I would rattle if I was shaken! I haven't started the buprenorphine yet, was supposed to start today but I have used the last of my codeine instead. What are your thoughts on this? Should I go over to buprenorphine and forget codeine, forget going to 3 different chemists everyday, forget hours spent performing a good cwe, forget all the sneaking around, much less money spent on petrol and otc meds. Less dodgy looks from the same chemist who served me last week and the week before? You kinda get the picture. I know that it has a longer half life, and wd's could end up being much worse, but compared to my current situation the grass does look a little less... Brown.

Looking forward to some good responses!

Thanks all!
 
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First of all we don't use SWIM here, I don't even know where you would learn to use that. It wouldn't matter anyways because of your last sentence: Swim know that it has a longer half life, and wd's could end up being much worse, but compared to my current situation the grass does look a little less... Brown."

Secondly, please for the love of GOD don't use more than 2 mg. 750 mg of codeine could easily be controlled by a low dose of bupe. You might even get high off of 2 mg. NO reason at all to get all the way up to 6 mg. Then you will have to come down from that, which is WAY higher than 2!!! Don't let them dose you higher than what you need to keep you comfortable. If it happens to be 6 okay that is fine. But I bet you would be fine with just 2 mg.
 
Thanks for the reply, op changed as per the above.

OK, so bupe is perhaps not the best way forward? The trouble is I seem to have zero will power to reduce my codeine intake. I asked to be put on pure codeine phosphate for a 30mg a week taper, but that isn't something that either the clinic or my docs are willing to do. I see that bupe also comes in 0.2mg also, is it advisable to use the smaller tabs to taper off?
 
no I am on bupe it is a great thing. I am saying stay on the lowest possible dose that you can.
 
It is a bizzare concept... i know, but with bupe the less is more thing will be your salvation. Try searching 'less is more bupe' and a lot of info will come up. I am saying that if they put you on 2 mg and it takes care of all your symptoms and you feel fine. Don't go up to 6 mg because then your tolerance will have gone from two to six. Better to tapper from 2 mg than from 6 right?
 
I agree 100%, it's a shame I didn't start tonight, however I have used the rest of my script and now have no codeine left. I am just a little apprehensive, I have a 6am-5pm job and WDs through this would be torture, just want to get the dose right etc.. If I had my last dose of codeine at 5pm today, could I start the bupe at 5pm tomorrow? I usually start wd at this point, the yawns come at 3pm and leg aches at 5pm....
 
the rule of thumb is about 24 hours since your last dose of opiates. I waited 48 so I can't really attest to this, I was in FULL withdrawal and they gave me half and made me wait 45 mins to see how I reacted it was like I took nothing. Then they gave me the other half and my hands stopped shaking my stomach settled, and I had a smallish buzz. I don't want to call it a buzz because it is not something I seek out, it is more like a change in head space like 'hello there, I am here to stop you from WDing or craving opiates' so I started off on 8 but I was on insane amounts of oxy and H. I have tried tapering and it doesn't seem to make me feel shittier or WD, it makes my cravings go up. Like I have legit pain problems from the military nearly broke my back during an airborne operation and all sorts of other damage. So really I will prolly just say fuck it and stay on sub forever @ 8mg. I am on subutex for this reason. I was off opiates for years and then I got injured during my time in service and they put me back on pain meds, this of course was a mistake and ended my career. disabled vet. but at least the VA takes care of everything.
 
Seems to me like bupe is sort of... trying to open a jar by hitting it with a hammer. But, if you absolutely can't manage to slowly taper off codeine (you wouldn't even try with the help of some muscle relaxants or benzos? codeine wd isn't as bad as you think, as withdrawals go, speaking from experience) then yeah, I suppose bupe is an option.

Like Mad Dash said, you should never need to go above 2mg. 750mg codeine is equal to around 1.875mg bupe, using Wikipedia's morphine-centric chart as a rough guide (it's not gospel but it's a handy tool). 6mg would be way more than you would need - I've been taking heroin recently at doses that would be stronger than your doses of codeine, and I end up nodding on around 2mg.

It's not incredibly recreational, but it is to an extent, so I would be concerned that you would still enjoy it, and struggle to get off it.

Rather than increasing doses, you should be focusing on decreasing them, surely. I can understand why heroin addicts for example, who need to go on big doses of bupe (that they can't jump on straight away) would need to gradually increase a dose to a high point like that - you shouldn't have a need to though.

I will warn you though, bupe has a very long half-life. The half-life of Codeine is 2.5-3hrs, whereas the half-life of bupe is 20-70hrs. The withdrawals are much worse, and last much longer. A friend of mine swapped their tramadol addiction for bupe, their intention was to come off it via a taper... two years later he's still on it. People often find the last jump to come off completely after a bupe taper to be extremely difficult, and a lot of people never come off it at all.

An advantage of taking bupe is that you would be saving your liver if you've botched your CWEs, but as long as they're always clear and you never use too much water then that shouldn't be an issue anyway.

I personally think you'd be taking a risk by putting yourself on a much stronger, much more long-lasting opioid. You'd be swapping one addiction for another one that would be much harder to kick - it's a very useful drug for some people, in certain stages of addiction, I just don't think it's appropriate for you. This of course is just my opinion, but bear what I've said in mind - I'm just looking out for you and trying to save you from the rough ride further down the road.

If you talk to your doctor about tapering Codeine, or even if you do it yourself with the aid of other medications (baclofen, pregabalin, or diazepam for example) alongside cold compresses, hot water bottles, lots of water, etc. to ease any withdrawal symptoms, that would be a quicker and less risky route to sobriety. It would be difficult, yes, but nowhere near as difficult as coming off bupe.

If your heart is truly wanting to quit, then you should be able to taper the Codeine down imho. Because if you don't 100% want to quit then you'll likely fail either way, and there's a high chance you'll just start using the bupe to get toasted. Plus, if you have to deal with the Codeine withdrawals then you're more likely to learn your lesson (this isn't a guarantee, but fearing withdrawals may help you to not become dependent again!)

Good luck brother, hope you get yourself sorted out :)
 
Just remember in the long run quitting bupe will be a lot harder and longer then quitting codeine plus if codeine was the only opiate you were taking then 2mg will make you nod out lol not to mention going to the pharmacy everyday to take your dose for the first 3 or so month am also from the UK and have been on it for just over 3 months hopefully next week.I will get taken of supervised and get to take it home, but then again if you have no willpower to quit the your better of, god luck bro.
 
Thanks for your post, it's like I wrote it myself! I am currently taking 18 30mg dihydrocodiene tablets (when I get my prescription from the doctor) and once they run out I take 32 nurofen plus tablets, which I have to get from several different chemists, a day, plus any oxy I can get my hands on! I have been offered bupe from my addiction worker but not told what dose I'm going to have. Could you please send me a message to let me know how it works? I would really appreciate it. Thanks for your help in advance
 
I know this is an old post, but it will be helpful to people googling. IME it can be a good idea to go on bupe if you are staying at 2mg because it's less sketchy and can be cheaper sometimes. The price of codeine has doubled-tripled around here.

I think even 1mg is a good idea if one splits the pill. There is a hassle to get on the program but after that it's much more stable.Try a RAAM clinic those are good or a hospital that specializes in mental health
 
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