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  • BDD Moderators: Keif’ Richards | negrogesic

Suboxone and low pulse rate

M

martinbr

Greenlighter
Joined
May 11, 2014
Messages
38
Hello everyone, I have a question about suboxone. I am currently on 24mg per day of the film strips. Has been working out pretty nice, but have been experiencing some dizziness sometimes and like I am just going to pass out!!

But this really started before I got on the suboxone. I was taking around 10-15 norcos per day mostly the 7.5's but what ever I could get my hands on. The problem is that I have a very low pulse rate. Went to the doctors and he immediately wanted me in the the Emergency room because my pulse was reading 44 beats per second. I think that's how you measure it. But I have always have had a low pulse rate for the past twenty years. But i just started experiencing these dizzy spells in the past few months.

They wanted me to stay over night in the hospital and I said no way! Hell I didn't even tell them about the meds that I am on worrying that I might be opening a new can of worms. I would go into withdrawals if I was asked to stop. I know it wasn't smart for me to check my self out of emergency, but I have no choice. Plus I have other responsibilities. I have to drive my wife back and forth to work since she doesn't have a driver license. The doctor got really pissed off saying there was a chance that I could pass out or even die from having a low pulse rarte like that. I know I am going to have to get it addressed in the future. So my question is after all that, can the suboxone make your pulse rate drop that low?
thanks,
martinbr
 
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As far as I know, suboxone doesn't have heavy sedative properties, especially if you're using it for maintenance and have a tolerance. I doubt any opiate could make a healthy person's heart rate go that low unless they were overdosing. But I'm not 100% on that. But if you already had a low heart rate and/or blood pressure, then the suboxone could lower it just that much further that you start feeling dizzy.

44bpm is really low man, unless you're a hardcore professional athlete (and I assume the doctor's wouldn't have freaked if you were). You should have stayed in hospital, told them about your meds and let them try figure out what the problem is. I'm not a huge fan of doctors, but they're right that you're at risk of passing out, even death, and the low heart rate is almost certainly indicative of an underlying problem, one that could be very serious.

Go back to your doctor, be honest with him, let him take you to hospital and figure out what the deal is. It's not worth dying to hide the fact that you're on suboxone.
 
Yes, your right. I have to go back. It means I have to start back at emergency again which is going to run up another outrageous bill, but it's better than dying. I am definately not ready to check out yet.
martinbr
 
hoping your still with us, and have an update to your situation. Because I have the same exact now.

I was prescribed 8mg suboxone...2 times a day... but if I take that much, i swear it feels like my heart will stop ...it's beating that slow. I'm at about 60 beats per minute right now. When I stop taking the suboxone, it goes back to normal after about 2 days off of it. But it takes awhile...but then again I like this drug a lot and feel like I need it. The friggin rare thing is, how FEW people have this side effect...but I definitely have it as well. Only this drug does it to me, it gets so slow...and I even feel scared to go to sleep...cuz it slows down so much. The other day it was so slow, I forced myself to exercise at like 3am...to get my heart rate up. But it seems like I have to lower my dose again. feels like I can only tolerate 4MG a day, to not have this slow heart rate stuff.

so to others having this side effect, your not alone...I know I definitely have this along with MartinBr..and it's definitely from the suboxone. The problem is it seems like it's a rare side effect...so doctors will probably look at u like ur crazy if u complain about it. If u think about what the drug does is general, it only seems normal in a sense...as it's 'slowing' things down in our body. I also have high chloresterol for 15 years now..and don't take statins. wonder if that could be the issue as well. MartinBr, i'm PM'ing you this reply as well, to hopefully get a response to knowing what our problem is. It's scary this low heart rate...but i'm gonnna tough it out and just never take more than 4mg a day from now on.

BTW: I found this thread by typing in "slow heart rate suboxone" ...on google.
 
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Hi new here nice site btw no op i would advise medical help asap as i would be very worried if one of my bodies/function was under performing/abnormal plus you dont have to say you did drugs(if you dont want it on your record but ask yourself whats more important reputation or your life.
 
When I was taking subs, my blood pressure was incredibly low it actually shocked my doctor. Same with my heart rate. But it is a depressant. It will slow your body down.
 
opiates tend to do that to people. you're on a rather high dose btw - perhaps too high. going any higher than 8mg is very high
 
Yeah don't see why anyone would want to exceed 8mg with bupe of anykind... it makes no sense at all. I mean really I have taken 16mg before, right when I started and was very new to subs because that is how much my doc gave me and told me to take a day. So I did, and then after reading about how less is more with subs, I went ahead and just took 8 the next day. I actually felt a lot more of the positive effects from bupe at 8mg a day rather than 16! So drop your dose, 24mg a day is a stupidly high dose for something like bupe. 4-8mg a day taken in 1-2mg increments throughout the day every 4 hours or so works wonderful for me. I only take more like 8mg when I am really craving dope or opiates, which still happens after being on subs for the better part of 4-5 years now.
 
Shit if I take a full 8 mg sub it makes me puke. And I don't have a low tolerance to opiates. Maybe subs are just different.
 
8 mg should be the maximum anyone should take IMHO. I cant believe the massive amounts of sub some docs push out on their patients! Seriously. I have seen friend get scripted like 32mg a day of sub, but I told them to just take 8 at the most, and they at first were reluctant to listen to me over their doctor. Some sub docs are just under educated when it comes to writing scripts to people just getting on subs for 4 8mg subs a day! Any educated sub doctor would, or should, know that that is way too much. I believe that is actually the ceiling dose for bupe, 32mg. correct me if I am wrong... But anyways the friends I had taking upwards of 24-32mg of sub everyday quickly dropped down to 8 or less mgs a day when they started to figure out that less bupe actually did feel better. However, if your doc does prescribe you that much bupe, I would just play along and say I was taking that much but only really take like 8mg, just to save a shitload of them for when you might need them in the future and have a stock pile of bupe.
 
I was on methadone for over a decade before I switched to buphrenophine (sp?) almost a year ago 8mg/day btw which I reducing NOW!....My pulse was always low on Mdone but still in upper 50s ...this morning my pulse right out of bed is 44 like the original poster! I can do some excercise and elevate it but this is scaring me! My blood pressure has crept up too even though I take 40mg lisinopril a day
 
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