Yes, this is generally how things go. Buprenorphine is typically not a good "starter" Opioid. Most people that I know who weren't really experienced who used Buprenorphine, ended up getting quite sick. It's a powerful Opioid after all and the dosages given to addicts can easily floor a naive individual. Another aspect of Buprenorphine, being that it is a maintenance medication, is that it does last quite a long time.
Granted, it is a different scenario, but I gave a buddy of mine Methadone one time. He just took a swig from one of my bottles and had no experience whatsoever with Opioids. I don't know how much he took. He kind of did it while I wasn't paying attention, but I bet he took 50mg. He was sick for literally 48 hours. For that time period, all he did was lay down, sleep, vomit etc. Both of these drugs are powerful and long-lasting. They are not great for beginners for this purpose.