I am just curious on how people can come across Subsys on the street.
I was prescribed Subsys (1200mcg, x5 daily) and it was the best thing in the world for me, regarding pain control. Then, Insurance stopped paying for it and we went to court. In the end, I qualify again for Subsys due to my issues, but they have chosen a less expensive drug, Abstral.
For those who are unaware, Subsys @ 1200 mcg - 5 times daily - is around $39,000 a month. Abstral, which is a sublingual tablet instead of a spray, at the same dose of 1200mcg is $31,000 a month. My co-pay is $1,000 a week for these drugs. This is after the Pharmaceutical company has chipped in to help pay.
I was on Subsys for 3 months (6k mcg a day), and was on Abstral for 3 months. It worked quite well for chronic pain issues.
I will warn everyone though that is intending to take it for recreational purposes; find something else. I say this, simply for the fact that after the 2nd month of Subsys I have never had a euphoric feeling again for any opiate taken. As seen in this thread here:
Scale of Strength Opiates, I take a large amount of IV based Dilaudid and it is like taking saline solution.
I was never one to recreational take anything before, but only wish I had that feeling again to help distract the pain and suffering I go through. I was on a crap load of Fent (two 100mcg patches, 6k mcg daily via Subsys) - and my receptors are gone. It is VERY difficult to get pain under control these days. I have a port-a-cath in my chest (direct link to my heart) with 12mg of Dilaudid an hour = and I feel nothing...
YMMV. Yet, if there is any wisdom to be gained, titrate slowly with any of your opiate abuse to make it last as long as the euphoric feeling can. Once you lose it like I have, it is a horrible thing. While being terminal, I have sustained a physical injury (accidental, fractured a bone in my leg) and couldn't get pain relief all that well, due to the consumption from my neurological and muscular disease issues I have.
Joe