Any experience with Sublocade in Aus?

[Halif2]

Anyone have experience with the weekly/monthly injections of Sublocade?

I've read comments from people (mostly in the USA) saying that this is the least painful way of getting off long term opiate dependence. It's been about 15 years for me and I've had more detox attempts than I can recall, but they've become too much to handle as I get older and I've pretty much given up on ever being dependence-free. But I have to keep trying or else I'll just be in a half-dead state until I'm actually dead.

Obviously I need to do some research into it, but I was wondering if anyone around these parts has experience (first or second hand) which they'd be willing to share about the process, requirements, success (or lack of), etc...

I'm look for hope that there might be a way.

 

[Liminality]

Hey,
Hope you're doing okay.
I've been on bupe for about 10-12 years now.
It without a doubt saved my life.

It was quite easy to get on. There is a number you call and they refer you to someone.
Anyway, because I've been compliant and regularly check in with my Dr / Mental health team.
The doc offered to put me on to Buvidal which is a monthly injection. Which is SO much better than going into the pharmacy 2-3x/week.
You just go in to the doctor once a month, the pharmacy brings it over. It costs ~$6/dose on PBS/concession with an authority script (only certain doctors can do this).
I would HIGHLY recommend it. No need to worry about being tempted to stop your daily dose and go back to using. Because it's just in you all the time, and you just forget about it until the end of the month.
I've never really had much trouble with withdrawal / craving the dose. And the injection itself doesn't even hurt / sting very much. Maybe 5 minutes of slight stinging, then nothing.

Any questions, feel free to ask.

 

[Halif2]

Holy shit, thanks for responding to this, first of all. I had lost hope that it'd get any replies.

No need to worry about being tempted to stop your daily dose and go back to using. Because it's just in you all the time, and you just forget about it until the end of the month.

This is what sounds so attractive about it to me. A massive part of my failure in past detoxes is that it is extremely hard to go back to a life without opiates after they've been your number one priority for years. Suddenly, there's all this time and mental space - like someone with agoraphobia being tossed outside in the city centre after spending years locked in their bedroom. Too overwhelming. I would love to be able to start taking steps to living a clean life without dealing with the despair and myriad physical problems that come with acute detox and PAWS. When it's all happening at the same time, it feels insurmountable.

The only issue I see is that I don't want to 'get on' bupe as a regular until being allowed to get the monthly jab. I would like to be given ONE Buvidal injection for the sole purpose of getting clean. I imagine tapering down as low as I can on my usual opiates/opioids, and then getting the jab and just going clean from there. I've not gone onto bupe or methadone because I am near certain I'd just end up on that forever, and I still want to try - at least try one more time - to go sober.

I know you probably can't speak to that and I'd need to speak with GPs and sus it all out. I still really appreciate the perspective and reading your experience.

Can I ask what your monthly dose is? And do you start to feel different towards the end of the month?

 

[vision conquest]

I am working my way towards the buvidal/sublocade shot, my wife is already on it, she's been on it for about 2 years now and she lo ves it.

Right at the start there were a few weeks when she felt a bit shabby, like the shot wasn't quite holding her, however that issue totally cleared up after a couple of months and now she's totally stable, she has 64mg every 4 weeks and doesn't have anything but good things to say about it.

I was skeptical at first but watching her experience has convinced me to give it a go.