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Anyone ever use Belbuca?

J

JJN

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Oct 16, 2016
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Hello everyone, fist post here, although I've been a reader for a long time. Been using various prescribed opiates for several years now (Vicodin, Norco, Oxycodone, OxyContin, Morphine). All of those on and off, most recently oxycodone, about 120mg per day.

Recently decided enough was enough and asked my doctor for a Suboxone treatment.

He recommended Belbuca. I had never heard of it before. He gave me a copay card so I could get a month free. Got a script for 300mcg Belbuca 2x/day. Pharmacy said they couldn't get it until the next day, and I was already starting withdrawals (was about 30 hours since my last oxycodone pill). I couldn't wait another 24 hours so the doc gave me two 8/2 Suboxone. Took half of one as soon as I got home, felt shitty for the next 2 hours, then took the other half. Almost immediately started to feel better. Got through the night without taking the other one.

Picked up the Belbuca at 9am the next morning. First dose at 9:30. I don't really understand why the dosage is so low compared to Suboxone- 300mcg Belbuca compared to 8mg Suboxone- which automatically put into my head that this wasn't going to work. Anyway took my first dose (the buccal films are a huge pain in the ass to get to stick in your cheek- I lost the first film because it kept sticking to my finger and I couldn't get it in my mouth before melting away).

That was yesterday- I ended up taking 3 300mcg Belbuca instead of 2 (9:30am, 4pm, 11pm). Felt ok, not as good as I did on the Suboxone, but better than being in full withdrawals.

Today is my 2nd full day on Belbuca. Hoping I can just stick to 2 of them as prescribed- don't want to run short at the end of the month.

Can't find much info on Belbuca. In the back of my head I wish I had Suboxone. Will see what happens down the road. Good luck to everyone dealing with similar issues as me.

JJN
 
I am going to make this your own thread, as it would be a great resource for others on this specific topic. Hopefully you get some feedback! Welcome to BL!!!

There should be a package insert with the Belbuca that gives you direction on how to take it. If not go back to the pharmacy and ask the pharmacist (or manager of the pharmacy) for directions on how to properly take the medication.

I don't have any personal experiencing taking Belbuca, but I do have a lot of experiencing taking the Suboxone film strips. I found the best way to take those was to first brush my teeth, then ring my mouth out with an ethanol based mouth wash (Listerine), then immediately slip a Suboxone strip under my tongue.

I do not know if you are supposed to put the Belbuca strip on the inside of your cheek versus under your tongue (it would make more sense to me to place it under your tongue, especially after using Listerine to help the membrane absorb it).

I would try playing around one day and trying that method. But most importantly, get a package insert with specific directions on how to take your medication from the pharmacy if you don't have a copy that came with your meds!
 
I've read about Belbuca and I'm thoroughly confused by it. As you said they come in much smaller doses than sub. Does it somehow have an increased bioavailability?

I can't find much on it other than just the generic studies and instructions. It seems like it it being used mainly for chronic pain which to me is confusing.

Definitely let us know how it goes and keep us updated. Belbuca may be the new strange kid on the block but sometimes the new kids can be cool.

Also, welcome to SL JJN!
 
Belbuca is really not all that. There really isn't anything to be mystified about concerning Belbuca. It's just low dose Buprenorphine, without the naloxone. Maybe it absorbs a bit more efficiently. Is there anything in particular you wanted to know?

I am scripted 2 X 600 mcg per day. At first I ended up wasting several strips per month. There is a knack to getting them to stick correctly. I ended up short and got in trouble for having naloxone in my system from my stockpile of Zubsolv.

Originally my insurance company disapproved the PA as my doctor must feel compelled to write it for ORT, but when I wrote them a letter asking them to relent as lower dose bupe works better for pain for me and I don't get headaches because there is no naloxone, they approved. Don't know if I'll stay with them long term. Probably depends on whether the doctor will eventually prescribe hydrocodone along with the Belbuca as they had done with Zubsolv. The insurance company ultimately nixed this and said they wouldn't pay for the Zubsolv if hydrocodone was prescribed with it.
 
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That was pretty much what I had been thinking, a lower dosage form of buprenorphine. I never understood why they advertise it as being more effectively absorbed. Perhaps it has something to do with how the medication is produced.

I was just looking to see if people with experience taking it are able to distinguish it from Suboxone film or pills in any meaningful way, in terms of differences and similarities.
 
Guess it would help if I took the time to read everybody's posts! But mainly this is just to get me closer to BL status. I think Belbuca is more efficiently absorbed, but it's definitely supposed to be attached to the inside of your cheek. Don't know if putting it under your tongue after using an alcohol based mouthwash like Listerine would be better, but I can say for sure it's not what Endo recommends, if that means anything. They also recommend that you hold it it place for at least 5 seconds to give it a chance to stick. I press from the outside of the cheek as well. I've found there is definitely a prefered area of your inner cheek it should go if you want to increase the chances of not wasting it by grating your teeth on it or whatever. It's about the center of the cheek that you are able to puff out.
 
I told my doctor today that the insurance company initially denied my PA for Belbuca on the grounds that using it for ORT is experimental. She thought that was nonsense and that the real reason it was denied is because, as has been stated here, Belbuca is marketed by Big Pharma for pain, not ORT.

This time when she did the PA for the 2 times per day 600mcg dose, she did not check the ORT box. Said she thinks I am in remission. There is a certain satisfaction to having that stigma lifted. I guess the doctor's opinion that I am not currently a high risk patient meant more to me than I realized.

I've been trying to make this medicine work for me. All other things being equal, I don't know if in the long run this stuff is worth the trouble. It's too easy to waste them and get behind for the month and jury is still out on whether not having the naloxone is really that big a deal. Zubsolv is pretty attractive alternative. I think superior to Suboxone. I guess time will tell.
 
Have you ever tried Subutex? It is suuuuuuuper cheap and covered by insurance. It is kind of a pain to use properly, but if you're creative there are ways to use it safely and effectively. They just require a lot of care in going about administering them.
 
Thanks for the warm welcome everyone!

So I spoke to my doctor yesterday and told him I've been having a hard time getting the Belbuca to stick. It is a buccal film so it does have to stick to your cheek, cannot be dissolved under the tongue. I must have lost 6 strips in the past 3 days due to them not sticking, or sticking to my finger, or folding over in my mouth and not dissolving. On top of this. I'm not getting much relief from them- the dose is very low compared to Suboxone. I don't know if it's the medication, or if it's the poor application and therefore poor absorption, but it's not working for me.

My doc said he is switching me to Suboxone, 4mg twice a day (which I guess is a half of a strip each dose). Hopefully this will be better for me. Going to pick up the Suboxone this afternoon and return my box of Belbuca to the doctor. Sorry I won't be much more help in this thread concerning Belbuca, but this is my first time doing a Suboxone treatment, so I'm sure I'll be asking lots of questions and of course reporting progress.

Have a a good day, everyone.

JJN
 
No worries! I'm glad you got a medication better suited to your needs :)
 
toothpastedog said:
Have you ever tried Subutex? It is suuuuuuuper cheap and covered by insurance. It is kind of a pain to use properly, but if you're creative there are ways to use it safely and effectively. They just require a lot of care in going about administering them.
Click to expand...

Hey TPD! Yeah, I used to get Subutex back in the 2004 time frame but these days asking for it in Florida with the doctors I've seen, the answer is always a resounding no. They are really brainwashed into giving only Suboxone because, as everybody on here knows, they think you can't inject it.

Maybe as time goes on and Belbuca establishes a broader user base we will know better how to best use it.
 
So I just returned my Belbuca to the doctor and got a 30 day supply of Suboxone. We discussed the problem getting the buccal strips to stick, as well as the low dosage of buprenorphine compared to Suboxone. He said he thinks he Belbuca was the wrong drug for me, the dosage is too low but could be useful for people tapering off of Suboxone, instead of cutting strips into 16ths which would get dicey.

Anyway, I've got my first Suboxone strip under my tongue right now, just trying not to swallow! It's been about 9 minutes and I'm painting the inside of my mouth as best as I can without swallowing.

I do have to say that this is definitely a miracle for me. I've been on pills for so long that I didn't think it was possible to feel her without taking them. This is quickly proving me wrong, and making me feel much better already.

JJN
 
Nice. Try washing your mouth out with Listerine before you pop the strip under your tongue. It will help it dissolves a hell of a lot faster. By ten minutes you should be good regardless though.
 
The mouthwash definitely helped with dissolving the Suboxone, thanks so much. I still "painted" the inside of my mouth with my tongue after several minutes to make sure it got everywhere, between both it took about 10 minutes or so.

Feeling SO much better not taking pills. Right now is exactly one week to the day that I haven't taken anything, and I feel great.
 
Just another quick update, as this is the only Sub thread I'm participating in- a week into taking Suboxone, my appetite is back! I wasn't eating properly for a long time, I think subconsciously because I didn't want food to interfere with my pills. I'd rather take them on an empty stomach with some grapefruit juice. Now with the Suboxone, I'm not worried about that anymore, and I feel like I'm already eating much better in addition to not having taken any pills for 7 days. Drinking more water and less booze too.

MIRACLE DRUG
 
Don't know about the miracle drug bit, everything has its ups and downs, but I'm glad to hear you're feeling better! Thanks for the update :)

I found that my sugar cravings went up when I started buprenorphine replacement therapy, so watch out on your sugar intake. I gained some weight early in that process and it was not fun dealing with the attendant body issues that have now, thank god, begun to really resolve as I get healthier.
 
toothpastedog said:
Don't know about the miracle drug bit, everything has its ups and downs, but I'm glad to hear you're feeling better! Thanks for the update :)

I found that my sugar cravings went up when I started buprenorphine replacement therapy, so watch out on your sugar intake. I gained some weight early in that process and it was not fun dealing with the attendant body issues that have now, thank god, begun to really resolve as I get healthier.
Click to expand...

Thanks TPD. Are you comfortable sharing what those issues are? I will share my testosterone is really low, but that could have something to do with the fact that I am over 60. My doctor manages that. My weight is down somewhat and I am able to exercise, but I am still slightly over 200 lbs. When I was on methadone, I was 235. Hard to believe because in my day in the sun I was a pretty good tennis player and went around 175 lbs. I hear you all talk about doing the things you are passionate about. Tennis was my thing. I'll just say hope springs eternal that I find someone decrepit enough to play again someday!

I think most doctors prefer prefer prescribing buprenorphine because, among other reasons, their patients usually end up taking less rather than more of their meds.
 
Sure. I made the mistake of using too much Tagamet/Cimetidine too often to potentiate my buprenorphine. Because I was using so much of it and the buprenorphine was giving me sugar cravings and I was eating too many candied almonds I developed a very milk case of gynecomastia.

Getting back to my normally healthy diet while taking methadone a few years after getting off buprenorphine (it wasn't really the right med for me, though at the time it helped a lot stabilize my life) and then more recently getting off methadone a few month ago caused me to lose a few pounds. I still have a bit of excess fat on my chest but I'm not as chubby as I was on buprenorphine. Then again, you probably should consider I went from being very fit and rather skinny prior to the buprenorphine to slightly overweight, so it isn't like it was the end of the world. I don't really struggle with the body issues relating to my having been a bit overweight any more much.

Getting back to biking and getting more exercise (I sold my car in the spring and have been biking and using the bus instead of driving for my commute now) has been what really has made the difference outside of cutting out the junk food. It was impossible for me to get exercise when I was depressed, so dealing with my depression and anxiety was what allowed me to get up the courage to get back outside and getting exercise. Baby steps!
 
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