Belbuca(buprenorphine buccal film) Feedback needed

[Cbk1013]

Currently in pain management for neuropathy taking 50-60mg daily oxycodone which isn't enough so my pain dr recommended Belbuca...Any information on this would be much appreciated.. will this work in conjunction with opiates or will it shoot my tolerance up and block the effects of the oxycodone?

 

[Cbk1013]

anyone have any experience on or coming off Belbuca? trying to gather some info before I start it

 

[Cbk1013]

starting this drug tomorrow at 300mcg its just a super low dose of buprenorphine and I was prescribed 10mg oxycodone 4X a day..I would think the belbuca even at that low dose will block the oxycodone????? If it gives me pain relief from my neuropathy I don't give a fuck because its literally wearing me down living in constant pain and yes the oxy is nice but it doesn't last long and they will not up my dosage... Chronic pain is no joke..

 

[Jen X]

You may not feel the oxy and I'm not sure if it will still work for pain. Hopefully someone with more knowledge on it will chime in

 

[Jen X]

The buprenorphine will work for pain but make sure to tell your doctor if it doesn't

 

[Cbk1013]

Not much feedback here?? Probably not enough experience out there with this drug?? I will report back and give you my opinion on how it works for pain and how it interacts with Oxycodone??? I'm guessing it's gonna be very similar to Kratom which sky rockets opiate tolerance and has some kind of blocking effect on Oxycodone. Still waiting on my script but will report back as soon as I start it and give feedback on the subject..Be safe and love ya all!

 

[Jen X]

Buprenorphine will raise your tolerance and it will block the oxy. Methadone works far better for pain ime.
I was only on Buprenorphine for a couple months and even at 2mg it blocked hydromorph.
But yes keep us updated so others can learn

 

[Coffeeshroom]

Are you planning to use both together or just the one or other
Either way here some info I came across. How accurate it is I can't be sure.

But according the article I just read 200mcg Buprenorphine = 8000mcg morphine oral, so 2000mcg (2mg) = 80000mcg (80mg) morphine.

Now both are measured at there bioavailability, bupre at 30% and morphine also at sub 30% roughly
40m
Now Taking the conversion of oxy to morphine, 40mg oxy = 60mg Morphine but now once again bioavailability take a part of the play here. So with my calculations and they can be wrong but 40mg oxy should be more like 100-120mg oral morphine sulphate.

So with all that said and done. 300mcg bupre buccal should equal 40mg roughly.

Hope this helps and I didn't get my math screwed up.

 

[Keif' Richards]

I'm definitely not a doctor or a pain management specialist, but I'm definitely puzzled by this suggestion. Buprenorphine (Suboxone; Subutex) definitely has a legitimate place in the field of pain management, but only in certain situations. For instance, Buprenorphine is going to be most effective for folks with no history of Opioid dependence/tolerance. Most people I've ever known with past history of Opioid tolerance no longer see Buprenorphine as a viable option for pain control.

Buprenorphine has some pretty funky pharmacology/pharmacokinetics that make it even more difficult to use effectively for pain management. It's a partial agonist/antagonist and its pharmacokinetics are not linear in scale; basically, the effects of Buprenorphine become radically different as the dosage is increased. Already, you can see how Buprenorphine adds a level of complexity to an already complex situation that I don't feel is necessary when the option is available to simply use more of a standard Opioid agonist.

I don't have a ton of experience personally or research-wise regarding these sub-maintenance dosages of Buprenorphine. The vast majority of my knowledge concerns the usage of Buprenorphine in higher dosages of at least 2mg Buprenorphine at a time. The aforementioned weird pharmacology of Buprenorphine really starts around the 1mg-2mg mark. I'm not going to overload you with information here, just know that Buprenorphine becomes less effective as an analgesic the higher the dosage goes.

Given that the dosages of Belbuca are fairly low, I'm not gonna say it couldn't work. There are some grey areas regarding Opioid usage that we're still trying to understand with more clarity. For instance, there is good information out there seeming to imply that Ultra-Low Dose Naltrexone (ULDN) therapy is some kind of holy grail in maintaining the efficacy of Opioids over time. Naltrexone is of course an Opioid antagonist, so you get why I use the term "mystery" here.

With that in mind, who is to say that using an agonist/antagonist like Buprenorphine in low dosages in conjunction with a full agonist couldn't check some kind of mystery box?

I think it's something that is at least worth trying. Your doctor will give you some brownie points for playing ball with him and who knows, maybe it will actually be what you're looking for. I would just be mindful of your feelings after starting the medication. Monitor for signs of withdrawal and obviously increased pain. You can always stop taking the medication, so I don't see the harm in trying it.

Please, whatever happens, please come back to us with your story. We have a serious dearth of information regarding this kind of Buprenorphine usage, especially with other full agonists. Your experience could be incredibly insightful and helpful to others, not to mention I'm just curious as an avowed drug nerd.

 

[Cbk1013]

Thx you for your feedback I always read your posts and I'm very impressed with your knowledge. I got stuck on Suboxone for 6 years with a daily dosage of 6mg a day usually 2mg 3X daily for the bulk of that 6 years. I wanted off for the longest time and I finally jumped after 6 years cold turkey and it was an epic battle I won and stayed sober for 5 years no program just white knuckler. Picked up one day realizing I hadn't had Percocet in 11 years and I gave a try again and for the most part enjoyed it and kept my daily dosage around 40-60 mg a day an never going over 100mg in a day... Started exercising a ton on oxycodone and I believe I had compartment syndrome that went undiagnosed which turned into dead nerves in my lower legs causing neuropathy that I have been battling with not much luck trying everything under the sun.Johns Hopkins diagnosed me with idiopathic peripheral nueropthy.. The last thing I want to do is get back on bupe but my pain Dr. will not up my oxycodone. This is a new drug to me Belbuca but I'm going to give it a shot and hope it curbs my oxy intake...I'm sure I left a lot out here but thats a quick history and I'm 52 years old in decent health besides neuropathy and addiction ...but those are 2 biggies that I juggle daily and Its been really difficult. If I could find a pain dr who would prescribe me 100mg a day of oxy I think I could stay within those boundaries and make it work but its been very difficult to find one and with past history if found out would prob make it impossible .. I will def report back as soon as I start .. If you want to private message me as well Im cool with that. I'm all about learning .. thx u

 

[smokeymcpot42088]

In my and my docs opinion the strips are bunk and overpriced. You are going to have a reaction where your tongue swells up (NO YOUR NOT) than you can request the pill format and get generic. lol my doc literally told the entire room at once to do as such if 'the strips weren't for you' which is code for 1. can't afford 2. much prefer pills

Im in the same boat, reducing from 4mg to 3 on a titration plan.

 

[Sue Generis]

I have been in pain management for 10 years for full body osteoarthritis. I have a good relationship with my doctor and I am always willing to try anything she thinks will help. I was prescribed 55 mg/day oxycodone which was barely keeping me functional. She suggested that adding a buprenorphine patch might facilitate the oxy and give me more relief. The patches come in weekly doses from 5 mg. to 20 mg. I began with 5 mg for four weeks and had no effect. The following month we increased to 10 mg patches. The first 10 mg patch I felt nothing. After a few days on the second patch I began having escalated pain and sleep problems, that is, waking up every 45-60 minutes. When it was time to changes patches I had that Aha! moment where I realized that the increased pain, depressed mood, and sleep disorder was a result of the patch. I stopped using them. I discussed the issue with my doctor and she said that it was an unusual reaction on such a low dose, but evidently the oxy and the bupe canceled each other out. I've tried various forms of buprenorphine over the years including the buccal strips which I hated. I hate the taste of it and I hate the way it makes me feel especially combined with naloxone. In my experience the only thing bupe is good for is withdrawal prevention. It doesn't alleviate pain, it messes with my mood and sleep, it makes me sick to my stomach, and it certainly does not combine with true opioids. I think I am extremely sensitive to it for some reason. However, I would suggest trying it as you may have a different reaction. Many people find it helpful. I am currently prescribed 60 mg. oxy which is the maximum morphine equivalent allowed in my state, or maybe federally. The oxycodone (Mallinckrodt 15 mg. tablets/half a tab every 3 hours) alleviates the pain enough so I can take a shower or do a household task, but after an hour or so I get tachycardia and a headache and sometimes an anxiety attack. Since the escalation of "the opioid crisis" and the manufacture of generic drugs going overseas, I have noticed that whatever binders and fillers are being put in these tablets are giving me unusual side effects. Instead of a relaxed feeling of wellbeing, I feel agitated and anxious. Maybe I've been on them too long. As it is I generally have to supplement once a day with 800 mg. of ibuprofen. I am a 76 year old woman. In 2011 I ct'd off 40 mg/day percocet. I tried to stay off opioids for three years. I was in a lot of pain and I was prescribed steroids which worked great for 2 months, stopped working, and I gained 40 lbs seemingly overnight. Then I was prescribed the bupe strips which made me sick and gave me nightmares. I finally had to go back on opioids in order to have any kind of functional life. At my age and barring a miracle, I will have to be in pain management for the rest of my life. I only wish the so-called opioid crisis didn't punish those of us who need these drugs and don't abuse them. That's my pain story including my bupe experience. Good luck to you.

 

[Sue Generis]

The patches were transdermal.

 

[Cbk1013]

well I started the Belbuca and it looks like 300mcg 2 times a day will keep a 100mg oxycodone habit at bay..I'n not saying I feel fantastic but its doable..Need to get better at keeping my daily oxycodone intake at a lower dose so I don't run out earl..As far as pain control I don't think the Belbuca is anything special but its still early maybe that will change and I'm gonna have to deal with getting back on the oxycodone and how much this Belbuca is gonna block it ...We shall see...Belbuca is def strong at 300mcg

 

[Coffeeshroom]

Sounds good then, the extra absorption means lesser dosages to prescribe. Compared to its counter parts and there ROA