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  • BDD Moderators: Keif’ Richards

Buprenorphine Nausea

R

rplate81

Bluelighter
Joined
Mar 5, 2016
Messages
121
I have been taking 2mg buprenorphine for about 6 years now for maintenance.

The first few years I didn't seem to ever get sick, but for at least 3 years now about 8 hours after dosing I get extremely nauseous I get a horrible headache which makes me end up throwing up from around 10 pm to 4 am. I get sick with or without food in my system. Once I start throwing up I keep drinking water to help flush it out. I can get down 1 16.9 ounce bottle then throw it up until the morning. Most times I need to go to the ER for IV fluids. I found a bunch of threads on this but it seems like most people are getting nausea from buprenorphine when they are using recreationally not on maintenance.

I have tried Zofran, Emetrol, Dipnehydramamine and I bought some Dramamine Nausea yesterday that I will try.

These incidents seem to come in waves, like I could not be sick for months and then sick a few times in 2 weeks. It is to the point where I would consider getting off buprenorphine the only problem is that I find it too risky for me not to be on it. Over 10 years ago I used to be on suboxone strips and I don't remember ever getting sick.
 
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Hey @rplate81 :)

I am really sorry you´re dealing with this shit. Being on maintenance is often difficult in its own right. Do these side effects make you non-functional or do you vomit and feel better post-vomit?

Have you ever tried Subutex? Buprenorphine without the Naloxone, which ¨Suboxone¨ has is worth investigating. There is no way to know definitively, though I know more than just a few people for whom the Naloxone was a culprit for negative side effects, nausea being a common one.

Is this something you could look into?

So even if you take Ondansetron (Zofran) you still vomit? Do any of those medications cause you to stop vomiting? Anyay, I ill talk to you soon.
 
When I did buprenorphine with no tolerance it had a heavy load on my body as far as nausea is concerned a bit more than even heroin. It was almost disabling I would have to stop myself and puke to feel better. After I became tolerant I had no nausea issues whatsoever again
 
Keif' Richards said:
Hey @rplate81 :)

I am really sorry you´re dealing with this shit. Being on maintenance is often difficult in its own right. Do these side effects make you non-functional or do you vomit and feel better post-vomit?

Have you ever tried Subutex? Buprenorphine without the Naloxone, which ¨Suboxone¨ has is worth investigating. There is no way to know definitively, though I know more than just a few people for whom the Naloxone was a culprit for negative side effects, nausea being a common one.

Is this something you could look into?

So even if you take Ondansetron (Zofran) you still vomit? Do any of those medications cause you to stop vomiting? Anyay, I ill talk to you soon.
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I was on regular Suboxone strips over 10 years ago. I was able to taper off but ended up relapsing so I decided to get back on it. I have been on Subutex so just plain buprenorphine for about 6 years now. I have an old script for Zofran and I took some although I took it when I wasn't feeling super sick so I can't say if it's helping.

I had a doctor appointment this morning. I explained this all to her about the headache that I get that leads to severe nausea then vomiting for hours. She prescribed me Sumatriptan and topiramate. I don't have the meds yet.

I haven't had an episode of this headache/nausea/vomiting since the Thursday before last but I did take Zofran I think twice since then. It was when I was feeling a bit off but I didn't feel super bad as if the full on episode was coming on. I didn't end up getting fully sick when I took the Zofran though so it could have helped. I have tried some OTC's: Emetrol, Dramamine Nausea the active ingredient is Meclizine and I think those may of helped some but I haven't been able to try any of the meds when I feel it coming on yet.
 
opiatekrzy said:
When I did buprenorphine with no tolerance it had a heavy load on my body as far as nausea is concerned a bit more than even heroin. It was almost disabling I would have to stop myself and puke to feel better. After I became tolerant I had no nausea issues whatsoever again
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Yes I could definitely see that happening if somebody has no tolerance to buprenorphine. I hear the most about buprenorphine causing nausea more than any other opioid it seems. I actually never had much problem in my life with getting nauseous on various opioids though outside of buprenorphine.
 
rplate81 said:
Yes I could definitely see that happening if somebody has no tolerance to buprenorphine. I hear the most about buprenorphine causing nausea more than any other opioid it seems. I actually never had much problem in my life with getting nauseous on various opioids though outside of buprenorphine.
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I agree buprenorphine has a heavier effect/buzz similar to heroin/morphine/lortab versus the speedier opioids oxycodone/oxymorphone
 
One of the very prominent side-effects of buprenorphine is nausea.

I'm not entirely certain why this is but in the very first human trials, of the two unlucky cohort members who recived the highest dose (200ug), neither could eat for a day. Those who recived 100ug still noted nausea bur far less prominent.

Now this was injected so I'm uncertain if other ROAs reduce this side-effect but it IS recognized.

But others have also mentioned this same problem. It's unclear if the nausea is just because it's such a potent opioid (although only a partial agonist) and/or if different metabolism means some peeople end up with whichever metabolites produce the nausea.
 
Are you taking anything that would dry you out like Trazadone or Hydroxyzine? Getting nauseated sucks, since you've been taking it for a while it's kind of concerning that you are feeling that way now.

What other medicine do you take?

There's some things you can find on Amazon such as All Clair that is an inhaler type of thing for your nose. Maybe look into essential oils or things like it where maybe you can try smelling something to take away the feeling of getting sick.

I used to take those Nauzene chewable tablets back when i was doing opiates, and they helped to prevent getting sick when doing them, because I'd get sick too.

Maybe start there, and in the mean time you can get those packets you add to water that give it electrolytes. Try drinking one or two of those a day.

Hope you get feeling better🙂
 
opiatekrzy said:
I agree buprenorphine has a heavier effect/buzz similar to heroin/morphine/lortab versus the speedier opioids oxycodone/oxymorphone
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Okay I have an interesting story with all of the opioids that I've tried and I haven't tried a ton of them is that they relaxed me slowed me down even nod out a bit.

When I take my buprenorphine I always get a bit Speedy from it never the noddy relaxed feeling. When I was fully able to taper off buprenorphine and I ended up taking some with no tolerance it was extremely sedating and I did nod on bupe harder than anything that I've ever taken.
 
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