Buprenorphine (Suboxone) Side-Effects / Dose Relative Inquiry

[Seeaceme]

Hello, I am familiar with buprenorphine and have taken it for a a few years now. The one side effect I find the most troublesome is sweating, specifically the low threshold at which my body tends to break out in perspiration. Through this inquiry I wanted to reach out to people who may have experienced this issue and more specifically, whether or not the ‘severity’ of this side effect is ‘dose dependent’

For example:
Does 16mg cause this side effect to be more pronounced than say 8mg, or 4mg (and so on)

If anyone has anecdotal or specialized understanding of this topic, I would be very grateful to maybe find a solution. Lowering the dose as a potential solution seems like the most logical remedy.

This medication has helped me a lot, and the sweat side effect is thankfully much less pronounced than it was when I was taking methadone. If I could have this nuisance under control / mitigated / lessened I would function and feel like a completely ‘normal’ person.

I wanted to see if anyone has taken notice of reduced side effects at a stable, lower dose as compared to the side effects experienced at a previous higher dose.

Lowering my dose is not an issue, I am just pensive as to whether or not it’s even worth the effort in solving this one specific problem. I’ve been on buprenorphine for 4 years and appreciate the consistency of my current treatment, if I were to reduce my dose and stabilize at a lower amount; will I find my answer?

I’m on 16mg daily and tapering is very easy for me, I would simply like to know if a stable 4mg dose would incur less side effects.

Thank you

 

[Cbk1013]

16mg is a shit ton try to get down to 1-2mg a day and see if you get the results your looking for...No reason why you shouldn't be able to get down to 1-2mg daily and you say tapering is very easy for you thats because your on so much and really 1-2mg will hold just about everyone after a little time passes being on bupe. just my 2 cents I was on bupe for 6 years at 6mg a day and I've learned that was overkill as well and I never should of been taking that much for that long..anyway wish u the best of luck addiction sucks hang in there.

 

[Painful One]

16mg is a shit ton try to get down to 1-2mg a day and see if you get the results your looking for...No reason why you shouldn't be able to get down to 1-2mg daily and you say tapering is very easy for you thats because your on so much and really 1-2mg will hold just about everyone after a little time passes being on bupe. just my 2 cents I was on bupe for 6 years at 6mg a day and I've learned that was overkill as well and I never should of been taking that much for that long..anyway wish u the best of luck addiction sucks hang in there.

Can you tell me how quickly I can drop down from 24 mg a day to just a few mg per day (and then off from there)
First I need to get these 24 mg down.
This medication is not agreeing with me. Has many side effects and is doing nothing to help the chronic pain.
I want to get off it ASAP!

Any advice, personal accounts would be very helpful to me and appreciated so much!
Thank you friends.

 

[Nas47]

around.5mg a month...that's a five months from 24.for breakthrough pain-take meds as prescribed.5mg not will affect u significally on whole month(especially u have some other stuff for pain)......if u can't do it 2.5 mg a month-u got around year...step by step...

 

[Cbk1013]

Can you tell me how quickly I can drop down from 24 mg a day to just a few mg per day (and then off from there)
First I need to get these 24 mg down.
This medication is not agreeing with me. Has many side effects and is doing nothing to help the chronic pain.
I want to get off it ASAP!

Any advice, personal accounts would be very helpful to me and appreciated so much!
Thank you friends.

I would think if your taking 24mg a day of suboxone and u wanted to get down to 1-2mg a day you could start cutting your dosage down like 25% every 10 days and take it from there adding when u feel you need more and dropping faster when you feel you can.. I dont know how long you've been on and why your on in the first place so its really hard for me to answer and its been years since I got off the stuff and I'm out of the suboxone loop.. But I do know that stuff is very potent and 24mg is just a monster amount of medication to be taking daily and I think you would probably be better off at a way lower dosage. Find some suboxone forums and start asking around and take everything with a grain a salt.. THis stuff is more of an art form and different dosages can work for different people.. Just don't be super scared to start dropping can always add back and you might be suprised at how low you can takie it and probaly feel better on the lower dosage as well.

 

[Painful One]

Thank you all for the good advice.

I got put on this after my doctor retired.
I was taking 2 30 mg MS Contin a day from 2009 until 2022 when my doctor retired.
I wasn’t able to find another doctor and ended up at a suboxone clinic because I was so sick.
I sure didn’t need 24 mg of suboxone though.

Now I just feel like I took WAY too many opiates and feel nauseated, shaky, sweaty , and that horrible feeling like I have taken way too much.
So, maybe I can just cut these down quite a bit pretty fast and then take it slower when I get down to a smaller dose that doesn’t make me feel so sick.

I have already dropped one full 8mg pill every other day and I think I will just try 2 a day now for a few weeks and then just keep going….

 

[Cbk1013]

Awesome!!! I think you will be suprised at how fast and how much better you will feel...

 

[Painful One]

What I am wondering is this-
The doctors told me that this suboxone would get my brain off the morphine.
So, if that is true and I am understanding correctly, if I just stopped taking it all together, wouldn’t I just go through the physical diarrhea, stomach upset, physical issues of opiate withdrawal?
I would much rather just throw up for a few weeks and then feel better and be free of this crap!

Something tells me if doesn’t work that way though.
Has anyone tried that?
I would love to hear what happened.

I know I am going through a lot of grief due to losing my mom a few months back and now the Holidays are just hell.
I know some of this horrible feeling is due to grief and being worn out from the 24 hour care I have given for the entire last year.
I’m really trying to nurse myself back to health and I don’t want to make any mistakes.

I guess everyone is different and I just need to play it by ear.

 

[Painful One]

Awesome!!! I think you will be suprised at how fast and how much better you will feel...

Thank you for that!
I need to be told this!!

I have only taken one this morning and that feels more than enough.

 

[Cbk1013]

You can always add more if you start feeling terrible but you might be suprised at how quickly you can get down to 4-6mg a day and not suffer any consequences and might even feel better. Then you could taper more slowly from there and get down to like 1-2mg a day which is plenty. But just keep paying attention to how you feel and don't be afraid to go low with this stuff its very powerful even at small doses. Less is more

 

[Painful One]

You can always add more if you start feeling terrible but you might be suprised at how quickly you can get down to 4-6mg a day and not suffer any consequences and might even feel better. Then you could taper more slowly from there and get down to like 1-2mg a day which is plenty. But just keep paying attention to how you feel and don't be afraid to go low with this stuff its very powerful even at small doses. Less is more

Thank you for this advice.
I just took one suboxone 8mg pill this morning and that feels like more than enough.
The nausea and severe sweating is easing up.
That is good because I really need to get some food in me.
I’m going to try just one a day and see how it goes.
So far, so good.
I feel better on just the one.

 

[Cbk1013]

Thank you for this advice.
I just took one suboxone 8mg pill this morning and that feels like more than enough.
The nausea and severe sweating is easing up.
That is good because I really need to get some food in me.
I’m going to try just one a day and see how it goes.
So far, so good.
I feel better on just the one.

8mg of suboxone is still just so much and for your 60mg of MS Contin I would bet that 1mg of suboxone 2mg at the most is all your gonna need..This is just a guess from a stranger so please act accordinly I am no expert but I was on suboxone for 6 years so I do have some personal experience I can draw from and hopefully help you make a better decsion on your dosage moving forward. And it is possible that 1/2 mg a day could hold you as you get lower..Best wishes

 

[Fire&Water]

Thank you for this advice.
I just took one suboxone 8mg pill this morning and that feels like more than enough.
The nausea and severe sweating is easing up.
That is good because I really need to get some food in me.
I’m going to try just one a day and see how it goes.
So far, so good.
I feel better on just the one.

Get a good pill cutter P O

you can easily figure out how to start quartering the tabs'
use another quarter during the day / night if you start rattling... don't beat yourself up about it

you should be able to get way down in a few weeks
then you can start cutting quarters in half

or ask your doc' to switch you to 2mg subutex
the side effects are less an issue

 

[Painful One]

Thank you friends.

Yeah, I don’t know why the doctor put me on 3 8 mg suboxone a day!
I kept telling them it was too strong but they just won’t listen and kept treating me like I just want the MS Contin back.
The doctors should know better than to put someone who was taking 2 30 mg MS Contin a day to move to that high of a dosage!
(I have never done heroin in my life! I don’t drink! I was hit on the freeway at high speed and I got injured! I was told to go to pain management and I did! Now they don’t have pain management! Our Medical System is FUCKED,)

I have been taking this large dose for a little over a year now due to my mom getting extremely sick and dying.
I was too busy taking care of her to pay attention to what was happening with me.
I was putting on a brave face for my mama.

Anytime I would tell the doctor that these suboxone were aggravating migraines etc… they would just give me more medicine.
I don’t need more medicine, I need less!
I have had liver failure! They should never give these to people who have had liver failure!
That is why my old doctor who knew what he was doing put me on MS Contin!
Because it is easy on the liver!!

Doctors just don’t know what they are doing MUCH of the time!

I was raised to “do what the doctor says” and that is what my family kept telling me to do.
Saying I would adjust etc…
That I don’t have the education to know, so I need to do what they say.

Ugh! Now, I am on something way stronger than I was!

Im just going to keep working on it. Taper it down and listen to my body.
It just makes me angry that now I have to come off something that people keep saying “it is easier to come off than methadone!”
Which I have heard is the worst of the worst.

Anyway, I do feel better at this one and a half pills a day.
That was a big cut, so I will hold here for awhile and then just keep cutting them down little by little.
I do have a good pill cutter.
Thank you for that suggestion @Fire&Water

I appreciate you guys so much and you are FAR more knowledgeable than most the doctors out there!

 

[Painful One]

I have my family helping me now….that is very good news.
My brother who is a Doctor is coming with me to my next appointment
He is mad about them giving me WAY too much suboxone.
This is going to END!

Also, repairing the friendship with my best childhood friend.

 

[Painful One]

Doing better here.
Eating and sleeping more, still not great. Just better.
I have been taking just one 8 mg suboxone one day and the next day I am taking two.
I’m going to keep doing that until tomorrow and then just cut it down to one suboxone pill a day everyday.
(I was coming from 3 of those suboxone a day for almost 2 years, so I don’t want to cut it too fast)

My brother says they make them in a 2 mg formula and we are going to see about getting those when we go to the doctor on the 30 th.
My Bro thinks these 8mg pills will be too hard to cut down properly.
He said if we can cut them down properly, it will be a lot less pain and suffering for me.
That sounds good!

Hopefully my insurance company will pull through with getting me to an actual doctor.
I spoke with them and told them what happened and they are not happy about it.
I used to be an insurance broker , along with a member of The House of Representatives in my State.
The two of us sold the most health insurance every year I worked for him. (Large and small groups as well as individual policies)
We got trophies from the insurance companies.
So, my insurance company knows who I am and I have a big wig of the company helping me now.
I asked them “since when did doctors get to “choose if they want to accept someone or not?”
They agreed that was bullshit!
I’m trying to get that changed for everyone, so others don’t run into this situation.
I will enlist my old bosses help if necessary, he can change The Law!

They think they have found me a good doctor and are just waiting for the approval.
I am hoping and praying they will accept me and I get the help I need.
I have a letter from my old doctor saying I was a perfect pain patient and followed directions carefully etc..

I really just want to throw these damn suboxone in the garbage and I don’t recommend them to anyone! EVER!
I honestly think I would have been better off just using Imodium to taper off the MS Contin!
I am furious that the doctors fucked up SO MANY times!
It is their fault I had liver failure!
I went to them right before I landed in the hospital, all head injured and told them I needed help and they said they couldn’t write any prescription for me until the second visit.
So…I went home and took Tylenol and kept taking it too early because I couldn’t keep track of time!
Ended up ODing on Tylenol.

Now….this suboxone mess!

How can they give suboxone out so freely when it is WAY STRONGER than Morphine?
Why is it that they cannot prescribe people pain medication when it is clearly needed?
WAY LESS STRONG MEDICATION!?!?!

THE MEDICAL SYSTEM HAS GONE COMPLETELY OVERBOARD ON WORRYING ABOUT “ADDICTS”!
I bet none of those doctors suffer when they get hurt.
They are not even prescribing pain medication to cancer patients and others like my mom who suffered immensely when dying all last year!
That is the reason we have these medications!

I have literally been suffered unto THE LORD!

 

[paltatomate]

Doing better here.
Eating and sleeping more, still not great. Just better.
I have been taking just one 8 mg suboxone one day and the next day I am taking two.
I’m going to keep doing that until tomorrow and then just cut it down to one suboxone pill a day everyday.
(I was coming from 3 of those suboxone a day for almost 2 years, so I don’t want to cut it too fast)

My brother says they make them in a 2 mg formula and we are going to see about getting those when we go to the doctor on the 30 th.
My Bro thinks these 8mg pills will be too hard to cut down properly.
He said if we can cut them down properly, it will be a lot less pain and suffering for me.
That sounds good!

Hopefully my insurance company will pull through with getting me to an actual doctor.
I spoke with them and told them what happened and they are not happy about it.
I used to be an insurance broker , along with a member of The House of Representatives in my State.
The two of us sold the most health insurance every year I worked for him. (Large and small groups as well as individual policies)
We got trophies from the insurance companies.
So, my insurance company knows who I am and I have a big wig of the company helping me now.
I asked them “since when did doctors get to “choose if they want to accept someone or not?”
They agreed that was bullshit!
I’m trying to get that changed for everyone, so others don’t run into this situation.
I will enlist my old bosses help if necessary, he can change The Law!

They think they have found me a good doctor and are just waiting for the approval.
I am hoping and praying they will accept me and I get the help I need.
I have a letter from my old doctor saying I was a perfect pain patient and followed directions carefully etc..

I really just want to throw these damn suboxone in the garbage and I don’t recommend them to anyone! EVER!
I honestly think I would have been better off just using Imodium to taper off the MS Contin!
I am furious that the doctors fucked up SO MANY times!
It is their fault I had liver failure!
I went to them right before I landed in the hospital, all head injured and told them I needed help and they said they couldn’t write any prescription for me until the second visit.
So…I went home and took Tylenol and kept taking it too early because I couldn’t keep track of time!
Ended up ODing on Tylenol.

Now….this suboxone mess!

How can they give suboxone out so freely when it is WAY STRONGER than Morphine?
Why is it that they cannot prescribe people pain medication when it is clearly needed?
WAY LESS STRONG MEDICATION!?!?!

THE MEDICAL SYSTEM HAS GONE COMPLETELY OVERBOARD ON WORRYING ABOUT “ADDICTS”!
I bet none of those doctors suffer when they get hurt.
They are not even prescribing pain medication to cancer patients and others like my mom who suffered immensely when dying all last year!
That is the reason we have these medications!

I have literally been suffered unto THE LORD!

sorry about all the bad stuff you had to deal with. i can really related to the doctor issues you mention.

but it's great that you are on your way up now, and you sound optimistic. having help form a close friend or relative helps a lot. but i think having plans and something that drives you to keep going is as valuable. in your case you would also help others who are facing similar problems as you did. though helping other might not be the first line motivation for everyone, it does also have rewarding effects for more selfish people (i know that from experience).

keep the good spirits up!

 

[Painful One]

Thank you @lecroute

I promise you, I WILL get this absurd policy changed!
I managed to get many bad policies changed while I worked with my House of Representatives Boss.
I brought things to his attention and between the two of us, we changed LAW!
I have always tried to help others and no one should have to go through what I did after being thrown through the windshield of my car and almost dying on the side of the freeway.

NOONE SHOULD BE TREATED LIKE A DRUG SEEKER OR OTHERWISE WHILE BEING SERIOUSLY INJURED!
NOONE SHOULD BE ASSUMED TO BE A DRUG ADDICT!
EVERY PERSON SHOULD BE TREATED LIKE A HUMAN BEING REGARDLESS!
IF A FEW DRUG SEEKERS SLIP BY, OH WELL, THERE IS USUALLY A REASON THEY ARE SEEKING DRUGS!
NOT ONE PERSON SHOULD BE DENIED HELP!
IT IS UNACCEPTABLE THAT PEOPLE WHO ARE SUFFERING ARE DENIED ANYTHING THAT WOULD HELP THEIR SUFFERING,
(It is unacceptable that people who really need these medications to have any kind of a life are denied, passed to another doctor who passes them to another, not being able to find a doctor due to “ they don’t want to accept you” given the run around, giving private confidential information to anyone else (especially when it is their own opinion).


This “war on drugs” is an absolute failure and has done nothing to help people.
In fact, it has made it way worse!
It has driven people to the streets and they are being given fentanyl there!

THIS HAS TO STOP!
Doctors need to have their licenses yanked and I have a few of them in my sight already.

I am seeing RED I am so angry about this!
Not only what they have done to me but to others also makes my blood boil!

 

[Painful One]

Let’s change this clown world timeline.
Shall we?

I HAVE MY MAGIC BACK!

 

[Painful One]

You know the best thing I have noticed about dropping this dosage of suboxone?
I can communicate properly again!
It was so weird being on the 24 mg of suboxone a day.
It was like in The Little Mermaid when she lost her VOICE!
I kept getting so frustrated because I couldn’t communicate what I was trying to say and others took everything the wrong way.
Literally everyone was mad at me!

I’m just feeling so grateful that I can think again and speak!
I can communicate what I am trying to say now and others are understanding.

I just took one pill yesterday but woke up about 4 a.m and needed to take another one.
But that is huge progress!

I’m going to try and stick to one a day now, but I will add a half if needed.
I can actually move better.
I’m way less clumsy and I am feeling like myself again!
I actually recognize myself when I look into my eyes again.
Since being on the suboxone it was like looking into the eyes of a stranger.
It freaked me out and I avoided looking at myself in the mirror.
I am so happy and thankful that is gone.
I missed me!