Key facts about Buprenorphine's chemical properties:
Soluble in water 17mg/1ml/1cc
Molecular degradation occurs at temperatures of 140F or greater. (greater temps degrade buprenorphine at an exponential rate, relative to rate (time) of heat increase).
Facts and Speculation on the compound: Hydroxypropyl Methlcellulose
Fact: hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (agent) is a semisynthetic, inert, viscoelastic polymer that is soluble in water, and used as a thickening agent as well as a excipient and a controlled-delivery component in oral medicament. Agent is freely soluble in water at or below room temperature. However, when heated to it's critical temperature (unknown at this time), it will separate out of solution and congeal. Speculation: I believe that all other inactive ingredients contained in suboxone sub-lingual film are contained in the hydroxypropyl methlcellulose matrix, with the exception of the white ink, used to mark the films.
With this knowledge in hand, we can now successfully prepare a suboxone sub-lingual film for injection.
Suboxone film is extremely dangerous to inject without proper filtration; cleaning and separating as much of the inactive ingredients out as possible results in a much safer end product for injection.
This is a record of the process I use, employing the knowledge above to create the safest possible solution for injection. This process would be enhanced by the use of a micron or wheel filter, however, this type of filtering medium is not readily available at the local pharmacy; using this method I substitute cotton for a wheel filter.
The following is a step by step, detailing the method I use to clean suboxone film for injection:
Items Needed:
¼ of 1 suboxone sub-lingual film (2mg out of an 8mg film)
1 common metal spoon
2 hypodermic needles preferably 1cc 28g 1/2”long.
3 Q-tips
Small amount of clean, filtered water
1 toothpick or sturdy piece of wire IE: unfolded paperclip
1 lighter
Procedure:
Take your piece of suboxone film, and place it in the middle of your spoon.
Fill one of your syringes full, using 1ml of clean water, spray water into spoon, completely covering the piece of film in the spoon.
The idea is that the film floats, and dissolves on its own in the spoon. After dousing it with water, take your toothpick and make sure that the tab is floating in the water.
After about 5 minutes, the tab will completely dissolve, leaving an orange residue at the bottom of the spoon. At this point you again want to use your toothpick and stir the contents of the spoon around with the water until the orange substance is completely disbursed throughout the water, creating a solution. Once the film is completely dissolved, you now want to heat the water to cause the hydroxypropyl methylcellulose to precipitate out. Remember, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose will actually separate out of water, and clump up once it reaches it's “critical temperature”. I can not find what the temperature is, however my own observations tell me that it is somewhere between 140-212 degrees. Also you need to keep in mind when heating the solution is that buprenorphine begins to degrade at 140f. I do not know the exact rate of decomposition at differing temperatures or lengths of time exposed to 140f. My rule is just to keep the solution from boiling, or from even having bubbles begin to form at the bottom of the spoon, pre-boil. This process takes a few minutes and you will need to get the hang of it if you are to be successful. You want to heat the spoon gently, only leaving the lighter exposed to the bottom of the spoon for 8 seconds at a time or less. This process is going to have to be repeated until the solution turns clean, and when you can see the orange colored methylcellulose congeal and precipitate out of solution, and form at the bottom of the spoon in clumps. I have also found that the methylcellulose with form a thick film at the bottom of the spoon once clean and filtered solution has been extracted. Once your solution is clear, you are going to take the 2nd needle, and cut the top off of it right at the top where the needle base meets the barrel. Cut it on the first line that measures units. So you would cut it at the first unit, the result should be an open end, the same diameter as the barrel itself. If it is thinner or you cut it at the needle hub, this will not work as well. Take the cotton ends off 2 q tips so you result with 4 wads of cotton. Insert them into the end of the needle you just cut and modified. Pack all 4 wads of cotton into the barrel and then insert the plunger to push all the cotton up to the front. Hold your finger on the end with cotton, and use your other hand to depress the plunger, packing the cotton as tight as you possibly can without breaking the plunger. Once it is sufficiently packed, use this to draw your solution into, you will lose some solution using this process, but the end result is so worth it. Draw the solution all the way up, you will notice thick, globs of orange goo at the end of the cotton after you draw everything up. Clean spoon or use a different receptacle, and take now filtered solution and put into spoon or receptacle. I use the unfolded paper clip to push the cotton out of one end into the spoon and let the solution drip down, out of the needle into the new spoon. I will squeeze out the filtering cotton, but the one that contains the most amount of orange goo, I just toss. The other pieces of cotton at the back, I will squeeze them into the spoon. Next I take a fresh cotton and place it in the solution and load the needle. I usually lose about 15 units of solution between the heating and filtering, but it is a small price to pay for the end result. With bupe, less is more, and the small amount of drug you are losing is not going to affect you in any way, as this roa has 100% bioavailability. You are welcome to improve on this method to possibly ensure that virtually no solution is lost, please pass that info on to me. Once this is now properly loaded into your good needle, take a look at the solution in light, and you will see that you are able to read the numbers on the other side of the barrel, crystal clear. This is one clean product, thanks to a little knowledge of chemistry. If anyone has any info or feedback, please tell me. As far as I know, this is the most superior method for cleaning your sub for iv'ing, with the exception of a micron filter. This method does not remove the naloxone in the solution. Sorry for that, however it really does not even matter if you are an everyday sub user and using nothing else. I prefer this method because the onset is quicker and noticeable, I use much less of the suboxone I am prescribed, and I do indeed love the ritual of dosing myself with bupe. Hope this helps.