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Bupe Suboxone/Buprenorphine FAQ & Megathread v2; 2010

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Yeah be careful man. I started lowering my dose of suboxone and then went out and grabbed some needles to start IVing it with the best intentions of lowering my sub dose to a point where I might be able to get a rush/high and get that needle fix too all without relapsing on heroin and other opioids. I tried to do what CH was/is doing thinking I could and I just wasn't ready and didn't have that type of self control so when I was taking under the equivalent of 2mg sublingual a day I had huge cravings for a high and due to the low dose and me not thinking rationally i went out searching for dope and relapsed. :|

If you look at my posts in the last two months you can see how everything evolved. I thought I could shoot suboxone for maintenance and get a buzz but I wasn't ready and would advise most people to be very cautious when considering picking up a needle again and just not do it to be safe.

As another note, while the common consensus here is that bupe is over prescribed and the doses doctors give out is unnecessarily high there is a good reason for it. While 2-8mg may be able to hold most people from physical withdrawal it greatly increases cravings you wouldn't get at higher doses. Taking 4mg and under is dangerous simply due to the fact that there is minimal to no blocking effect and at 2mg you could go out and get as high as you want off full agonists. Combined with the increased cravings at low doses it is a huge risk and recipe for relapse. You should really only lower your dose working with your doctor and support group when you are ready and can minimize the risk of relapsing.

When I was IVing bupe daily I was fighting my urge to get a high by doing IV coke and ODed by myself and was lucky I didn't die. That made me rationalize even more that it would be safer and cheaper to just try doing heroin again then switching back to bupe without getting hooked. Well, it kind of worked and I was able to go back and forth between heroin/fentanyl (my two DOCs) and suboxone rapidly with hardly any withdrawal. I was a mess though, I thought I found the secret of being able to use opiates without being a fiend by rapidly switching back over to suboxone whenever I wanted or needed to. Looking back I was an emotional wreck, depressed, and it just didn't work. I'm glad to be back on a daily bupe dosage that reduces my cravings and wouldn't allow me to get high for days if I wanted to. :o

I still want to IV bupe again since I just love IVing drugs, but if it means I might fall down a similar path it isn't worth it. Myself and my loved ones can't handle another relapse. I am still very interested in and passionate about drugs and harm reduction which is why I come on here so often and hopefully I can make something positive out of my addiction and help others with the vast knowledge I have gained thanks to my experiences and everyone here on bluelight.:)

While this may be true for some, I don't think it is the most common case. Personally, just knowing that I have an opiate in my system (bupe), and not feeling WD's is enough to keep me off of drugs. Now I can understand how some addicts need to be slightly elevated from the typical feeling of daily dopamine/endorphin release, etc. but people like that are bound to fail or relapse eventually anyways...not to be cynical but at some point, you have to realize that always having a buzz isn't possible for your whole life...

I went on a tangent there and rambled but all in all, what I am saying is doctors DO over prescribe this stuff, and as long as you don't feel withdrawals, the bupe is doing it's job. All this shit about fighting off cravings is just junkie talk IMO. And before I get flamed to hell by junkies, I am a FORMER junkie, been down that path numerous times, detoxed cold turkey numerous times and done short tapers on suboxone, so I know what the fuck I am talking about. I tapered myself from a gram a day heroin habit with an 8 mg Suboxone over the course of a week. Withdrawals were VERY minimal and although I had cravings, you know what? TOUGH SHIT. You have to get on with life.
 
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^ you should really wait 24 hours after your last non-subox dose. you'll most likely be in precipitated w/d unless you took enough suboxone and very little tramadol

it takes 15-45 min to kick in sublingually

intranasal, same as other drugs i would expect. 5-30m

you probably aren't going to feel anything because of the tramadol. even if you didn't take tramadol, since you have a tolerance, you may get zero buzz from bupe no matter what

I thought the exact same thing as you until I read the tramadol/Suboxone thread. It's in BDD I think...it basically informed me that tramadol doesnt affect bupe, and the two can be taken before or after each other, or at the same time, with no adverse effects. I just was a little unsure because I just switched to the Tramadol from heroin 3 days ago...thanks for the reply though! I appreciate your input.
 
is my sub doc "testing me"

Trying to make short as possible, my suboxone/family doctor who has known me as an addict since late 04, knows my pattern so he "sadly has my number"so to speak, when he talked to me the night of my discharge from this feb inpatient detox when I dumped off 150mg mmt, and at that time the tough conversion back to subs was surprisingly working well at that time.

He gave me an ultimatum that if I didn't go to this 4 week monday-friday 9am to 3pm boring outpatient day program, which I've been to so many at different places before already, that he would kick me off the program"and I could go back to my clinic". I was almost in tears and said "oh gosh I'd rather be dead than walk back in that place ever again". He said "i'm just putting it straighforward, I talked to your clinic doctor today and, "if its anyone in this whole state that knows more about methadone than anyone else, it would be him". I said, what are you getting at I dont understand I'm sorry?

You need to bring in two things tomorrow morning as soon as you wake up, because I"m leaving my office for the day at 12noon exactly, I said dont worry I will get right on it and be there way before then. Well he said what time you get up to go to your clinic? me oh 6 or 7am to beat morning rush hour hell. Well get up at 8, I did and came in with the# for anesthesia, the most important part, he luckily got in touch with my other hospital, long story. He then looked at my discharge aftercare recommendations paper my counselor gave to me the day I signed for discharge, He expected me to call the day program as mentioned above and set up a date for the asessment and write it on the paper and the number I called to set it up.

He copied that and gave both papers back to me and I "whew" got my sub script and was upped to 12mg once a day from 4mg 2x daily. Said "stay outta trouble and have a safe drive".

We got home and I went for this dumb asessment on sat morning, I had basic vitals taken etc, a psychologist came took me in a empty room, just her and I and she asked me a bunch of ?. SHe then had me came back again in 15 mins and had a printout, recommending that I go and what they thought in "doctors terms" was my condition that day. I then declined the program and honestly said due to our finances, our only car is about dead and we're borrowing my brothers car and he told me he would not let me put wear and tear on his car to go 23miles one way everyday. Plus we could not afford the gas either.

SHe had me sign something, gave me the packet of papers for the day program and most importantly the top 2pages saying I went there etc, why I declined and of course page 2 was "doctors terms about me that I could not interpret". I was like "whew" I worked my way outta that one. next time I came to my sub docs office for a pill count and to see how I'm feeling, I checked in and gave all those papers to his nurse to give to him to show I went there for asessment.

He came in the room I was waiting in, usual greeting etc, asked how I was doing etc, yet funny he didn't ask at all if I went to the asessment or anything about even going to NA meetings. So, I saw him again and he requested that I go to at least 2 NA or aa meetings that week before he saw me again. Well I went to one but missed the other. Last time I saw him, I think I saved some face by being generous to his nurse or receptionist, she called halfway the week before I was to see him and asked if I could come in just a day later in the afternoon. MY senses said do it, I said oh sure that's no problem"even though I knew I was going to run outta subs the day I was supposed to see him". I didn't mention that to her, I just said "ok that's cool with me I understand".

Thanks for your consideration for the doc she said, I said thanks thats ok.
So day later came and he was pretty busy that day, so I had a sense I was not to worry at all, sure enough my senses right again. He quick saw me and said "your bottle is empty lol as just a joke", I said lol yea I know. He joked a bit and said ok I"m going to put you on 2 8mg suboxone daily now. I said cool now I dont have to cut pills in half anymore. He laughed and I stayed quiet while he wrote script. Said nothing at all about the day program, NA or AA and I walked out just like I sensed all cool and good to go.

Well I'm scheduled to see him in a week or a day more, so what do you all think he's up to? surely he got "those papers I gaveto his nurse when I went just for asessment but declined program". In the future or very near future does anyone think he will "hold that over my head just to scare me"use it as a tool to toss me off the suboxone and send me back to clinic? I honestly am not worried because my senses tell me not to worry anyway after realizing its not a huge deal if I wind up back at the clinic.

I just wonder, because he knows I'm not quite near outta the woods, takes months for methadone to totally be outta my body, even though the rough ride of hell gets a bit better day by day, he and I both know what's going on inside my body. Only thing I'm concerned with is, what if he kicks me off and I'm ct because I come to see him one day when my pills have run out and I'm in like normal for another script and "surprise(my name), what did I tell you about that day program you declined?, howcome you are slacking off on Na meetings even?" my "oh things have been real shitty the past week or two and I met someone I should not have opened up too much to and now I feel betrayed by people in real world again so I'm just in a trust nobody mood lately and stay away from people" attitude wont fly with him at all.

Me being honest about why I declined day program blah blah, being too late to save face, BAM "sorry but your goose is cooked, You are going to have to hurry and hope to get into your clinic again because I can't give you another script, Sorry but I warned you the night you were discharged, do you remember?, I would say yes totally everything you said. How likely do you all think my now old mmt clinic would even accept me back?. This is my lucky time of day according to my horoscope, but they can be off a bit alot, lol just like "mapquest directions are always a bit off at the end of your trip lol".

Well my senses are hinting to me that its still not clear even yet if suboxone will work this time around even when the methadone gets totally outta me and if that's case, I better not even risk calling the clinic to see if they'd take me back if I get kicked of subs while I'm still on them but wait till the exact day I get kicked off. I better save up some good cash that's main thing I keep getting hints at.

Well sorry if this sounds strange, but I've felt strange the past few days, been in a silly mood and been laughing my ass off at everything since I have a funny sense of humor and just been cool the past few days with that feeling. Now its strange, also past few days, I've been wide awake up to 2am last night. I've not slept good the past two days, just like in detox again. this methadone,back on suboxone rollercoaster ride has been the strangest "wild,crazy ride in my whole life".
 
Uh was there a question in that? Or were you just rambling lol.

Withdrawals were VERY minimal and although I had cravings, you know what? TOUGH SHIT. You have to get on with life.

You could just go on a higher dose like 8-12mg for a few weeks, zero cravings and no withdrawals and do the taper over 6 months. I don't think it is too much to ask to have no cravings as well.

The fact is the higher dose and the longer you are on it the higher chance of a recovery with no relapse. That is what the statistics say.

Most junkies don't have the willpower initially so they need very high doses.
 
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I thought the exact same thing as you until I read the tramadol/Suboxone thread. It's in BDD I think...it basically informed me that tramadol doesnt affect bupe, and the two can be taken before or after each other, or at the same time, with no adverse effects. I just was a little unsure because I just switched to the Tramadol from heroin 3 days ago...thanks for the reply though! I appreciate your input.

It's in Other Drugs. You can find the link in the third post of this thread.
 
Gotta wait it out next time keep your sub dose under 2mg that will significantly reduce the amount of time you have to wait to get high. I have found once you go into withdrawl you are good to go as far as getting blasted before that its a crap shoot at best.
 
You're going to have to wait.

Either you want to quit using or you don't. If you didn't want to quit you wouldn't have used Suboxone, am I right?

-> Suboxone Mega Thread

You're a newbie, but we usually close posts like this. Merged.
 
A quick question for those who've been on suboxone for several months,

I'm headed in tomorrow around 3 to ''re-up'' (lol) on my boxones' I'm currently on 8 miligrams

twice daily. I get a 30 day supply. This will be the third prescription of 60 pills(hopefully.)

I was curious, how long do patients usually stay on suboxone for, and at the initial

prescribed dose? I've been tapering slowly, popping them into quarters and only taking what

I need to keep the withdrawal at bay. I haven't disclosed this information to my doctor

seeing as how pretty much every junkie certainly doesn't mind having a stockpile of drugs on

hand, even though we all know with good diesel and other great opiates its extremely hard

to :-P

Any thoughts or insight? thanks in advance ^_^
 
^However long you need to stay on for, man. Just know that the addiction will get stronger and hence the withdrawal phase will get worse the longer you stay on (and the higher the dose).... Other than that, it is a maintenance drug, and is meant for you to take until you're damn well ready to come off of...

Take care and good luck!
 
the only reason i just said yes to him was cuz i knew he took 3 subs.. so really there's not much he can do but wait it out until he can get high again.
But ideally suboxone should block most if not all opiates if taken in a high enough dose.
 
tramadol isn't really an opiate tho.
well maybe because it works on the opiate receptors but it is more like an antidepressant than it is an opiate like morphine or something.

Edit: I forget the whole difference between opiate and opioid.. so if i used one word where it should be the other than forgive me lol.
 
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Ok, I used to post on here occasionally a long time ago, but forgot my user name. I read the FAQ, but don't have time to sift through the whole thread, and I'll try to keep this as brief as possible, but would appreciate some advice/insight.

I used to be an EXTREMELY heavy opiate user, and at the end, was doing 100 mg doses of methadone every 4-6 hrs. This was after years of slowly (or rather quickly) increasing my tolerance to outrageous levels with vic's and perc's, up to and more than 100mg doses, to the point I'd get sick (and I never did CWE's with them...yes, I know, I'm an IDIOT!). Did any and all other ope's...fent (smoking and applying the patches), morph pills (orally), the very occasional oral OC, etc. Towards the end of my 10+ year run, I did start IV'ing some morph and even did some H a couple of times. As anyone who's used the needle knows, it is LOVELY, and I KNEW that I was in trouble, and if I didn't do something, I'd be IV'ing all day every day.

So, for the past 13 months, I've been COMPLETELY opiate-free, and on maintenance Suboxone program, 16 mg / day (I occasionally skip a day, and double up on 32 mg to get an EVER SO SLIGHT buzz - not IV'ing, just sublingual)

Fast-forward to this past weekend, and I found 8 Tylenol 3's (and oh yeah...they're 10 years old). I'd really like to take a break from the sub's and have a little fun, and I know that I'll have NO access to any other opiates after this, nor will I seek any access. I DO NOT want to go back down that road...not after all the hard work I've done.

My questions:

1.) Should my tolerance level for other opiates (like Tylenol 3, which were completely useless once my tolerance reached a moderate level a decade ago) be back at a normal persons level, or does it stay high since I'm on Sub maintenance? I've done some searching for this answer, but can't find anything.

2.) Would it even be worth it to try taking these things, or just stick with my Sub program? And if so, should I take all, half, a few of them?

3.) How long should I wait since I'm at a high level of Suboxone. I know the standard answer is 48 - 72 hours. It's 11:30 EST, and I dosed 16 mg at 5:00 Sunday, 16 mg Saturday, and 32 mg on Friday. It's been about 43 hours right now since the last dose. I wondered since I'm on a pretty high dosage if I should wait even longer than 72 hours, but I'm getting pretty antsy to try at 48. Don't know if it's the mental aspect, or if I'm actually experiencing any physical w/d's yet. What signs should I look for to know it's "time" to go for it, so they're not wasted.

4.) How long will I need to wait (if any) after the T3's to get back on the Sub, and will it produce precipitated w/d's if I don't wait? I can't imagine that taking 8 T3's would cause any physical dependence, but don't want to take any chances.

5.) Last question: About 2 years ago, I found a bunch of T3's, and was taking a lot at a time (although I think I had read that the body can not process more than 210 mg of codine at a time, so any more than that would be useless), and would start itching SEVERELY, to the point where it was EXTREMELY uncomfortable, and read about others having the same experience. I read that taking Benadryl with them helped, and it did help me some too. Should I do that again, or wil I be able to take a small enough dose to not get the allergic reaction?

I'm also not completely opposed to being talked out of doing this either, so don't hold back. Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions...I always found this board to extremely helpful in harm reduction, and wish I would have taken more of the advice for doing CWE's on the pills. I did have a complete physical after getting off of them, and everything seemed normal, and I made sure they checked the liver. Hopefully I won't run into problems down the road.

Wow...that was long. If you read this, thanks for your patience. Just wanted to make sure you had all the info available to help answer these accurately.
 
^Your tolerance now is at 16mg buprenorphine/ day, which is really high. Codeine won't touch that, nor would just about any reasonable or safe dose of any opiate... Save them for when you're quitting Sub, is my advice...
 
tramadol isn't really an opiate tho.
well maybe because it works on the opiate receptors but it is more like an antidepressant than it is an opiate like morphine or something.

Edit: I forget the whole difference between opiate and opioid.. so if i used one word where it should be the other than forgive me lol.
tramadol is more of an opiate than an antidepressant, yeah it does have antidepressant properties though

it gives you an opiate high. feels wierd because of all the receptors it hits, but its an opiate. higher up on the opiate-quality-ladder than propoxyphene/darvo at least
 
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