Bupe Suboxone/Buprenorphine FAQ & Megathread v3; 2010 - 2022

[misspharmacyashley]

^ your doctor shouldn't care if you already have subs in your system or not, and depending on if your doctor drugs tests or not (mine does not) they may want you to stop smoking or not care at all.

 

[Flench]

I was just wondering something. Ive been addicted to Roxy 30's for almost five years with no prescription. Im tired of the roller coaster, being sick and being broke. I scheduled an appointment for this monday for suboxone. My friend helped me out and gave me one yesterday (friday) to help get me thru the weekend. It helped, but im pretty sure ill be sick by the time of the Dr visit. from what I understand U need to be sick to get the script anyway.

What I want to know though, if he (the Dr) knows I already have a small amount of Suboxone in me, will that be an issue? Also I had smoked some weed earlier in the week to help with withdrawals. Im hoping if im honest with the Dr he will give me the treatment.

I wanted until I was sick as a dog before I seen the doctor and he could tell it big time . He ask me to piss in a cup and took some blood . I was so sick I could not piss in the cup so he just took the blood . He ask what I was using (the drug that making me WD) and that was it . I did tell him I had a scrip for xanx and he did say I would have to quit them that I could not take xanx with sub's and I did after 10 year's on them . That was all it was to it so what I am getting at is I would go in when I am sick as I could get .

 

[Nightlites]

So tommorow im planning on getting back
on subs adter a month long relapse after 6 months clean :/

My question is tho,
Whenever I get on subs, i usually feel like shit for
About 3 days after the switch.
Is this because I take my usual dose of 4mgs
And I have to wait to build up mg peak level in my system over the 3
Days?

For instance if im on a regiment of 4 mgs a day and
Have been on it for several weeks, the amount of sub in my
System any given day is much about 4 mgs due to the long
Amount of time the subs in your system? Halflife etc...

Would taking a much larger dose the first few days stop this?
Would I feel better quicker after the switch?
And am I only feeling shitty because im building up my
Peak level of sub over those first few days?

Anybody have any good techniques for switching to sub (from H) ?

Thanks & any advise is greatly appreciated guys
Wish me luck im kinda scared :/
And btw I posted this but it didnt show so if it double posts I'm
Sorry...

 

[howduzhedodat29]

Okay. Thanks MisspharmacyAshlee, and Flench. I woke up this morning already feeling irritable with butterflies in my stomach and a runny nose. I have another 24 hours before my appointment, so I should be noticeably ill by then. I just cant wait to get this whole thing over with

 

[SubDude]

So tommorow im planning on getting back
on subs adter a month long relapse after 6 months clean :/

My question is tho,
Whenever I get on subs, i usually feel like shit for
About 3 days after the switch.
Is this because I take my usual dose of 4mgs
And I have to wait to build up mg peak level in my system over the 3
Days?

For instance if im on a regiment of 4 mgs a day and
Have been on it for several weeks, the amount of sub in my
System any given day is much about 4 mgs due to the long
Amount of time the subs in your system? Halflife etc...

Would taking a much larger dose the first few days stop this?
Would I feel better quicker after the switch?
And am I only feeling shitty because im building up my
Peak level of sub over those first few days?

Anybody have any good techniques for switching to sub (from H) ?

Thanks & any advise is greatly appreciated guys
Wish me luck im kinda scared :/
And btw I posted this but it didnt show so if it double posts I'm
Sorry...

All I can do is provide my experience... I was on 80MG methadone [kept it as low as I could] for a whole lotta years. First at clinic to get monthly takehomes. I switched to subs about 3 yrs ago. Before transitioning, they quickly tapered to 40MG and then kept me knocked out on clonidine for almost 3 days... then switched me to 12MG of subs which was a little rocky but mostly smooth.... mainly because I came back to life again from being in bed 24 hrs a day. However, I realized quickly from the side effects...etc, it was too much. So I slowly tapered down to 1mg which keeps WDs away but I still get some cravings. I also get 1 mg of K-pins daily with my script. It really is an individual thing...

My suggestion is just be totally honest with your subs dr and let him decide. But try to ask around to make sure you get one who knows what their doing. You can adjust as needed depending on how you feel. My guess is the worst case is you'll feel cranky and irritable for a day or two.

 

[Znegative]

So tommorow im planning on getting back
on subs adter a month long relapse after 6 months clean :/

My question is tho,
Whenever I get on subs, i usually feel like shit for
About 3 days after the switch.
Is this because I take my usual dose of 4mgs
And I have to wait to build up mg peak level in my system over the 3
Days?

For instance if im on a regiment of 4 mgs a day and
Have been on it for several weeks, the amount of sub in my
System any given day is much about 4 mgs due to the long
Amount of time the subs in your system? Halflife etc...

Would taking a much larger dose the first few days stop this?
Would I feel better quicker after the switch?
And am I only feeling shitty because im building up my
Peak level of sub over those first few days?

Anybody have any good techniques for switching to sub (from H) ?

Thanks & any advise is greatly appreciated guys
Wish me luck im kinda scared :/
And btw I posted this but it didnt show so if it double posts I'm
Sorry...

well on a four milligram regiment, you actually have a lot more than four mg in your system due to the half life build up, so after about a week you'd have really an approximate dosage of 10 or so mg stored up in your system. You might want to start off on a dosage like 8 mg and take that the first few days if you feel shitty on four mg, but either way after you get fit on subs I think four mg is a really nice dosage to be on.

I've now been on 3 mg for a week. The first few days I was really feeling my dosages 1.5 mg 2x a day but now I feel next to nothing except the relief of some anxiety. I was thinking of tapering down again to two mg today but I'm feeling a bit weary about doing so. I also switched from klonopin to ativan (equivalent dosages) but am wondering if the reason I havn't had much effect from my suboxone is because maybe there was a slight readjustment period with the benzo's though that's never been a problem in the past.

 

[Larson0]

i didn't go in sick at all to my appt. i told him all my drug use and that i was taking methadone and told him im aware how long i have to wait to take it. he was cool with it and gave me the script. i had to go back the next week though for another which costs a lot of fuckin money.

so i got scripts for 1 week, 1 week, 2 week, then the month from then on. i wasn't close to sick and think i even dosed the previous night or that day. just tell him you understand you cant take it till your sick and everything should be fine. your paying a lot of money for that first appt.

 

[xxsicknessxx]

From exp you can take subox for along time and be fine. I am on it 7months now and doing great. I started at 32mg and cut down to 8mg in a matter of a few days. I have been on 6-8mg for a month. Never did I get WD from cutting down. The longer you take it the more your brain has a chance to repair its self. And if you get down to 2mg a day the WD is like kicking norcos. Its nothing. I have done it time and time again. This time I am not going to quit suboxon until im ready for sure. Every other time I quit after 3months I went right back to drugs. I would rather take a free medication once a day then be doing herion. Make your choice. I got my life back you can to. Don't quit to fast. Most people who get into painkillers or herion never come back. Most keep using. Don't be one of them.

 

[JASS92]

Hello everyone. So I've had a 2 gram a day heroin habit for the past 3 years or so. Mind you this is very very high quality stuff. Back in July I did an anesthesia assisted opiate detox. Boy did I regret that, but the picture that was painted to me as to how it was going to be was incredibly inaccurate. Basically they knocked me out for 2-3 hours with versed and pumped me full of naloxone. I woke up kicking incredibly hard, puking and shitting on myself. I went through this for about 2-3 more days before the withdrawals became slightly more manageable. It took me about a month to feel completely back to normal.

I then relapsed, and have been back on the dope for the last 3 months or so at a dose of 1gram a day (of the same high quality stuff). I just went to a suboxone doctor saturday. He told me to not use any opiates for the 12 hours before the appointment. What a load of bullshit that was. I waited 20 hours and went in there. I was feeling sick, but not that terrible. However upon giving me the first 8mg he sent me into a precipitated withdrawal which was horrible, but not quite as bad as the anesthesia assisted precipitated detox.

Now this doctor gave me 24mg the first day, while I would say I probably only needed 20 to hold me. That being said I discussed my detox with him and he said he wanted to do it over a period of about 6 weeks or so. 1st week 24, 2nd week 16, 3rd week 12, 4th week 8, 5th week 4, and then the 6th week down to .25mg.

Now I don't pretend to be an expert on buprenorphoine, but everything I read seems to illustrate the efficacy of this drug when used for a period of at most 2-3 weeks. I am using the suboxone films, and just wanted to get everyones adivce. I expressed this concern with my doctor, and he stated that If I get off that quickly that my receptors will be so downgraded and starved that I will be bound to relapse.

What do you guys think about this. Should I discuss this again with my doctor? I am simply fearful of switching my dope addiction with a bupe addiction. If I know that I can get off within 2 weeks without any lingering unbearable symptoms, then that is something that I would really like to do. I also have ancillary medications on hand to help with other symptoms of withdrawal: xanax, soma, clonidine, lyrica, gabapentin, tylenol, advil, seroquel, trazodone, ambien, clonazepam, Hyoscyamine, Immodium, Zofran, Tigan, and Dramamine.

I took the 24 mgs yesterday (16mg by about 3pm PST and then 4mg at 6pm and then 4mg at 10pm). I have not taken any today and I do not feel any withdrawal symptoms whatsoever.

What do you all think that the best course of action would be for me?

Thank you very much for any and all responses and advice.

Kind Regards,

Stephen

 

[Captain.Heroin]

so I've gotten myself comfortable at 3 mg/day through SL administration. I decided that I really don't want to go on with the I.V ROA because it's a bit of a trigger for me (fixking several times a day, makes me kind of just want to shoot some full agonists), Plus I actually like the SL more now anyway. This is my fourth day going from 4 mg down to 3 mg, which I am very proud of, that 72 hour mark seems critical. My plan is to continue to taper down a bit more. I'm going to stay on the three mg/day and then I was thinking on monday of going down to 2.5 mg (1 mg in the morning , 1.5 at night). I think I'll try and stay on that for a few days and then go down to 2 mg. Is this taking it too fast? I want to eventually get down to under a mg a day, or to a point where I can skip days between doses, and then step off and use the suboxone whenever I feel the need to if I feel as if I'm going to pick up (that way I can get a buzz still, but i don't have to risk illegal activity to aquire drugs.)

Also at 3 mg a day, would opioid receptors still be completely saturated? I tried to calculate the math, and due to the half life I figured something like 6 mg would be in your system if continually taking 3 mg, which would still be either at the cieling limit or to close to really catch a buzz if I wanted to take more suboxone everyonce in a while staying on maintenance if my taper doesn't work out. Does anyone have any knowledge of any of this?? And yes I accept that it's not exactly what maintenance is meant for but I'm having a real hard time as it is staying clean, though I have gone 59 days now without the use of any narcotics or stimulants!

Congrast Zneg!

I have switched from IV bupe to IM bupe; when I am only using buprenorphine by itself. The duration is longer; and is still relatively safe as long as you successfully micron filter.

Keep up the good work Zneg, you can always PM me.

 

[howduzhedodat29]

Well everything worked out great. Went in to the Dr. and told him the deal. Only thing is he wanted to feel me out first, so he put me thru a little song and dance. When he asked me the last time I took any Ope's I told him about a week. He threw his pen down and puffed out his chest "Sir, U are NOT GOING TO HUSTLE ME" "I dont know who U are,or what your about, and If u think your going to take subs during the week, and then pop pills on the weekend, well its not going to happpen"!!!!!! At this point im thinkin Oh man, hes not gonna give them to me. But I said, sir, I havnt taken any pills, if you want, go ahead and piss test me. Then I proceeded to to tell him how I needed this to turn my life around. After a couple more exchanges he toned down a bit and became more sympathetic. So to make a long story short, he did give me a week worth (14, at 2 a day) for a trial, and blood tested me for liver disease. So next Mon. I see him again and if everything is ok Ill get a month at a time hopefully. Despite my first impression, the Dr. was WAY COOL.
The only thing is now, being the hypochondriac that I am, Im wondering about my liver. my history is a little shady, but ive never used needles. But worst case scenario, if there is an issue, does anybody know if he can still give me subs. The suspense is gona kill me again LOL

 

[dcraver877]

i think if there is an issue they just make sure to take blood every two weeks or so to make sure you liver is ok. At least thats how it was when i was on a bunch of hardcore antibiotics for over a year. Had to get liver test done every couple of weeks.

 

[Znegative]

thanks CH,
Yeah I might get some micron filters and try out the I.m route, especially if the duration is longer. I'm aiming for two milligrams today, which I should be able to accomplish as long as I stay disciplined. Gabapentin really helps with some of that anxiety that comes when you lower your dosage under the four mg mark. Fuck it maybe I'll be ballsy and try and go the whole day on only one mg!

 

[adder]

so basically naloxone doesn't dissolve in rubbing alchohol? I'm surprised that that is all there is to it

That's completely irrelevant. You could inject buprenorphine and naloxone 4:1 and it's impossible for naloxone to take effect and block buprenorphine/cause precipitated withdrawal because buprenorphine has a higher binding affinity for the opioid receptors than naloxone. The disadvantage is overdosing on buprenorphine is hard to be treated with naloxone. The best bet here would be diprenorphine, a drug for awaking large animals after an etorphine shot.

 

[dcraver877]

its funny that you say gabapentin takes your anxiety away. it makes me so god damn slow that it GIVES me anxiety because I worry about how blatenly moronic I am acting in front of people. the fda loves this drug, because it makes you a drooling pacifist.

 

[lazygit]

After using Bupe for a short period of time whilst out of DHC my tolerance to opiates has sky rocketed!! I only had 40mg's worth then went back to low dose DHC to further taper from 1mg's as I was feeling shitty and knew the Bupe WD would last longer.

It's been weeks, still taking low dose DHC yet when I take a then would be recreational dose (900mg ish) I barley feel anything

I also take 400mgs of Tram daily which I couldn't really feel on Bupe...I know Bupe/Tram is OK to take together and it used to compliment it quiet nicely, when I was wearing 2 10mg 7 day transdermal patchsas I used to get pretty buzzed from it.

I guess the Bupe was over powering the Tramadol and its SNRI effects where not felt as the Bupe had strong antidepressant qualities. I still get quite buzzed from Tramadol now though...not like I used to years ago but thats to be expected.

Soo when will my tolerance drop so i can enjoy DHC again? Would 40mg's worth of Bupe really cause such tolerance?

 

[LadenWithStrife]

I am going in to start Suboxone 10 days from today. It cost me $300 US. I am going for legitimate reasons. I need to make for certain that I will get it though. I know they look at things like pulse and pupil dilation. Does anybody have ANY info at all? With that 300 gone if I don't get Suboxone I am royally FUCKED!!! I need to make sure my pupils and heart rate are right. I also want to be sure I can get a large enough dose.

 

[Captain.Heroin]

I am going in to start Suboxone 10 days from today. It cost me $300 US. I am going for legitimate reasons. I need to make for certain that I will get it though. I know they look at things like pulse and pupil dilation. Does anybody have ANY info at all? With that 300 gone if I don't get Suboxone I am royally FUCKED!!! I need to make sure my pupils and heart rate are right. I also want to be sure I can get a large enough dose.

When I did ORT with Suboxone, and I'm sure it'll vary from place to place, I normally paid for an appointment after getting the prescription.

Just call ahead and express your concerns, they'll likely tell you what their policy is.

Finally, welcome to Bluelight - if you'd like, go over to New Member Introductions to post a thread introducing yourself to the forum.

thanks CH,
Yeah I might get some micron filters and try out the I.m route, especially if the duration is longer. I'm aiming for two milligrams today, which I should be able to accomplish as long as I stay disciplined. Gabapentin really helps with some of that anxiety that comes when you lower your dosage under the four mg mark. Fuck it maybe I'll be ballsy and try and go the whole day on only one mg!

If you are doing well with the sublingual ROA; just stick with that IMO.

 

[Znegative]

well it's day three on 2 mg. I have to admit that until this morning I was not feeling my suboxone at this dosage at all. The 72 hour mark seems to be a big stepping stone for tapering when below 4 mg. Glad to have the glow back!

 

[schwiftee]

I just saw a dr for suboxone treatment and was prescribed 8mg 2x a day. I last used at at 11am (210mg of oxycodone). I understand everyones metabolism is different but can anyone give me rough (conservative) estimate as far as when I should dose the first sub so I dont end up with precipitated withdrawal. Thanks in advance for your help.