Bupe Buprenorphine for depression?

[bupropion]

What are the chances of finding a doctor to prescribe buprenorphine for mild-to-moderate depression with social anxiety/introversion and schizophrenia (the latter I think was schizoaffective and episodic induced by stress; the doctors I've seen think it's more long term)?

Also, has anyone tried buprenorphine as an antidepressant? Actually had it prescribed for this purpose?

Does anyone who'se tried it think it has greater antidepressant properties than other opioids due to being less sedating and especially due to it's being a kappa antagonist?

 

[Tsukasa]

Probably a slim to none chance of any real doctor prescribing a narcotic for depression. Tramadol maybe, but that's your best bet.

 

[eon_blue]

You can but if you're not an addict in withdrawals then you should at least be a former addict who feels as though they're about to give into cravings to combat depression.

Being opiate-naive and asking for Suboxone to combat depression is way overkill, IMO. Not to mention that without a tolerance, any therapeutic dose of Suboxone you recieve is going to fuck you up out of your gord, most likely.

 

['medicine cabinet']

^yea thats true...if you have no opiate tolerance just the smallest bump of bupe would probably have you fucked up hard. i think it would be questionable for a Dr to give an rx for bupe to be used to treat depression. it might take care of the depression, but its not worth the addiction if you dont really need it.

it does work pretty well for an antidepressant tho, but i think had i not gotten strung out on dope i wouldnt have felt as depressed. The bupe has helped me immensely tho as far as addiction goes. it gives me just enough to feel "normal"

 

[Tsukasa]

They have sublingual 0.2mg buprenorphine pills. That shouldn't be too much for a person with no tolerance.

 

[phatass]

i think it has anti-depressant qualities (gives a stability that other opiates don't, no ups n downs, highs n w/d all the time, financially helpful if ur insured...) however i don't think it will be prescribed for this purpose... it's very addictive... then again so are certain SSRI's from what i hear....

 

[eon_blue]

They have sublingual 0.2mg buprenorphine pills. That shouldn't be too much for a person with no tolerance.

Temegesic, I think is the name of the brand you're referring to. But as far as I know, those are only prescribed for pain and it's not a common thing in the US. Asking your psychiatrist for Temegesics would probably just confuse them. Asking them for Suboxone when you're not an addict/former addict would probably throw up a red flag for drug seeking...

 

[Bavanai]

No doctor will prescribe an opioid for depression unless like 3 different classic antidepression meds didn't work on you.

 

[bupropion]

I meet that criterion but I am mildly/moderately rather than severely depressed with social phobia/introversion/Schizoid PD and psychosis with delusions(last year only, I don't see it coming back) being the biggest problems.

 

[RorerQuaalude714]

What are the chances of finding a doctor to prescribe buprenorphine for mild-to-moderate depression with social anxiety/introversion and schizophrenia

There's no chance of this happening. Bupe isn't indicated for depression, and I doubt there's any literature testing it as an antidepressant. Additionally, since your depression is "mild to moderate" chances are entirely likely that a regular antidepressant will be sufficient to treat symptoms. The social anxiety component of your symptoms can equally be treated with a regular antidepressant, possibly in conjunction with a benzo. Finally, your schizophrenia would be best treated with a neuroleptic. The bottom line is, no doc's going to prescribe a narcotic to treat something that it's not indicated for, it's just too much of a risk on their part and there's absolutely no guarantee that it'll treat your symptoms.

 

[Chemethist]

not gonna happen, its for opiate addiction. not for moderate depression. Otherwise ANY drug could be called an antidepressant.

 

[bupropion]

I've tried most psych drugs and the only things that really made me feel normal were Adderall, Wellbutrin+Codeine, and Ambien(2-5mg in daytime). Come to think of it though an opioid might not be the best thing to take because I was on oxycodone for 10 days last fall and it felt good at first but when I discontinued it I actually felt like a sort of cloud had lifted. I'd like to try kappa antagonists or dynorphinase accelerators(if there is such as thing) when they become available.

 

[Newmoonrecord]

my friend gets it for depression. from his psychiatrist. he basically just told the doctor :yeah i used to use opiates a lot, and im in decent back pain from (random fake back injury) and i feel like if i dont get out of being depressed, i'll start using again.. the doctor was like, well since other anti depressants dont work, you should try bupe. true story

 

[timetohunt]

I think there is major potential in bupe (or some derivative thereof) for treating depression, yet its going to be years away. I think its use is starting to slowly leak into real practice.

The idea of opiates in general being used to treat depression has been around a long long time. But bupe is different and might be the bridge to making it eventually happen.
The question is being brought up enough now a days, that some drug company or someone with the ability is going to pursue it.

Its always the addiction factor about opiates, but it will soon be realized how terrible SSRIs are to get off of. What gives? There is always a price to pay for feeling better. Sometimes its worth it sometimes not.

 

[klowns]

well im going to HAVE to ask this psych in my are for subetex, because my sub doctor Died (RIP) and there is NONE other in like a 400 mile radius. so im praying haha. however, i was on opiates for about 8 years or so for LEgitamite very severe chronic pain and i just COULD not take the ups and downs of regular narcotics, so i started with the sub. so im going to ask this pysch for subetex. i KNOW they are nt lisensed to do opiate sub therapy, but im goingg to pray for compassion and maybe see if we can work it out as an off lable use thing for pain/anti-depression/anxiety
ive been scipted 24 mg by the way, and i dont take THAT much but its not exactly as if i can jsut drop off this shit
peace

 

[Ham-milton]

There are lots of reports of it happening, but it's unlikely.

 

[tvGUYok?]

I have experienced the anti-depressive effects of bupe, but that was depression most likely brought on by drug use and withdrawals - I think a opiate-naive person wouldn't be able to "handle" (see - "not puke guts") taking suboxone.

 

[MethaContin]

Not a Chance in hell............. If a doctor ACUTALLY SITS THROUGH THE "8 HOUR Subutex/ Suboxone PRESCRIBING PRACTICES CLASS". He will know that it is Mostly ONLY to be used for addiction and *SOMETIMES* Pain. NO doctor would go for that idea.

Man, OF COURSE Opiates will help you with Depression, But with the Addiction and Tolerance plus long term taking of the medicine, YOU WILL NOT EVER BE PRESCRIBED AN OPIATE OFF-LABEL FOR DEPRESSION its a 0% Chance. The RISKS of taking the Opiates for Depression OUTWEIGH the benefits of taking them, And THAT my friend is why they will never be prescribed.

See when somebody is going through Chronic Pain issues or not wanting to withdrawal and they use opiates the BENEFITS OUTWEIGH THE RISKS, With your condition it's the COMPLETE OPPOSITE.

Sorry Bro................................

 

[dankstersauce]

I'm glad this tread came up because lately the doctors have been throwing me SSRIs like crazy. But looking back on the whole thing, I think I was pretty damn happy when I was on Suboxone.
Like I was living in a halfway house in the ghetto with 23 other guys, riding the bus to get around and having all the responsibilities/restrictions of being in a halfway house and was perfectly happy with it.
Even when I was bummed out, I took it in stride and moved on. In my experience suboxone was an amazing antidepressant. I've been thinking of contacting my old doctor and just lying about using or having cravings just so I could get scripted suboxone again.
But the odds are slim that you'll get scripted it for depression. A doctor might if you knew them well and have worked with them before. Like in my situation, I could probably be completely honest with my doctor and tell her I just want it because it helped me get through my day, she'd probably write it for me.

i'd take suboxone before i'd take any SSRI

edit: from wiki "A clinical trial conducted at Harvard Medical School in the mid-1990s demonstrated that a majority of unipolar

non-psychotic patients with major depression refractory to conventional thymoleptic antidepressants could be successfully treated

with buprenorphine.[7] See opioids for other (predominantly favorable) experiments with buprenorphine and other opioids for

psychological relief. However, psychological distress is currently not an approved indication for the use of any opioid, and legally it

falls in a "grey zone" that is technically legal but a doctor could still face charges regardless (but not for off-label scripting in itself,

simply being singled out by the DEA, who prosecute doctors often for using controlled substances for approved uses ("too much").

[1][2] The doctor still needs the proper DEA licensing under the Drug Addiction Treatment Act of 2000 to prescribe Subutex or

Suboxone for opioid addiction/dependence."http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buprenorphine

 

[johanneschimpo]

In a way I use suboxone for depression right now. Every morning when I take it I get motivated to do the things I need to do that day. But I wouldn't be in that depression/funk/unmotivated mood had I not spent the past 3-5 years (depending on if you want to count opiates in general or heroin), and I'm only 22, in a dirty fucking hole listening to grunge, using heroin.
So, suboxone for depression, I see two main options:
1. sure - if you're depressed due to prior opiate addiction
2. you're lying - but it wouldn't be hard to lie to get on it, sadly