Belbuca and Headaches: What Users Say

• Aba...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 27, 2019

For Chronic Pain "13+ years being STABLE on 150+ MME oxycodone and Morphine. Dr. Retires and the APRN I was left with refused to continue my care. Forced into a Pain Clinic and due to the torturous CDC “guidelines” and the FAKE opioid crisis (Fentanyl/Heroin is the real problem) I was given Belbuca as the ONLY option. I’m now at max dose of 900 mcg. It does work on nerve pain but has zero effect on bone pain. Headache is common and severe in the beginning but they do go away. Supposed to last 12 hours but consistently last only 6. After only a few months the dosage stops working. Now I’m at the top with nowhere to go. It also costs over $900.00 a MONTH. My old reliable meds cost $7 and $10 bucks a month. THANKS A LOT! You’ve successfully DESTROYED patients' lives, MANY have committed suicide due to your reckless recommendations. DAMN YOU ALL!"

• Mis...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 4, 2020

For Chronic Pain "I have been struck with horrible chronic pain from PLDS (Post-Lyme Disease Syndrome). First I was prescribed oxycodone. I hated the side effects: apathy, brain fog, severe constipation, sweats, nausea, headaches. I was miserable. I fired my pain doctor and signed up for a Chronic Pain MAT program. They prescribed Belbuca, and I’m very satisfied with my experience. It helps with pain as well as the oxycodone did, but the apathy and brain fog are pretty much gone. On my correct dose, I have no nausea, headaches, or other icky side effects. I’m free from the endless rollercoaster of pain and withdrawals between doses, and having to make sure I have opiates with me at all times just in case. A word of caution regarding the bad reviews: some of them may not have given the medication enough time to find the right dose for them. For others, it may not work, but for me, Belbuca controls pain and doesn’t make you high - to me, that’s a good thing. I can be a full participant in my life again."

• Jan...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 14, 2019

For Chronic Pain "My insurance company just canceled me. Pretty sure it was due to the HUGE cost of this medication. Different pharmacies charge from $900 to $1500 per month. I have NEVER abused any medications. Ever. Yet I am made to feel like some kind of drug addict. I have had multiple surgeries on my knees, shoulders, ankle, back, etc. Metal plates and pins. This drug gives me headaches, constipation, and I can't sleep. I am exhausted all the time. What the government has done to people who need pain medication is abuse. They need to go after the illegal heroin, fentanyl, and whatever else. Leave the people who REALLY do need pain medication alone. Let our doctors do their jobs! This drug is a joke. And yet again the pharmaceutical companies are getting rich off of Americans who have worked their whole lives. I just want to be able to function again. Belbuca is not the answer for my pain. Maybe it works for others."

• Ks...
• October 12, 2019

For Chronic Pain "Started Belbuca 1 week and 2 days ago. Fibromyalgia, Degenerative Disc Disease, Degenerative Bone Disease, Peripheral Neuropathy, and Scoliosis. I've been on pain meds for 19 years. Starting dose was 300mcg every 12 hours, which was increased to 600mcg after 1 week. My chronic pain is not being fully covered yet, but it did help with withdrawal symptoms. I've been given hydrocodone for breakthrough pain, but it takes more to manage my pain. I anticipate my doctor will likely increase my dose to 900mcg when I go back to see her in 2 weeks. Side effects include headaches/migraines and lack of energy. Previous Medications: Methadone 20mg daily with hydrocodone for breakthrough pain for the last 8 years. Before that, I took OxyContin with Oxycodone for breakthrough pain. The government needs to realize that opioid deaths aren't from people being treated for pain under a doctor, but from people using heroin and carfentanil acquired from street drugs."

• Hap...
• September 20, 2019

For Chronic Pain "Two words - Belbuca sucks. It does not control my pain, it gives me headaches, dry mouth, and I can't sleep at night. I wish the government could be in as much pain as some of us are out there and see how they handle their day. I'll surely prescribe Belbuca to them."

• Jay...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• January 23, 2019

For Chronic Pain "I cannot believe the 10 ratings on here. This drug is horrible for me. I've been taking oxycodone for 5 years and my doc is trying to get me to switch, as others have said, due to the opioid crisis. I'm not chasing a 'high', I am chasing a reduced pain life. My pain level was a 3 on oxycodone. Now my joint and nerve pain is at a 9, dare I say a 10. I hate to say a 10 but the pain level is back to the worst I've ever had. Not only that but I get extremely nauseous and get a BAD headache. I have to take Tylenol and Benadryl to sleep when I take it, and when I wake up I feel like I have a hangover - the side effects from this drug are worse than anything I had ever experienced on Oxycodone, and then added side effects from Benadryl compound it. This drug is just absolutely horrible and my body cannot tolerate it. Makes me think doctors are getting a kickback to prescribe it."

• RAf...
• August 5, 2018

For Chronic Pain "I have had rheumatoid arthritis (RA) for many years and have dealt with chronic pain for the majority of my life. I just started Belbuca about a week ago. I was skeptical and a bit scared at first after reading reviews. I was on extended-release morphine every 12 hours and oxycodone for breakthrough pain, I was averaging 1-4 a day. My doctor started me on 300 mg Belbuca every 12 hours and let me keep my oxycodone for the breakthrough pain. So far, I am pretty happy. I have noticed since starting the Belbuca I have only had to take 2 pain pills for breakthrough pain (that’s two in over a week whereas I was taking that daily before). I seem to be in a lot less pain and have been able to be more active. I am extremely happy so far. The only negative is that I have been experiencing a lot of frequent headaches. I am not sure if it’s coincidence or because of the Belbuca, however, I will take headaches over chronic joint pain any day."

• Sar...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 4, 2017

For Pain "I was on Fentanyl patches for a year and a half at 75 mcg. I was needing a little more pain relief, so the doctor was going to switch me to Butrans. Insurance wouldn't pay, so he decided on Belbuca. I've currently been on it for almost 2 weeks. I can't sleep more than an hour a day. I have a massive headache all the time, and my skin crawls like there are bugs under it. I've talked to the doctor, but he will not listen. It's not controlling the pain, it wears off for hours before the next dose. I can't hold food down, and I have no desire to drink anything either."

• llo...
• June 21, 2019

For Chronic Pain "I have had 2 fusion surgeries L3 to S1, countless steroid injections, and had been on OxyContin 10 mg 3 times a day with Vicodin HP for breakthrough pain since 2010, and now I am on Belbuca 750 twice a day. It's okay, but not as effective as OxyContin & Vicodin. I get headaches every day now, and the pain relief is mediocre at best. Give me back my OXY!"

• Ala...
• October 9, 2019

For Pain "I was involved in a methanol explosion that covered me in the flaming liquid. Fifty percent of my body suffered from third-degree or higher burns. I was given hydromorphone in the hospital, along with oxy 30s. Upon leaving the hospital, I was given oxy 10s, then oxy 7.5. Those seemed to try and help but still left me with quite a bit of pain. Pain management wrote me a script for 150 mcg Belbuca. I started taking the medicine, and it seemed to work better than the oxys, but it left me with bad headaches in the beginning and a really fuzzy head. The best I can describe it is like a really bad hangover but without the physical effects other than the headache. Just really disconnected and a chemical feeling. The biggest problem is how sleepy it makes me. If I'm active and moving around, I'm usually okay, but if I sit down, especially if I need to drive a car, I almost fall asleep, which is extremely dangerous, so trying to plan when I can take my meds around if I need to go somewhere is really difficult."

• Luc...
• March 31, 2019

For Chronic Pain "I was prescribed Belbuca to help me with severe pain, but what I received from this medication was SEVERE PAIN! Horrible headaches. Muscle spasms in my back and neck. Scalp tenderness. The blowing of the wind on my scalp was very painful. Never again!"

• Pai...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 19, 2019

For Chronic Pain "I was really excited to start this medication recommended by my PM neurologist. Unfortunately, I had horrific reactions to it. My face became red and covered in red dots. My hands swelled up and were very itchy. I was unable to have a bowel movement. I had severe headaches and vomiting. I was lethargic and extremely sleepy. I had terrible nightmares and would wake up yelling or crying. My body has been twitching and spasming uncontrollably. I can’t think or comprehend anything. I suffered through these side effects for 3 days, hoping my body just needed to adjust, but on the evening of my last dose, I had chest pain and thought I was going to die choking on a banana. My throat had swelled up. It’s been about 60 hours since I took the last dose of Belbuca, my throat still feels slightly swollen. My body is still twitching every 15-30 seconds, and I am extremely sleepy. Other than the bad headache and chest pain, it worked on my chronic pain."

• Pai...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 19, 2019

For Chronic Pain "I was really excited to start this medication recommended by my PM neurologist. Unfortunately, I had horrific reactions to it. My face became red and covered in red dots. My hands swelled up and were very itchy. I was unable to have a bowel movement. I had severe headaches and vomiting. I was lethargic and extremely sleepy. I had terrible nightmares and would wake up yelling or crying. My body has been twitching and spasming uncontrollably. I can’t think or comprehend anything. I suffered through these side effects for 3 days, hoping my body just needed to adjust, but on the evening of my last dose, I had chest pain and thought I was going to die choking on a banana. My throat had swelled up. It’s been about 60 hours since I took the last dose of Belbuca, my throat still feels slightly swollen. My body is still twitching every 15-30 seconds, and I am extremely sleepy. Other than the bad headache and chest pain, it worked on my chronic pain."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 4, 2018

For Pain "Throw it in the garbage or, better yet, don’t waste your money to begin with. Major upset stomach, headaches, and zero pain control. Started at 75 mcg twice a day for a few days and won’t bother with it anymore. Tramadol works way better than this, and Tramadol isn’t great."

• Ano...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 5, 2016

For Chronic Pain "If I could rate this medication as a zero, I would. Virtually no pain relief, only nausea, intermittent diarrhea, headaches, and vertigo. It does not stick to the inside of your cheek, as every time you swallow, it moves around and either sticks to your teeth or you swallow it. Horrible, horrible medication. Films often crack in half by the time you can finally pry them out of the foil, and they are so small that if you have any sort of tremor, as I do, they often fall out of my fingers. In my opinion, they need to scrap the whole thing and start over. Horrible."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 25, 2022

For Chronic Pain "My new pain doctor took me off morphine that was working with no side effects and put me on 450 mg Belbuca. Pain fully back at 6 hours, strange headache and light stomach pain. Just started 600 mg Friday. At this dose, I’m doubled over with gastric pain 30 minutes after the dose. Headache and loose bowels. Strangely, no relief at higher dosage. I’m better off not taking it at all."

• San...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 2, 2022

For Chronic Pain "I have a rare disease called Still's disease that's been, for the most part, controlled with getting infusions of a biological drug every 4 weeks and taking Norco with muscle relaxers as needed during flares. Well, about 2 weeks ago, I ended up in the hospital because I passed out due to a blood clot and also broke my right leg in several places, which required surgical intervention. It was a nightmare in the hospital for them to get my pain under control because of these new opioid guidelines. Anyway, I finally was released and was doing okay on 7.5 of Percocet every 6 hours for pain as needed. When I saw my PM doctor, he put me on Belbuca 150 mg, with Percocet for breakthrough pain. I felt awful! Had horrible nausea, headaches. My heart was skipping beats, I felt like a zombie. I was so dizzy that I was afraid I would fall. My husband said I was talking crazy. I don't recommend this drug to anyone. It was really scary, and I can't imagine feeling like that all the time."

• Law...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 3, 2022

For Chronic Pain "My pain doc added the Belbuca film to my pain management about 4 years ago. I have Medicare, and with a pre-authorization, I have a minimal co-pay. At first, I had some side effects, like pressure on my chest and headaches. This went away in a week. Belbuca has worked very well for me. I have fibromyalgia and autoimmune pain, plus chronic fatigue syndrome. I feel like I have a bad case of the flu all the time. It took some trial and error to finally get the film working the way it should. I keep 20 oz. of water by my bed. When I wake up, I drink the water. I then wait a few minutes for my system to hydrate. This is especially helpful in the morning. I swish my mouth out vigorously before applying the film. In the evening, after meals or snacks, I have found that any oil, butter, or spices stay on the inside of the mouth, preventing the film from sticking. The slower it absorbs, the better it works. Write to your representatives to change horrible laws against pain patients!!"

• MBR...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 17, 2021

For Chronic Pain "I used Belbuca for 30 days on a trial basis. It was a disaster. Several comments exist about the side effects of headaches, lack of pain relief, abdominal pain, and more. I experienced them all. It was a complete failure."

• Wan...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 4, 2017

For Chronic Pain "I have degenerative disc disease (DDD), a grade 2 spondylolisthesis at L5-S1, arthritis, and other chronic pain issues. Like others, I've tried Vicodin, Percocet, oxycodone, Suboxone, Subutex, and now Belbuca because my insurance won't cover Subutex! It makes no sense to me that they'll cover something that costs more than twice the price but doesn't even begin to help as much as Subutex did! I like being on buprenorphine because I feel like I get enough pain relief to make it bearable, but Belbuca not only won't stay stuck to my cheek like it says it will, but it gives me headaches daily! I've been on it for a little over 2 weeks and had to give myself 2 migraine shots this past week! I couldn't tell you the last time I had to give myself 2 within 2 months!"

• Ste...
• October 17, 2021

For Chronic Pain "My doctor switched me to Belbuca 150 mg cut in half, so 75 mg twice a day. Took about 3 days to help, so I switched to 150 mg in the morning and 75 mg at night. It seems to have gotten worse. It wears off in the morning after about 3-4 hours and I have some side effects like nausea, loss of appetite, and headaches. I’m on day 10 and I’m getting no relief at all. I have a serious back condition and I need to replace my right hip again because it never healed correctly. The Belbuca does nothing for my hip. I was on Hydrocodone 10/325, and if I took 3 and a half a day, I received more relief than Belbuca ever did. I’m so frustrated because I have no life now. The only thing that I think is good about this product is that you feel calm, but that can’t replace pain relief."

• Bro...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 27, 2021

For Chronic Pain "What state do you live in to get Belbuca, Percocet, and morphine? I only got 300 mg of Belbuca. Still trying to figure out how y’all get so much medicine. Before this, I got two 10 mg Percocet and a 15 mg of morphine. Then now they want to try this. I spent this past week vomiting, bad headaches, insomnia, just misery. How this medicine can help addicts, I don't know, cause this is taking a toll on me. Was prescribed 300 mg of Belbuca. This medicine does help with nerve pain, not with bone pain."

• Tim...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• February 12, 2022

For Chronic Pain "I take it for back pain, it has definitely helped the nerve pain I feel. I've been on it for 2 years now. At first, it did give me a mild headache, but that went away after my body acclimated to it. The positive is it lasts long, so I don't have to take pills every four hours."

• big...
• January 14, 2019

For Chronic Pain "Does not work. I've been on it for 2 weeks, it gives me bad headaches. I'm a pain patient who has been on oxycodone 30 mg for 7 years."