Belbuca and Tiredness: What Users Say

• Oza...
• April 8, 2020

For Pain "I have taken Belbuca for a year now for all-over body pain due to neurology damage. My doctor started me low, and we worked up from there to the 300 mcg dose twice a day. I think I may have experienced a headache in the beginning, not sure. But it did help my pain until it didn't, then my doctor would increase my dose to the next level of the patch. I'm now up to the 900 mcg dose. The only real side effects I have are being extremely tired and my body gets really hot, which is a side effect. But this drug costs almost $900 a month! Insurance won't pay, and I'm on a fixed income."

• kat...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 15, 2020

For Chronic Pain "I've started on a 150 mg dose of Belbuca. I was so tired, then I seem to adjust to it. Then they just upped me to a 300 mg dose. I'm so tired I could fall asleep at 1 in the afternoon while I'm driving. I'm not saying that it doesn't work for the pain, but who can be this tired all the time? I can't even put a thought in my head. Going to ask the doctor to take me off. I'm going back to the 150 mg until then. PS: also terrible constipation, which I never have a problem with."

• 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."

• dor...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 27, 2019

For Chronic Pain "Undiagnosed pain in my butt for 18 years. Probably a strained muscle from jogging. Norco and oxy did the trick for quite a while, but then, well, you know how these things go. I tried a morphine drip which worked at the trial, but... that's another story. Then the doc put me on Belbuca, saying it's the only medication that he'd prescribe at this point. I'm in the first week, and it's been awful. No pain relief, nausea, tiredness, ill feeling. The doc says to give it more of a chance, at the end of a week, I can't see spending money [it's not cheap] for more misery. It is very disappointing."

• Bel...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• October 11, 2021

For Chronic Pain "I am a 58-year-old woman from CA. I have taken a lot of opioids for over 3 years after two back surgeries. My pain management doctor and I have tried many different meds, injections, so when Belbuca came about, the doctor asked if I wanted to try this out. I was willing, and we started off with 75 mg, then up to 150 mg, and now 300 mg. I was hoping to find the magic solution. As I tried this for many months, I am still in so much pain. Yes, Belbuca has touched a little bit of the pain, but it has not helped the way my doctor had me think. My doctor said, 'You are on so much medication that this is compared to morphine.' I said, 'You've got to be kidding, this is not morphine. I can't even feel it.' So I am taking a lot of Tylenol and muscle relaxers and trying to sleep through the day because I just cannot handle the pain. I would not advise anyone to take Belbuca if you have chronic pain."

• tim...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• December 14, 2022

For Chronic Pain "I started at a low dose of 75 mcg. Did nothing. Increased to 150 mcg. Did more. Nothing. Went to 300 mcg. I am now bone-on-bone, and my facet joint pain is now unbearable in the mornings and takes me several hours to get up and walking. Then my nausea sets in. I'm weak, tired all the time. I am facing surgery on my pinched nerves in my elbow and carpal tunnel wrist with not much feeling in my hands. I have COPD stage 3, coughing, hacking. My left hip hurts so bad I can't cough standing up, or I'll fall right over from the pain, my left hip pinched sciatic nerve. I need medication increased ASAP."