Suboxone Compared to Alternatives

For Opiate Dependence: My personal experience with suboxone is good so far. I have been on prescribed Fentanyl Patch 25 much/ 48 hrs. I have dropped to this dose over the last year. (I also left the old patch on). I have been on opiates for 12 years full time prescribed. At my highest prescription I was using 180mg of Oxycodone and 180 mg of morphine per day. I have had several adjustments on medicine including extended release doses. 5 years ago I was put on 50 mug of Fanta to with 3-10 mg Oxys per day for breakthrough. I started leaving my old patches on to increase my daily dose. This last year I tapered Down to 25 mcg patches for 48 hours.( still leaving my old patches on.) I went to a doctor that prescribes Suboxone. Lucky for me my insurance pays for Suboxone. He gave me the 8/2 mg strips. I take 1/2 a strip twice a day. I was checking every forum to see how long I needed to wait to start the suboxone. The replies are all very different. Some say 16 hours, most day 24. Others say 48-36-72 hours. Yikes! How do I keep out of precipitated withdrawals! I already have withdrawals every other day on my patch!... so I removed my patch last night around 5 pm. (I already have my suboxone script at home. ) so I started feeling withdrawal symptoms coming on around 11 pm. They didn't get super intense. I checked the cows scale as many articles suggested but only scored mild.. had the stretching of limbs symptom, anxiety.. so I took a half of a strip which was the suggested dose. I took it at 12 noon today. That's only 19-20 hours. I was in withdrawals, but not the worst I have ever had. I was scared of the precipitated withdrawals I heard about. 10-15 minutes after I took it, I felt a hot sensation wash over me. Thought I would get those withdrawals, but I took a quick bath, laid down for an hour and. Is I feel pretty good. Took my withdrawals away. I still have some muscle pain, but not the kind that come from withdrawals. Suboxone stopped the withdrawals right away. No headaches or sick feeling. Not high, but even my regular dose meds haven't made me high for years... so if your guessing on when it's ok to take suboxone after opiates, and fentanyl seems to be the highest strength, then I day shoot for 24 hours. If you are not in withdrawals at 24, then wait until you are.. if you are in withdrawals before 24 hours then just wait as long as you can. You will know when it's too bad to wait anymore. You know your body... you can always take half the amount prescribed and see how it reacts if your are afraid of precipitated withdrawals. Trust me, it will stop the withdrawals within a half hour. I have not gotten the precipices withdrawals so far. Hope this helps someone. Good luck to you!

For Opiate Dependence: I was on methadone for 10 yrs quitting cold turkey at 80mg in Dec 2015. I lasted about 4 days then started using heroin again. Jan 2 I went into detox, got out the 10th and was still in wds from the methadone. Went 3 weeks struggling really bad, started shooting again then finally gave suboxone a try 1 week ago. I feel amazing besides the constant sweats I get. Methadone withdrawal is the worst wd I ever experienced. I know I'm not looking to come off suboxone. I know for me that I will always need "something". If I can take a legally prescribed medication that will help me not to shoot heroin and make my life unmanageable then I will continue to take it. So far suboxone has done good by me, why would I stop it.

For Opiate Dependence: I've been on Suboxone for a little over 10 years. I finally began tapering down, and am down to about 2mg of (real suboxone strips) a day. Last month, the pharmacy decided to give me the generic Dr Reddys strips. The pharmacist said they were exactly the same, just cheaper. Dr Reddy's strips are definitely not exactly the same. After about a day and a half, I started getting withdrawal symptoms. I had to start taking more than usual to get back to normal. It wasn't super horrible, but it wasn't something I was expecting, considering the assurance by the pharmacist. A few days ago, I saw my doctor again, and he was pretty upset the pharmacy is trying to unload the generic brands on us. He just wrote a note on my prescription, that I was to only receive name brand Suboxone, for medical reasons. As somebody who's trying to taper down, a consistent dose of medicine is all I want and Dr Reddy's did not provide that.

For Opiate Dependence: I have tried a generic buprenorphine with naloxone before and I don't recall the experience being this bad as it has been on Dr. Reddys version. For 2 months I've been on them and have had these other health issues: water retention causing ear infection and pneumonia, horrible headaches from fluid in my head and body. I have had 2 rounds of antibiotics and water pills. I have had lethargy, gained 35lbs in 2 months. Moved, changed diet, watch symptoms closer. Working out at least every other day. Not getting better. I have noticed, disturbing thoughts, depression. I also experienced withdrawal like symptoms the first few days. I wanted this to work because the Suboxone brand has the monopoly and the cost is more. I have not seen any other reviews with these symptoms. I might be allergic to an ingredient in it. The head pressure and nausea start an hour after I take it in the morning. It's like my head is filling up like a water balloon. Pointless to take a med that causes you to need three others....

For Chronic Pain: I had been on OxyContin 5mg three times a day for years and years with Vicodin higher strength for breakthrough pain. I retired in 2017 and moved from California to Oregon and the opiate crisis was and still is in full bloom here. I was given OxyContin 5mg three time a day by my primary nurse practitioner for about 9 months but was then sent to a PM specialist. He switched me to buprenorphine 1mg tie. After having tried the patch which was alright but my copay was $109.00/month. He wanted to start me on the film one but the copay for that was $160.00/month . So now (just started the dissolvable pill 2mg but cut in half for a 1mg dose tie. Buprenorphine works for me most of the time but I could really use something else for breakthrough pain. Not gonna happen for me. I just want good pain relief, not a “high”. I guess that it’s too much to ask for.

For Chronic Pain: I have had Fibromyalgia for 25 years +-, degeneration of the cervical spine and bulge of several discs in my lower back and neck which each area needs surgery but I refuse to go through it. I don't like being on buprenorphine because of the stigma behind it and having to go to the Dr. once a month I was on tramadol for 19 years which work well most of the time but it was starting to impact my liver enzymes and with both parents dying of liver cancer I wanting to reduce my risk. After 2-3 months on Buprenorphine 8M twice daily my liver enzymes went from 4X the upper limit to 1.5X the upper limit and is now almost under the upper limit. Using ultrasound my liver was 50% larger than it should be, now it is normal.