First the disclaimer: I am only speaking from MY OWN POINT OF VIEW (sub disclaimer pls forgive spelling)

I have been on this forum for many years. I see things come and go. I see trouble makers,shils, misinformed and decent posters come and go. the ones who are only seeking there own point of view post and post till they feel they are justified in there opinion.

the ones who like me who only want to share there expireance stay on here for years. I want to help!!

Suboxone has givin me my life back. no more counting days till refill no more worring at phamacies. I am probly going to be on sub for many many more years till my medical condition declins to a point where i need to go back on 'regular' opates. I screwed up with my chronic pain problems I let it go from psudo addiction to full addiction. 75% my blame 25% md fault.(they failed to step up when i went to them over the years when i told them i was getting out of control) but the resposiblity is really mine and mine alone i chose what to put into ,my mouth. with that said.
Suboxone has helped my pain dramaticlly. I went to the sub doctor with the intent to get off the vics and then spend the next years trying to deal with my pain till my body went up to the next level and the mds would have little choice to give pain meds again.

but something amazing happend when i was first on sub. 1, my cravings went away. the rollorcoster stoped. 2 i could get out of bed with very little pain. I could play with my kids again i could work with out crying and crashing in bed as soon as i got home. the sub did both for me.

It WILL not help everyone. there are so many different situations that you can not say,"sub is a scam" "it is trading one drug for another" blanket statments are wrong and only serve that persons views.

I had two very close friends go on sub. One had a habit of 45+ hydros a day, the other took maybe 6 or 7. The girl with the major addiction was able to completely kick her habit within a year. The guy that was taking 6 or 7 is still on the sub 5 years later and is bascially addicted to it. I have heard a lot of stories like that. It seems like the worse your addiction is, the better the sub works.

thanks for sharing, I always like to hear stories like this

I had a different experience completely when I tried Subutex and Suboxone. My theory is, it doesn't help me because I have no problem with medications and taking too many.

I have edited this post.

problem with what? with meds?

Although suboxone has helped countless people, it is still not a cure-all and is not right for many people.

No disrespect, but the whole post is really confusing. If you still have chronic pain issues, why are you on suboxone?

Also, why are you so surprised that your cravings went away? You do know that sub is an opiate, right? It's not magic, it's going from a short-acting to a long-acting narcotic.

I think sub is possibly useful for a heavy user, but I just get tired of people acting like it's the answer for everyone. If you're taking a few hydro a day, it's overkill. An MD who's not making his income from it will tell you the same thing.

In an effort to learn as much about Suboxone treatment as I can, I'd like to know why, if you did not have a problem taking too many medications, why did you begin Suboxone treatment?
Was it in an effort to treat your chronic pain? And what was your different experience?

If you are asking that then you did not get the point of my post . i am sorry that i did not explain myself so that it is apparent what my point is. So i will try again.

like I said before when it comes to suboxone there is more polarization of it from it is a miricle drug to it is terrible. rember that every one is different and share pros and cons from your own perspective
i hope my point is clear now

That post is a little different than your last one, but what you're saying now, I couldn't agree with you more

johng share how it makes you feel. Sad....tried.....happy....hungry......light headed....drugged......sleepy.....pls don't say normal

It depends on the persons opiate tolerance in combination with the dosage that is taken. So it's not the same for everyone. My friend who was started on a dosage that was way too high for her threw up and was sick until it wore off. For others I know there was no other feeling besides the lack of withdrawal from the drug they were quitting.

johng-


Thank you for starting this thread-I have also tried the Suboxon and it works great.(Through my pain managment.) I prefer to take that then pain meds anymore.I complained to my DRs for a long time that I wanted off the pain meds.

Your right-you do get your life back and now I have a clearer head.
I guess it's not for everyone-this I didn't know till I read your post. Thanks for clearing that up for me I thought it worked on anyone that took narcotics? Thats what I get for assuming! lol

Thank you for posting of your own experiance.

Have a nice day &
Pamix

I know the question wasn't directed to me, but to answer the post about how does Sub make you feel.....weel, I hate to say it, but it made me feel "normal"!
Not high, not drowsy, not sad, not depressed....
Of course, as has been stated a million times, this is only my experience.
I basically felt like I did before I ever took the first opiate. Of course I had days where I had all those sad, depressed, feelings, but they were the sad feelings that everyone expreinces from time to time. Something happened that triggered them, and I was able to work it out without feeling the need to take more drugs to get over it.
The only "side effect" that I ever had with Sub treatment was an occasional bout of insomnia. I was prescribed Seroquel for that, and it was not an issue after being on Sub for about a month or so.
I was able to taper off Sub completely in a little less than a year.
My opiate use was severe, and I will leave it at that. More than prescribed, but less than enough for me to OD on.
For people that use Sub and it is successful for them, it is a "miracle" of sorts.
I do agree with the OP that there is no blanket statement that can be made about Sub or any other treatment. Everyone has to evaulate their own circumstances and find the route that works best for them. Posters that say Sub is a scam and is trading one drug for another, should add the caveat that this is not an experience. That is an opinion....and NOT a fact.
There are pros and cons to EVERY treatment for EVERY condition you can come up with. The patient has to make an informed decision based on what will fit their needs.
Off the box now.

This happened to me. My dose way super high for the 6-8 hydrocodone I was taking per day and I was so sick, even when I cut the pills into 4th's. Needless to say after 6 days I was off that particular medication.

I cannot answer for Oxy, but I had a horrible experience and even the dr said it wsan't a good choice for me, but I demanded to at least try it, and no, it wasn't for me... way too strong a medication.

However, I wanted it to avoid W/D's. Plain and simple. I live a busy life and the hydrocodone wasn't helping pain anymore, and I didn't want to up my intake, so I decided to quit, though I was only taking 6-8 pills a day. I quit taking it after 6 days and have been off hydrocodone ever since. For 9 months I stayed off pain meds altogether, but the pain is chronic and quite bad at times, so I do occasionally take codeine now.

I heard so many great things reading about this med that I ordered a fairly small amount for the migraines I have, thinking it would certainly be better than fioricet. I also used to take a good many vicodins for several years which accomplished lots of things for me. Didn't feel my allergies too bad, coughing, severe headaches, inflamed mucous membranes, of course not, it had almost the perfect properties for that problem. I thought it best to stop taking them because of all the press back when Robert Downey Jr. was addicted and the media really flared up about it constantly. I had no withdrawals physically, but did psychologically, fearing I couldn't control the headaches.

When I discovered a silly drug like fioricet, dosing at two tabs was enough to take the edge off with some maxalt (which I'm petrified of, having hypertension), I was in heaven.

The Soma did nothing for the headaches. It is obviously not intended for that type of pain. Nada. That's my experience, and I hurried up and ordered fioricet as fast as my fingers could type.

You took suboxone for migraines??? Really? Where did you order that, or did you order the temgesic (much, much lower dosage) from IOP's. I've never heard of anyone using this for migraines...

I have migraines and would never at all try this for that purpose. I was opiate tolerant and it was way too powerful for me. It is usually used as a detox med in the US, though not entirely uncommon these days to be used for chronic pain as a last resort.

I tried sub for a dual purpose, chronic pain and depression. My Doctor had an outside thought that perhaps the very pain meds I was taking was responsible for the mental issues I was suffering as well as he thought the sub would treat my pain. The sub did not treat my pain even in the slightest and my mental issues remained the same. So the way my doctor put it to me was we have to try everything until we find something to help you. I was only on sub for about 2 weeks or so. It was long enough to know I wasn't getting anything positive from taking it.

being on sub for me is nothing like vic,oxys. I do not get the same euphoria. what i get is a sense of balance. let me explain. as i have stated in the past i am luck that it helps my chronic pain. when i started sub it was the intent to be off all pain meds and learn to live with it.
some thing truly different happened to me not only did it hekp with the typical w/d problems but it helped my pain. i took my mind away from always worring about refill days etc i could focus on my family.

while on it i am drowsy sometimes but with a little activity it goes away. the only strange side effect was around the after noon i would start to sweat. not from nausa never had that problem on sub just dripping seat. it took about a month for that to go away. but for what ever reason it helps my pain.

Thank you for the response. I'm aware of the painkiller properties of low dose buprenorphine but haven't heard before about its off-label use as a potential antidepressant to treat opiate induced depression. Frankly, I haven't been aware of opiates actually causing depressive symptoms. Seems kind of antithetical.

Where did I order that from PrivateRealm? The reason you're asking? Apparently it's not meant to be used for migraines, yes, that was my point. I believe I posed this question for you in a post prior to placing the order, because I remembered you're a FNP. You didn't respond to me then, but that was cool. But now you respond?

You asked me about Sub in the past? I don't always return to threads and read all responses, so I'm lost here. If you are taliking about the codeine question in the TopRX thread I didn't see that response til a day or so later, as I said sometimes I just post and do not read all responses before mine, and if the answer is in the thread right above it, I don't always repeat things.

However, I asked where you ordered sub because I've never seen it offered online, and think it would certainly be overkill for a migraine, and was not intended for this use.

Now temgesic on the other hand, I have, though they are so much lower of a dose than the typical Suboxone or Subutex that the temgesic can work decently for pain. But I was confused because of the wording of your post. I wasn't sure if you were talking about Suboxone, Fioricet, or Soma.

And in every post you point out my degree, though I am not sure of that purpose. There are many Dr's etc on here that you do not do that to and surely their advice would be just as good or better than mine.

Just to add my 2 cents...

I am on Suboxone right now, for a pretty substantial Hydro addiction. I was taking 30 Hydros per day, for the past 8-9 years. I was taking them for a legitimate pain issue, but it went from needing it, to wanting it, to REALLY NEEDING it.

Several months ago, I was running out and my refill was not due for a couple days. I did not have enough to get me through and I started panic. A feeling that I have felt TOO many times...I started to sweat profusely and I headed straight to my laptop, feverishly trying to figure out how I could get more. I was in full 'panic attack' mode. My toddler was playing next to me, and he kept asking me questions and he kept asking/begging me to play with him....but I was too engulfed in my search for pills. I was crabby, and short with him. I kept blowing him off....all because I HAD to find more pills. And then I had an epiphany....What am I doing??? I didn't care about what I was doing to myself...I never took into consideration what this amount of hydro was doing to my body. I only knew that I was truly in pain and on top of that I knew I could not get through the day without my pills. But now I saw that my need for these pills was affecting my son. It was not fair to him, that I was not giving him the attention he wanted and needed, all because I, again, was on the laptop in the never ending quest for meds. At that moment, I had just had it....NO MORE! I could no longer put another minute of my life...his life...into this search. The roller coaster has to STOP!

So...my Primary Care Physician had given my the name of a Doctor that was an addiction specialist.(A Doc that could prescribe Suboxone.) I had this number in my wallet for months...I finally went into the wallet, unfolded this crumpled piece of paper, and dialed the number.

I was expecting to feel ashamed and belittled by whomever was on the other end of the phone....I was terrified. The woman asnwered....I finally said the words outloud....Words I have never thought, let alone spoken.....I am addicted to Hydrocodone. She was WONDERFUL!!! So nice and caring and UNDERSTANDING! As soon as I started speaking to her about my problem, I stopped sweating, my heart no longer felt like it was going to jump out of my throat. I felt RELIEVED!

The next morning I was in the Doctor's office and he was feeding me Suboxone. A little bit at a time, until I was no longer feeling any withdrawl symptoms. I felt like a human being again....

I can only speak from my experience...Suboxone saved me. I do not have any side effects, except if I take my last pill of the day too late, the I have a bit of a time getting to sleep....but it really isn't that bad.

I have my life back, becasue of Sub. I could not have done it otherwise. I do not have a week or more to suffer through withdrawl. I have a son, a husband and a new puppy to take care of. Mommy doesn't get sick days.

With Sub I do not crave Hydro, I do not want it, I don't even think about it. And that was an immediate effect of Sub. I walked out of the Doctor's office that 1st day with NO thoughts os Hydro what-so-ever. It helps the physical AND mental addiction. It isn't just, take Sub and you have no withdrawls...that is just part of it. I really just NEVER think of hydro, at all.

I know that I will not have a problem when I want to stop the Sub (sometimes I even forget to take them & miss a dose)....I really dislike taking them. What I mean by that is, the actual taking of the meds. You have to let them dissolve, under your tongue, until they absorbed sublingually. They taste HORRIBLE!!! But if that is my biggest complaint.....

I am so thrilled with the whole process, and so thankful that I have such an AWESOME Doc, that I am encouraging my best friend to also see a Sub Doctor. I really would reccomend it for anyone who has a moderate to severe addiction.

I am sorry this is soo long. I really had no intention of it being so wordy...but when I started typing, I just couldn't stop. That's how much Sub has not changed my life, but it has given me MY life back! So as they say, "don't knock it, 'til you've tried it." I am not trying to sell anyone on it. I just wanted to tell anyone who has this problem, how amazing MY experience has been.
Good luck to all.....and God Bless!

Great post. For some people this medication is absolutely a life-saver when they are truely ready for it.

Very happy for you bubrosie. It was a great post and for you sub was the salvation.


Misty

I point out your degree in every post? Come on, be real. I believe I've asked you in one or two posts your opinion on a medicine, and recall not having named you,but stated awhile ago that I had more confidence in the FNP on the board than a particular "M.D" who posted for awhile, who I found to be quite crass.

I apologize if you feel I spotlighted you somehow, and your credentials. I feel badly that you've had that idea, and would have explained that I simply had confidence in you because you came right out in a post and stated what you do, but I also knew you didn't have hidden motives to be here. You share your knowledge and are available to people, and I really would have liked some clarification on these meds from you in whatever post it was that I asked you.

If I knew there were other medical professionals here and felt they were genuine people and knowledgeable in their fields, I would have been even happier using this board than I already am.

Many congrats to you Rosie!
I know exactly how you felt, and you described it to a tee!
I wish you the very best, and please try not to think about tapering off the Sub. It is probably much worse in your head than it is going to be.
It was for me.

Bubsrosie- Your description of your struggle with opiate addiction is a sadly typical experience. Congratulations on taking control of your problem.
I notice that you did not mention the status of your chronic pain problem after you began Suboxone therapy.
Did you find that your pain was less of an issue than you thought it was or do you feel that the Suboxone is effective at controlling your pain? And at what dose?
Thanks for sharing all of this with the members of this discussion board. You are a thoughtful person and, I'm sure, a great mother now.

Love works. And certainly, the Suboxone. But the motivation was 'love'--for your child and your family. We are souls in bodies that are chemical and mechanical and sometimes they get out of whack, but your spirit has nothing to do with those things.

You're a terrific mom. I once knew a woman who was overweight and decided to substitute love for food. Every time she thought about getting something to eat (that she knew she didn't need), she wrote a letter to someone, cleaned the house up better for husband and kids--all sorts of little things. Of course, she became much busier and in the process she cut fown her portion size without realizing it and lost the weight. But the motivation was from love. When that's where you are coming from, you cannot fail.

Congratulations--we need posts like that!