Has anyone tried Suboxone?

[Maddie]

My pain specialist (anesthesiologist) told me the the other day that there is a new drug on the market to help with withdrawal symptoms from the pain medications.

I was being very positive thinking and was asking what would help WHEN I had my surgery and wanted to get off the narcotics.

She said there is a new medication just out (in Canada) that she has been waiting for, for several years. One of her patients just tried it with wonderful success. It is only a three or four day regime, apparently.

Since most new medications come out in the States before they are approved here, I was wondering if anyone has had any experience with it. It would be great to avoid problems with that after surgery.

[Terry]

Maddie:

I am very familiar with Suboxone as my clinic has been a registered Suboxone clinic for a long time. The drug has been available in Europe for many years but took a long time to get FDA approval. The actual drug is called Buprenorphine and is available in two forms here in the States; Subutex and Suboxone. Subutex is abusable, Suboxone is supposedly not abusable. Suboxone has a drug called Naloxone mixed in with it to prevent injecting the drug which would cause the Maloxone to become active and force the person in to immediate withdrawals.

Suboxone is currently being used to treat opiate addiction though it has been used off-label for pain management. It is either a maintenance medication or detoxification medication used to get opiate addicts off of the narcotics.

In the States, only physicians who have gone through an approved course, can prescribe Suboxone. I am unsure how the prescribing practices are different in Canada. I went on Suboxone from Methadone as it was safer for me to do this. I employ physicians though, that can prescribe this medication which has made it easier to get the medication off label. There is some research on the use of Suboxone for pain management. I like the idea behind this, as the medication has a ceiling, which makes it not develop tolerance like other opiates. I think it is a much safer medication.

If you have any questions about this further please feel free to PM me.

Terry Newton

[Linda]

Hello,

I am currently on Suboxone. I had been on a Fentanyl patch for over 2 years and after my Fibrin injections I got so much better I wanted to get off the narcotics. It has been great except for the very 1st day. I had to be in complete withdrawal before I started so the pain management doctor could do a titration to figure out what the appropriate dose should be. So the complete withdrawal was no fun for a few hours but at least it did not last long at all once I started getting the Suboxone in my system. It is a great drug to help get off narcotics without withdrawals except my doctor had me be in withdrawal the morning I started it for safety reasons. I had used it before and the doctor before just guessed on the dose. The dose was not accurate and I ended up back on the Fentanyl patch. I know this time they have the dosage right and I will be able to stay off the narcotics. Yea!!!! Feel free to PM me if you have any questions.

Linda
I will try to redo my signature soon.

[Maddie]

Thank you guys. As usual, we are way behind up here as far as medications go!

My doctor said it just came out here a couple of months ago, and it has worked wonders for a couple of her patients. She didn't mention having to go into withdrawal before starting it, but perhaps she just didn't want to go into great detail before I needed it.

It is great to know that there is a way to avoid the nasty side effects of getting off narcotics.

Terry, I would like to know what, if any, side effects I might expect from this. You can PM or reply on the board if you like. Also, she said it was very expensive, but that I would only need to be on it for a couple/three days. How expensive is expensive? I know there is quite a difference between costs from here to there, but my pharmacist had no information on it right now.

[Terry]

The costs for a thirty day supply of 8 mg. tablets are 30 tablets 194.27; 60 tablets 372.04; 90 tablets 555.03. Suboxone will not be prescribed unless the person is going in to withdrawals. The reason for this is the Naloxone in the medication would force you in to withdrawals immediately. So that is why you need to be in withdrawals prior to being put on the medication.

The side effects should be very minimal as this is a very safe medication.

Terry Newton