Suboxone and chronic pain
Common Questions and Answers about Suboxone and chronic pain
suboxone
Because of the partial opiate blocker, it is a bad medication for chronic pain patients (in my opinion anyway). If you have a pain crisis and need more meds, they won't work and you may even go into withdrawal. Same thing if you need emergency surgery. The suboxone will interfere with the effectiveness of your post-op pain meds until it's out of your system. I hate to hear these stories of pain docs going the suboxone route for those reasons.
I developed numbness in my legs and after an EMG test was diagnosed with degenerative disc disease with herniated lumbar discs. Lower back pain became prominent at this time along with chronic leg pain and stiffness. After ripping the fentanyl patches off in a severe panic attack, i went thru horrific fentanyl withdraw only somewhat helped by oxycodone. I finally told my doc to get me off all this crap. He put me on 32mg suboxone daily.
Unlike others I believe you want to start at the lowest effective dose, as it does have a long half life, so the higher your dose the longer the taper and the longer the withdrawl. I was off in just under 4 months. If he is in chronic pain and will continue to be, I would actually seriously consider taking methadone since you are more regualted and normalized than with othere short life opiates.
More and more, Suboxone is used to treat chronic pain; Eagle is suggesting (I think) that if you started pain pills for... pain... you could consider asking the clinic to make THAT your primary diagnosis. I would certainly do that for you. For some reason, having low back pain is not seen as 'risky' as it is to be a recovering addict.
wow I will tell you this suboxone is NOT AT ALL FOR PAIN. I know I tried suboxone and I have true pain and it did nothing for my pain and I also know others that have tried also and same nothing for pain. He should have told you why switch if you ask me something is up and he thinks you have some kind of problem he the only doctor you go to....Something is not being told make no sense at all.
Hi-I had been on dilaudud 2mg. for pain relief for chronic pain issues.I had to go of dilaudud for a few days then began the suboxone as of last Thursday so I am now on 2mg. of the suboxone.Has anyone else here gone on the suboxone for chronic pain relief.This is what my doc is using it for on me-I see most of you are on it for detox....I was wanting of fthe dilaudud as I was afraid of becoming addicted.
When people say chronic pain and nothing else it limits the responses to pain meds usually narcotic. If the source of the chronic pain is told then people with the same problem may give ideas for temporary relief thru other means,,for instance I"ve had multi back surgerys and can tell things that did or didnt work for me but only if I know that the persons pain comes from problems similar to mine.
The confusion here may be that Suboxone and Subutex are generally prescribed to treat addiction and not normally considered for pain management. Suboxone and Subutex are two drugs that have been approved by the FDA for the treatment of opiate addiction.
Both medications contain the main active ingredient Buprenorphine which stops the craving and withdrawal symptoms as well as it is a partial agonist. However Subutex does not contain an additional ingredient which is called Naloxone.
I was on Oxycontin, 160mg tid, with 30mg oxycodone for break-thru pain for 15 years when a doctor in the hospital offered me Suboxone (the oxy's were not helping my pain anymore). After the first dose ALL my pain and depression were gone after two long decades of suffering. I love it because I don't feel drugged up all the time. He forgot to mention that I would be labeled an 'addict' just because I use Suboxone for pain. I can't even get an Rx for cough syrup.
It *****, plus i was in accident about month ago, and back was messed but went away, i think the codeine and done was masking it, now i switch to suboxone and neck is killing me and headache behind eyes, as i turned head sharply to avoid airbag, that they said would have broken my nose, also i have fibromyalgia, back pain (scoliosis)! nerve pain in general! The oxys blocked the pain, lol! yet again i was never this bad! IT *****!!!!! Thank you so much everyone, godbless and namaste.
Second, I do not have any experience personally with Suboxone, however, I have learned on this forum that Suboxone is addictive and the withdrawals are longer and worse than from pain killers! That being said, there are lots of folks who have successfully quit pain pills on a Suboxone program! However, it is a complete program, and should be used for a very limited time! You should thoroughly discuss this with your doctor!
Your heard correctly. Suboxone is an FDA approved treatment for addiction, but it is an opiate itself and a very addictive one at that. In fact, almost half of all patient we detox in our clinic are detoxing from Suboxone, which they paradoxically started taking to get off of whatever they were on before!
Suboxone has it's place, and in very able and determined hands can be used as a tapering tool, however, more so than not patient get stuck on it and end up addicted to a new drug.
Since the person you describe is already addicted to methadone, if the pain problem is chronic and permanent, and the dosage is effective without being high enough to affect function, it might be better to just stay on it. If he/she gets off it, there will be misery from the withdrawals, in addition to the pre-existing pain, which will not be relieved by any other opiate as long as the methadone stays active.
Hi Moonsyne,
Taking that first step is courageous. You should be proud of yourself. I am glad that you are doing that for yourself and your babies.
Because I do not have an addiction I don't know how much information I can offer you. Suboxone and Subutex (brand names) contains a medication called buprenorphine. There is a new article that states it is an "opiate agonist/antagonist and a very effective pain medication for appropriate patients.
I asked him how Suboxone was indicated for my back pain and he responded that I would not need pain meds once on Suboxone. The patient handbook says Suboxone is not indicated for pain treatment. I asked about the addictiveness of Suboxone and he said he would "taper" me off after 18 months or so and there would be no need for pain medications. Like I said, I am afraid of addition and he is scaring me to death.
What I want to do is, go on Suboxone to deal with opiate absence and try and get a local nerve block for my feet. But... no pain clinic or foor Dr can see me to do the nerve block till next month.
What I am really wondering is.... if I am on Suboxone and require surgery....., will the antastecia work in the operating room? Or will I just have to go through w/d's again and get off the Suboxone for the surgery? I know Sub blocks opiates..
I did know about the actions and uses of buprenorphine and .... and the fact that Suboxone has the additional naloxone component to prevent injection abuse.
I didn't know that Fentanyl could "knock bupe right off its pins." You're right, there must be more but I can't even find at you are saying about Fentanyl on line.
I found this about buprenorphine: "These properties make buprenorphine an effective maintenance treatment for opioid-dependent patients.
I have chronic panic disorder, depression and chronic pain and really need support in tapering off valium and suboxone they are prescribed legally but I have been on valium since 1997 and opiates and suboxone for pain management since 2000. I lately have gotten really bad with my anxiety and have an appt with a psychiatrist and usually take all meds as directed but lately I have been really leaning on valium more because of chronic panic and fear.
Anyway, he really seems to want me on Suboxone and I really dont have a good feeling about being on and I want to know if it really helps with chronic pain and will I have severe, long w/ds if I want to get off of it?? I can't function in life right now at all. I can't go to school ,work, go out, date. I don't know what to do. I really need good advice and people's personal experiences, to help me make this decision! Thank ya'll so much! Ya'll Rock!
Recommended
