Buprenorphine Suboxone Reviews

I'd rethink all that poison if I were you...

Suboxone was initially created as a less risky version of methadone for people who are addicted to opiates.  It's frequently used as a maintenance drug for people with an opiate (like heroin, oxycontin, etc) dependence, and there are very strict guidelines, at least in our state, for providers who want to prescribe it.  Because it treats people who commonly abuse pain medications, I suppose doctors would be using it to treat chronic pain conditions. I would get a second opinion if I were you, though, just to be on the safe side.  I work in the mental health/chemical addictions field, and this is the first time I've heard of the drug being used for anything other than maintenance for recovery from an addiction.  Good luck to you!

And I forgot to mention...

You're SOOOO right...insurance companies don't make any sense!  They make decisions based on what they can do to provide the subscribers with the bare minimum to reduce their own cost, even if it's at OURS!  Makes you wonder how things would be different with a government-subsidized plan...but that's a whole new discussion topic!

Nancy44 said…

I'd rethink all that poison if I were you...

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What do you mean? Everything and anything I take is because I have to or need to. I have gotten off a lot of other much stronger medication, like Oxycontin's and morphine but I do need something for pain. I have tried physical therapy, water therapy, TENSE units, epidurals, back braces, and steroid injections in my lower back. Though some have shown significant help, I am unable to receive a lot of these due to insurance reasons and like the epidural and steroid injections I can only receive every 6 months. Believe me, if I could live without taking anything I would. I have been on prescription medication's since I was 20 and I don't like taking them; but I know without them I wouldn't be here today.

By chance did you watch Dr. Phil today?  I caught part of it.  You're way too young to be taking all that IMHO...again my opinion.   I'm not a doctor.  You're younger than my son.  I saw this review pop up on the discussion board.  I'm 50 and I have my pains too... have you ever thought of going herbal? 

Here's a link to try, don't know if it would help, I'm sure it's not covered by insurance either but it has pretty good reviews:

http://www.grandmasherbs.com/products/Pain_Aid-20-0.html

I shouldn't have even posted here.  I apologize, I was in shock when I saw all that you typed and all that you take, looked at your other reviews...and it saddens me really.  I'm sorry you are in so much pain, I truly am.

Take care, Nancy

Well see the thing is, I did get a second opinion. I was a little iffy at first when he prescribed me suboxone for pain so I actually called and emailed the company that makes suboxone. They basically told me that when suboxone first came out it was never studied for use as a chronic pain medication just as a maintenance drug for people with opiate adiction. But they did tell me that now their are studies being done to prove whether or not suboxone can really be used as a pain medication. They said the problem with that was right now doctors have to have special credintials to even prescribe suboxone and if it was released to be prescribed for pain then this would change everything. Now I can honestly say that I do get a great deal of relief with suboxone and the best part is that after taking it for awhile I don't feel high like most of the other pain medications I have been prescribed made me feel. Yes at first I was getting dizzy and had a euphoric feeling but now all I notice is my pain going away. Whats weird also is that suboxone is suppose to be taking all at once. What I mean is, if being prescribed 16mg than it should be taken all at once or atleast back to back. But my doctor has me taking suboxone once in the am and then another in the pm. I have never gotten sick but I do feel as if I am building up a tolerance to this medication a lot faster than I should be. But in my opinion I would rather be on suboxone than anything else. But I have also been told by a lot of doctors that 8mg of suboxone is equivalent to 80mg of methadone. I have been on methadone before and I don't see where they get this assumption at. I get two different feeling from each of those medications. But boy am I glad I am no longer on methadone. That was the worst withdrawals I have ever been through in my life. I can't even imagine what a heroin user would go through. Well thank you for your reply.

Chronic pain is such a hard thing to deal with and for doctors to treat.  A lot of people don't understand how much pain affects every aspect of your life.  my husband has dealt with chronic pain, although not to the extent that you have, jweaver83!  He has dealt with depression, lost jobs, can't sleep, gets irritable, and has even become suicidal at times because of the frustration that things never seem to feel any better.  Poeple think you just need to "suck it up," but it isn't like you can just take an Advil and get on with your life.  my heart goes out to you!

I know some people use relaxation techniques, massage, and acupuncture to try to manage the pain (usually in addition to meds, if the pain is bad enough).  I'm curious...have you tried any of that, and if so, what kind of results have you gotten?

Thank you so much finally someone that can see it as I do. I have been in the same boat as your husband. I have also been suicidal a lot just because it seemed like no one wanted to help me. I currently go to a psychiatrist and a psychologist as well as my pain doctor at the pain clinic. I also suffer from major depression, anxiety, but the only difference is I think is that I haven't been able to work since I was 21 years old. My doctors want release me to go back to work. A lot of people think that people that take pain medications especially narcotics are nothing but pill heads and addicts. Well this is just not so and is not fair for people to put labels like that on someone. I have just about tried everything I know to do to even stay off narcotic pain medication and I am getting ready to have another surgery where they will implant the Precision  Plus SCS System in my lower back. This is a new device that is just like a TENSE unit but it's permanent. They place the unit under the skin and connect the leads to certain nerves in the spinal cord. This is suppose to mask the pain signals. Though the pain signals are still there it just gives you a better sensation than the awful sensation of pain. With this the doctor and I hope this will keep me off narcotic pain medications or at-least lower the dose enough to where it wan't even bother me. I am very scared about this procedure though. My father also suffers from back problems. He fell down a hole while working and they had to put a titanium rod all the way up his spinal column. He was getting the steroid and epidural injections just like I am but one day while doing it they hit the wrong nerve and he was paralyzed for almost a week. Thank God he pulled through, but thinking about that scares me every-time I go to the doctor for my injections and now they are wanting to hook leads to my spinal cord. If I didn't already cut my hair short I would pull it out. :-) See this is partly the reason I was glad to be on Suboxone for pain. Yes it is a narcotic but coming off of it especially when weened off of it the correct way will have little to no withdrawal symptoms.

Now for the relaxation technique's, I have received massages before but only by my fiance whenever I was hurting really bad in my lower back. The acupuncture I have never tried. Now I have done water therapy and physical therapy which really didn't help any. Thing about the massage's, the only place I know of to get massages is an hour away and well put it this way they have been busted before. Not trying to be nasty, plus I don't think medicaid and medicare would pay for either of those and being on a fixed income from receiving only one check a month (disability check), I am really limited to what choices I have.

I know...most insurance companies that aren't state/federally funded will only give you a discount, and I hear you...we can't afford to pay out of pocket for things like acupuncture, etc, either.  At least physical therapy is usually covered.

Added you as a friend, by the way!  :)

Yes I know what you mean. I wish those types of insurance would cover things like that. I just think the government just doesn't understand the actual needs of a lot of people. Unless they go through it themselves they will never support or really even care what our needs our, both medically and physically. Thank you so much for adding me as a friend.