How Can I Get Subutex Not Suboxone? (Page 17) (Top voted first)

I don't know how to go about this as I am shaking and can barely focus, I need help! Please. I fear that my life is going to end from my abuse of opiates. I am currently taking 250 mgs of oxycontin per day. I have a loving fiance and a stepdaughter that I want to be here for. I sit here with cold sweats, and fear going out just because I may make the fearful turn to the meds. Any and all info on how to obtain Subutex would be much appreciated. This wasn't what I wanted my life to be, and I can not let it end this way..Please help me. I am not a religious man but I pray for help as I am at my wits end with this drug.

REPLY

REPORT

You were on 16th a day of methadone did you have to reduce to go on subutex if so how much?

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

Um, wooooah, hold on there....if I don't care about my recovery? I said nothing to imply any such thing. jesus, i should not have vented online while being forced into withdrawal, i left myself open to an idiotic remark, no offense. I mean, I am a 46 year old intelligent classy woman, I do not need to be told to grow some "whatever" - and i don't think you read my volume carefully - I did everything an intelligent person in recovery over 10 years could & would have done in my situation - YOU try fighting the powers that be when dealing with horrible, necessary evil medicaid. Maybe I am not taking you right, but I have been dealing with massive amounts of BS, incompetence, rude ignorant a-hole people in the health insurance & medical community, and I have hit my limit and sick of being nicer to people then they deserve when all I get in return is s*** on -- People for the most part SUCK and are stupid. I am a good, fun, loving, caring person and would be simply blown away to get even one comment or remark from a person who understands where i am coming from & feels my pain. I would actually feel hope for the first time in months, instead of this sickeningly despairing frustration i am choking on.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

DANI: I understand what you are going through. People like this BS person? (What an appropriate user name!) Just blow them off. And no, people do not "mostly suck", it just seems that way when you are going through something so frustrating. Hang in there and stay strong.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

JAC: It is best to be on 40mgs of Methadone or less before switching to Suboxone. Methadone takes for frigging EVER to get completely out of your system, and the higher the dose, the higher it takes. I have seen someone go through Precipitated Withdrawals after waiting SIX DAYS after Methadone, because they were on 75 milligrams of the Meth. Six days. Some doctors won't even ATTEMPT to switch you if you are on more than 30 or 40 milligrams of Meth.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

Its the same thing so not sure where u got that from just saying

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

MALEAKE: Not sure where WHO got WHAT from? Unfortunately when you hit "REPLY" on here, it just posts the comment on the forum in general, not to anyone specific.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

To anyone who has questions regarding subutex vs. suboxone, I can tell you what I went through and the drastic difference between the two medications. A lot of doctors will tell you that the naloxone component to suboxone has little to no side effects and "most people" do not notice a difference. When I was on suboxone, I told my doctor that it made me depressed as hell, I mean damn near suicidal, and he would try to justify keeping me on it. I began my research on the Internet, and of course, there were hundreds and hundreds of people saying the exact same thing. Armed with this information, I went to my next appointment and showed my doctor what I had printed out on the topic. He finally agreed to give me a trial of buprenorphine 8mg 3 times daily, and within 24 hrs I was a new man. My depression was gone, my stomach no longer felt chronically empty, it was life-changing for me! DO NOT LET YOUR DOCTOR TELL YOU THAT NALOXONE HAS VERY FEW SIDE EFFECTS OR THAT YOU HAVE TO STAY ON SUBOXONE, IT'S ABSOLUTELY UNTRUE, IT'S WELL DOCUMENTED, AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO SUFFER! IF YOUR CURRENT DOCTOR IS UNWILLING TO SWITCH YOU TO SUBUTEX/BUPRENORPHINE, FIND ANOTHER DOCTOR!

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

EKIDROCKS: When I started on Bupe, I started on Suboxone, not Subutex. My migraines increased and I was nauseous 24-7. After a week, I was switched to Subutex, and the horrible side effects went away. Turns out I am allergic to the Naloxone in the Subutex. So there can most definitely be bad side effects from a very small amount of Naloxone (it has less than 10% bioavailability when taken sublingually). But those things have nothing to do with the intended effects of the Naloxone on the addicted brain. People think that the Naloxone is the "blocker" in Suboxone, but it was only put into Bupe to keep people from taking it intravenously, where the bioavailability is 100%.

Anyone who is needing Subutex instead of Suboxone because of having a bad reaction to Naloxone needs to get documentation from their physician or an ER doctor stating what is going on. My records state that I am allergic to Naloxone.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

Ekidrocks,
Very well stated,I can't take exception to anything you shared regarding the validity of rx ing subutex as opposed to suboxone.I differ in the suggestion to seek a new prescriber since realistically speaking access to specialized professionals,Financial considerations and availability of pharmacies willing to fill them creates a true DILEMA for the patient being treated with suboxone . I'm pleased you found an alternative and wish everyone could, AS IT SHOULD BE.
Regards....

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

Kkh

How long did it take you to finally get them to actually believe it was a true allergy? Did you have a hard time finding a pharmacy to fill it for you? Was the cost for this a consideration for you? You seem to be very knowledgable in this protocol

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

THEKINGPIN: When I started Bupe in 2009, I didn't know anything about this drug. I didn't know there was a difference between the two, etc. I was already a migraine sufferer at the time. I was on the Suboxone for about a week-10 days, and had a migraine almost every day while on it. (at the time, I was getting migraines about once a week, so this was unusal) I also had extreme, chronic nausea while on the Suboxone. I was miserable to the point of not even being able to work. The doctor wanted to see me back in his office to see how I was doing and I told him I was having all these problems. He switched me immediately to Subutex, and within a day or two, the migraines and nausea went away. So when I saw him the next month to get my refill, he noted in my file that I had a "extreme sensitivity/allergy" to the Naloxone.

As far as how much the Suboxone cost, I don't remember since it has been almost 7 years ago, and I was only on it for a week or so. I do remember that it was a little more than the Subutex, but I have United insurance, so my co-pay for a month's worth of Subutex was only about 30 bucks. I am fortunate that my spouse has good insurance, as I am a part time research assistant, part time fly fishing guide, and as you may know, part time usually equals "no insurance". As far as the pharmacy, I remember that when I first switched over, it took them a day to get a supply of the Subutex, since all they had was Suboxone. After that, it was never a problem. Since they had to "order" the Subutex, I have a feeling I was the only customer at that particular Walgreens who was on Subutex, and they kept some in stock for me.

That doctor has since retired from seeing patients (I actually work with him now though) and my current doctor also noted in my file that I have a Naloxone allergy. I am currently on tablet Methadone instead of Subutex, and am titrating down slowly, having gone from a starting dose of 90 mgs, down to 70mgs. Will be going down to 65 mgs in the next week or so. Methadone just works better for me, Subs work better for others. Let me know if you have any more questions.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

Hi kkh, this is dani. I think we have chatted before on here...Sorry if I just don't remember your particulars, but I am wondering how long altogether, between your short time on suboxone and then taking subutex, were you on bupe altogether? How did you make the switch from subutex to methadone? Did you have nasty side effects with the subutex, as well? I have posed the question on here a few times now & haven't gotten an answer to date, asking in what is the difference between suboxone & subutex, to be hopefully answered by someone with a history similar to mine, in that I have only ever had suboxone (in both pill & film form), and have never had heroin or methadone. I started taking suboxone october 2010 for opiate addiction, and for me that was just your standard myriad of percocet, vicodin, oxycodone, oxycontin, & any other med in that arena. I have not had a relapse at all since taking suboxone, as prescribed all this time, never got it by any shady means & even had the same doc my first 5 years on it, but just the same, even though it's helped, I find more & more I just have too many days where I am getting nasty headaches & have a nauseous stomach. Sometimes chewing on a tums or alka seltzer chewable takes the edge off of the nausea. I have always loved eating & been a pretty fit gal, but my appetite has gone to hell in a hand basket the last 3 years or so, where eating is just more of a necessity then something to be enjoyed, ya know? Also, isn't methadone a full agonist opioid, though perhaps not one of the stronger and more addictive ones? I don't want to come off ignorant in any way and have lots of reading over the years but come across conflicting info at best. For whatever reasons, it seems since suboxone was fda approved, methadone was no longer the drug of choice for opiate addiction, though I guess it is still the main "Go to drug" for heroin addiction - is this correct? Or maybe is it that you are a chronic pain sufferer & this is why you take methadone now? Just curious. Always trying to remain open to other therapies, especially since more & more I am not as comfortable with suboxone as I used to be. Maybe this is because I can no longer take the tablet & only get the film, not sure.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

DANI: Yes I remember talking to you a while ago. Let me see if I can at least answer MOST of your questions.

So I was on Bupe from 2009 to 2014, and now just over two years on the Methadone, 2015-present. I was always on the tablet Subutex, and never did the film, as Subutex only comes in tablets. Now I am on tablet Methadone that I get from a doctor, so I don't go to the Methadone clinic. I have done the Methadone clinics in the past though. I am currently on 70mgs of Methadone, and have titrated down from a starting dose of 90mgs. I am getting ready to go down another 5mgs to 65mgs in the next week or two. I go down to 5mgs, wait until I am FULLY adjusted (usually about 4 to 6 weeks) and then I go down another 5mgs.

When I switched from Bupe to Methadone, the doctor I was working with was retiring from seeing patients. We talked about the fact that I would probably do better on the Methadone, but since he was getting ready to retire, he needed to find me a doctor that would prescribe it for me, which he did. I also suffer from fibromyalgia, and that is "technically" what it is prescribed for. If you are on Methadone purely for addiction/recovery, it is very hard to find a private doctor to prescribe it, and you end up at the clinic. With my work, I can not do the clinic system. (I am often gone for days or weeks at a time, in remote places that don't have Methadone clinics)

Physically, making the switch from Bupe to Methadone is easy, It's switching from Methadone to Bupe that can be a problem, since Methadone is so long acting. It is recommended that you be on 30mgs or lower before switching to Bupe, and you need to stop the Methadone AT LEAST 48 hours before. The more you are on, the longer you have to wait. I recently worked with someone who was on a fairly high dose of Methadone, 75mgs, and they went into precipitated withdrawals EVEN AFTER 6 DAYS OFF THE Methadone! But I just stopped taking the Subs and started the Methadone the next day, no problem. It took a few days to figure out what the proper dose was though, so I felt pretty crappy for a day or two as my doctor started me on a low dose and then went up.

I never had any "nasty side effects" from the Subutex, only from the Suboxone because of the Naloxone. You may indeed have a Naloxone sensitivity or even an allergy. Have you been taking it without problems, and just NOW are feeling side effects? That one has me a bit puzzled. People's body's change though, and as we get older, we can actually develop allergies to things that were never a problem before.

Yes, Methadone is a full-agonist opioid, just like Vicodin, Oxycodone and Morphine. Bupe is a partial-agonist, partial-antagonist opioid, which makes it a bit trickier to deal with. Methadone it is just as physically addictive as any other opioids, and tough to get off of. That's why I have to titrate down VERY SLOWLY. I may have to be on a small dose of Methadone for life, but I would like to TRY to get off of it, or at least come down to a lower dose. My doctors say that people with long term or "stubborn" addictions (like me) seem to do better on Methadone, since it is full-agonist. He also says I need to look at it like a diabetic who needs to take insulin in order to be healthy. There are some of us who would really struggle without some sort of ORT, and if I can't completely come off of the Methadone, then so be it.

It sounds like Bupe is working for you, but the Naloxone is messing with your body. You may want to bring this up to your doctor, and see if you can get Subutex instead. You have been clean this whole time, and are not someone who uses needles, so hopefully your doctor (or another doctor) can help you. The only reason that Naloxone is even in Suboxone is to keep addicts from taking the pure Bupe intravenously. Very little of the Naloxone is absorbed when taken sublingually (less than 10%) but it is of course 100% absorbed when taken intravenously. This is called the bioavailability of a drug. So if an addict takes the Suboxone intravenously, they get a big whammy of that horrible Naloxone, and you don't want that. But taking Subutex intravenously is a joke anyway. Anyone with a legit opioid habit isn't going to feel "high" from Subutex, no matter how they do it, or how much. That's how it's designed to work.

I am a long time, 30 year+ opioid addict, and I never got into the pills at all, or any other drugs for that matter. In fact, there is a bottle of Vicodin in the medicine chest right now from my spouse having a fractured shoulder. I'm not even tempted.

If I was you, I would do what I can to get Subutex instead of Suboxone. That Naloxone had me so messed up, I couldn't even work. Life is too short to walk around with headaches and nausea. And as a gourmet cook, I agree that eating good food is one of our best pleasures, so you need to do something about that. Just have a talk with your doctor, and if he/she won't help you, go on that Suboxone website and find another one who will. Call around and explain your situation. Let me know if you have any more questions.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

I've done this twice now. Go on the Suboxone website, click on near me, enter zip code. Boom 20+ suboxone doctors at your disposal. They really do care about you if it's a small clinic. Alain don't take any op's the day of or 12 hours before or they will not let you start the outpatient treatment that day. It has literally turned my life around in 6 months.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

I currently have an opiate habit. I'm a 5.7, 150lb male. How can I get subutex?

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

I'm going thru seboxin withdrawals it made me sick give me headaches is there a subutex Dr in my area mooresville nc 28115?

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

LEANE: The only way to actually "abuse" the Subutex is to inject it. Otherwise there is no real way to abuse either drug. The Naloxone in Suboxone is only in there to keep people from injecting it. And injecting Subutex is BEYOND desperate. Anyone with a legit opioid addiction isn't going to get "high" from Subutex.

I'm glad you are finding the Subutex to be useful. I too had problems with the Naloxone. My medical file says I am allergic to it, It made me feel HORRIBLE!

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

First of all many like myself are truly allergic to the naloxone and box is 3x higher than tex In my state and I'm sure it is everywhere else there's a whole separate drug added to it which is not cheap fact

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

CRAZYLADY: Yes, there is an additional drug added to the Bupe, but not THAT much. Three times the price is ridiculous. I know that the Naloxone inj. kits that you can get for emergencies contain 3 doses, and those three doses are about $50 bucks for most of us who have insurance. So it isn't a cheap drug. (By comparison, my month's supply of tablet Methadone is about $30) But making the price TRIPLE? That's unfortunate. I still have to think that it's cheaper than buying a month's worth Oxycodone.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

OCD: In fact, the federal government is cracking down on "drug courts" that refuse to let their participants use Subuxone, therefore INCREASING the use of Suboxone for drug addiction.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

i get sick everytime i take my dose of suboxone. I throw up everytime. but my doctor will not switch me to the subutex e...

227 REPLIES

I live in Wilcox PA n been on suboxone for 3yrs . I want to get on subutex instead b/c can't afford it n my depressi...

9 REPLIES

is this possible or is it all mental? I know someone who is on suboxone but prefers the subutex (white ones). He says th...

5 REPLIES

I tried taking a suboxone 2 days after my last dose of methadone but am now in withdrawal. Can I take methadone now to b...

58 REPLIES

I am a opiate addict trying to get clean, but suboxone has always made my withdrawal symptoms worse so I need help findi...

4 REPLIES

Hey everyone. I hope that someone can give me some direction. I've been an addict for about 17 years. Long story sho...

7 REPLIES

I have a quarter piece of subutex and 10 hours ago I took suboxone so is it ok for me to take the subutex? I'm in wi...

2 REPLIES

I ran out of subutex last night - can I take suboxone today? ## Hi Ash, Based on my research, there are no drug interact...

34 REPLIES

How long do I wait to take subutex after suboxone? I need advice from others that have switched. ## Subutex contains Bur...

1 REPLY

My daughter abuses opiates and is now quite poor. I have been trying to get her subutex but cant find anyone to prescrib...

4 REPLIES