Maximum Dose Of Suboxone/subutex & Chronic Pain

What is the maximum dose of suboxone or subutex when you have severe pain?

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What is the maximum daily dose of subutex? I'm taking it to wean off of opiate pain killers but may need to stay on it for chronic pain. My doctor has me taking 2mg up to 6 times a day, but it feels like too much and I feel sick at 6 mg. I can't imagine taking more. Any answers would be helpful... thanks.

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If u have true clinical pain suboxone will not work it is for opiate detox only. It is an opiate blocker which will in turn allow your brain to make its own dopamine.

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feelinbettergoinbroke is wrong, suboxone is used for the treatment of chronic pain. Although, I think the reason you are getting sick is because your doctor has you taking 2mg up to 6 times a day. That in itself is causing you to become sick. The buprenorphine is a very strong opiate which fills the opiate receptors in the brain and if it is not completely out when you go to take your next dose it can cause you to become sick. I am taking 8mg suboxone sub-lingual film twice a day for chronic pain. 6 mg is a very low dose and at that dosage would only be used for the treatment of opiate addiction. The dosing for chronic pain suffers is usually higher; somewhere around 12 to 24mg a day. There are also other forms of suboxone. You have subutex which is the same as suboxone but has no naloxone in it. You also have liquid suboxone administered as a shot for short term pain suffers. You have suboxone film strips which in my opinion are the best because there is no bad taste, dissolves much faster, works faster, and works better better. The tabs you put under your tongue produce a lot of saliva which dilute the medicine causing it not to work as well. The film strips hardly produce any extra saliva. There is also a transdermal suboxone patch that is administered once weekly for those suffering from chronic pain where the pain affects the individual all day. All doctors can prescribe suboxone if it is used for the management of pain but they must write "used for pain management" on the prescription. Only certain doctors can prescribe suboxone if it is used for opioid addiction. Just talk to your doctor about increasing the dose and shortening the number of times it's taken a day. This should fix you right up.

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I have been taking Subutex and Suboxone for 6 years and it does help with my back pains. I have a herniated disc and 2 bulging disc in my back from multiple motor cycle crashes. I was on strong pain killers for 10 years and through Subutex I got my life back. Yes they both help with pain but Subutex works best.

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I am now taking only 2mg twice a day. I was taking 8 to 10mg,s for 3 years but now all I take is 2mg in the morning to ease up the stiffness and then between 6pm and 8pm I take another 2mg,s for the back pain. Regardless of what other people say it does help with the pain. My last run with Oxycodone I was taking 6 30mg Roxicodones a day. When I used Dilaudid for the pain I was taking 5 of the 8mg a day. All that had me messed up. Thank GOD I now have most of my life back.

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The doctors that are prescribing subutex for pain need to go back to med school. Or better yet maybe they are on to something. The power of suggestion is incredible. The doctors convince the patient that it can be used for chronic pain and in turn the patient who has confidence in their doctors knowledge of medicine will subconsciously manifest a feeling of pain relief. Basically it's a psyche job. Bravo doctors for finding a way to make most patients want to stop taking true opioids.

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Most likely the most brilliant post I've ever read!

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DO NOT use Buprenorphine in any form for longer than 3 months. 1 month is the longest I would take it. If you take it longterm you will find that over the years the pain killing effects will dull but the side effects won't! ALSO buprenorphine changes who you are. I can not believe these sick doctors. Hint - if the person you expect to treat your problem is ill looking, don't waste your time. If you block pain (it's meant to be there to say "hey man, you need to pay attention to me & fix me") out it will come back to bite you later in life. Please consider seeing a Chinese Herbalist as they have excellent treatments that focus on curing the problem, not blocking the symptons. My heart goes out to all you that are being abused through misinformation.
Long Live the Vedruss!

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8 8mg per day is the most they will prescribe. Or at least that's what my doctor told me. I'm on 3 8mg a day. Wish he wouldn't put the naloxone in it!

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Thank you. I take mine for pain along with lyrica (i now take gabapentin which is cheper) for nerve pain from my spinal cord injury. And I, like you, got my life back. They are really cracking down here in Houston on going to more than one doctor a month and before Suboxone I was having to go to 4-6. The pain was excruciating before suboxone and gabapentin.

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i am running out of my zanax and suboxone, i cant get to the dr for a week, its been 7hrs since my last dose can i take roxycodoiene for a few days... and when will the suboxzone wear off?

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You are easily impressed.........

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Wait at least 18 hrs. This will decrease the potential for hyper withdrawl syndrome.

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I have had chronic pain due to work related accident since 1996. I have been taking high doses of oxycontin and Loratab since my accident. I have had several surgeries spinal fusions. At the time of my injuries since it was work related it was a constant battle with workers comp. delaying any treatment and causing my condition to only become worse since I still did heavy lifting and repetitive work while taking narcotic pain meds.The Dr. that performed my surgeries was not a neurosurgeon but a Dr. workers comp. had sent me to insisting on surgery being my only way of ever getting better and returning to work.At that time I had no idea of the consequences as I had never been to a Dr. except to have my children and maybe an occasional illness. My only concern was returning to work since I have always been very independent and had worked since the age of 15. Eventually at the age of 43 I was told I had no choice but to stop working and sign up for disabilility. I fought for a year with the Dr's because I was afraid of not working I was a mother with children still in school and my husband and I both working just made ends meet. My husband went to Dr. with on one occassion and was told by my Dr. I refused to stop working. At that time I signed up for disability and was approved within 2 weeks. I have been on extreamly high doses of oxycontin,loratab,flexerell and on and on. I heard about suboxone and mentioned it to my Pain Dr. he would'nt even discuss it with me. W/comp. wants me to go with pain pump I am starting treatment but still wonder if suboxene would be worth fighting for so I can get off high doses pain med's. I only want to have somewhat of a normal life as I am now a grandmother and getting close to 60 years old. If anyone out there has any idea of what I am going thru please let me know ?

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I am in the same boat as you I've had spinal fusion and applied for disability! Reach out to a suboxone Dr. I'm on it and it helps me! Its worth a try!

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I too am taking 3 of the 8mg Suboxone each day. I was taking vicodin, norco,methdone,oxy ( not all at once!), anything that would help my back pain. I found myself running out of my scripts early & going broke having 2 buy these pills off the street! 11 years I've been taking meds for degenerative disc disease & chronic back pain. I just turned 30 yrs old& let me tell y'all.. I'm just tired. I've only been on Suboxone for 2 days & it is incredible!!! Now, paying for it... that's a whole different story. I am prescribed 90/ month but can sometimes only pick up 3 strips at a time. I paid $27 for those 3. I'm indigent & have " free" insurance, so to speak, but the drug is not covered, of course. The Dr gave me a discount card for $50 off, but it can only b used once a month. Like i said, just really works for me (24 mgs/day) but i can hardly pay for it! Anyone know of a company or whatever that can help Mr pay for my prescription? I live in Williamson County, Texas.
Thanks, hope this helps someone!

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I cant understand why you don't use your Suboxone card.. It will pay for a months worth of medicine. Walmart has the best price per strip. Also, contact Reckitt Benckiser pharmaceuticals, Inc. They might offer` a patient assistance program. Glad your feeling better

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I talked to my psychologist about Suboxone for my pain. She agreed, and put me in touch with a Suboxone Dr. I have also found out that its a mood inhibitor. I never felt better, except for the back pain has gotten worse over the year. My question is, what is the highest does that can be given per day. I take 1- 8mg morning and 1- 8mg at night.
I was told that was the ceiling does 16 mg per day. But I have heard other wise

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I wonder if you are sick due to too little opioids in your system, you may be in slight withdrawal. Ask your doctor about that.

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You are way off base saying suboxone does not workfor pain. The United States is way behind other countries in perscribing it for pain but without suboxone film I would not be able to get out of bed in the moring. (blown Disc) The great thing about this drug is it keeps you from wasting your time and vast amounts of money chasing oxy;s or loratabs because they don't work and you waste your money. Please know what you are talking about before posting. The gold old US needs to catch up with other more open minded countries. Suboxone it 100-percent better than traditional opiates.

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Re: Leaves (# 8)

I have been on suboxone 8mg a day for 10 years and they have changed me for the better. They do change the way I think about things like partying. I don't want to do those things anymore and it's the suboxone, nothing I've done. They are a lifesaver. I would be dead or in prison if I hadn't started suboxone. I have a ruptured disc and they help my pain.

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Re: Blue Valentine (# 1)

I take 2 x 8 mg buprenorphine and used to take 3 x 8 mg. I find that 2 is most of the time adequate. I don’t take suboxone I take subutex( buprenorphine only) suboxone has nalaxone which is counter productive for pain relief.

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Re: Angel (# 536)

I started out at 8 mg of Suboxone a day and I'm now up to 24 mg a day. It used to work stellar for my pain. I could not believe how much better it worked than the actually code on I had previously been on which was 50 mg a day. My doctor and I are not talking about switching me back to the 60 mg oxycodone to see if that will help but I like the Suboxone so much better because there are no peaks and valleys physically or mentally like there are with the opioids. I was thinking of asking her to just give me Subutex instead of Suboxone as well. I wish you the blessing of healing and relief. Pain is awful, life-changing and it just explains sucks.

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Re: RPhd Houston (# 6)

Can you explain why this is your opinion? I’ve heard with every other opiate that they help treat pain. With this one, I’ve only heard it helps some people, or it can treat pain. Which makes me wonder why. I’ve heard pain patients boast claims that it works and others that it’s “hogwash”.

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Re: krips78 (# 4)

Does Subutex work better because the opiate blocker otherwise blocks too much opiate for it to relieve pain? I hate opiates and I pray for a better pain reliever but I am bummed this drug I’ve been on since 2014 (which, upon going through the required methadone detox, I have increased from 8 mg to 20 mg). I’m up at 3 am w/ a level 8 migraine caused by neck and back problems, (nothing—NOTHING—helps the high level migraines aside from the indistinct, fuzzy, edge-softening type of relief) and I’m trying to see what the max dose is or whereabouts to see where I fall on the spectrum, because this is nuts. I feel like 20 mg is a lot but idk. I was on 8 mg for years then found cbd then thc, had to quit so started drinking and then had to quit that of course. Since then my high level migraines are so much worse. More frequent, longer lasting, and simply higher in level. I want to do CBT or Biofeedback therapies but my doc says CBT is tough, not effective, when your pain interrupts everything.

Anyway, I might switch to Subutex if it really is better, though and I’d love to hear a response from anyone. I’m currently going off Sertraline and Amitriptyline because I’m so tired but it’s hard to sleep well without being so completely exhausted, otherwise I can hardly lay down in my bed with the pain I’m in in such bad days. I’m seeing a new internal medicine doctor who has given me more hope for better help than in these 20 years of pain which is so exciting but so very scary. (Hope, not healing—bring on the healing! Even in tiny increments I have to work bleeding hard for!! It’s the hope that I’d hate to lose again. The reason for it. It’s so crushing and while I trust myself to move past it, it inevitably leads to depression and anxiety attacks every time it’s lost and then I don’t even want to work on my health).

Now that I’ve gotten those lovely, pent-up thoughts out (sorry about that), I want to say thank you, kind stranger or so, who might take the time to answer my question which is mixed somewhere in that mess above. Appreciate it!

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I take 24-32 mg a day for chronic pain. I was switched from morphine and oxycodone. It doesn't work that well as the other opiates did. IMHO

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Re: bennyk (# 14)

I wouldn’t, your doctor is smart. If you get labeled a drug addict because you have suboxone in your medical records it may be illegal for him to prescribe pain medication to you, depending on what state you live in.

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Re: RPhd Houston (# 6)

Yes and I hope these people are looking at their medical records to make sure they aren’t also diagnosed with opioid use disorder. If a future pain management doctor sees they were on Suboxone they’ll never get pain meds for anything ever again. Some states have laws that make it illegal to prescribe pain meds to “known addicts”.

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Re: krips78 (# 4)

Good luck getting off it though. I have come off regular pain meds after long term use and off of short term suboxone use (6 months taper) and the suboxone withdrawals were so much worse and they took weeks compared to days to get through.
Good luck.

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Re: krips78 (# 5)

Anyone who says it doesn't help with pain doesn't know what they're talking about. I take it for pain and it got my life back. Pain pills suck.

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