Maximum Dose Of Suboxone/subutex & Chronic Pain
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What is the maximum dose of suboxone or subutex when you have severe pain?

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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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Re: RPhd Houston (# 6)

If you haven't taken suboxone yourself, then you have not idea what you're even talking about. When I first got on Suboxone, my doctor said nothing at all about it helping with chronic pain. Yet upon the first dose I noticed that my back almost to completely stop hurting and I have four herniated disc in my cervical spine and two in my lower spine plus moderate stenosis throughout. So it wasn't the power of suggestion that helped me with my pain. I noticed pain relief 15 mins after taking it. I mean some people this medicine will help for pain and Summit won't for obvious reasons I mean I shouldn't have to name those reasons. But if you've never taken it then you have no idea what you're talkin about. Even if you're a doctor and you've never taken it for opiate addiction and or pain than you have no clue so keep your comments to yourself

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Re: Blue Valentine (# 1)

I think the max dose is 24 mg a day. Past that, the naloxone blocks the absorption of the buprenorphine, called the ceiling effect. My sub doc told me this.

I started out on 8 mg a day & have since weaned down to 4 mg a day, which I'm staying at because it does help with my arthritis & fibromyalgia pain!

May I ask the nature of your pain? Because if it is osteoarthritis you can take glucosamine chondroitin! It works well for joint pain, too! I also take Co-Q-10 for muscle pain & fatigue! Works great for me. Also try a turmeric/boswellia combination because they both kick inflammation's ass! All of these are nutritional supplements. Go to swanson.com to order cuz u get amazing discounts & the products are trustworthy.

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Re: May78 (# 511)

According to my doctor they can do microdosing of the suboxone b4 you're all the way off the other opioid to help with the transition.

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I was wondering if Suboxone or Subutex works differently for chronic pain. I asked my doctor to take me off oxycodone and put me on Suboxone for my chronic pain because my tolerance was getting pretty high and I was up to 60 mg a day on the oxycodone. I'd much rather be taking two doses a day of medication than six. I'm on the Suboxone and it is helping with pain but just wanted to check, does anyone have any experience with either of these drugs in use for chronic pain?

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I’m pretty sure that it’s 3-8 /2 mg strips per day, that’s how much I take for chronic migraines that I’ve had for about 40 years. I also take a small amount of Xanax (0.25 mg x 6 per day) along with the Suboxone & that has controlled my migraines BETTER than anything else I’ve ever tried & I’ve tried A LOT of different meds.

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I have been taking 2 x 8 mil tablets (16 mil a day) for about 5 years. I think the maximum is 24 mil a day. I take them to replace opiates but when I'm in pain I sometimes insufflate it. I know it's wrong and don't recommend it, but it does help more with my pain.

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I have had to use 8 mg of Suboxone 3 times a day and it works vs the pathetic amount of pain meds I was on.

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Re: CoastBella (# 518)

YES!!! I have been on Suboxone for about 8 years now and I was on every narcotic that the pharmacy had in stock I have numerous health issues and on top of Lupus and Diverticulitis and waiting for my knees to be replaced ( I was due to have the surgery next week but due to the COVID 19 pandemic I have to wait until who knows when I had both of my knees done with company reconstruction and it failed) that's only a few of my health issues. But yes I used Suboxone as a pain reliever after the last surgery and I will never go back to pain pills. God bless you I pray that you find a good doctor who knows that Suboxone IS A PAIN RELIEVER.

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Re: fireman625 (# 3)

I was on so much/many different opiates daily if I could post a printout from the pharmacy I was using it would blow some people's mind. Yes that many of numerous in the same day) for years due to chronic pain. I had never taken a pain pill until I was about 30 years old and never consumed marijuana (I would rather see people consume marijuana than use anything else illegal and use suboxone or subutex). All forms of diagnostics have been done from bloodwork to mri cat scans nerve conducting and specialist that have all agreed that I will need a form of pain relievers for the rest of my life. I was tired of being told that every 3 months or so I would need a "Breakthrough med" so I did my research and I started taking suboxone as a pain reliever (after having complete knee reconstruction surgery on my knees). It worked and I am so blessed to have doctors who know that suboxone is a pain reliever. Here I am after 20 plus years of being on so much pain meds at ridiculous dosages and taking 8 mg 3 times a day has helped me to be able to have a life enjoying my family especially my grandsons and function with every day life. Now if people get on suboxone or subutex and misuse it or sell it then they will make it harder for those of us who need it. I will one day maybe be able to stop taking suboxone but with all of my legit health issues I will not give up and ever go back to using pain pills and patches. I do know people that get sick taking 2 mg. I personally think that if it is too strong for you talk to your primary care doctor and your pain management doctor too. I am sure that they can help you with how much to take and such. God bless all of you who are chronic pain patients.

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Re: RPhd Houston (# 6)

I used to take oxycodone, opana, norco, lortab, and every other opiate....fentanyl, hydromorphone, and only one worked with no side effects for me. Subutex pretty much saved my life. I take it when I wake up and have a bad back, due to herniated discs L1-L5. It helps phenomenally. I feel no pain the whole day. So don't go back to med school. It's legit. Only 8 mg.

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