Suboxone And Depression

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Hello everybody. I am from Belgium, I am 47, and it has been 6 months now that I take 24mg Suboxone per day. The doctor prescript it - exceptionally, he said - in my case for severe depression (I have a history of drugs addiction, but that was a very long time ago). Suboxone is really saving my life. I feel fine with it, I can function normally. It is really a new life to me. My new psychiatrist want me to go down to 16mg a day, but I don't. Is there any reason I should go down ? If anyone had a similar experience, I would be very interested in knowing about it. Thank you all in advance. Jo.

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hi...i also have suffered from severe depression for years..i have been on every antidepressant there is..nothing lasts...but when i take suboxone,it works wonders for my depression..i have enery and i am motivated..i use it when i am out of pills(i get some from a friend) but i have an appt with a sub doctor on friday to start using every day..it really does make me feel energized and makes me want to do things.....

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Suboxone contains Buprenorphine and Naloxone, it is most commonly used to treat drug addiction and severe, chronic pain.

While it is not approved to treat depressive symptoms, it has been investigated for this use and opiates are known to affect some people in this manner.

I would suspect the reason he wants you to lower your dosage is because 24mgs is a very high dosage and, after awhile, the use of any medication in high dosages does take its toll on the body. It can cause addiction/dependence itself, as well as possible organ damage.

You can read more on the medication here:
https:/­/­rxchat.com/­wiki/­Suboxone/­

Are there any questions?

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You should be fine. if your taking 24mg already, cutting back one pill per day shouldn't make you uncomfortable at all. I say this from experience. Been on the drug for 3 years. It's after you get off the subs that you will feel uncomfortable. but that goes away after a few months.

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4

go down little at a time you cant stay on it forever you get addicted to it also take my work your tradeing a red apple for a green one

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dear gojoelle,

I do have something to add to your question, but first of all I would like to ask you a question. In fact, I am basically in the same situation as you (except for the fact that I am male and 24yrs old), suffering from the same disease, and for me too nothing was worked. I have spent most of my life in depression, so I started researching myself on treatment for refractory depression, and I found out about the buprenorphine. I was even able to test it, and even very small doses did what huge amounts of regular antidepressants couldn't do. As chance has it, I too am from Brussels, or in fact, I moved here some time ago. My psychiatrist at Erasme told me today though that she is not willing to prescribe the buprenorphine to me, which leaves me totally desperate. There are several questions I'd like to ask you, among which where you are being trated, and so I was wondering whether you could send me an email to [email protected] .. that would be sooo kind, because I already feared having to go from psychiatrist to psychiatrist in order to see if there is anyone out there willing to help me.. and I don't even know whether I still have the force to do that.. So, if you check back at this blog, I would really really appreciate a lil' email.

As for your question:
I would recommend you go down to the lowest dose where you have the full effect. This is not because buprenorphine is addictive - it is at basically at any dosage - but because, from spending hours online reading about treatment-resistant depression, I learned that, what happens to many people is that after some time the antidepressant can stop working (that's why I am also so glad that after six months it's still working for you). So what you might want to do is, both reducing the chance that this happens, and sort of leave space above so that, just in case, you could still increase it.. however, if 24mg is the right amount for you, it's the right amount!

Oh, and don't worry about my email-adress, I do speak French, so if you prefer, feel free to write in french..
I really hope you will read this! Thanks so much in advance!!..

CR

P.S.: I posted here too, after posting on WiredIn, because there a moderator will check-read my message, and I do not know how long that takes :).. that's just why.. goodbye!

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Hey so I had a problem with depression and was using oxy's in very high doses. Doc gave me suboxone and it was the best medicine I've ever had for depression. I've tried them all and been through the trial and error stress for 4 years now. Anyway. Suboxone. When Doc was treating me I went up to 32mgs. and drop all the way down to just 8 mgs in 3-4 weeks. The thing is buprenorphine is not like other opiates. Long lasting and never need to keep increasing your dose. 32mgs and then to just 8mg a day. Listen to your doc because he knows best, I think your on too high of a dose bro. you will get the same relief going down on the suboxone. Don't trip, the drug is very unique and to me is one special medication that needs more attention for treating depression and not just for opiate addiction. I didn't want to join the stupid required doc visits and group meetings so they took me off suboxone and guess what I was not happy anymore. Trying to find a doc who can help me out. anyway

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7

I have been on sub for over a year at 16 mg. and while it has been excellent the effects are wearing off and I get wierd anxieties and out of sorts. Is long term subs a bad idea, it just feels strange.

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Please help! I went on Suboxone for depression. The only way to afford it was to claim to be "opiod dependant." I am and was in a desperate way, so did. It did not work. (!) Now I have a script that contains an opoid. I can't imagine why it would be filled-I don't want to get my doc. in trouble and/or myself arrested. Please don't judge me. If you can help, I'd appreciate an answer. Thanks in advance.

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I've been on suboxone for a little over a year now, 16mg per day. You can listen to anybody you want, but the reality is, everybody reacts differently on different doses. I would test 16mg on your own time to see if it has the same effect for you as 24mg. Like I said, I'm on 16mg and being pushed to drop down to 12mg a day. Well I decided to take a month and see how 12mg would work, and just like a year ago, 12mg didn't do for me what my normal dose can do, I might as well not spend my $10 a pill if it's not going to work for me. right? Hang in there, you know your body best

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Was taking subs for a year and a half about 1mg. per day my vicodine addictions was about 5-6 pills?a day for 10yrs i stopped taking the Suboxone in april and now its Nov. after 5weeks i couldnt take the withdrawals any more i have to work so i started taking a half 7.5 vicodine twice a day went to the Dr. he gave me vicodine and Paxil. also i take xanax as needed for anxiety i cant take the Paxil it gets me sick. I have to take 3 vicodine a day to stop the Burning ,Chills and head Zaps i still have deppression and that burning feeling cant get well should i go back on the subs? can anyone please help me ?

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He gave you vicoden instead of suboxone? For what? to help with the withdrawls? I'm surprised at that. You should be on suboxone, You wont need vicoden or paxil. Suboxone is a safe long term medication, I've talked about it with my doctor many times over. He put it like this, addiction is like diabetes in the in the sense that it is considered a chronic re-occurring disorder, and some people need to be medicated for the long term just like diabetes.

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I know but I'm scared of the subs now do you think i have P.A.W.S ? I have been off subs 7 mos. do you think i didnt ween properly and thats why i have this burnning and head zaps and deppression I dont know if i should go back on subs ?

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Hi I have been on suboxone for a week now. I was on subutex for 4 months and to me it was so much better. With suboxone I get so depressed and its like its doing nothing but taking the pain and chills away. I wanna go back on my subutex so bad! I hope my doc will change my medicine and I will feel normal again. Is anyone out there having depression with suboxone?

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I want to start Suboxone for my depression can ant one explain to me how the med is prescribed. when I look up the medicine It shows for example 8mg/2mg as a dosage are there two chemicals in subonone. Also I know all people are different and Doctors vary with their option of dosage, but can any one tells me what dosage or the suggest mg. they started on,

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15

I need a adhd and anxity dr. In or around brunswick maine I have been on a couple meds for my adhd and my dr. Left the office and new dr. Took me off all my meds that I was on and now I'm a wreck and doing terrible can any tell me about a good dr. Thaf deals with adhd and anxity thank u

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16

That is great I am trying to get a Dr to understand the benefits for people who are suffering from depression so far no luck.

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17

what the heck is a white pill with what looks like 1515 on one side and "D" or maybe half moon on the other side

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I know you posted some time ago but I am so relieved to find out I'm not the only one who has depression issues on suboxone. I had not thought of the depression even being related to use of the subs until I read your post. Is subutex just suboxone without naloxen (sp ?) In it? I am on an antidepressant as well but seems it does little to help. I appreciate any further details of how you are now and what has or hasn't helped you.

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19

It is a generic Buprenorphine.

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Suboxone changed my life. It eliminated my depression for the first time in 30 years. As for addiction, well, most of us would trade dependence for a depression free existence making the argument about potential addiction mute if not ridiculous.

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Yes if you are having head zaps you need to get back on Suboxone immediately I am 12 year opiate addict. I started having head zaps and it turned into epilepsy. So I take 12 mg subs , 3 mg Klonopin a day, Keppra for seizures, Vyvanse 60mg adhd also helps depression, also 100mg Zoloft. But head zaps started with me as I was getting off hydrocodone finally gran Mal seizures. They are under control now but you should be checked cause one day you could just fall out and have seizure. I did good luck

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Well it's not gonna mess you up to go down,suboxone has a ceiling to it,meaning most people don't feel any better on high high dose compared to just 16mg.i am currently on 12 and was on 16mg.i dropped right down to 12,and could not tell difference,but if you are worried do it slowly.it has helped my resistant depression,alot I also was hooked on pain medication for 11years, if I did not get on suboxone I would be dead now,also take vyvanse for ADHD and depression, and klonopin,but I'm weaning off klonipin.been on it 6 years.good luck

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I started taking buprenorphine 7 years ago for depression. Actually it was for sale on a foreign website as an antidepressant. Went to a Psych and told him I needed it for depression and he gave me suboxone scripts. I have been taking 1/4-1/2 mg a day for several years and still does the job. I am not happy being dependent on it, but I am happier not being depressed. I feel it would also work for alcohol or other drugs such as coke and benzos. It is however addictive and at 66 I will probably be on it for the rest of my life. One other thing. Neurontin or gabapentin react almost the same way as I have gone for weeks without the sub, instead taking 600mg divided doses of neurontin. suboxone should be prescribed for acute depression. Like someone else said, they would rather be dependent, then depressed.

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