Do You Gain Weight With Suboxone? (Page 9)

Hi I'm just starting to research suboxone. I'm currently going to a methadone clinic every day and it is such a hassle. I have to get up every morning at 4am to be there in time to get to work the line is so long but that's beside my point, My real question is Do you gain weight with Suboxone? This is my third attempt at trying to get off of opiates by taking Methadone but every single time I start taking Methadone I gain 40 to 60 pounds within the first 4 months. Most people do, some don't I just happen to be one of them. I get so discouraged by the weight gain that I stop going to the Methadone clinic and then start using again. Sadly my mom died from using the same drug I used before treatment. I have 3 children and want to get my life together again but I just can't cope with the weight gain. Can anyone tell me if Suboxone has the same side affect? And also is there any difference between Suboxone & Suboxine? PLEASE HELP!!!

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TRACY: Yes, Suboxone, Subutex and methadone can all cause weight gain. And the only difference between Suboxone and Subutex is that the Suboxone has an opiate blocker in it called Naloxone. The reason it is in the Suboxone is so that addicts don't take the Subutex intravenously, which is just buprenorphine. SO...Subutex is buprenorphine, and Suboxone is buprenorphine plus Naloxone.

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Yogey,

What in the world are you concerned about being a big guy? There are plenty of big girls in the world as there are men. There is no rule for big or small and be careful when you start becoming your own judge, on all matters. Join some groups and get out of yourself. I am not picking on you, I have problems too and over a period of time gained a lot of weight while on methadone. I know nothing about you but I will suggest something that I think would help you. If you are not a Church goer, start going. Figure out what your fundamental beliefs and values are then find a Church that fits, then stay in it. Yes, you are going to find apostate members in every Church, pastors and elders that dip in the cookie jar but that is not your responsibility to police the Church. if people worry about a Church mishandling tithes and gifts, find a Church that provides a monthly financial statement, they do exist. Now, if you do start attending a Church, don't be shy. If you can love one person you can love everyone, it requires "your commitment to compassion". Be grateful that you can wake up and realize that the gift of breath is still in you. If goals and expectations are set to high, you will ultimately experience disappointment which leads to depression and anger. There is no real immediate success at anything and defining success all by yourself is dangerous. If you want peace and joy and laughter and hope you have to give yourself permission to experience that and ask the one that created it all for that. Miracles happen overnight and sometimes over years. Please my friend, don't give up I guarantee you if you open your eyes, mind and heart you will be able to see the miracles daily around you and who knows, maybe that alone is enough miracle for you. May God bless you and your loved ones and fill your life with peace love and happiness. The world, well it is just about done, so go after the important things not the temporary stuff we are offered here.

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I've been on suboxone for almost a year now and just started my taper recently (last month) but I'm down to 4mg (half of an 8mg strip). Next week I'll be cutting that in half down to 2mg daily. Im a small framed female, always have been under 120. My only weight gain was 3 pregnancies, all got up to about 160 but quickly rebounded to the 120. After being on suboxone for about 4 months I was up to 150! I eat the same I've always eaten, I don't exercise but I'm active if that makes sense. I have NO DOUBT that it's the suboxone. But I've read that after you come off the sub you can lose the weight fairly easy. Good luck!

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CORT: Most of these ORT's can cause weight gain. I think Methadone is the absolute worst for this. I really didn't gain much weight with Subutex, but with Methadone? OMG, I was eating the same, exercising the same, gained 20 lbs within about 3 months. UGH!!

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I have had a very long history of opiate abuse... I've been on methadone 3 times and when I was on it for a long period of time I gained a ton of weight. Had a very bad experience coming of subs years ago...so sick...could keep no food down. And that was a 30 days taper. Fast forward 8 years, I ended up, being an addict, right back into hell. In December, I started subs because I just needed to feel semi normal. I have had 6 children and with the exception of pregnancy, was never over 125. Mind you, i take a very small dose....one 8 mg strip can last me 10 days or more. Since Dec...i kept gaining weight. Last I was 150..I am sure I have gained more since then. Can't fit into anything. The other day I was depressed and couldn't understand. I don't eat any different. I don't eat sweets....ever...no chips, no candy, no soda. And there it appeared. ...it's the SUBS. Don't care what any doctor says they will make you gain weight just like methadone makes you gain weight. Whether or not you gained it from eating extra sweets or water retention. I'm just a little confused because the dose I take is so very small. I'm happy because at least I'm not sticking needles in my arm anymore but this weight gain is making me very depressed.

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I have been on suboxone for 10 years, since I was 19. Came off opiates. My doc strung me along on this s*** for years and years. I never had a problem with it though, it gave me energy, and I just felt pretty good on it.

I've always struggled with weight, but I managed to lose 40 lbs on it doing low carb and working out about 3-4 years ago. The past year to two, my body has completely changed. I gained all the weight back, and nothing, absolutely nothing I do is helping me lose it. I eat low carb, I workout more than ever, and I just gain.

I don't know if it's the suboxone or why it would suddenly send my body into havoc, but maybe it is.

It's time for me to come off this stuff. I've started weaning down and hope to be off it within a couple weeks. I hope to lose the weight. These posts here have been encouraging to me.

Good luck to everyone else. I'll try to update in a couple weeks but god knows I'm literally scared of the scale.

Peace/Love

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Please forgive me for being a little brutal but someone needs to be honest with you. Firstly, if you can maintain a weight before going to methadone, your problem isn't methadone. You need to get a grip on your life and I suggest adding serious prayer to your life along with getting serious about quitting drugs.

I don't know what you are taking right now other than an opiate base drug. The methadone programs typically start you off with too much medication. Suboxone is strong. When I went to suboxone from methadone I had gone down from 60mgs a day to 20 mgs a day methadone. My doctor and most doctors have no clue what to start someone at so you have to be your own "Honest" doctor. Mine wanted to start me with one 8mg under the tongue strip twice a day.

I started doing some research and found out that most doctors with even a little knowledge said to start off with 2mg and then give it a few hours. If you feel okay after a few hours, roughly 2 to 3 hours, then don't take anymore. That will actually get you through 24 to 30 hours. Then go with 2mgs again.... You need to learn that you are not going to feel great as you tapper off.

Suboxone is a little different than methadone because your bodies brain and natural own system will start producing its own chemicals. Once you figure out what the least amount is you can survive with then start your reduction, If you have 4mg strips start cutting in half. If 2mgs will get you by then go for about 15 to 30 days. Then little by little start cutting your does smaller.

Give yourself a goal, but a real goal. 6 months to a year is realistic and if your dose is higher, it will take longer. You will find you can get down to 4mg then 2mg pretty quick. From 2mg you are going to experience slight withdrawal symptoms but very little. when you get down to .5 mgs you are almost there..... keep at it and go slow.

Now, you need to figure out what your body needs as far as food. You are an addict and I am an addict. Our subconscious knows no rules other than if it feels good its great and it remembers what is good, even if it isn't good. If you eat irregularly, stop it. Would you feed your kids 24/7 and anything they wanted? Eat a normal meal, you can figure that out and stop! don't eat anything past 6 PM, drink water or if you have to eat something, eat celery, without goop on it.

You probably drink very little water. I don't know if you smoke but if so, that doesn't help. Here is the main thing you need to learn. You need to stop letting yourself give yourself permission! If you go slowly, you can get off methadone or suboxone. My doctor is an i**** because I had gone down from 60 to twenty mgs in a few months. For what ever reason, he wanted me to go on suboxone and would have started me out at 16mgs a day which is probably really equal to 60 to 80 mgs of methadone.

Suboxone is strong, you will probably get the nods, even with 2mgs if you are not active. But eating regular times, getting on a schedule of sleeping and then doing something, physically active. I din't see if you were employed, what your habit is and what your dose is....... that tells me you are not honest with yourself...... I am going to pray hard for you, try that yourself. God Bless sister and I know you can do it! Just remember that you will always have that little voice telling you it is okay. You need to shut that voice up and put yourself on restriction.

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TIM: Unbelievable. "Firstly, if you can maintain a weight before going to methadone, your problem isn't methadone. You need to get a grip on your life and I suggest adding serious prayer to your life along with getting serious about quitting drugs." That has got to be the biggest LOAD I have heard in a while. When you start right off with a self-righteous load of s***e like that, there is really no need to go on. But, I jumped in regardless, so here we go.

First of all, ORT's will ABSOLUTELY cause weight gain, BUD, so spare me your mis-information. ALL ORT'S. They cause drops in metabolism like nobody's business, so on that, you are just plain WRONG.

Second, this is a forum for ADVICE REGARDING MEDICATION; it is absolutely NOT a RELIGIOUS FORUM. Keep your religious opinions to yourself. Telling someone on a forum regarding medication that they "just need some prayer in their life" is a joke, just like you are.

Third, this is a forum for ADVICE REGARDING MEDICATION; it is absolutely NOT a FORUM FOR DIET/NUTRITION ADVICE. You make a LOT of assumptions. "You probably don't drink enough water.." etc. How and why, ON THIS PLANET, would you make this assumption? So besides being a religious adviser, an addiction specialist, and a nutrition expert, now you are a psychic? Wow. Telling someone what they should eat and how much....you are, again, a complete and total joke.

Fourth, yes there are indeed some less-than-desirable docs out there. But calling doctors and medical professionals "idiots" when it is YOU who is indeed the "idiot" on here is pretty darn hypocritical. And anyone who gets "the nods" on 2 milligrams of Suboxone needs to just stop altogether. People who have LEGITIMATE OPIOID TOLERANCES are not EVER going to "nod off" from 2 milligrams of Bupe. And it is recommended that a person do roughly half the Bupe, of what they were doing on Methadone. So a person on 30 mgs of Methadone should be on roughly 16 mgs. of Bupe. Now, this can vary of course, and if a person can do less ORT's in general, I'm all for it. But as I said, anyone who is "nodding" off of 2 mgs. of Bupe really needs to just stop altogether. And how nice for them! Some of us will need to be on some sort of ORT for life, and we don't need some self-appointed "expert" telling us to just eat celery, pray and drink more water.

I have been an opioid addict for 30 years, have been on Methadone and Subutex, and am also involved in medical research. I work with one of the leading addiction specialists in the entire US. In fact, for a while, he was the Addiction Specialist for an NBA basketball team, and still consults for the NBA. He speaks for 8 different pharmaceutical companies, mostly for this new wave of opioids that are virtually "abuse proof". He also speaks regularly in front of the State Legislature in as an addiction expert. I let him read that whole load of garbage you wrote, and his first, honest reaction was "another 'world's foremost authority' heard from. I really hope no one LISTENS to this guy!!". What you wrote would be just plain hilarious if it weren't on a site where someone may ACTUALLY take your "advice" as being the least bit accurate. "someone needs to be honest with you"....Yeah, well it ain't YOU, pal.

Religion, or lack thereof, is a personal thing. This is NOT a religious forum. You want to give people religious advice? There are PLENTY of forums out there for religion. FIND ONE.

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TIM: "I din't see if you were employed, what your habit is and what your dose is....... that tells me you are not honest with yourself." Ok, so because she didn't tell YOU her entire life story, that tells you that she isn't "honest with" herself? Are you even flipping SERIOUS right now? You have GOT to be the most ridiculous individual on here IN A WHILE. I mean, that doesn't even make sense!!! Holy crap man, maybe YOU should pray that your "god" blesses you with a little humility, because you seem to think that your $#!& doesn't stink. Work on your own GLARING issues before you start telling others how to live. Holy crap....LITERALLY holy crap.

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Hello there, I've been on subutex for over 5 yrs and I've stayed at around 180 lbs. I know quite a bit about the medicine, seeing that I've been on subs for a while now and my wife is a Certified Prevention Specialist.

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Tim

I find your attempt to inform a stranger of an effective treatment protocol without benefit of a basic history presumptuous to say the very least.I feel blessed that my clinic experience differed 180 degrees from what you CLAIM are the standard norms.Although nutrition is important in any aspect of life ones belief in your God reeks of hypocrisy.I only hope others take YOUR advice with a grain of salt because that's about the true value of suggestions like your own....

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I am hopeful your clinic is successful. By successful I mean helping people end any type of addictive substance abuse. I gave my testimony and suggestions in response to someone who was requesting testimonies, pertaining to weight gain while using Suboxone as a tapering method of ending substance abuse. It seems I have upset a lot of people, including you. However, the person requesting testimonies did not have the same reaction as those who were not intended as recipients of my response, nor in my response did I request anyone else's consideration or critiquing of my testimony and advice.

It appears that those who were not part of the request I responded to, responded to my post of their own choice and basically have a two part objection to my comment. I recommended prayer along with what I believe viable dosage comparisons between Methadone and Suboxone and a basic tapering suggestion with an action plan. I received many scathing rebuttals and insults, of which all those who commented are within his or her right to do so. However, I did not read in the post made by the original person making the request, an additional request for analysis of individual responses made to her.

I do know is Suboxone and Methadone are opiate based engineered drugs and according to dosages, much different in potency in comparison. And, face facts, these specialized engineered drugs are just as addictive, if not worse that the drugs they supposedly are intended to replace, according to their purpose engineering. Many drugs people are attempting to end usage of can also be eliminated by still using them, through a tapering process.

There are very few clinics and programs that treat all aspects of patients heath and mental needs while a patient is attempting to end a usage problem and recover from drug abuse, including with an implementation of a tapering program. It is amazing to me how many crazy clinical recovery programs are marketed, where the programs designers and management haven't a clue regarding the differences of similar effecting drugs, their potency and the potency of Suboxone. Compared to an addicts abuse substance, dosages and potency comparisons and references are basically nonexistent. Do you by chance know what should be the corresponding starting dose for someone that is switching from Methadone to Suboxone? I think not.

Now specifically to your comment: You say you have a clinic, however do not name the type of clinic, the name of the clinic nor do you identify your qualifications to operate a clinic. You do not indicate one way or the other, if you are a recovering addict. If you are not an addict, or if you really have a clinic, with a minimal success rate, in my opinion you not qualified to comment on my comment. Your "take it with a grain of salt" indicates to me that my comment just may have relevance, perhaps raising question to the overall unsuccessful national, short term clinical results, due to policies and procedures that engage in the implementation of minimal care for patients and are more concerned about profitability.

There are three reasons / problems, people typically all have when attempting to end substance abuse, hoping for complete recovery from addiction. The first problem is the letting go of a substance one used that either made the user feel better in one or more ways or different, typically escaping from reality attempting to alter oneself mentally, physically, emotionally or a combination thereof...... which could include but is not limited to usage which could temporarily mask, reduce or eliminate depression, physical problems including but not limited to pain, emotional problems or disorders, when the aforementioned were not created or induced by substance use. The second reason being it's hard to end use of a substance when having the knowledge of an unavoidable withdrawal process, which could include minimal to severe physical discomfort, pain, experiencing temporary diminished mental capabilities, especially during the early withdrawal period. The third and final stage of recovery, I think a major problem of continuing a recovery process parallels the second stage process where again, the knowledge and understanding of withdrawal symptoms is accentuated knowing that the final stage of a recovery is a finalization process that after ending the substance use, one must abstain from repeating substance use, ever again, and deal with what can be a long term physical and mental recovery process.

You did indicate I was "slightly on target" when I mentioned diet. When you basically glossed over the importance of a healthy diet. I personally, as well as many others do, including in the medical profession, believe a healthy diet and healthy activities are critical for anyone seriously wanting lifelong and long life sobriety.

I would think it safe to assume, not only for addicts and normal folks, that 90% of physical and a vast amount of emotional illnesses can be directly linked to poor or unhealthy diets. Why do I include emotional illnesses with physical illnesses? It's pretty simple to figure out if someone is ill physically that emotionally there is an unquestionable side effect. You can argue this point if you like, but facts are facts.

Finally, I want to address my reasoning for suggesting not only prayer but serious prayer. When I speak from experience, I include what I believe to be important factors in my recovery and maintaining my sobriety. I can only speak for myself and no matter what I may comment on or suggest, the receiver has free choice and will to basically use or reject a part or in whole anything I might recommend.

I have no clue, nor is there any indication this young woman is a person of faith or not. I am, so I speak in that manner. You see, that is my right. If a person is one of faith, then I want to make sure I emphasize "serious prayer" because in today's religious society, casual relationships with what many denominations refer to as God, is worthless, in my opinion. No one is obligated to do as I say, he or she can choose to accept my suggestion, reject my suggestion or "Take it with a grain of salt".

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Tim goes on a forum about medicine, and starts "preaching". He knows NOTHING about the commentor, yet makes MULTIPLE assumptions. Tim is to be ignored, plain and simple.

Hey Timmy? "Do you by chance know what should be the corresponding starting dose for someone that is switching from Methadone to Suboxone? I think not." Yet ANOTHER moronic assumption. Yes, in fact, since I am involved in medical research, AND have personal experience with both of those drugs, I actually DO know. But since you think you know more than everyone else, I will go ahead and just let you think that. "I think not".... wow, you REALLY are in love with yourself, eh? Self-righteous people like yourself are a dime a dozen. Normally they can just be "blown off", as they SHOULD be. But people are on here looking for ACTUAL HELP. You seem to think you are the only one on here that can help anyone, but in reality you are a clueless monkey. I hope, as someone else said, that EVERYONE ON HERE DOES INDEED TAKE YOUR SO-CALLED "ADVICE" WITH A GRAIN OF SALT. Better yet, just plain throw it out with the trash.

Maybe you should go pray for some more humility.

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I have been taking suboxone films for 3 yrs now I went from 122 to 158 no difference in diet and if anything I am more active now. I have read many posts of it causing weight gain. I am now in the process of taking myself off of them. Prior to suboxone I was also using methadone, that did not cause me to gain. Best of luck everyones body reacts differently.

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WHITNEE: I have been on tablet Methadone for about 3 years, and i actually gained MORE weight with the Methadone than I did with Subutex. I did gain about 10 lbs with Subutex, but after switching to Methadone, the weight gain increased, and it was much more rapid. I was on Subs for about 5 years. 10, MAYBE 15 lbs in 5 years. I have been on the Methadone for just under 3 years, and I have gained at LEAST another 20 lbs in that time period. But as you said, everyone is different. Now some people will tell you that ANY opioids make you gain weight, because they slow your metabolism down in general. But in ALL THE YEARS I was on opioids, I was skinny as a rail. Subutex? Methadone? BOOM, 30 lbs plus.

And like you, I didn't change my diet (heck, if anything I eat MORE healthy now than when I started ORT) and my activity level hasn't changed. But I DEFINITELY gained weight. So the moral of the story is basically yes, ORTs can and will make you gain weight. I don't know ANYONE who has gotten on either Bupe or Methadone that hasn't gained at least SOME weight.

And one last thing; you said you are attempting to wean off of the Suboxone? Just please go as slowly as you can, and make sure that you are fully adjusted physically before going down further. I am doing the same with the Methadone, and have gone from 90 mgs down to 70, and am going to 65 in a few days here. But I am in no rush, because that stuff will catch up with you if you rush it. ESPECIALLY with the Bupe. I've been there. You will think you feel ok, cruising along, and all of a sudden it will all hit you. So just take it slowly so that you don't end up going back UP on your dose. Good luck to you. PEACE

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Unfortunately, I did gain weight on suboxone, same as when I did when I was on methadone, perhaps a little less. I've researched this for months now and it seems like some gain, some lose, and some it doesn't affect. I've been on methadone 3 times and have been on subs now for 15 months. I did gain a good 40 pounds. I can only look at it like this...I may have put some weight on but I'm clean, I'm healthy, I'm not in jail and I'm not dead.

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I too have gained A LOT of weight! However I wonder if it's the chronic constipation? I am starting Magnesium citrate 300 mg which has helped the constipation so much. I also sleep better with it. I hope I will lose weight because getting off Suboxone is VERY difficult. You have to reduce it about .5mg at a time if you can figure out how to cut up a strip and get 7.5 mg and so on. I would suggest tapering down .5 mg every three months. Any faster is difficult. Just my opinion.

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LUISA: Amen to that. If you try going down too fast, you think you're fine for a while, but it can all catch up with you and be counterproductive. And you can end up having to go back up. Slow and steady wins the race!

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Nancy google sub clinic thats how i found a syb clinic reg pain clinic doctors are not allowed to prescribe it. At least not where I'm from i had to go to clinic thats just for suboxine.

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Hi. I am going through the same thing, I am coming off an opiate addiction and am on 16mg Suboxone daily, I started 4 weeks ago but only just realized how much weight I am
Actually gaining!! I have been at a steady weight for the last year and now all of a sudden I've gained 6kg in 4 weeks and my eating hasn't changed or anything. This is horrible! It's hard enough coming off all the drugs to now be put on one that makes you gain weight and feel worse about yourself :( I'm going to start lowering my dose as of tomorrow, it always sedates me so badly I can't keep my eyes open the rest of the day.

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