Getting back on subs - Anyone else get headaches? Advice?

[hormonejunkie]

So, it's 3am and I'm waiting it out until I can take my buprenorphine (generic Subutex) without risking precipitated withdrawal. 12 hours is usually a long enough wait with my doses. It will be 12 hours at 6am, so I plan to sleep soon and take my first sub once I wake up. (Am I the only one who lives for the morning dose, of anything? To wake up feeling like crap and then take something, have some breakfast, kick back and let the relief wash over... Guess I'm clearly an addict because I would take that over waking up feeling great I think!)

Anyways, I do like the sub a lot except for one side effect, which is headaches. I was taking 2-4mg a day but am going to try to reduce that as much as possible to start off and hope that helps. (Supposedly dosing more often is better for pain so I am going to try that as well.)

Anyone else have headaches on Subutex and any advice? I already get migraines and headaches fairly often. Daily headaches I cannot stand. The sub headaches feel like motion sickness headaches, like being in a car for too long. But last most of the day.

Weird to start feeling excited about feeling crappy right now, but it is a relief to get back on stupid subs. They are my plan until I can get the rest of my health in order, which is taking time. My husband has pain pills Rx-ed to him and I will think about them constantly if I don't have something of my own for awhile. He barely even takes them and thinks I'm "a joke" for asking him for them.

[hormonejunkie]

In my experience, subs doctors care more about getting paid than about patients. Just from my own doc and what I've read. I think that if you're just honest - Say that you've found ways to acquire subs but would rather be under the supervision of a doctor - you will be OK. Drug testing is pretty common so lying is pointless and you are more likely to be turned away if you're caught in a lie. Going into a subs doc basically means admitting you're an addict and struggling on your own. My guess is that it will be fine.

[hormonejunkie]

My drug of choice would be hydromorphone (Dilaudid). I guess I'm an addict even though I would ideally (given access) be taking 3-6 4mg pills a day. I would say that 80% of the time I take them for physical pain. My husband has an Rx which I am sometimes allowed to dip into. Otherwise I have gone into the ER for back pain and other things. I do have back pain but honestly the pain I'm treating is widespread. I have an appt with an endocrinologist in November but I guess I'm on my own until then. I feel like crap every.single.day. If I could check myself into a hospital for a few days and have them run a million tests, I would.

My husband obviously thinks I'm just lazy since having our kids so I feel like I have to keep pushing through all day. He has a serious chronic illness and barely bothers pretending he doesn't think anything is legitimately wrong with my body. Exercise hurts. Stretching hurts. I used to dabble in yoga and pilates and was very high energy, always moving. Now if I so much as bend over to pick a toy up off the floor, the muscles in my legs feel like they are on the verge of tearing. I can stretch them out every day but don't gain any flexibility. Sometimes I can get some momentum going and do a lot... but as soon as I stop it feels a million times worse. I used to have insomnia; now I'm tired all the time. Again, Husband just thinks I'm choosing to be lazy when I fall asleep with our one year old at nap time. I eat less than I ever have but am gaining weight. My hands, feet and legs look puffy (edema) even if I haven't been on my feet.

Subutex is RXed to me. I don't have a lot, as I couldn't afford the follow-up with the subs doc, but I have some in reserve. I mainly take those for pain as well, but high enough doses to treat pain bring side effects, and even at low doses they just make me feel dried up and crummy once a dose builds up in my system.

If it was just about the high, I would smoke weed. Or work my *** off until I could secure a prescription for benzos. I got on subs AFTER I had tapered off of pain pills and was withdrawal free. I didn't know what else to do as I can't find a doc who will write me a scrip for pain meds even if I agree to urine tests and all that.

I have tried OTC meds. My primary care doc (who I dislike, but it's so hard to find a new one, especially to get any sort of timely appt) prescribed Rx strength ibuprofen. Then Naproxen. Muscle relaxers. The muscle relaxer just makes me MORE tired, doesn't help completely. The NSAIDs gave me an ulcer that landed me in the ER. I feel like I'm taking crazy cocktails of meds and supplements (vitamins, Rhodiola, 5-HTP) and not getting anywhere close to the relief I'd get from a low/normal dose of narcotics. I was initially diagnosed with post-partum depression even though the only thing making me depressed was the thought of caring for a baby everyday in so much pain. (He was brand new and I would DREAD him waking up because just carrying him to the changing table was so hard on my body. My sweet baby. I felt cheated.) I was on Zoloft for a few months but it didn't help anything other than make me MORE tired and unable to focus.

Sorry for the novel but... I do feel like I've exhausted my options until I can get in with the endo. And if it isn't a thyroid/hormone issue, I honestly don't know what I will do. Right now I am just trying to get by and enjoy my life as much as possible until that appointment. I have two small kids and I can't get these days back. I would rather be on drugs and happy and present in their lives than sleeping all day, leaving them wondering why Mama won't get up and play with them.

If anyone has suggestions for getting faster medical attention, I'd love to hear it. Right now it's bad but not bad enough to "require" immediate care or inpatient treatment. "Toughing it out", as my husband says, is just not an option.

[racheldewey]

Can someone help me.. I have a doctors app and I have suboxone in my system and its my first app for sub

[lulu747]

I'm sorry but I can't help but feel sad that this is the choice that you made.  I understand that you are feeling desperate because of your pain issues and the emotional roller coaster you are on, but knowing what I do about sub from all the good people on here, your choice scares me.
I know that you don't want to hear this but you really are playing with fire and I really think you need to be more proactive in finding a doctor who will listen to your issues and help you come up with a better plan. Subs are WAY stronger than what you've been taking.
Did your doctor prescribe the sub because they won't prescribe you other opiates any more?
The things that you've posted about really point to a thyroid problem and subs are REALLY not good for this.  I know you are frustrated having to wait so long for an endicrinologist but there are ways of balancing your thyroid naturally so that you don't feel so awful.  My future MIL has Graves disease and before it was diagnosed her entire family thought she was going crazy.  She was in awful pain and completely manic.  She almost died before she was finally diagnosed properly but she managed to work with her doctor (who has Grave's herself) to manage it naturally without ANY drugs.  It took time but was so worth it in the end.
Anyways-
I really feel for you and hope that you find some comfort and resolution soon.  But I can't help but feel that you are knocking on the wrong doors and getting yourself in deeper in the opiate mess.
Lu

[weaver71]

A common symptom of too high a dose bupe is headaches. I see it a lot with hydro addicts, it's hard to take a small enough dose to be equivalent. I am confused as to why you are goin "back" on subs, did they not work for you last time, why would they work now? Why did you quit subs last time? Is the bupe for pain? We need more info to help, fill us in an we will try.

[EvolverU]

Hi :)

I'd echo Vicki's questions. Can you tell us a little more about your health issues & your history of opiate use? I'm assuming from the 12 hour window you mentioned that you're switching from Hydros, Codeine, Oxy's to Subs. Otherwise, if it's a synthetic or even Heroin I'd strongly caution you to wait a lot longer. It sounds like you've done this before, though.

I always had a low grade headache & malaise on Subs. Hydrating well & exercise helped, though as did deep breathing. I kept my dose pretty low as @ higher doses my symptoms worsened. I was not using it for pain but rather for maintenance/harm reduction & later briefly for detox off M'done.

Please, let us know how it's going & what you're thinking & feeling.

We're here! :)

[Amandag78]

Hi, when i was on subs, i used to get severe migraines everyday. I was prescribed Sandomigran (sp) from my gp.
It helped a lot, but to be honest with you, the migraines didnt stop till i stopped subs.
Some people are just more sensitive to the ingredient than others.
Lots of water should help and panadol and nurofen ( without the codeine in it ).
Good luck : )

[vicki595]

Can you tell us a little more about why you're taking Subutex? Is it rx'd to you?  Are you trying to detox from an addiction?

[61chevy]

Read ur post awhile ago n wanted u to have response,  tho I'm not sure I can answer ur questions.
Sounds like u r going "back" on to sub?
I am on day 19 of being clean from long term sub use.  I never got headaches tho i have read others that have.   I did get nauseous when I took too much.  Just like taking too much pain medication, sea sickness type feeling.

Yes....I LOVED the morning buzz.   That warm blanket that washed every ache n pain, every discomfort n gave me the warm fuzzies.  Wasn't long, n that buzz owned me.  I needed more to achieve it n when it was gone, the wd's were worse.

I went on a long, slow taper program.   Still a horrifying experience, but it did ease the symptoms, day by day.  Yesterday,  for the first time in years,  I had a 2 hour natural high energy rush.  It was in indescribably incredible experience.  If u, we, eventually get to that point, where that feeling is who I really am, I assure u, u would trade that buzz for that natural high.

I understand real pain issues.  I do hope u have a long term plan, long term goal to get pain issues resolved n get off medications.   It can b done n it is worth it.  I'm in very early stage of recovery n so looking forward to a life free from being "owned" by a drug.  I certainly wish u the best.