Suboxone/Methadone comparison

[jamiemarie33]

I was just wondering from someone who really knows,  A 8-2 mg tablet of suboxone compares to how many milligrams of methadone. I was told a 8-2 mg suboxone is equal to 30-40 milligrams od methadone. I really would like to know. Thanks, Jamie

[kim715]

Are you on sub or methadone right now? I don't know anything about sub,but I was on methadone.I don't know about the comparison of the two.Just curious why your asking.

[jamiemarie33]

Was on methadone for 1 1/2 years. Ive been on suboxone for 6 months. I just want to know (because no one seems to know) where im at. (as far as where I was on Methadone and where Im at now with suboxone)

[jamiemarie33]

For example Im down to 1/2 a 8-2mg suboxone a day. Just want to know how many milligrams of methadone that is equal to.

[kim715]

I'm sorry hon,I don't know the answer.Perhaps your doctor knows.Maybe someone else will come along who knows.Hang in there.......Kim

[jamiemarie33]

Thanks! None of my doctors have ever been able to answer that question for me, that is why I am still curious!!!!!

[kim715]

You could try posting in the ask a doctor forum.Perhaps that doctor could help you out.Someone may still come along here that knows so be sure to check back...Sorry I couldn't be of more help...Kim

[liscamdave]

There is no such thing as an 8-2mg sub. There are only 8mgs and 2mgs, so when you say you are taking 1/2 of an 8-2mg sub what do you mean? Are you taking half of an 8mgs tablet of sub, which means you are taking 4mgs a day or are you taking half of a 2mg sub tablet, meaning you are taking 1mg a day? If you are taking 1mg a day, get down to half of that and then half of that if you can, that will make the w.d much easier. I don't know the comparison either, but I think you may be right about the methadone 30mgs being equiv to an 8mg sub. But I am not too sure. I know Subs are strong pills. That's about it. Good luck.

[jamiemarie33]

To clarify.......   they are 8mg - 2mg tablets of suboxone. The 8mg is the bup. and the 2mg is the naloxene. So im wondering how a 8mg tablet of suboxone compares to methadone in milligrams. Thanks!!!

[mtgoat911]

sounds about right ... 8mgs is the same as 40mgs of methadone, sounds like an accurate conversion to me,
when i was on 32mgs of suboxone i felt the same buzz as when i was on 200mgs of methadone
i am not sure about the exact conversion, google opiate conversion chart
you will be loaded on information about the "ceiling effect"
there was a girl on here who had a great chart on her profile page, not sure if its still up
,i am telling you this as personal experience as i have been on both these drugs, i can not honestly tell you that i know and can prove sub. = methadone in this amount, its just my experience
i will send you the link later to that chart, its defiantly more scientific than i am or will ever be

[jamiemarie33]

Thanks so much mtgoat911. I really appreviate it.
Im just curious because Ive been doing this for 2 years now and have been feeling like its a never ending battle. I know its something Im gonna have to deal  with for the rest of my life along with my being an alcholic. i just wanted to know where I am at as far as my progression. I cant wait for the day that I DONT have to take a pill to feel normal and go about my day.

[DJ_Sleep]

oranges and apples. methadone is a narcotic opiate. suboxone contains buprenorphine, which takes care of withdrawal symptoms but will not elevate mood. methadone will make you happy but it is addictive as suboxone is not.

[BQ77]

Dang.  DJ Sleep beat me to the punch.  As I was reading this I was thinking exactly what he said...just in other words.  I have taken just about anything that is a pill and an opiate.  I'm the most experienced with hydrocodone, but I have taken plenty of methadone and to me, methadone wasn't that much different than any other opiate I had taken before.  The only thing similar about Suboxone and Methadone is they are prescribed to help others get off other drugs.  Methadone never made sense to me though because it seemed to be the ultimate "trading one bad thing for another".  So yeah, oranges and apples.  

I will disagree with something though.  Suboxone may not be near as mentally addicting as actual opiates....but proof with this forum alone shows that it can be physically addicting meaning people who have taken Suboxone for awhile experience withdrawls when they stop.  I'm not one of the anti-suboxone people either, I think it can be a life saver for many.  I just want to make sure people get the right information as it seems many doctors out there tell their patients that Suboxone is not addicting and the won't experience withdrawls.  If you take Suboxone for it's intended purpose and take it 100% responsibly and try to taper and come off ASAP, you still may experience withdrawl symptoms, they are just a heck of a lot less crappy than other withdrawls.  

In my unprofessional opinion though, I believe that taking 4mg of Suboxone is better than taking 40mg of Methadone.  Just my opinion though.  Take care.

Barry

[mtgoat911]

jamie, just checking back in with you to see what you decided

[dizzy83]

Hey guys , in my experiance with both methadone and subutex/subxone is

I was on 16mg of subutex my doc took me off subutex because after 6years subutex wasn't holding me at my higest i went to 24mg and it still wasn't holding me.

So my doc swopped me to methadone at he put me on 40ml but did ask if i was ok with just 40mg and i said yeah thinking 40mls was more than enough.Well i was wrong i went upto 60mls and it still wasn't holding me infact i felt worse on methadone 60mls than i did on 16mg of subutex .so in the end i thought fxxk this i want off metahdone before i end up on over 100mls of the green stuff.

So i tapered down to 50mls of methadone then to 45mls and i couldn't wait till 30mls like you're suppose to inorder to switch to subutex/subxone so i jumped off methadone at 45mls .

I waited 28hours after my 45mls of methadone dose and i took my first 8mg of sub and it didn't work so i continued to take 8mg 2xaday so in effect it was 16mgaday .
After 3days of pure hell withdrawals i was ok again and felt good back on subutex at 16mgs.

So really i'd say every 8mg of subutex/subxone is to 40mls of methadone so i'd agree with the other two memebers who also said the same above just through pure experiance on both meth and subs doses.


Also subxone is different to subutex because subxone has naltrexone present a opaite blocker .Where subutex just contains bup .

Hope this helps xxx

[jamiemarie33]

Thanks so much! That was really helpful! I was on methadone for almost 2 years and made the switch to suboxone and have been on that for 6 months. So I do have experience with both. But the more I come down on my dose the more nervous I get about detoxing off subs all together.I watched my husband go through it because he detoxed quicker than me. He was taking a tiny sliver of a sub every 2-3 days at the end when he stopped taking them and he went through withdrawls (bad) for 3 weeks to a month. I have a rambonxious 3 year old son and feel I cant handle that (withdrawls for that long)
So now im down to 4mg of sub. a day. I take 1/2 of a 8mg pill in the morning.
It just bugs me that the doctors that are prescribing all these medications (methadone, suboxone, subutex, etc...) dont seem to know ENOUGH about what they are prescribing.
My doctor had me go down to 40mg of methadone before I made the switch to suboxone. Then he started me on 24mg of suboxone. I feel like that was taking a couple steps backwards for me. It seems to me if an 8mg suboxone is around or equal to 40mg. of methadone, him putting me on 24mg of sub. would be like me being on 120mg of methadone. That doesnt make much sense to me.
I feel like im rambling, but one more thing is my doctor and most doctors tell you that detoxing off subs only takes a few days, then you are back to normal, which I know is NOT TRUE! I know everyone is different and some peoples withdrawls are not as long and as bad as others, but everyone that Ive ever known (including myself and my husband) experience withdrawls lasting WAY LONGER than just a few days.
So that is why I was wondering the milligram comparison between the two.
Just wanted to know:
8mg of suboxone = _____mg of methadone
Thanks,
Jamie Marie