Suboxone and Chemotherapy Pills

My father is in his mid 50's and claims he has been recently diagnosed with prostate cancer. He claims his doctor is treating him with chemotherapy pill. For reasons of my own, I think he's making the whole thing up. I recently recieved mail from his insurance company stating that he has been filling prescriptions of suboxone for months now. That being said, I'm wondering should someone who is taking chemotherapy pills once every 10 days be taking suboxone as well?

[IBKleen]

Hi & Welcome,

There is no way we can tell if he is doing what you think he is. Your best bet is to ask him.

And no, he should not be taking the two. If he is, he needs to be strictly under his doctor's care. This is the first I ever heard of this but that does not mean it isn't so.

I just find it odd that he is hiding it from you if that is in fact what he is doing.

Try and speak with him and see how that goes. I am sorry you are going through this.

[hellc@mst]

Hi there. There is no reason why a doctor wouldnt prescribe these two medications concurrently. In fact i would have thought it preferable to have an opioid addict stabilised on suboxone while undergoing chemotherapy. The 2 are not mutually exclusive and not contraindicated. While i have no personal experience with this combination it is not out of the realm of possibility for a cancer patient to also be prescribed some form of narcotic painkiller.

Having said that, there is something that has piqued you suspicions. I would not use the combinations of these 2 medications, alone, as irrefutable evidence that your father has been lying to you. This is no smoking gun.

All the best. Kind regards Jeremy.

[vicki595]

I agree,Jeremy.  Also,I'd like to point out that this man is entitled to his privacy.  His
insurance company is sending mail to YOU?  Or is it to him at your address?

I think I'd accept what he says unless you are somehow being hurt by his actions.

[Jaybay]

Just because your father has regular prescriptions for Suboxone does not mean it is prescribed for addiction.  Suboxone is now being used for pain management.  It's possible he has been treated for pain from the prostate cancer well before chemotherapy was started.  

There are many different kinds of chemo, and some of them are oral preparations.  Dosage and timing can vary wildly depending on what is being used, what stage the cancer is at, and if radiation is part of the therapy.

Why don't you just ask your dad about the Suboxone?  I wouldn't do it from a confrontational stance, but more as a concerned daughter.  It's usually better to give the benefit of the doubt - particularly where family is concerned.