Subutex Problems!

[Dy2008]

Okay, For starters, I am a past heroin/oxycontin addict. I have been taking suboxone (not prescribed) for the past two and a half months, without problem, it helped my withdrawals. By the way: I take it intraveously (I do not care to hear anyones afflictions with this method)  Now since I dont get it prescribed, I have to rely on people I know to buy it from. However, all the idiots in this town have switched to subutex (the white pills). This is a huge problem for me. I began taking subutex (iv) about five days ago, and EVERY TIMe i take it, no more than an hr later do I begin to feel very nauseous, sometimes throwing up, and this lasts all day. Also, I feel this horrible tension and dull pain in the front part of my skull, beneath my face, and on my head. I also feel very horrible chills.ANd sometimes my head starts pounding  and doesnt stop all day, this is excruciating. At first, I thought I was getting cotton fever since I shoot it, but I have come to the conclusion that there is no way bacteria keeps getting in there when I am very sterile, and the degree of sickness after injection varies each day... This morning was perhaps the worst subutex pain ive ever felt. I woke up at approximately 8:30, painfully shivering, but my body was literally on fire.  My boyfriend said I felt way too hot, he took my temp at it read 104.4  , my head was also pounding, and I was pretty much screaming and crying for hours, I finally fell asleep and woke up at about 1 pm drenched in sweat, and I mean soaked.  Can someone please tell me what is going on??? Is this a reaction my body is having or just temporary side effects? Please help!

[Damonlee]

I am not entirely clear about what is causing the reaction you refer to. I do know that any temp of 104 should go to the ER. You can do some real damage to yourself at that level of fever. Secondly, everyone reacts differently to all drugs and I do know some people have a bad response to Suboxone. Given you are i.v. you must know you are activating the naloxone as well as the Bup, and it may be that you are reacting to.

I also wonder if other drugs are involved such as psychotropic meds or other recreational drugs. It is odd the reaction did not happen right away, but the fact you are getting so many severe reactions would clearly state you need to get this professionally looked at. Good luck adn keep on getting clean

[Sychotria]

If u will continue IV it , at least try lowering the dose
btw u never said your dosage or did you?
Wish you the best

[yeha_brother]

I am suffering from the same thing...but I have been shooting subutex and suboxone for over 2 years, no p problems. Until a few weeks ago, I developed a fever and it didn't go away until Wednesday..I felt fine even with the fever, just tired. That night it spiked to 102.5. 2 weeks later I got another subutex, and did it, intravenously which will last me 2.5 days. On days 2 developed slight fever, now it is out if control. The first time I thought it was a virus but I think there is a correlation. I'm starting to think it's my needle or faucet water. My needle is over 2 months old,but i clean it throughly and have switch to bottled water. No luck still have a fever.

[vicki595]

You know, the amount of brain cells you lose when your body temp gets to 104.4 is not a joke. Keep it up and you'll be mentally challenged very soon...right before this crap kills you!

[ashess210]

you u really need to stop slamming them. i am an ex heroin addict ant pill addict i slammed every pill u can think of when i moved away from tx and couldnt find H but subtex n suboxone scared the **** outta me to slam that's y your getting sick its just not ment to be abused that way. im on suboxone right now ( actully withdrawing cause my dr is a nut and i cant come in for another week) try takin them by mouth tho and see if it changes.  plz plz plz do that there are many complications that can happen by slamming any pill i used to slam perks the ones with tylonol in them and i can even begin to list the things that could have happened to me. SO PLEASE dont continue useing that that way it sounds like your having withdraws but im not sure i wouldnt risk it!!!

[dominosarah]

If you continue to do this you wont be around to feed your kids.  Please get some help with this.

[10356]

I'm not saying go into wd I'm saying put down your rig and take them orally.. If you do not survive your next boost who then will feed your kids ? It does not sound like cotton fever to me it sounds like you are having a severe reaction by slamming them.

[crazin]

Dy2008, I'm sure you're familiar with suboxone and subutex, and their differences. This is mainly for others who don't understand the difference.

Suboxone is 4 parts buprenorphine (partial agonist) and 1 part naloxone (antagonist). Agonists (oxy, heroin, etc...) attach to the receptor and activate it. It's the activation of the receptor that causes pain relief and euphoria. Partial agonists (buprenorphine) attach to the receptor but only "partially activate" it. This is by buprenorphine will take away withdrawal, but doesn't get you high. Antagonists (naloxone, naltrexone) attach to the receptor but do not activate it at all. They also block other opiates from attaching to receptors and will knock other opiates off the receptors. Naltrexone is what is given in the event of an opiate overdose and it's ability to knock the oxy, heroin, etc... off the receptor is what brings the person out of overdose.

When taken sublingually, the naloxone in suboxone has no effect - it's only purpose is to prevent IV abuse. If someone is tolerant to oxy or heroin, and IV's suboxone, it's supposed to put them into withdrawal. The problem is that the buprenorphine has a higer affinity for the receptor than the naloxone. This means it binds to the receptors more strongly than the naloxone, so the deterrent doesn't actually work in most cases. As you know, subutex is pure buprenorphine, with no naloxone. Why this makes you sick, when the suboxone doesn't make sense. If anything, the suboxone should have. The only thing I can think, would be that the subutex dose is different than the suboxone you were taking (8 vs 2mg) or you are having some rare reaction to a "non-active" binder in the subutex that is not present in the suboxone. Also, is it possible that this is not actually subutex? The only other possibility I can think of would be if you were also taking a full agonist each day before the subutex,  causing precipitated withdrawal. However, if you are dosing suboxone or subutex daily, this should not happen. I would suggest you try taking it sublingually for a few days and see what happens.

[Dy2008]

Im wondering the same thing...why suboxone is okay for me. But not subutex, the only difference ive noticed is that suboxone has nexalone. ..i live in a small town and know of no subclinics, I was getting them from people here but theyve all switched to tex.i I have u.a.s three times a week so there is no way I can get on methadone. I was just hoping that if these are just side effects, that they would eventually dissipate..does no one think it could be cotton fever?

Note to the last comment: I do not have the time nor do I have the money to sit at home and withdraw, I have mouths to feed

[10356]

sounds to me you need to get past your addiction to your rig. Not condemning what you are doing but if you continue to slam the subtex you will die.. If you are trying honestly to stay out of wd our to get it together without craving till you feel comfortable ok but continuing slamming negates all this.. take care. lesa

[Kendradawn88]

I read further and found out subtutex and suboxone are very very similar, I wish I could copy and paste the link but im on my phone. Anyway, Im confused now that you were fine with suboxone but the subtutex gives you such horrible side affects when they are almost the same. I wish I knew more to tell you, except if it does that to you, it can not be safe to take. I really hope you find a solution to all this and thst your okay.

[Kendradawn88]

Seems like you want to stay off*

[Kendradawn88]

From what I have read from you, then looking it up and researching it as much as possible, (and im not a doctor but do want to help) this is what i've concluded. The drug itself in pill form isn't meant for using intravenously, and im not judging either, im sure that you already know that. But that isn't where the problem comes in.  You, or your body rather is having a severe bad reaction to the drug subutex. All the side effects you mentions and the drugs bad reaction side affects and especially the pain you mentioned in your head\face are severe side affects that say if you have them to contact a doctor immediately. It scares me for you because something really bad could happen to you if you continue this particular drug. You can't, it could be fatal. Is there any way you could go back to the suboxone? It really seems like you want off the herion\oxys so I hope you can keep off them. Also is there anyway you could go to a methadone or suboxone clinic if you arent able to find them otherwise? I hope that I helped some, please stay in touch let us know how your doing. You can message me if you want.

[Dy2008]

But I am used to Iv-ing suboxone, I have done that for months.   THis morning was the only time subutex made me feel that bad.  usually after i take it, i just get nauseous or throw up, have a headache, or continue to have chills

[vicki595]

Yes...it's a bad reaction to the drug taken in that form. It wasn't designed for IV use (from pill form). From what I've learned this will happen with IV use. Not judging at all but it's going to hurt you more, each time you do this, until you have a febrile seizure.