What are the effects of taking suboxone for a long time? (over a year)

[snoozie]

What are the long term effects of taking suboxone for a lengthy period of time? My bf has been taking it for more than a year. He takes 8mg pills , 4 times a day for well over a year. I have noticed irrational behavior from him, something he never did before taking the suboxone. Is this a known side effect? He yells at the drop of a hat & has fits over completely mundane things. He makes me think I'm losing my mind! Isn't that too much suboxone for one day? I would appreciate anyone else's experiences... Thank you....

[imanaddict]

I know how he feels! I too, have been moody and yell and everything really pisses me off since being on the sub. From what I understand, your system won't allow anything over 30 mg a day. Anything over that is a waste of medication. I don't know what the long term affects are from taking sub and I would like to know myself since I have also been on it for a little over a year.

[ochooked]

Wow!! That is a HUGE dose of Sub.  I just cannot understand a doctor putting anyone on that much Sub.  I would hope he sees the need to begin to taper off of such a high dose.  I was on 140 mg per day of Oxy and only used 2 mg twice a day to kick the habit.  Perhaps he was using Heroin and that may be the reason for the initial dose, but to continue to take that much is very troubling.   Hope he will get a second opinion or see the merits of just beginning to taper himself.  If not then both of you are in for a very rough ride.  All the best.

[flmagi]

He is taking the maximum dosage, and at over a year, is way to much. He should be at about 1-4 mgs at this point. (Or off it all together). He is going to have a very long, hard road coming off the Sub at that dose. My guess is, his doctor is a money sucking blood sucker, and should be stripped of his Sub certification.
Good luck to you both.

[snoozie]

He never took heroin. He was addicted to OXYcontin.... But his sub dr never mentions lowering the dosage at all......32mg/day for well over a year.( He doesnt always take all 4 pills a day)  I would hate to think that the DR just wants his $110/month for his visit. The medicine makes him unbelievably irritable, and he's gained at least 30 lbs! The pills cost a fortune (almost $800/month!) And I am at my wits end......

[worried878]

I often think that perhaps these doctors and counselers also get a kick back as well...there is an addiction counseler who came to our meeting,..she said "the drug is a majic pill...not habit forming physically and only psycholigically if at all" ...she said "sub is a full antagonist but the naloxoine makes it a partial antagonist"  She said she doesnt know much about subutex and all she knows it is a "bad thing"   I almost croaked....I am like this lady could not be making money off of doctor visits but obviously she was very "in touch" with a sub rep.....she does get session money off of sub cos if u use certain doctors they make u see her

I also have heard that sub can turn on you after a while just like a DOC can...mine/hydro/ turned on me and made me feel awful..depresssed and isolated...he needs to start looking into some sort of end to all of this...is he a chronic pain patient?  I would see another doctor for sure....does he go to meetings?

[cattalina]

He is taking WAY too much per day at this point!! I've been on sub for almost 20 months and I've been down to 1mg per day for the last few months. Even down to that little of an amount it severly affects my moods. Lately I've been flying off the handle basically for no reason and that's not me at all. I can only imagine that taking up to 32mgs/day after a year would make your bf a raging bull!! Worried said it - sub turns on you after awhile. I'm living proof of that!! Could you get him to come on this site? There's alot of us that have been or are in the same situation and he would get lots of support here.