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Suboxone 101
I am wondering is Suboxone safe long term?I have been on it for 2 years now@1 half tablet a day.Due to my chronic back issues I haven't found anything for pain that helps.I also suffer from SEVERE anxiety which,thank God,I am on 3mg a day of xanax(not enough in my opinion).I had a pain doctor once..long ago but then I decided to listen to my dad(who said I'd go to hell for taking opiates)and take this Suboxone..which does nothing for the pain.So to make a long story less long..pain or anxiety?Lesser of 2 hells,I chose to make daddy proud.I'm 50 and NOT an addict but am branded one for the rest of my life.What are the long term effects of Suboxone?
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Sorry it took me so long to get back to you. I was unavailable for a few days and last night the site was on maintenance. Here is my reading of your issues.
1.You have both chronic pain that has not been adequately treated. Opiates, as your dad will tell you and you already know yourself, are not a treatment for chronic pain. It is a palliation. What I mean is, if the pain is caused by something that cause needs to be addressed. Opiates just fool you into believing that you are not having pain while your body is still experiencing it. The way to address chronic back pain is usually physical therapy, more motion not less, smoking cessation, finding a good orthopedic surgeon to see if anything can be done to stabilize the back, sometimes weight loss may be appropriate, but maybe not in your case. Epidural steroid and facet injections can sometimes be very helpful to get you moving.
Now, Suboxone as you are telling me is not for your pain, since it does not help it. It is however still an opiate, whether you like it or not. Suboxone is the brand name for a medication consisting of buprenorphine and naloxone. Buprenorphine is a thebaine derivative with powerful analgesia approximately 20-40x more potent than morphine. Buprenorphine is a partial agonist and antagonist of the opioid receptors in the central nervous system which means when the its molecule binds to a receptor , it will transduce only a partial response in contrast to a full agonist such as morphine. Naloxone is opioid receptor blocker. They are combined together to prevent inter-venous abuse of this medication.
Now you know all about Suboxone, I will tell you that it was approved by the FDA for the treatment of drug addiction. However many individuals who start using it to treat their addiction, become addicted to Suboxone itself. Plenty of them stay on it as maintenance. It was not meant to be such to begin with. It was to be a quit taper way to get off of other narcotics. However, as you and as many as 40% of Suboxone users who mean to get off of it but are ultimately unable to.
Is it safe as a maintenance medication. I guess everything is relative. It is much better then going out and shooting up heroin. Any medication taken long term has eventual side effects. Like anything else in medicine the risks must be measured against the benefits. Common adverse drug reactions associated with the use of Suboxone are similar to those of other opiates and include: nausea and vomiting, drowsiness, dizziness, headache, perspiration, itchiness, dry mouth, low blood pressure, decreased libido and urinary retention.
You do not have to be an addict. You do not have to be branded one either. We make people clean and keep them clean without the use of other opiates all the time. Just look at our website www.MDSDrugDetox.com. Read my blogs by clicking on my name, then blogs. I talk a lot about options available.
2. Anxiety is your other over whelming issue. Other them medication you, did your doctor suggest some talking therapy to find out why you have anxiety to begin with? I think it would be wise to deal with the cause of your problem, to see what at the root of the issue. You also might be able to learn some non-pharmacological techniques of managing anxiety, i.e. relaxation, meditation, bio-feedback, etc.
Sedatives are never a good way of managing anxiety long term.
I hope I addressed everything adequately. Good luck to you. And the last thought, if you'll allow me. Please make your choices for yourself, not for you father.
1.You have both chronic pain that has not been adequately treated. Opiates, as your dad will tell you and you already know yourself, are not a treatment for chronic pain. It is a palliation. What I mean is, if the pain is caused by something that cause needs to be addressed. Opiates just fool you into believing that you are not having pain while your body is still experiencing it. The way to address chronic back pain is usually physical therapy, more motion not less, smoking cessation, finding a good orthopedic surgeon to see if anything can be done to stabilize the back, sometimes weight loss may be appropriate, but maybe not in your case. Epidural steroid and facet injections can sometimes be very helpful to get you moving.
Now, Suboxone as you are telling me is not for your pain, since it does not help it. It is however still an opiate, whether you like it or not. Suboxone is the brand name for a medication consisting of buprenorphine and naloxone. Buprenorphine is a thebaine derivative with powerful analgesia approximately 20-40x more potent than morphine. Buprenorphine is a partial agonist and antagonist of the opioid receptors in the central nervous system which means when the its molecule binds to a receptor , it will transduce only a partial response in contrast to a full agonist such as morphine. Naloxone is opioid receptor blocker. They are combined together to prevent inter-venous abuse of this medication.
Now you know all about Suboxone, I will tell you that it was approved by the FDA for the treatment of drug addiction. However many individuals who start using it to treat their addiction, become addicted to Suboxone itself. Plenty of them stay on it as maintenance. It was not meant to be such to begin with. It was to be a quit taper way to get off of other narcotics. However, as you and as many as 40% of Suboxone users who mean to get off of it but are ultimately unable to.
Is it safe as a maintenance medication. I guess everything is relative. It is much better then going out and shooting up heroin. Any medication taken long term has eventual side effects. Like anything else in medicine the risks must be measured against the benefits. Common adverse drug reactions associated with the use of Suboxone are similar to those of other opiates and include: nausea and vomiting, drowsiness, dizziness, headache, perspiration, itchiness, dry mouth, low blood pressure, decreased libido and urinary retention.
You do not have to be an addict. You do not have to be branded one either. We make people clean and keep them clean without the use of other opiates all the time. Just look at our website www.MDSDrugDetox.com. Read my blogs by clicking on my name, then blogs. I talk a lot about options available.
2. Anxiety is your other over whelming issue. Other them medication you, did your doctor suggest some talking therapy to find out why you have anxiety to begin with? I think it would be wise to deal with the cause of your problem, to see what at the root of the issue. You also might be able to learn some non-pharmacological techniques of managing anxiety, i.e. relaxation, meditation, bio-feedback, etc.
Sedatives are never a good way of managing anxiety long term.
I hope I addressed everything adequately. Good luck to you. And the last thought, if you'll allow me. Please make your choices for yourself, not for you father.
Not sure where the Dr. is. But if you go to this page: http://www.medhelp.org/forums/Addiction-Substance-Abuse/show/77?controller=forums&action=show&id=77&camp=msc
and post there will be someone to help answer your questions. Good luck. They are not doctors, but are recovering addicts with lots of good help, info and support.
and post there will be someone to help answer your questions. Good luck. They are not doctors, but are recovering addicts with lots of good help, info and support.
I too have been on suboxone for a cupple to a few yrs and now im tryin to get off,i only take@ 6mgs a day and im wondering if its an easy detox considdering i only take 6mgs a day,if its anything like methadone than im in trouble cuz wen i detoxed off methadone it was pure hell with no exaggeration, anyway im new to this site and i hope im doin this rite,i just wanna know if by takin only a half to 3 quarters of a pill a day, how bad will the withdrawals be?
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