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Buprenex withdrawal

Have been on injectable Buprenex for 15 years for a chronic disease that causes horrible pain.  I am much better now and really don't need it and could take something milder if I take anything.  Problem is how do you get off this stuff?  Mentioned it to the pain doc and they just blew me off!  They would rather have an addict than help you get off the junk.  I have tried cold turkey......that doesn't work, its awful!  Anybody know how to wean this stuff?  They have me on a dose where I can take two 0.3 ml vials every four hours if I need it.  I don't take more than 3 doses a day, once in a while 4 but very seldom.  But to me that's a lot.  

When I asked the doc about it, he said well just take it even if you don't need it because you will eventually!  What kind of dumb answer is that.  I am no dummy.  I am in the medical profession (not direct patient contact) but vast medical knowledge.  I need to know how to wean this stuff.  I have to work, so I have to function.

Can anybody help?



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Avatar universal
With the half life of bupe, it takes approx 21 days for a dose to be less than 1% blood serum levels. I have noticed long term users have an easier time by dropping every 21 days. Iv bupe is hard to taper, so it might help to taper on oral tabs or strips. Depending on what country you are in, I know buprenex can be the easiest to get. The needle is an addiction in itself, so you can work on letting that go as you taper on oral doses. I don't know how you can get off easy on this one, but it is doable. Are there any support groups or any support locally you could hook up local support?
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Avatar universal
Thanks for advice.  Where I live the pain manage people are money grub era. I have insurance but choose to pay cash. Long story.  I have to work so I can't just go cold turkey.  I could taper myself if I could just find a schedule somewhere.  I have had it with the whole mess. We don't have any honest PM docs here.  Those who are honest patients suffer.  When I get off I will NEVER take another drug long as I live at least not a narcotic.
Helpful - 0
7163794 tn?1457366813
COMMUNITY LEADER
I had no idea they had subs in injectable form (thank God b/c I probably would have used that as well!) lol.....all kidding aside, is the effect the same as the subutext/suboxone?  If so, then tapering is going to be your best bet.  I quit cold turkey (was bouncing between 16/24mg a day) until one week before New Years, started to taper, fast, of which made the w/d really bad.  However, this is how I needed to do it, isn't for everyone.  We can't give taper advice on here b/c we are not medical professionals, however, your doctor should absolutely be able to give you a taper schedule of which needs to be done REALLY SLOW!!!!  With the subs.  The slower the taper, the better, from what I've read.  If your sub (pain) dr isn't willing to do this for you, maybe you need to go find another doctor....maybe a general practitioner that you can talk to b/c your pain dr sounds like an *******!  You are obviously ready to be done with it and why he wouldn't give you a taper schedule is beyond me???  Just for my own fyi...are you a cash pay patient or go through insurance?  If to personal, you don't need to answer, I just wonder sometimes if these drs don't like to taper b/c with cash pay patients, they make more $$$$?  Good luck in whatever you chose to do.
Helpful - 0
8221281 tn?1397570972
Check with Doctor or pharmacist
Unfortunately we can't give tapering advice here.
Helpful - 0
3197167 tn?1348968606
Hello and Welcome to the Forum~

From what little I know about Buprenex....it's the injectable form of buprenorphine (or what I know as subutex/suboxone).  I take it you do your own injections, either IM or IV, right?

Can you get your dr to agree to working out a taper plan for you?  Or is that what has you frustrated...that the pain dr isn't interested in helping you wean off of it?

Because we are medical professionals here on this forum, we cannot advise taper plans.....not knowing a person's full medical history makes that impossible and against forum policy.

I think it's GREAT that you want to wean and taper off.  I hope you can find a dr willing to help you.  We have all kinds of tips that can make the w/drawal process a little easier.  Let us know how we can help once you get your taper going.  Good to have you aboard...and hooray for you in wanting to get off narcotics!  

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