Suboxone is being used more and more for pain; it will probably be overused, and eventually the appropriate cases will be identified. The question of 'will it treat pain' is a very difficult one. It will treat pain as well as thirty mg of methadone, held at a constant level in the bloodstream, will treat pain. As you know, tolerance takes away the potency of ANY narcotic, including buprenorphine. But for reasons I do not understand, some people with chronic pain will continue to benefit from pain pills even after tolerance sets in.
There are good and bad things to treatment with Suboxone. There really is a completely different subjective experience. I have heard that from dozens of patients by now-- they talk about having their mind freed from constantly thinking about their pain pills. Suboxone should be dosed once per day, and that allows the person to end the 'conditioning' caused by taking a pill every six hours to avoid sickness. (some docs don't get this, and dose more frequently. but half life is three days for Pete's sake!!!).
On the downside, it is very difficult to add extra pain relief at times of injury, such as herniating a new disc. It takes a doctor willing to prescribe large amounts of narcotic at those times, and that doctor may be hard to find.
One last thing about sweating... that is a common side effect for people taking opiates. I have found that neurontin or gabapentin stops opiate-induced sweating in many of my patients. Talk to your doctor; I use a dose of 300 mg three times per day. The medication is a pretty safe and benigh med, so maybe your doc will let you try it.
Dear Brother (from another Christian)...my heart is with you. I too have been on methadone for 8, going on 9, years and have been trying to get off...tapered down from 70 mg/day to 17.5 mg/day, however this does not control my pain. Have also been trying to get to the point where I can go on Suboxone, except that I've been sick since last fall. It may be withdrawal, but my body temp won't go above 97.5..I'm freezing all the time. Also have other medical problems and a 7 yr.old grandson who is convinced I'm dying and he is terrified.
The doc I saw says that Suboxone is good for pain once the dosage gets adjusted. However, while I cannot attest to that, there are some good folks here on this board who probably can. Then, after you are on the Suboxone for a while, you can taper down (very slowly I'm told)and get off. But..what are you going to do about the pain? Herniated discs are said to be extremely painful (I just have chronic sciaticia). I mean, even if you didn't have to work, you'd be in pain. As far as non-narcotic, I don't have any answers there as that has been my only answer to my pain problem.
Remember, He will never leave you nor forsake you.