An interesting case from a reader: Thanks Doc for your efforts. I appreciate you. I am a four year hydrocodone addict 55 years old. I became addicted when I used the drug for an injured cervical disc. A couple of years ago I found out about suboxone and got in Read more…
Be sure to take a look at ‘buprenorphine news’ halfway down in the right column– there are new things popping up lately about buprenorphine. The top two studies are particularly interesting; the first looked at patients wearing low-dose buprenorphine patches (yes, they are coming folks!) in pain patients to see Read more…
I encourage addicts doing the work of staying clean to ‘bring the memory full circle’; with every pleasant recollection, be sure to think about where the use took you, and where the pleasant sensations ended.
An entirely logical question: Soboxdoc, I am taking 16mg of Suboxone a day – 8mg in the morning and 8mg at night. You state above that Suboxone has a ceiling effect of about 4mg. Does that mean I could take a half of an 8mg tab once a day and Read more…
A question about the use of Suboxone and buprenorphine for chronic pain: I would appreciate your comments about long term use of Suboxone for pain. I am a post-polio patient for the last 12 years and have been +10 pain in my buttock. Every exam has come up negative and Read more…
From an astute reader: I copied and pasted this article. It’s been my impression that bupenorphine isn’t superior for chronic pain. I also read an article that three amputees with phantom pain got adequete relief from using buprenorphine suppositories. Is there a difference between using the under the tongue med Read more…
From a reader named Jennifer: I BEEN READING ON OTHER WEB SITE FORUMS AND THEY ARE REALLY FREAKING ME OUT ,SAYING THE WD FROM SUB ARE WORSE THAN WD OFF THE VICODIN ,GOSH I HOPE I DIDNT MAKE A MISTAKE. Response: Jennifer, I’m not sure where to start with such Read more…
How long do you have to wait before taking Suboxone, if one had been using heroin for almost a year? What can one take to ease the withdrawal symptoms in the meantime while waiting? Are treatment centers effective places to go to as a start or just start out with Read more…
From tonight’s keywords, a question about the potency of Suboxone in relation to methadone. Remember that Suboxone is a ‘partial agonist’; this property is what allows the unique action of Suboxone in treating opiate dependence. Opiate agonists like oxycodone, morphine, or heroin will have an increasing opiate effect as the Read more…
thank you anyway for replying.. So when i do get into seeing a doctor, i must be in withdrawal? I am so confused on this issue. I am taking suboxone, but most likely have to take the lortab when it is out of my system because of the pain i do Read more…
The strength of opiates varies from person to person depending on individual genetics as describe below. Doctors assume that they are ‘tipped off’ to narcotic abuse when a patient says ‘codeine doesn’t work for me– I need vicodin’. The more we learn about opiate metabolism, the more it appears that Read more…
I received a letter today– a person discussing the use of opiates by a family member with chronic pain. I was not sure if the letter was asking questions about my opinions, or was instead arguing that my ideas were off-base. In either case it is worth publishing, as several Read more…