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Author Topic: Long-term buprenorphine users  (Read 14451 times)

Offline Illadelph215 (OP)

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Long-term buprenorphine users
« on: July 19, 2016, 09:08:07 AM »
Sup y'all, it's been a while. Being that suboxone and such is relatively new and we are still test bunnies, is there anyone here who has been on it for the long haul. I know people who have been on it on/off for 4-5 years and such which is basically the same as me, except I've been on it non-stop for a good while now.

Searching this subject is hit or miss elsewhere plus I obviously trust this community the most and would appreciate anyone's input. Whether it's something you have noticed personally, something you've heard, seen, or even if your not sure if bupe is the cause or if it's all in your head. I'd love to hear your stories. I know everyone's different.

I would love to blame the more and more white hair I get daily, the more hair in general I have, redness of skin, on it but I'm sure that's just because I'm approaching my 30's and in denial. Plus I obviously was a heroin user before this so I'm sure that's to blame for a lot as well.

I do know* that it causes/caused my mood swings/difficult time gaining weight/fatigue/fucked sleep cycles.

All in all though it has been a wonder drug (for me) and whatever side effects I get or blame it on are worth it to me, at least for now.

*I'm not a doctor.
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There is no future, there is no past. In the present, nothing lasts.

Offline Edhorfin

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Re: Long-term buprenorphine users
« Reply #1 on: July 30, 2016, 12:30:07 PM »
I've used low dose subutex for about 5 years. Less than 1mg/day, probably closer to.6 or .7....Prescribed 2mg tablets and I try to break them in thirds. It works as an antidepressant for me, and if I increase a little, a good painkiller. I've tapered and quit, and have lost sleep, but all in all, I like the state of mind of low dose. Its working and and I don't have any plans of stopping, or any good reason to stop.
I wish it wasn't stigmatized, and was used for depression more (even off label) I doubt anyone would fund the trials necessary to market it as anything other that current use, i.e. addiction, but I don't need it for addiction. I have no desire to use opiates for any duration anymore, and have powerful opiates available usually, as I am a chronic kidney stone producer and am prescribed dilaudid fairly regularly when a stone is passing.

I think its a very valuable drug. Underused and underappreciated, definitely stigmatized.
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Offline LoneRanger7

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Re: Long-term buprenorphine users
« Reply #2 on: July 30, 2016, 08:14:00 PM »
I've been on 8 mg per day for a few years.  Got a cool doctor,  no drug tests.  Before that i went back and forth between using and subs.  I'm fatter now,  and very constipated,  but other than that it's a wonder drug and gave me my life back. YMMV
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Offline DeadCat

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Re: Long-term buprenorphine users
« Reply #3 on: July 31, 2016, 01:27:17 AM »
Less (under 2-4 mg/day) is definitely better than more. More just makes everything more difficult: cost, blocking, dependence on buprenorphine itself, weight gain, and the probable cause of that;  supression of natural testosterone production.

If I had know that long-term or increased use was going to do that I would have quit a long time ago. When I got back from Colombia I told my doctor I wanted to quit and imediately started to reduce use. It has been less than 2 weeks and I've gone down from about 12mg/day to 8 and will continue to reduce as fast as my body can take it.

On the plus side, using bupe since 2003 has allowed me to get out of the everyday dope world and the constant opportunities to use. Because of that I was able to refocus my energies and get on with my life. For that I am happy. Much of that is because taking it daily eliminated the ability to use spontaneously and that was the big thing that helped me break the cycle.

I might have kept on using it for the rest of my life if I didn't come to learn that everything that is wrong with my life NOW probably stems from suppressed  testosterone levels. Once I started taking gels and shots everything; weight gain, low libido, low ambition, disinterest in life, it all changed and now I feel like I turned the clock back 20 years or more.

Now I would caution against indefinite maintenance.
« Last Edit: July 31, 2016, 08:37:02 PM by DeadCat »
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Offline traplord69

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Re: Long-term buprenorphine users
« Reply #4 on: July 31, 2016, 02:56:00 PM »
I was on bupe for a solid 4 years.  They started me pretty high I think at around 16mg but before long I was down to 12mg and I found that I didn't really need much more than around 4mg.  For the past 2 years or so I was on 2mg or less, and more recently at .25-.5mg.  I honestly never noticed any side effects from it, idk if thats because I was never on a high sustained dose or if its just my body.  But I never gained weight, had headaches, the sweats (that might be methadone cant remember) or anything else really.  I do sort of feel like I might have low testosterone though.  Have a high libido, no hair loss or anything but I feel like I dont have nearly as much energy as I should. 

I had a hell of time trying to get off it though, got down to 1/8th mg and still couldn't hop off it, maybe I'm just a pussy.  So I got on the lope train which luckily hasnt gotten out of control.  Started at 16-20mg and am down to 2-6mg, can usually get by fine on like 2mg actually.  But I've been chipping lately and every time I get to the point where I'm about to hop off I end up getting high which then sort of starts it all over again.  Take 10-12mg when the dope runs out and then get back down to 2-4mg
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Offline LoneRanger7

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Re: Long-term buprenorphine users
« Reply #5 on: July 31, 2016, 07:19:37 PM »
I would love to get off completely but I'm terrified of withdrawing.  I've heard it's monstrous.  Lasts forever and ever.  Eventually my doctor will kick the bucket,  he's got to be 90 years old,  and then I guess I'll see what happens.
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Offline Dog Food

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Re: Long-term buprenorphine users
« Reply #6 on: August 01, 2016, 04:26:20 PM »
I had done the on and off thing for like 4 years, ten got strictly on subs for 2.  During those 2 years, i would iv maybe 1mg in the morning and 1mg in the evening, if not even a bit less per day.   Well i relapsed for a few days, which turned into a couple weeks till my first real try to get back on subs.  Its almost like they completely stopped working for me.  I feel Worse when i take any and feel like shit for the first few days at least.

It never used to do that to me, I'm like completely bedridden to where i keep using to just feel ok.  Idk what changed but after a long period of just sub, i just haven't been able to get back on em for like 6 months now
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Offline Catsfordrugs

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Re: Long-term buprenorphine users
« Reply #7 on: August 01, 2016, 09:39:19 PM »
@Dog Food, I think a lot of bupe users have had that experience. I had no prob switching it up for a couple days or a week during the first year I was on subs. Then, at some point, it was like a switch got flipped, and instead of an easy transition, it was like 60-70% of a full kick to get back on subs. 3 days of sweating, shivering, etc before I would feel ok again. At first, like I said, it was never like that. I've heard the same story from a lot of long term users of subs. I'm not sure why it's like that, but it's pretty common. It just seems to stop working at some point and you'd almost be better off just following through with a cold turkey. I know I'd just keep taking the subs in disbelief, wondering why I felt so shitty. Then, at about the 4th day, things would "normalize" and I'd feel ok again. I haven't been able to get transitioned back to subs in years now. It seems like even at 24-30 hours, 4-6 mgs does nothing to cover the pain. I wish I would have known that, all those years ago. I'd like to think I would have made slightly better choices, knowing that it had a window of usefulness. Too much switching back and forth just seems to destroy bupe's effectiveness, unfortunately.
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Offline LoneRanger7

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Re: Long-term buprenorphine users
« Reply #8 on: August 01, 2016, 09:46:37 PM »
You know,  that's interesting.  I used recently,  first time in a while.  I've been feeling kinda off ever since and I noticed my normal sub dose didn't hold me. Fortunately I was able to just flood the gates with bupe until I did feel mostly ok, but I think I better try real hard not to fuck up any more or I might find myself in a real tough spot.  Thanks for the heads up because I'm sure I'd keep doing it wondering WTF.
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Offline Catsfordrugs

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Re: Long-term buprenorphine users
« Reply #9 on: August 01, 2016, 10:07:01 PM »
You know,  that's interesting.  I used recently,  first time in a while.  I've been feeling kinda off ever since and I noticed my normal sub dose didn't hold me. Fortunately I was able to just flood the gates with bupe until I did feel mostly ok, but I think I better try real hard not to fuck up any more or I might find myself in a real tough spot.  Thanks for the heads up because I'm sure I'd keep doing it wondering WTF.

For me, it just got worse and worse. I noticed that the little one or two day vacations were harder to recover from. Back ache and runny nose, which I never got at first. Once that started, the next time I stopped taking subs for a couple weeks it was just inexplicably rough to get back on them. Whereas all the previous times, maybe I felt a little off for a day or two, this was like a 3 day kick that was almost as bad as a normal cold turkey. Not quite as bad, but not any kind of able to function at work, sleep well/not wake up drenched in sweat... That kind of fun.

If you can use it as motivation or a little "warning to self" not to use, by all means, do (if that's what you want). In my experience (and I've heard a lot of similar stories), it will continue to get more difficult to transition. That is one of my biggest complaints about subs. That and the need to be 24-30hrs away from any use just make it difficult and less "practical." I wish I could get transitioned to it now, actually. Been struggling for weeks. Good luck with the battle!
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Offline LoneRanger7

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Re: Long-term buprenorphine users
« Reply #10 on: August 01, 2016, 10:22:32 PM »
Nikita has been saying how hard it's been for her to transition to bupe and I was shocked at how bad she's had it,  but there but for the grace of god go I. I'm really glad i saw this.  Now the trick is to actually do what I know is good for me rather than just fuck up thinking oh, it'll be FOINe. Spoiler alert,  no it won't.
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Offline DeadCat

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Re: Long-term buprenorphine users
« Reply #11 on: August 01, 2016, 11:08:11 PM »
Maybe the problems people have after long term use then "taking a vacation" then re-starting the subs is that our endorphine receptors have "atrophied" over the years and it take longer to build up enough bupe to compensate.

That's only a guess. My doctor says there should be no damages to our endorphine systems , that they will recover after withdrawl and post-accute withdrawal but maybe docotrs just don't know yet because high-dose buprenorphine mainenance is new and largely unique to the USA.
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Offline Dog Food

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Re: Long-term buprenorphine users
« Reply #12 on: August 02, 2016, 03:12:07 AM »
Idk,. I dont even get high like i used to anymore since taking sub for years.  Like within a week i was shooting a gram or 2 of good dope after nothing but sub for 2 years.  Its like the sub burns out your receptors almost.  I mean ill get a rush, but then like a min later all i feel is normal.  To the point where ive done several big shots almost back to back to try and nod.  I never get that nod much anymore, its just do dope, feel normal, till i fall asleep, wake up feeling sick again...   I miss the times of sitting there nodding out but still conscious and really feeling good.  Idk
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Offline Chip

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Re: Long-term buprenorphine users
« Reply #13 on: August 02, 2016, 03:21:50 AM »
Guys, welcome to getting older.

I wouldn't blame the Bupe but rather your own tolerance ... it could easily be the same complaint with Methadone or dope.
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Offline LoneRanger7

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Re: Long-term buprenorphine users
« Reply #14 on: August 02, 2016, 07:05:39 AM »
I concur that when I did get high it was extremely underwhelming. So much so that I was thinking,  why in earth did I get so strung out? Before I would literally salivate thinking about a good iv rush. I miss that but I'm sure it's for the best in the long run.  My life is objectively much better now,  and all I had to sacrifice was the one thing I really love doing!
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