1. < Chronic Pain
Profile picture for faithgirl30

Transitioning from High Dose Opiates to Suboxone for Chronic Pain

Posted by faithgirl30 @faithgirl30, Nov 25, 2020

Hi! My name is Melanie and I’ve been on high dose opiates for the last 5 years due severe degenerative arthritis in my neck. I’ve undergone 5 spinal neck surgeries in the last 4 years, the last of which was October 2019. I am now fully fused between C2-T2 and have rods in the back of my neck for stability that run the full length of my fusion. I suffer chronic daily headaches and have just undergone the first round of Botox for headaches and cervical dystonia. My pain specialist and surgeon agree that I will more than likely suffer long term chronic pain for the rest of my life. They have recommended that I make the jump from high dose dilaudid to suboxone to manage chronic pain, which is an off-label use for suboxone, but which has been shown to successfully manage long term chronic pain.

I am writing to find out if others have made the jump successfully to suboxone, and if so what your transition from opiates to suboxone was like? I have been nervous about this transition, because it requires that you go cold turkey off of opiates and enter into full blown withdrawal before it’s safe to start the ramp up onto suboxone. So, if you have made the jump, what was the withdrawal process like for you, and has suboxone been effective in managing your long term chronic pain? Would you recommend others make this move? Why or why not?

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Chronic Pain Support Group.

Profile picture for corycpainchronic
corycpainchronic | @corycpainchronic | Apr 30 9:58am

So happy if Suboxone will help you. I tried it for two months and couldn’t tell that it was helping me at all. If anything, my pain was worse as my oxycodone was reduced.

REPLY
Profile picture for corycpainchronic
corycpainchronic | @corycpainchronic | Apr 30 10:19am

What is considered high dose of pain medication?

REPLY
Profile picture for catheem
catheem | @catheem | Apr 30 11:25am
In reply to @sheilacollins29 "My Dr wants me to transition to Suboxone. I been on Norco 10.325,5 times a day...." + (show)
Profile picture for sheilacollins29 @sheilacollins29

My Dr wants me to transition to Suboxone. I been on Norco 10.325,5 times a day. Now I will take Suboxone trips 8.2mg 3 times a day. Have you already transition, if so. I'd love to hear about your transition and if you had symptoms that made you really sick the first day. Thank you. Spj

Jump to this post

@sheilacollins29 My 2 level spinal surgery (L4/L5-L5/S1) was in 2009...I was on Norco 10mg 6 times a day for so long, I can't even remember...I finally had enough of the merry-go-round last year after getting a total knee replacement in November and started back walking every day and stretching, stretching, stretching..(I am 72 next month) taking Advil and Tylenol extra strength and stopping all opioids (I titrated down very slowly off of the opioids)..with help from my wonderful pain management doctor, and was also given a Buprenorphine patch and after 1 week, I was off of all medication..amazingly...Good luck to you!

REPLY
1 reply
Profile picture for cappy51
cappy51 | @cappy51 | May 1 11:32am

I have had a cervical fusion and three lower back surgeries. I’ve also had an aneurysm clipped in the middle Cerebral of my brain.
I am due for a total right rotator cuff replacement and I am 73 years old. Not looking forward to more pain in recovery. I have been on 15 mg of morphine for probably over 15 years. I cut myself back to three and two, but I’d totally off of it, my general physician had me contact a pharmacy to take me off of the morphine with suboxone
I will let you know after the trial what I went through

REPLY
Profile picture for lesliediane
lesliediane | @lesliediane | May 2 6:59am
In reply to @catheem "@sheilacollins29 My 2 level spinal surgery (L4/L5-L5/S1) was in 2009...I was on Norco 10mg 6 times..." + (show)
Profile picture for catheem @catheem

@sheilacollins29 My 2 level spinal surgery (L4/L5-L5/S1) was in 2009...I was on Norco 10mg 6 times a day for so long, I can't even remember...I finally had enough of the merry-go-round last year after getting a total knee replacement in November and started back walking every day and stretching, stretching, stretching..(I am 72 next month) taking Advil and Tylenol extra strength and stopping all opioids (I titrated down very slowly off of the opioids)..with help from my wonderful pain management doctor, and was also given a Buprenorphine patch and after 1 week, I was off of all medication..amazingly...Good luck to you!

Jump to this post

@catheem
There are many natural plant herbs that help with pain and anxiety so you can take that are soothing

REPLY
Please sign in or register to post a reply.