Maximum Dosage for Suboxone?
Maximum Dosage for Suboxone? 
Member
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Miami, FL
Posts: 607
Hey I answered your question with a long post but some technical problem smashed a bunch of messages here. I'm not sure if you read it or not but let me give you the short answer:
Suboxone (buprenorphine) is a very new drug, and relatively safe. This is in stark contrast to methadone, where one person's normal dose would kill the next guy in line.
Because of this, different doctors try different things. They are experimenting. Some use it sparingly, others prescribe massive doses. That doesn't mean they are confused, ill-informed, or practicing bad medicine--this is always what happens when a new drug hits the market.
My advice is to go with whatever your doctor wants to do. Of course other doctors will be trying different things, but the important thing is that your husband stops with the dope and starts with recovery.
If your concern is that your husband is getting high on this new drug, I wouldn't worry. Assuming he had a serious habit before starting, it's unlikely that's the case.
If your concern is that he might overdose on it, again I wouldn't be too concerned. As long as he doesn't try to stick it right in his vein, or mix it with other drugs, that is highly unlikely.
if your concern is that he'll be on such a high dose that it will be difficult to scale down off of it, again don't be worried. I've never seen a drug that was easier to scale down from. It's almost like smaller amounts are more effective than larger amounts. I know that sounds crazy, I can't figure it out myself, but it seems to be the God's honest truth.
Suboxone (buprenorphine) is a very new drug, and relatively safe. This is in stark contrast to methadone, where one person's normal dose would kill the next guy in line.
Because of this, different doctors try different things. They are experimenting. Some use it sparingly, others prescribe massive doses. That doesn't mean they are confused, ill-informed, or practicing bad medicine--this is always what happens when a new drug hits the market.
My advice is to go with whatever your doctor wants to do. Of course other doctors will be trying different things, but the important thing is that your husband stops with the dope and starts with recovery.
If your concern is that your husband is getting high on this new drug, I wouldn't worry. Assuming he had a serious habit before starting, it's unlikely that's the case.
If your concern is that he might overdose on it, again I wouldn't be too concerned. As long as he doesn't try to stick it right in his vein, or mix it with other drugs, that is highly unlikely.
if your concern is that he'll be on such a high dose that it will be difficult to scale down off of it, again don't be worried. I've never seen a drug that was easier to scale down from. It's almost like smaller amounts are more effective than larger amounts. I know that sounds crazy, I can't figure it out myself, but it seems to be the God's honest truth.
Member
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Warwcik, RI
Posts: 2
To exjunky: Suboxone is not so easy to figure out
This is to EXJUNKY:
Please be careful when making blanket statements about Suboxone. After 40 years of opiate use, I was put on 32 mgs of Suboxone and told I'd likely have to take it for the rest of my life. At that time, I accepted the diagnosis. I wound up taking Suboxone for a total of for six years. But four years into that six year period, I decided I could not, I would not stay on that drug for the rest of my life. (When on Suboxone, any feelings of joy or elation are ARTIFICIAL - one's good feelings are created by the drug, not by your own brain's endorphins - for me, this was not acceptable.) From that four-year decision point, it took me almost another two years to titrate down to a level where I could jump off. The problem was, on the way down, once I got down to about 8 mgs per day, I started going into withdrawal every morning. This am/withdrawal went on for a year and a half, every day without fail, until I finally got down to 1/4 mg. Then I stopped. Two and a half days after I went to zero, I went into full-blown withdrawal. I could not leave my house. The physical symptoms of this w/d lasted for 23 days! In my opinion, this was much worse than Methadone withdrawal (I went rhough that 7 years ago) because that only lasted for about 5-6 days and then it was over. I repeat: the Suboxone withdrawal lasted for 23 days! I'm now 47 days out from my last dose of Suboxone and I'm still having some physical w/d symptoms coupled with major anxiety, sleep disorder, depression, and a general feeling of uselessness. Right now, this second, I have no idea what's keeping me from using again. All I know is that I refuse to accept other people's opinions, including some doctor's, about my own ability to survive without having any drug of any kind in my system.
In my opinion, Suboxone is a drug that is much too highly touted for its effectiveness. Yes, it works. Yes, it stops withdrawal and it makes you feel as if you're normal, as if your brain is functioning normally. But is your brain really functioning normally? And what will happen to your brain's neural pathways and pain receptors after long term use of Suboxone? Suboxone offers relief, BUT AT WHAT COST? In fact, it's my belief that in a few years, doctors may well be shaking their heads and saying, "Oh, oh. Almost no one can get off this drug." Truth is, many doctors are already asking this question.(I'm talking about doctors who genuinely want to support their patients in their committment to be free of all drugs) . It's my undertsanding that a smaller percentage of addicts are able to get off Suboxone than can actually get off drugs and stay off them.
I'm happy for you that you did not have to suffer when you got off. However, some addicts suffer horribly when they try to get off Suboxone: few find it as easy as you did. There is a psychological component to the prolonged use of Suboxone that is not present with any other drug: the brain believes that Suboxone may well be the answer, the magic bullet, the perfect pill. It is not.
Continued good luck to you,
Lee
Please be careful when making blanket statements about Suboxone. After 40 years of opiate use, I was put on 32 mgs of Suboxone and told I'd likely have to take it for the rest of my life. At that time, I accepted the diagnosis. I wound up taking Suboxone for a total of for six years. But four years into that six year period, I decided I could not, I would not stay on that drug for the rest of my life. (When on Suboxone, any feelings of joy or elation are ARTIFICIAL - one's good feelings are created by the drug, not by your own brain's endorphins - for me, this was not acceptable.) From that four-year decision point, it took me almost another two years to titrate down to a level where I could jump off. The problem was, on the way down, once I got down to about 8 mgs per day, I started going into withdrawal every morning. This am/withdrawal went on for a year and a half, every day without fail, until I finally got down to 1/4 mg. Then I stopped. Two and a half days after I went to zero, I went into full-blown withdrawal. I could not leave my house. The physical symptoms of this w/d lasted for 23 days! In my opinion, this was much worse than Methadone withdrawal (I went rhough that 7 years ago) because that only lasted for about 5-6 days and then it was over. I repeat: the Suboxone withdrawal lasted for 23 days! I'm now 47 days out from my last dose of Suboxone and I'm still having some physical w/d symptoms coupled with major anxiety, sleep disorder, depression, and a general feeling of uselessness. Right now, this second, I have no idea what's keeping me from using again. All I know is that I refuse to accept other people's opinions, including some doctor's, about my own ability to survive without having any drug of any kind in my system.
In my opinion, Suboxone is a drug that is much too highly touted for its effectiveness. Yes, it works. Yes, it stops withdrawal and it makes you feel as if you're normal, as if your brain is functioning normally. But is your brain really functioning normally? And what will happen to your brain's neural pathways and pain receptors after long term use of Suboxone? Suboxone offers relief, BUT AT WHAT COST? In fact, it's my belief that in a few years, doctors may well be shaking their heads and saying, "Oh, oh. Almost no one can get off this drug." Truth is, many doctors are already asking this question.(I'm talking about doctors who genuinely want to support their patients in their committment to be free of all drugs) . It's my undertsanding that a smaller percentage of addicts are able to get off Suboxone than can actually get off drugs and stay off them.
I'm happy for you that you did not have to suffer when you got off. However, some addicts suffer horribly when they try to get off Suboxone: few find it as easy as you did. There is a psychological component to the prolonged use of Suboxone that is not present with any other drug: the brain believes that Suboxone may well be the answer, the magic bullet, the perfect pill. It is not.
Continued good luck to you,
Lee
Saved By Grace
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Oop North, Furtlin' me Ferrets
Posts: 410
My use of suboxone is about 4mg a day in the mornings and although I've heard of people using 16mg-32mg a day, they must have horrible doctors and have done no research on how the drug works. It actually works better the smaller the dose. 32mg is 3 pills or 3 strips. Wow... That is exactly how you do not want to use Suboxone Love Prevails. I've already been in trouble with SR for telling people how to optimize taking sub so I won't say anything other than, follow your doctors guidance. And realize that Mysterriders story is the exception to the rule. Suboxone does not make your emotions artificial, thats just how he/she may have felt. I'm on subs and when I go running I still get runners high, sex is still as amazing, and since getting sober trust me I have a flood of emotions coming back up after years of using. I think sub will help you, it's helped me. Just remember, easy does it!
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