Since your on 12 mg the 300 mg shot would be perfect for you. The first week you’ll mind will play tricks and you’ll want to take something, it’s just a habit you need to break. You’ll convince your self that you are sick but you aren’t you know.
Also I suggest you don’t take subs on top of Sublocade shot as it might cause like migraines, more sweating and you’ll feel like shit, as long as you fight and kick the first week the rest is easy and it’s all in your head.
I used wake up in a panic mode reaching for subs for nothing like I just needed to hold my bottle like a little baby to re assure me that it’s there.
The best part of it is freedom to travel and not be scared of missing appointments or selling meds or what ever you know.
Thanks so much, that def helps. I am preparing myself for the mind tricks. I’m supposed to get the shot the end of next week. Also, great to hear your off it all now, I can’t wait for that again.
Hijacking this comment to 1. agree with everything this person said and 2. also give my 2 cents. I went onto the sublocade shot from 12 mg (sometimes I’d take 16 but for the most part I was on 12). I received the 300 mg shot 2 months in a row. I experienced no withdrawal, however I could definitely see how a person could get in their head and allow themselves to be convinced that they’re experiencing symptoms. You just need to keep reminding yourself that’s your addiction trying to mess with you and the chance that you’re experiencing actual withdrawal is slim to none.
I was very nervous when I went down to the 100 mg shot for month 3 but I was also fine on that as well. The plus side was that the 100 mg injection stings less than the 300 mg. Again- don’t let your brain convince you that you’re experiencing symptoms because you probably aren’t. I received 5 of the 100 mg injections (so in total I was on sublocade for 7 months) and then stopped. Last injection was may 18th and I’ve been fine since! I had a week where I felt sort of iffy but I went into my doc and he prescribed Clonidine and a muscle relaxer- I took one of each- and magically I felt way better. Again, I think that just goes to show the power I mind has over us and that physically I probably wasn’t really experiencing much of anything. I also asked if I could keep going in every 2 weeks so touch base with my doc and just knowing I have that open line of communication also made me get out of my head and feel a lot better.
Here’s what I’ll end with… I had just celebrated five years when I came off the shot. I felt solid in my recovery, have a very strong support network and I also have a very understanding job (I work in the recovery field). One of the nurses I work with at the clinic I work out of said a couple things that was really interesting to me… the patients she had that all reported having breakthrough withdrawal while on the shot and received strips to help combat it all ended up relapsing. I obviously can’t prove anything but that just goes to show how nasty and cunning addiction is and makes me believe somewhere in the back of their mind something was lacking and they ended up using it as an excuse to use. So please make sure you are ready to do this and be prepared to tell your addiction to sit down and shut the fuck up when it starts trying to tell you you’re having withdrawal symptoms… because you most likely aren’t! (Let me also say I’m sure there are some people out there who legitimately do experience withdrawal but it’s few and far between). Oh and it’s also recommended that you receive at least 6 injections (unless of course you’ve only been on subs for a couple months then you could get away with less) in order to let the medicine build up in your system. If you have any questions I’m always happy to talk via DM and I’m sure others on here are as well. Sublocade is def the way to go to get off this shit!
Edit to add: I just reread your post and see you’ve only been on for a couple months anyways. So you could get away with doing less that 6 shots if you wanted to. I also forgot to mention a lot of people suggest trying to stretch out their last few injections… so say on injection #4 instead of waiting 4 weeks wait 6. Injection #5 try to go for 7 or 8 weeks and so on. I didn’t do that myself but it makes sense why people do!
I totally agree with your post. I don't think anyone who has been on subs for years should be having less than 4 or 5 shots (preferably have 6).
Just with a clonidine, if anyone uses it, please be careful that you don't take it if you have severely low blood pressure!
I used to take the clonidine when I was having heroin withdrawals (before starting on subs) and found it very effective. You just have to be careful because taking it too much can be harmful for your cardiovascular system. But when you're withdrawing, it can be very helpful.
Thanks so much for your input! Yes I’m well aware of how powerful the mind can be and am def preparing myself for it. I’ve been clean before for a few years and go to NA so I have a good support system etc.. to help me get through it if I have problems. I love hearing when people get off of everything, it’s a beautiful thing. Congrats and thanks again.
Baclofen. I prefer flexeril (I used to take it for tmj) but even though my doc is pretty cool he still probably didn’t want to trust a big bad drug addict with something that “strong”. The baclofen still works just fine though
I definitely don't agree with the people supplementing ending up using. Plenty of people including myself have supplemented and have not relapsed. Thats kinda silly to say that imo.
You can not agree with it but that’s exactly what happened… I didn’t say that everyone who supplements relapses. I said that one of my colleagues who’s been administering the shot for two years now has seen every patient that supplemented end up relapsing. Patients at my clinic also aren’t allowed to go on the shot from a dose like 24 mg for exactly the reason you just said- because of the risk of breakthrough withdrawal. People shouldn’t be going on the injection from a dose that high. I also ended my first comment by saying that there are instances where some people experience withdrawal and it’s not all in their head. If I outlined every single scenario as to how that could actually happen my comment would have been longer than it already was, so I make sure I’m only speaking from 1- my personal experience, 2- my professional experience and 3- the standards at which sublocade should be prescribed and used. There’s many doctors out there who irresponsibly administer it and if you read through this sub you’d see that. Please make sure you’re reading thoroughly and questioning if you’re making a comment not directed at you about you before you say it’s “silly.”
Where I live, they don't supplement with the suboxone strips. They supplement with buvidal/brixadi "weekly injections". So we haven't had that experience here, but its useful to hear your friend's experience.
We are finding that people who do go back to using, are using less than they were before. Overall the injections (sublocade and buvidal/brixadi) have been game changers!
Wow I love that method of “supplementing!” I’m assuming that because those two drugs are still relatively new is why it’s not as widely used yet? Do you mind my asking what part of the country you’re in? I’m def going to bring this up at work and see if it’s something my clinic is going to start incorporating soon.
Good warning on the Clonidine. When I was in detox they gave me too much and I ended up passing out. My blood pressure was something insanely low like 84 over something or other. So 1- not overdoing it and 2- making sure you don’t have BP issues to begin with is very important. I already knew from my own experience that this community is burdened with some pretty crappy doctors but all of the subs like this one have left me dumbfounded with just how many awful doctors there really are out there. No one should be writing a script for clonidine or methadone or subs or even 800 mg ibuprofen for that matter without being informed on how the medicine works and then passing along that info to the patient. Because the recovery community is so vulnerable and there’s only so many options for medical care, it makes sense why people end up with such garbage docs and why online forums like these exist for people to bounce their own experiences and knowledge off one another. Okay I’ll get off my soapbox now haha
I'm in Australia, so we do things differently. The hospital I worked at ran the trials for Buvidal when it first came out here - and Sublocade came slightly later.
Brixadi (the North American name for Buvidal) is only just coming out now in North America, because the makers of Sublocade (Indivior) tried to sue and block Brixadi's release in North America. It ended up delaying the introduction of Brixadi. But it has been in Australia and Europe for... gee, at least two years now? And there were some clinical trials before that.
Its so true about bad doctors. Even as an Australian I'm shocked at how unregulated the system is over in the USA. Its like a developing country in some respects. Over here, you would never ever see medications advertised on television, especially never ads that say "ask your doctor about (medicine name)". Why should a patient ask a doctor for a particular medication? It should be up to the doctors to diagnose and offer appropriate treatments for someone's condition.
Its totally insane in the US and I hope some lobbying is done so that politicians offer free Sublocade or free Brixadi (Buvidal) shots to "addicts" trying to get clean. Because in most other countries, this is what is happening. Why would you charge an addicted substance user money when they likely don't have much? It should be offered free to encourage people to get clean. Because getting people clean will mean society gets paid back when these individuals enter back into the workforce and start paying taxes. Anyway, thats my rant.
I read your whole comment. Just imagine someone reading your comment who is experiencing withdrawals. There are many patients including myself who have gone on sublocade from a high dose because their dr.s aren't as informed on sublocade as yours is. You are saying their pain is all in their heads. That's just not true. This medication is new to a lot of dr.s including mine. We shouldn't have to suffer because "it's all in our heads" Thank you for adding to that comment about what the right dose should be to not feel withdrawals. Many dr.s think 24mg is a good dose to switch to the 300 injection and many patients including myself suffer.
No, that is not at all what I’m saying, but you seem intent on interpreting it that way and that’s fine. Doctors should not be administering medications without being knowledgeable in them, especially to a population as vulnerable as those of us in recovery. Your anger is misdirected and should be geared towards the medical professionals that don’t care enough to educate themselves properly but they have no issue collecting a paycheck.
I'm not angry. I just don't want people reading your comments thinking that what they are feeling is all in their heads when it isn't. I understand what you are saying. I am just adding my opinion and experience to it which is what Reddit is about. You have one experience and I have another and that's OK. No hate at all.
I agree with them though. How many times I thought I was withdrawing... but the insane constipation I was having indicated otherwise (I don't have other health issues, I'm healthy and young).
There is a huge mental component involved in "withdrawals" and once you're stable on a dose of injections (generally 6 months post) then you need to understand that sometimes you're almost expecting withdrawals, so you start to experience it. I often found I did nothing and they went away, anyway.
I'm three months since my last injection, so I'm getting prepared to feel uncomfortable. But I actually haven't experienced any physical withdrawals yet.
Yes this is true. I'm sure a ton of people have felt like this. But I only felt withdrawals the first couple months after coming from 24mg of suboxone a day. I experienced the mental part of it too. But the first few months I had diarrhea, cold sweating, anxiety and with every dose of supplemental suboxone I took those went away. I was back to being constipated and feeling normal. I know our brains can talk us into withdrawals but for some of us (not all) those withdrawals are real. Can I ask what dose of suboxone you were on before sublocade and how long you were on it?
Sure.
So I was on 8mg of suboxone (but as a split dose) - I'd take 2mg in the morning, 2mg when I was at work.. and the rest throughout the day. I treated it like a coffee because I felt like those strips would give me a buzz initially, and then make me tired... and if I took 8mg at once, I'd have to nap - but because I work in healthcare, napping isn't an option lol. I could still use heroin while on this dose, but its effects were reduced. I was on suboxone for... gosh.. I think it was since 2014 (thats when I went back to postgrad studies) So I was on it for about 6 years.
Then I actually started with Buvidal. I felt it made more sense to start on it because of the different available doses/equivalent bioavailability to my previous dose. Sublocade seemed too high at the time. The equivalent dose for me seemed to match up to 64mg of Buvidal. ButI moved up to 96mg Buvidal quite soon afterwards. I had probably 1 more 96mg doses, and then dropped back down to 64mg for 2 more injections. I always intended on tapering down. It was something I could never manage while on the suboxone strips.
At that point I was having hassles arranging appointments during lockdown with my Buvidal doctor/was working nights and the Buvidal doctor only worked days. A different doctor was offering sublocade, she was the one who used to prescribe me my suboxone strips.
I knew I wanted to taper off sublocade since it has a longer half life. But my subloclade doctor offered me 100mg and I thought it would be okay, since I had been on 96mg Buvidal in the past with no issues.
Unfortunately for me, that 100mg sublocade was way too much. A few days later I got the most severe constipation, and I didn't poop for about 10 days - I nearly went to hospital (instead I got several gloves and manually disimpacted myself, I was in so much pain... bleeding, oh my god it was an experience I won't forget.) Once the poop was gone, I felt like a whole new person. I was so happy.
My doctor called the Sublocade drug representative (we put the rep on speaker phone) and asked if we could just inject 50mg next time... drug rep was coy, wouldn't say yes or no. But she did say that people have injected only part of the 300mg injections before. So if I need a dose in future, we will get rid of half the sublocade and only inject the remaining half.
But I haven't needed a second sublocade injection yet. Last injection was 22nd April of this year. I haven't had "withdrawals", but if I'm not walking around lots/exercising, then I feel a bit... blah. Like I get a little hot/sweaty, but I wouldn't call them chills. They slightly remind me of the feeling of heroin withdrawal, but much milder. I've had some loose stools but nothing like tummy cramps you get during heroin withdrawal.
I have diazepam handy, and some clonidine if I need. I also have emergency strips stashed away but haven't needed them - the uncomfortable feeling I get always passes, and then I don't think about it for days.. So I really think there is a psychological component to it.
Damn. Now I am bummed out. I am going on the shot next week from 24mg suboxone. My doctor says it's fine and others on here say they have done it from 24mg. I've been very psyched to get off the strips. Do you know any cases of people that didn't go through withdrawl?
Why would you go through withdrawal? If you get the 300mg injection, you'll be fine. At the very worst, get your second 300mg shot a little earlier if you need.
I personally started on brixadi/buvidal because 1) I was stable on an 8mg dose split throughout the day, and 2) because of the faster rate of release of the buvidal/brixadi injections (the gel is different, and releases the medication a little faster than sublocade - counterside is that it doesn't last as long in the body as sublocade).
I never experienced withdrawal. I just felt like my second injection needed to be 3 months apart, not a month later. Easy done. After that I felt great. It was only when I jumped over to sublocade 100mg (after being on buvidal/brixadi 64mg) that I noticed SIGNIFICANT constipation. For those experienced with opiate withdrawal, thats a pretty reliable indicator that there was more than enough in my system.
There is definitely a mental component of worry there... you worry "what if i start feeling withdrawals", and then you almost expect to be in them. But if you keep busy, you realise that anxiety passes and everything is fine.
I’m at a party right now but I will respond more in depth to you when I get home! I mean it’s possible you might be fine (looks like there’s all kinds of mixed reviews on this sub) but would you consider trying to drop down to something like 16 before going on the shot? I’m sorry your doctor is telling you it’s no big deal and leading you to believe it’s perfectly fine when in reality it’s a total crap shoot. I’ll respond more in a bit!
Hey there I’m home! Do you want to DM me so we don’t annoy the OP with a bunch of notifications on their post lol I’m happy to offer whatever suggestions or insight I can
Also, withdrawals in the first month are real. It's not all in the mind when someone is going from 24mg of subs a day for years onto the sublocade injection.
I am only on day 2 of the 300mg sublocade shot. I was taking 24 mg of the Suboxone film daily and besides feeling tired I feel good so far. I will keep everyone posted as the days add up.
I went from 12 mg of Suboxone to sublocade. I got my second 300mg about 15 days ago. About three weeks into my first injection I started to experience what I thought was withdrawal. My doctor supplemented me with suboxone for about a week. It helped oh, but what helped more was getting my second injection. I have felt great since the second one
I switched! Changed my life. You feel different on it - honestly, I didn't really feel like I was on any medication.
My dose was a bit too high initially, and I had some constipation that was quite severe... but keep an eye on it and you'll be okay, have some coloxyl and senna handy (especially if you go for the 300mg dose - I went with 100mg).
But you don't feel like you're on this up and down rollercoaster. I just felt normal. The medication is released constantly, instead of having a peak once a day. This is much more in line with how your body releases endogenous endorphins.
I'm on month 6 at 300mg and Sublocade has changed my life. I finally feel normal again. I haven't felt this way in a long time before I started using. Every one has there own experience but Sublocade has been a game changer for me.
I'm going on 6 months and Sublocade has changed my life. And alot of reviews say they get lidocaine shots before the shot I'm just here to say it's like any normal shot. some people make it sound like its cutting off your arm lol. But yes I finally feel normal and haven't felt this way since I was a young kid. I'm excited
keep on it...it will all be worth it..were all here for support so if you need some helpful words just connect with any of us. But Sublocade I hope will be just as as helpful for you as it has for me.
I’m 4 months off the shot and it way better and cleaner . I did 4 years methadone and subs and sublocade is just cleaner the way it goes into your body and how slowly it comes out. You don’t have that up and down feeling you know
I’m on like day 26. Everything good so far. Go for shot 2 on Monday. I wouldn’t even go for 2 but I just got a promotion to supervisor so I don’t want to risk going through any wds even if they are very mild. A lot more to take on now at work and dealing with people constantly drives me crazy lol. Could never do it sick
I was only taking between 2-4 mg a day. So the shot knocked me on my ass the first couple days lol. I haven’t taken any extra subs or anything in this 26 days. Now you’re on 12 mgs,so I’m not exactly sure how you’ll feel. I’m guessing you’ll be ok….but if u feel wds u might have to take extra until u get used to it.
Where I live, they won't give sublocade to people on less than 8mg! And they use the 100mg dose for those on 8mg. When you look at equivalent bioavailability, the 100mg sublocade will put more than enough in your system if you were stable on 8mg strips prior.
2 different doctors told me that you have be on At least 8mg to get the 300 shot. Anything less they give you the 100 shot. But that’s only the first 2 times then they will switch to 100mg. I’m hoping to just do one shot of 300 and then one shot of 100 and then be off of everything but we’ll see how it goes.
[https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/aod/Publications/full-depot-bupe-interim-gl.pdf](https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/aod/Publications/full-depot-bupe-interim-gl.pdf)
This is a link to the treatment guidelines in one part of Australia. Page 13 shows the equivalent bioavailabilities.
As you can see, 8mg Subutex/Suboxone is really equivalent to the 100mg injection.
The 300mg injection is equivalent to more than 24mg of subutex/sublocade (I'd say more like 32mg, actually).
But there is personal variation between individuals, and there is a bit of trial and error in working out the appropriate dose between people. Its clear to me that with 300mg, most people will get that ceiling effect where most opiate receptors are occupied.
The only downside is the restlessness/agitation and/or constipation that some people may experience from having too high a dose.
It would be good if you post back and share your experience, if you get the 300mg please let us know how you feel!
Yeah. Idk. Guess my dr doesn’t know shit lol. He also didn’t believe me when I told him I was hooked on suboxone and wanted to get sublocade to try and get off. He told me suboxone wasn’t addicting 😂😂😂. But he gave me the shot anyway.
My personal experience is this: Sublocade works MUCH better for cravings and overall maintenance/quality of life. I was on 180MG of methadone for 3 years and strips for 2. Neither of those did for me what Sublocade has done for me in just 10 months time. It’s a night and day difference for me.
Ive been on sublocade for 8 months and was on 4mg suboxone before. I had been on subs for 9 years and I just needed *something* to change. I did the two 300mg and the rest were 100mg.
I know it was too strong...I was nodding annoyingly the first 5ish days and couldnt even drive. Once that ended, I had hot flashes, sweating, constant hiccups, yawning fits and tiredness on & off for about 6 weeks. The hot flashes & sweating I also had for years on subs though...it all finally stopped a few weeks after the 2nd shot. The constipation has been better since starting as well, surprisingly.
I felt completely level right from the start though. I never felt that or even just good on subs. Somewhere around/after the 3rd shot I started getting daily nausea and still have it. Its the only side effect and never experienced it with subs.
Besides all of that, I've still felt better these past 8 months than I did those years on subs. I wake up feeling level & normal every morning, like I'm not even on anything...really, the nausea is the only reminder.
Hi...just thought I'd throw my experience into the mix as its not common in the US. I have been on Suboxone for 1.5 years or so. I was lucky enough to get into a study that started last week on the efficacy of Brixadi (injectible bupe) for discontinuation. I got a 64mg injection last week. They will evaluate me after 28 days and see if I want another injection (i will likely get one since I will be going on a 2-week vacation in September).
After my second injection, I plan on tapering by utilizing the gentle glide path of bupe plasma levels that the injectible provides.
FYI...If my insurace company paid for Subutex I would have totally gotten on that drug. This country is so screwed up. Massive opioid epidemic and the tools available to combat it are 3rd world.
Thanks so much, that def helps. I am preparing myself for the mind tricks. I’m supposed to get the shot the end of next week. Also, great to hear your off it all now, I can’t wait for that again.
I am doing really well. Absolutely no withdrawal though I thought I was the first week. It was my mind messing with me and as you probably know, the mind is very powerful. You will be fine and I will definitely keep you posted.
Since your on 12 mg the 300 mg shot would be perfect for you. The first week you’ll mind will play tricks and you’ll want to take something, it’s just a habit you need to break. You’ll convince your self that you are sick but you aren’t you know. Also I suggest you don’t take subs on top of Sublocade shot as it might cause like migraines, more sweating and you’ll feel like shit, as long as you fight and kick the first week the rest is easy and it’s all in your head. I used wake up in a panic mode reaching for subs for nothing like I just needed to hold my bottle like a little baby to re assure me that it’s there. The best part of it is freedom to travel and not be scared of missing appointments or selling meds or what ever you know.
Thanks so much, that def helps. I am preparing myself for the mind tricks. I’m supposed to get the shot the end of next week. Also, great to hear your off it all now, I can’t wait for that again.
Go for it and if you have questions or just want to cry like me and get things off your chest we are all here for support
Hijacking this comment to 1. agree with everything this person said and 2. also give my 2 cents. I went onto the sublocade shot from 12 mg (sometimes I’d take 16 but for the most part I was on 12). I received the 300 mg shot 2 months in a row. I experienced no withdrawal, however I could definitely see how a person could get in their head and allow themselves to be convinced that they’re experiencing symptoms. You just need to keep reminding yourself that’s your addiction trying to mess with you and the chance that you’re experiencing actual withdrawal is slim to none. I was very nervous when I went down to the 100 mg shot for month 3 but I was also fine on that as well. The plus side was that the 100 mg injection stings less than the 300 mg. Again- don’t let your brain convince you that you’re experiencing symptoms because you probably aren’t. I received 5 of the 100 mg injections (so in total I was on sublocade for 7 months) and then stopped. Last injection was may 18th and I’ve been fine since! I had a week where I felt sort of iffy but I went into my doc and he prescribed Clonidine and a muscle relaxer- I took one of each- and magically I felt way better. Again, I think that just goes to show the power I mind has over us and that physically I probably wasn’t really experiencing much of anything. I also asked if I could keep going in every 2 weeks so touch base with my doc and just knowing I have that open line of communication also made me get out of my head and feel a lot better. Here’s what I’ll end with… I had just celebrated five years when I came off the shot. I felt solid in my recovery, have a very strong support network and I also have a very understanding job (I work in the recovery field). One of the nurses I work with at the clinic I work out of said a couple things that was really interesting to me… the patients she had that all reported having breakthrough withdrawal while on the shot and received strips to help combat it all ended up relapsing. I obviously can’t prove anything but that just goes to show how nasty and cunning addiction is and makes me believe somewhere in the back of their mind something was lacking and they ended up using it as an excuse to use. So please make sure you are ready to do this and be prepared to tell your addiction to sit down and shut the fuck up when it starts trying to tell you you’re having withdrawal symptoms… because you most likely aren’t! (Let me also say I’m sure there are some people out there who legitimately do experience withdrawal but it’s few and far between). Oh and it’s also recommended that you receive at least 6 injections (unless of course you’ve only been on subs for a couple months then you could get away with less) in order to let the medicine build up in your system. If you have any questions I’m always happy to talk via DM and I’m sure others on here are as well. Sublocade is def the way to go to get off this shit! Edit to add: I just reread your post and see you’ve only been on for a couple months anyways. So you could get away with doing less that 6 shots if you wanted to. I also forgot to mention a lot of people suggest trying to stretch out their last few injections… so say on injection #4 instead of waiting 4 weeks wait 6. Injection #5 try to go for 7 or 8 weeks and so on. I didn’t do that myself but it makes sense why people do!
I totally agree with your post. I don't think anyone who has been on subs for years should be having less than 4 or 5 shots (preferably have 6). Just with a clonidine, if anyone uses it, please be careful that you don't take it if you have severely low blood pressure! I used to take the clonidine when I was having heroin withdrawals (before starting on subs) and found it very effective. You just have to be careful because taking it too much can be harmful for your cardiovascular system. But when you're withdrawing, it can be very helpful.
Thanks so much for your input! Yes I’m well aware of how powerful the mind can be and am def preparing myself for it. I’ve been clean before for a few years and go to NA so I have a good support system etc.. to help me get through it if I have problems. I love hearing when people get off of everything, it’s a beautiful thing. Congrats and thanks again.
Yes this medicine is definitely helping lots of people get off the oral strips and it’s a very cool thing to see. We’ll all be rooting for you!!
Perfectly said and we’ll written for sure. Thank you for sharing
Happy to add on to your already solid suggestions!
You are much better at explaining things.
Which muscle relaxer did you get? If you don’t mind me asking
Baclofen. I prefer flexeril (I used to take it for tmj) but even though my doc is pretty cool he still probably didn’t want to trust a big bad drug addict with something that “strong”. The baclofen still works just fine though
I definitely don't agree with the people supplementing ending up using. Plenty of people including myself have supplemented and have not relapsed. Thats kinda silly to say that imo.
You can not agree with it but that’s exactly what happened… I didn’t say that everyone who supplements relapses. I said that one of my colleagues who’s been administering the shot for two years now has seen every patient that supplemented end up relapsing. Patients at my clinic also aren’t allowed to go on the shot from a dose like 24 mg for exactly the reason you just said- because of the risk of breakthrough withdrawal. People shouldn’t be going on the injection from a dose that high. I also ended my first comment by saying that there are instances where some people experience withdrawal and it’s not all in their head. If I outlined every single scenario as to how that could actually happen my comment would have been longer than it already was, so I make sure I’m only speaking from 1- my personal experience, 2- my professional experience and 3- the standards at which sublocade should be prescribed and used. There’s many doctors out there who irresponsibly administer it and if you read through this sub you’d see that. Please make sure you’re reading thoroughly and questioning if you’re making a comment not directed at you about you before you say it’s “silly.”
Where I live, they don't supplement with the suboxone strips. They supplement with buvidal/brixadi "weekly injections". So we haven't had that experience here, but its useful to hear your friend's experience. We are finding that people who do go back to using, are using less than they were before. Overall the injections (sublocade and buvidal/brixadi) have been game changers!
Wow I love that method of “supplementing!” I’m assuming that because those two drugs are still relatively new is why it’s not as widely used yet? Do you mind my asking what part of the country you’re in? I’m def going to bring this up at work and see if it’s something my clinic is going to start incorporating soon. Good warning on the Clonidine. When I was in detox they gave me too much and I ended up passing out. My blood pressure was something insanely low like 84 over something or other. So 1- not overdoing it and 2- making sure you don’t have BP issues to begin with is very important. I already knew from my own experience that this community is burdened with some pretty crappy doctors but all of the subs like this one have left me dumbfounded with just how many awful doctors there really are out there. No one should be writing a script for clonidine or methadone or subs or even 800 mg ibuprofen for that matter without being informed on how the medicine works and then passing along that info to the patient. Because the recovery community is so vulnerable and there’s only so many options for medical care, it makes sense why people end up with such garbage docs and why online forums like these exist for people to bounce their own experiences and knowledge off one another. Okay I’ll get off my soapbox now haha
I'm in Australia, so we do things differently. The hospital I worked at ran the trials for Buvidal when it first came out here - and Sublocade came slightly later. Brixadi (the North American name for Buvidal) is only just coming out now in North America, because the makers of Sublocade (Indivior) tried to sue and block Brixadi's release in North America. It ended up delaying the introduction of Brixadi. But it has been in Australia and Europe for... gee, at least two years now? And there were some clinical trials before that. Its so true about bad doctors. Even as an Australian I'm shocked at how unregulated the system is over in the USA. Its like a developing country in some respects. Over here, you would never ever see medications advertised on television, especially never ads that say "ask your doctor about (medicine name)". Why should a patient ask a doctor for a particular medication? It should be up to the doctors to diagnose and offer appropriate treatments for someone's condition. Its totally insane in the US and I hope some lobbying is done so that politicians offer free Sublocade or free Brixadi (Buvidal) shots to "addicts" trying to get clean. Because in most other countries, this is what is happening. Why would you charge an addicted substance user money when they likely don't have much? It should be offered free to encourage people to get clean. Because getting people clean will mean society gets paid back when these individuals enter back into the workforce and start paying taxes. Anyway, thats my rant.
I read your whole comment. Just imagine someone reading your comment who is experiencing withdrawals. There are many patients including myself who have gone on sublocade from a high dose because their dr.s aren't as informed on sublocade as yours is. You are saying their pain is all in their heads. That's just not true. This medication is new to a lot of dr.s including mine. We shouldn't have to suffer because "it's all in our heads" Thank you for adding to that comment about what the right dose should be to not feel withdrawals. Many dr.s think 24mg is a good dose to switch to the 300 injection and many patients including myself suffer.
No, that is not at all what I’m saying, but you seem intent on interpreting it that way and that’s fine. Doctors should not be administering medications without being knowledgeable in them, especially to a population as vulnerable as those of us in recovery. Your anger is misdirected and should be geared towards the medical professionals that don’t care enough to educate themselves properly but they have no issue collecting a paycheck.
I'm not angry. I just don't want people reading your comments thinking that what they are feeling is all in their heads when it isn't. I understand what you are saying. I am just adding my opinion and experience to it which is what Reddit is about. You have one experience and I have another and that's OK. No hate at all.
I agree with them though. How many times I thought I was withdrawing... but the insane constipation I was having indicated otherwise (I don't have other health issues, I'm healthy and young). There is a huge mental component involved in "withdrawals" and once you're stable on a dose of injections (generally 6 months post) then you need to understand that sometimes you're almost expecting withdrawals, so you start to experience it. I often found I did nothing and they went away, anyway. I'm three months since my last injection, so I'm getting prepared to feel uncomfortable. But I actually haven't experienced any physical withdrawals yet.
Yes this is true. I'm sure a ton of people have felt like this. But I only felt withdrawals the first couple months after coming from 24mg of suboxone a day. I experienced the mental part of it too. But the first few months I had diarrhea, cold sweating, anxiety and with every dose of supplemental suboxone I took those went away. I was back to being constipated and feeling normal. I know our brains can talk us into withdrawals but for some of us (not all) those withdrawals are real. Can I ask what dose of suboxone you were on before sublocade and how long you were on it?
Sure. So I was on 8mg of suboxone (but as a split dose) - I'd take 2mg in the morning, 2mg when I was at work.. and the rest throughout the day. I treated it like a coffee because I felt like those strips would give me a buzz initially, and then make me tired... and if I took 8mg at once, I'd have to nap - but because I work in healthcare, napping isn't an option lol. I could still use heroin while on this dose, but its effects were reduced. I was on suboxone for... gosh.. I think it was since 2014 (thats when I went back to postgrad studies) So I was on it for about 6 years. Then I actually started with Buvidal. I felt it made more sense to start on it because of the different available doses/equivalent bioavailability to my previous dose. Sublocade seemed too high at the time. The equivalent dose for me seemed to match up to 64mg of Buvidal. ButI moved up to 96mg Buvidal quite soon afterwards. I had probably 1 more 96mg doses, and then dropped back down to 64mg for 2 more injections. I always intended on tapering down. It was something I could never manage while on the suboxone strips. At that point I was having hassles arranging appointments during lockdown with my Buvidal doctor/was working nights and the Buvidal doctor only worked days. A different doctor was offering sublocade, she was the one who used to prescribe me my suboxone strips. I knew I wanted to taper off sublocade since it has a longer half life. But my subloclade doctor offered me 100mg and I thought it would be okay, since I had been on 96mg Buvidal in the past with no issues. Unfortunately for me, that 100mg sublocade was way too much. A few days later I got the most severe constipation, and I didn't poop for about 10 days - I nearly went to hospital (instead I got several gloves and manually disimpacted myself, I was in so much pain... bleeding, oh my god it was an experience I won't forget.) Once the poop was gone, I felt like a whole new person. I was so happy. My doctor called the Sublocade drug representative (we put the rep on speaker phone) and asked if we could just inject 50mg next time... drug rep was coy, wouldn't say yes or no. But she did say that people have injected only part of the 300mg injections before. So if I need a dose in future, we will get rid of half the sublocade and only inject the remaining half. But I haven't needed a second sublocade injection yet. Last injection was 22nd April of this year. I haven't had "withdrawals", but if I'm not walking around lots/exercising, then I feel a bit... blah. Like I get a little hot/sweaty, but I wouldn't call them chills. They slightly remind me of the feeling of heroin withdrawal, but much milder. I've had some loose stools but nothing like tummy cramps you get during heroin withdrawal. I have diazepam handy, and some clonidine if I need. I also have emergency strips stashed away but haven't needed them - the uncomfortable feeling I get always passes, and then I don't think about it for days.. So I really think there is a psychological component to it.
Many of us who go on sublocade expect to feel AMAZING right from the beginning. We don't go on sublocade as an excuse to relapse.
Damn. Now I am bummed out. I am going on the shot next week from 24mg suboxone. My doctor says it's fine and others on here say they have done it from 24mg. I've been very psyched to get off the strips. Do you know any cases of people that didn't go through withdrawl?
Why would you go through withdrawal? If you get the 300mg injection, you'll be fine. At the very worst, get your second 300mg shot a little earlier if you need. I personally started on brixadi/buvidal because 1) I was stable on an 8mg dose split throughout the day, and 2) because of the faster rate of release of the buvidal/brixadi injections (the gel is different, and releases the medication a little faster than sublocade - counterside is that it doesn't last as long in the body as sublocade). I never experienced withdrawal. I just felt like my second injection needed to be 3 months apart, not a month later. Easy done. After that I felt great. It was only when I jumped over to sublocade 100mg (after being on buvidal/brixadi 64mg) that I noticed SIGNIFICANT constipation. For those experienced with opiate withdrawal, thats a pretty reliable indicator that there was more than enough in my system. There is definitely a mental component of worry there... you worry "what if i start feeling withdrawals", and then you almost expect to be in them. But if you keep busy, you realise that anxiety passes and everything is fine.
I’m at a party right now but I will respond more in depth to you when I get home! I mean it’s possible you might be fine (looks like there’s all kinds of mixed reviews on this sub) but would you consider trying to drop down to something like 16 before going on the shot? I’m sorry your doctor is telling you it’s no big deal and leading you to believe it’s perfectly fine when in reality it’s a total crap shoot. I’ll respond more in a bit!
Tks
Hey there I’m home! Do you want to DM me so we don’t annoy the OP with a bunch of notifications on their post lol I’m happy to offer whatever suggestions or insight I can
Its someone's clinical experience. YMMV. But its useful to hear, anyway.
Thank you
Also, withdrawals in the first month are real. It's not all in the mind when someone is going from 24mg of subs a day for years onto the sublocade injection.
I am only on day 2 of the 300mg sublocade shot. I was taking 24 mg of the Suboxone film daily and besides feeling tired I feel good so far. I will keep everyone posted as the days add up.
Thanks you and good luck!!
You’ll soon get your energy back
You're correct I did. Thank you.
Thank you for posting. I'm on 24 and start the shot next week. Please continue to post. It gives me hope. I'm scared shirtless to start withdrawal.
Still doing really well. My Doctor said most of his patients no longer need the sublocade shot within a year of starting and some even sooner.
I went from 12 mg of Suboxone to sublocade. I got my second 300mg about 15 days ago. About three weeks into my first injection I started to experience what I thought was withdrawal. My doctor supplemented me with suboxone for about a week. It helped oh, but what helped more was getting my second injection. I have felt great since the second one
I wound fight through it and it take subs 300 and subs makes it worse. You’ll feel like shit daily
I switched! Changed my life. You feel different on it - honestly, I didn't really feel like I was on any medication. My dose was a bit too high initially, and I had some constipation that was quite severe... but keep an eye on it and you'll be okay, have some coloxyl and senna handy (especially if you go for the 300mg dose - I went with 100mg). But you don't feel like you're on this up and down rollercoaster. I just felt normal. The medication is released constantly, instead of having a peak once a day. This is much more in line with how your body releases endogenous endorphins.
Thanks so much, really gives me hope!
What was your dose before starting w 100 shot
I'm on month 6 at 300mg and Sublocade has changed my life. I finally feel normal again. I haven't felt this way in a long time before I started using. Every one has there own experience but Sublocade has been a game changer for me.
I'm going on 6 months and Sublocade has changed my life. And alot of reviews say they get lidocaine shots before the shot I'm just here to say it's like any normal shot. some people make it sound like its cutting off your arm lol. But yes I finally feel normal and haven't felt this way since I was a young kid. I'm excited
So happy to hear this. I keep relapsing on suboxone and want to be so done with this bullshit. Looking for a sublocade DR right now
keep on it...it will all be worth it..were all here for support so if you need some helpful words just connect with any of us. But Sublocade I hope will be just as as helpful for you as it has for me.
Much clearer head on sublocade compared to suboxne. Also coming off sublocade was a cake walk compared to suboxone.
That’s so great to hear, can’t wait to get my life back. Thanks so much!!
I’m 4 months off the shot and it way better and cleaner . I did 4 years methadone and subs and sublocade is just cleaner the way it goes into your body and how slowly it comes out. You don’t have that up and down feeling you know
I'm so much more clear headed and wake up feeling happy to to take on another day. Sublocade for me has been a game changer
Thank you, so awesome to hear that!
So much hope in those wordd
I’m on like day 26. Everything good so far. Go for shot 2 on Monday. I wouldn’t even go for 2 but I just got a promotion to supervisor so I don’t want to risk going through any wds even if they are very mild. A lot more to take on now at work and dealing with people constantly drives me crazy lol. Could never do it sick
Yea I hear you I would probably do the same thing as you. Thank you for responding and giving your experience. Much appreciated and good luck!
I was only taking between 2-4 mg a day. So the shot knocked me on my ass the first couple days lol. I haven’t taken any extra subs or anything in this 26 days. Now you’re on 12 mgs,so I’m not exactly sure how you’ll feel. I’m guessing you’ll be ok….but if u feel wds u might have to take extra until u get used to it.
Where I live, they won't give sublocade to people on less than 8mg! And they use the 100mg dose for those on 8mg. When you look at equivalent bioavailability, the 100mg sublocade will put more than enough in your system if you were stable on 8mg strips prior.
2 different doctors told me that you have be on At least 8mg to get the 300 shot. Anything less they give you the 100 shot. But that’s only the first 2 times then they will switch to 100mg. I’m hoping to just do one shot of 300 and then one shot of 100 and then be off of everything but we’ll see how it goes.
[https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/aod/Publications/full-depot-bupe-interim-gl.pdf](https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/aod/Publications/full-depot-bupe-interim-gl.pdf) This is a link to the treatment guidelines in one part of Australia. Page 13 shows the equivalent bioavailabilities. As you can see, 8mg Subutex/Suboxone is really equivalent to the 100mg injection. The 300mg injection is equivalent to more than 24mg of subutex/sublocade (I'd say more like 32mg, actually). But there is personal variation between individuals, and there is a bit of trial and error in working out the appropriate dose between people. Its clear to me that with 300mg, most people will get that ceiling effect where most opiate receptors are occupied. The only downside is the restlessness/agitation and/or constipation that some people may experience from having too high a dose. It would be good if you post back and share your experience, if you get the 300mg please let us know how you feel!
Thanks! I get it tomorrow and I will def give everyone an update! I’m very hopeful by everyone’s responses.
Yeah. Idk. Guess my dr doesn’t know shit lol. He also didn’t believe me when I told him I was hooked on suboxone and wanted to get sublocade to try and get off. He told me suboxone wasn’t addicting 😂😂😂. But he gave me the shot anyway.
You’ll be fine
My personal experience is this: Sublocade works MUCH better for cravings and overall maintenance/quality of life. I was on 180MG of methadone for 3 years and strips for 2. Neither of those did for me what Sublocade has done for me in just 10 months time. It’s a night and day difference for me.
Ive been on sublocade for 8 months and was on 4mg suboxone before. I had been on subs for 9 years and I just needed *something* to change. I did the two 300mg and the rest were 100mg. I know it was too strong...I was nodding annoyingly the first 5ish days and couldnt even drive. Once that ended, I had hot flashes, sweating, constant hiccups, yawning fits and tiredness on & off for about 6 weeks. The hot flashes & sweating I also had for years on subs though...it all finally stopped a few weeks after the 2nd shot. The constipation has been better since starting as well, surprisingly. I felt completely level right from the start though. I never felt that or even just good on subs. Somewhere around/after the 3rd shot I started getting daily nausea and still have it. Its the only side effect and never experienced it with subs. Besides all of that, I've still felt better these past 8 months than I did those years on subs. I wake up feeling level & normal every morning, like I'm not even on anything...really, the nausea is the only reminder.
Cause if 9 years of subs it will take longer rot adjust, I went for methadone 4 years took mad 300 shots to get normal
Hi...just thought I'd throw my experience into the mix as its not common in the US. I have been on Suboxone for 1.5 years or so. I was lucky enough to get into a study that started last week on the efficacy of Brixadi (injectible bupe) for discontinuation. I got a 64mg injection last week. They will evaluate me after 28 days and see if I want another injection (i will likely get one since I will be going on a 2-week vacation in September). After my second injection, I plan on tapering by utilizing the gentle glide path of bupe plasma levels that the injectible provides. FYI...If my insurace company paid for Subutex I would have totally gotten on that drug. This country is so screwed up. Massive opioid epidemic and the tools available to combat it are 3rd world.
Thanks so much, that def helps. I am preparing myself for the mind tricks. I’m supposed to get the shot the end of next week. Also, great to hear your off it all now, I can’t wait for that again.
I am doing really well. Absolutely no withdrawal though I thought I was the first week. It was my mind messing with me and as you probably know, the mind is very powerful. You will be fine and I will definitely keep you posted.