Quote Originally Posted by linda View Post
Hey Justin,
How great to have all the pain relieved!!! This oxycodone is just not working well for my pain (2 yrs). Tolerance I suppose. Are you going to be taking this for a short time? Can you tell me more about this suboxone? I've read about it some but you explain things so much better!
Two thumbs up to that pain relief!
Have a nice night,
Linda
Hi Linda,

Suboxone is a drug that is usually prescribed to patients that are opioid dependent. Many of these patients are psychologically dependent on opioids (taking an excessive number of narcotic pills a day).

One benefit of Suboxone is that it is a drug that is 1/2 a partial opioid agonist and 1/2 an opioid antagonist. Since Suboxone contains a partial opioid agonist instead a of full opioid agonist like oxycodone, patients do not experience the euphoric high that is often associated with full opioid agonists (another drug to think about is heroin).

The opioid antagonist component in Suboxone is called naloxone. Naloxone is one of the drugs used in emergency departments to treat patients experiencing an acute opioid overdose--naloxone "antagonizes" (displaces) the opioid off of its receptor and promptly takes its spot. When the opioid is no longer on its receptor, the opioid is rendered inactive and the patient no longer experiences effects of the drug.

Suboxone is best absorbed through mucous membranes and the tablet is placed under the tongue to be dissolved; it is not chewed or swallowed. The naloxone component that was discussed above will not enter the bloodstream when Suboxone is dissolved under the tongue. However, if Suboxone is injected, a patient will go into opioid withdrawals because the naloxone will now reach the bloodstream.

I will be taking Suboxone for two months total. Suboxone can be very expensive because there is usually a monthly cash fee for treatment to be paid to the health care provider and then there is the cost of Suboxone medication itself. I started on Suboxone to get off of the remaining full opioid agonists I was on (oxycodone) and to minimize the withdrawals associated with discontinuing opioid therapy, which can be experienced during a "traditional slow taper."

By the way, I am completely off of my oxycodone. :thumpup::thumpup: Two thumbs up like you said! Switching to Suboxone treatment requires one full day free of your prescribed opioids. This frees up the opioid receptors so that the Suboxone now has free receptors to bind.

I hope this makes sense.