Buprenorphine Questions

Can someone help me to understand what buprenorphine does? My bf is a Heroin addict and I am trying to find some options for him. Is it addicting? What happens if you are on it and you get high? I heard that it wasn't in the US yet, and then I heard that it was. Does anyone know for sure?

Please help!
It is addictive so a short course of treatment of 1 to 2 months is supposed to be the best option. You only get a very limited high.

It is available in the US as suboxone, this has a opiate blocker, naltrexone, added. When taken orally, actually disolved under the tongue, the naltrexone has no effect. Its somewhat dubious purpose is to prevent people injecting.

This thread has an explanation of Subutex look here

Also have a look at Opiate Detox. There is a bruprenorphine/Suboxone section and also have a look in the FAQs.
Now then Broaddway skips ere.
How R U doing lovee.
Long time ive read any possts from U.
Goin back to bed now though so i,ll check any replies from yer in the morning.
Luv skip.
hi'

subutex is in the u.s. but only certain doctors can prescribe it. It definitely works. ive been on it for a couple of months. it works
jenn,
here is a list of doctors in mass. that prescribe subutex / suboxone but a lot of them are full because they can only carry 30 patients at a time, which is stupid.
http://buprenorphine.samhsa.gov. good luck
Only if he really wants to be clean. Nothing will work if he is not ready.
Hi Jenn, my boyfriend is a pain killer addict. He went to a doctor that gave him Buprenex injectibles. His doctor would give him boxes of Buprenex (each box had five small viles) and needles to take home. From what his doctor has said, I believe Buprenex works like this... it blocks the opiate receptors in the brain so that you don't feel that constant craving when you are on it. At first, it really helped him and he started to do better. Then, he relapsed and started using the needles that he was given for the Buprenex to inject his drugs... something he had never done before but now he had needles. I believe that this Buprenex treatment could be an effective method but with a lot of mental support as well. His doctor just gave him the Buprenex to take home and administer himself without referring him to any substance abuse program or anything. It is now a year later and he isn't much farther along, atleast not due to the Buprenex treatment. This is just my experience, it may work well for your boyfriend... just make sure he is really ready to start his recovery. Good luck.
Hi All,

Thanks for all the helpful information. My bf got on Suboxone last week and has been doing great. He has a lot of anxiety when it starts to wear off. I told him that I read somewhere that it could be because of caffeine, but he doesn't believe it. He has very little cravings, which is good since that is the hardest part for him.. the mental addiction. The dr only gives him 10 pills at a time and he has to go back and check in with the dr twice a week for now, then it goes down from there. Does anyone know the side effects, some times he nods off... I guess the dr told him that is normal and will go away, but just trying to see if anyone knows from experience. Will his pupils always be small? And he itches? Do these go away eventually?
Thanks!
Jenn,
Suboxone or subutex does not make your pupils small or make you itch. You know what does that.
Luv,
Zuma
I don't know about that because I know he hasn't been doing heroin, but his pupils are still smaller than usual and he was itching a lot at the begining, but not so much anymore. I know there are some side effects that go away during treatment, so maybe this is one of them.
Thanks!
actually, suboxone/subutex does make your pupils small, as it is an opiate, but the itchiness should go away in a couple of weeks, if it doesnt then i would question what he is actually taking. ggod luck! take it easy, fluffy.
KateyezX3@aol.comHi, I hate that you are worried, and everyone will give you a different opionion. I have used Bupernex because of a morphine problem post-surgery. I became addicted to the morphine, ms contin, 800 mg. dailey along with Xanax. I went to a local pain clinic and was introduced to Bupernex. It did wonders for me. I did not think I could ever stop taking the ms contin, especially after two hospital detox programs. The drug has an anti-antagonist, which, from my understanding, keeps you from getting "high". I believe it does have a small amount of morphine darivitive,but I think it is a wonderful detox drug. Depending on how long you stay on the drug, 3 months, one year, of course it is harder to get off, like any other drug, yet it is not physically painful, mild flu like symptoms, my best friend just detoxed her self off Bupernex after 5 years (way too long to be on this particular drug) and she said she was surprised that it was mostly "emotional" , slept alot, but she sounds great and is taking amino acids. I would highly recomend this drug if given by the proper medical supervison. Try it for a week, I bet your boyfriend will be a whole new person and will feel some sort of self control. You do not get high from it like other opiods. I wish you both the best of heallth, check under "Center of Pain Relief" or "CPR of south Florida, Ft. Lauderdale area city of Wilton Manors. Go to the AOL yellow pages or look under "Detox Centers of South Florida" :o)
Hi Cindy,
Thanks for your imput. My bf has been on Suboxone now for three weeks and he really likes it. He has had a few cravings , but nothing serious. He has not even tried to get high. I like the med too, he is a new person! He has been taking anti-depressants and amino acids too. I don't know how long he plans to stay on the meds, but I rather him be "addicted" to this then heroin. As bad as that may sound. I know addiction is never good, but one is better than the other. He is not stealing, or putting himself in dangerous situations. He goes to his psychiatrist once a week for now then it will go to once every two weeks. His pupils were very small the first couple week, which botherd me, but they don't seem so small anymore. Maybe that is one of the side effects. He also still "Nods" once in a while, usually when he is driving or watching TV. Hopefully that will go away too.
Thanks for your advice!
Subutex is buprenorphine alone. Suboxone is bupe plus naloxone, not naltrexone. Buprenorphine is an opiod and will make the pupils small, but it does not give you the euphoria that the full agonists give you. Buprenorphine both blocks and stimulates the mu receptors, these are the receptors responsible for euphoria and addiction, thus making it easier to come off of and if used for short detox, is very smooth and easy. If I can be of help...please e-mail at RanWalk57@aol.com