If you’re looking for informative and easy-to-follow Sublocade Reviews, then you’ve come to the right place, my friend. In this article, I’m going to teach you everything you need to know about using the new FDA-approved medicine for opioid use disorder, called Sublocade.
I am EXTREMELY PASSIONATE about opiate addiction recovery, and so my goal is to make this the most helpful Sublocade Review available online. My intention is to serve you well, and I promise to give you a detailed review of the pros and cons associated with using Sublocade for opiate addiction recovery.
I’ll be covering the following topics in this Sublocade Review:
- Sublocade Mechanism of Action
- Sublocade Price
- Sublocade Statistics
- Sublocade Side Effects
- Sublocade Dosage
- How to Use Sublocade
- Sublocade Pros and Cons Breakdown
My ultimate goal is to provide you with a good understanding of the pros and cons associated with using Sublocade for opiate addiction, thus enabling you to make an informed decision on whether or not to use this medication. So without further ado, I now present with my review of Sublocade, which starts with a little history…
Brief History of Suboxone and Subutex
On October 8th, 2002, the FDA announced the approval of Subutex and Suboxone tablets for the treatment of opioid dependence. Subutex and Suboxone also became the first narcotic drugs available for the treatment of opioid dependence that could be prescribed in an office setting under the Drug Addiction Treatment Act (DATA) of 2000.
As a result of these changes in policy, many opiate-dependent individuals were now able to be treated with Subutex and Suboxone, two drugs that both contained buprenorphine, a partial opioid agonist that can relieve opioid withdrawal symptoms and cravings.
Some people chose to enroll in Opiate Treatment Programs (OTP’s) and received Suboxone in an outpatient treatment setting (which includes counseling), while others opted for treatment under the care of a private physician.
All over the nation, people were getting the help they really needed, and for over 15 years now, Subutex and Suboxone have continued to save lives, careers, homes, marriages, families, and much more.
Science and Innovation
Over the years, pharmacists have continued to be creative and innovate new opiate replacement medications. For instance, on May 26th of 2016, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Probuphine for the maintenance treatment of opioid dependence.
The Probuphine Implant provides patients with six months of slow-release, steady levels of buprenorphine.
The Probuphine Implant was created to increase convenience and treatment retention, and decrease opioid use and diversion in persons who are already stable on low-to-moderate dosages of oral buprenorphine.
Sublocade Becomes FDA-Approved
On November 30, 2017, the FDA approved a new innovative medicine called Sublocade for the treatment of moderate-to-severe opioid use disorder.
According to the FDA Press Announcement:
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Sublocade, the first once-monthly injectable buprenorphine product for the treatment of moderate-to-severe opioid use disorder (OUD) in adult patients who have initiated treatment with a transmucosal (absorbed through mucus membrane) buprenorphine-containing product. It is indicated for patients that have been on a stable dose of buprenorphine treatment for a minimum of seven days.
Buprenorphine for the treatment of OUD is currently approved to administer as a tablet or film that dissolves in the mouth, or as an implant. Sublocade provides a new treatment option for patients in recovery who may value the benefits of a once-monthly injection compared to other forms of buprenorphine, such as reducing the burden of taking medication daily as prescribed (medical adherence).”
Sublocade Mechanism of Action
Sublocade is an injectable, extended-release formulation of buprenorphine that uses Atrigel technology to deliver buprenorphine at a controlled rate over a one month period.
Buprenorphine is a controlled substance and semisynthetic opioid derivative of thebaine. Buprenorphine attaches and binds to the same opioid receptors in the brain and other parts of the body that drugs like oxycodone, hydrocodone, heroin, and other opioids bind to. Once it attaches to these receptors, it mimics the effects that opioid drugs produce (though it’s not as powerful).
For this reason, buprenorphine is known as a “partial opioid agonist.”
The other opiate drugs I just mentioned are known as “full opioid agonists,” because they activate the receptors in a stronger and more complete way than buprenorphine. See the illustration below.
Since Sublocade treatment provides your body with extended-release buprenorphine in steady levels for a month at a time, this allows the patient to avoid opioid withdrawal symptoms and drug cravings, without the need for having to take an oral form of buprenorphine every day.
Sublocade Price
Indivior (the makers of Sublocade) reports that the wholesale acquisition cost (WAC) price of Sublocade will be $1,580/month, regardless of dose. The monthly retail cost of Suboxone varies from $300-800/month, making Sublocade substantially more expensive than traditional sublingual applications.
According to Indivior, “We want to help ensure our products are affordable to appropriate patients. We will be offering a SUBLOCADE co-pay assistance program, and also a SUBOXONE® (buprenorphine and naloxone) Sublingual Film co-pay assistance program, that may reduce initial out-of-pocket costs for eligible patients to as little as $5 each month.”
Sublocade Statistics
Sublocade was evaluated in a 24-week study in which patients were randomized to one of the following three regimens: six once-monthly Sublocade 300 mg doses; two once-monthly Sublocade 300 mg doses followed by four once-monthly 100 mg doses; or 6 once-monthly injections of placebo.
Results of the research study concluded the following:
All regimens received weekly individualized drug counseling. Both dosage regimens of Sublocade were shown to be superior to placebo in achieving more illicit opioid-free weeks.”
Sublocade Side Effects
As with all pharmaceutical medications, Sublocade does have the ability to cause minor or even severe side effects. Sometimes the side effects will go away with time, and other times they stay and always remain present to at least some degree.
Common Sublocade side effects include:
- Constipation
- Headache
- Nausea
- Injection site itching or pain
- Vomiting
- Increased liver enzymes
- Fatigue
For a more detailed and extensive list of Sublocade side effects, click here. Also, to see a detailed and complete list of Sublocade interactions, click here.
Sublocade Dosage and Administration
According to the Sublocade Fact Sheet PDF on Indivior.com, “SUBLOCADE is available in dosage strengths of 100 mg/0.5 mL and 300 mg/1.5 mL buprenorphine. Each dose is provided in a prefilled syringe with a 19 gauge 5/8-inch needle. The recommended dose of SUBLOCADE following induction and dose adjustment with transmuscosal buprenorphine is 300 mg monthly for the first two months followed by a maintenance dose of 100 mg monthly.
The maintenance dose may be increased to 300 mg monthly for patients who tolerate the 100 mg dose, but do not demonstrate a satisfactory clinical response, as evidenced by self-reported illicit opioid use or urine drug screens positive for illicit opioid use.”
Sublocade – Review of Pros and Cons
Now that you’ve been educated on the many aspects of Sublocade, I’m going to provide you with a breakdown of the main pros and cons associated with the use of Sublocade for opioid use disorder.
Sublocade Pros
- Relapse Prevention – Contains buprenorphine which has a long history of helping people avoid opioid withdrawal symptoms, cravings, and relapse.
- Innovative Formulation – With oral buprenorphine you have to take it every day. This can lead to blood concentrations falling and rising. Additionally, patients can stop taking their daily medicine, abuse it, or even sell it to someone without a prescription. A monthly injection prevents all of these issues.
- Simplicity – To get Sublocade treatment, you simply sign up for an Outpatient Treatment Program (OTP) or private practice physician that can prescribe you Sublocade and give you the monthly injection of medicine.
Sublocade Cons
- Temporary Fix – Many people want to be completely opioid-free one day, and if you’ve ever spoken with someone that has tried to come off any buprenorphine formulations, it’s regarded as a pretty difficult task to achieve for the majority of individuals.
- Price – Due to the higher price of Sublocade, this will limit how many people the medication can help.
- Side Effects – Many people will either have mild side effects or no side effects from Sublocade, but some patients will suffer from significant side effects, and the only way to know which person you are is to use yourself as a guinea pig.
Sublocade Reviews – Conclusion
In my opinion, Sublocade is an extraordinary medication that is going to help many people over the years. Buprenorphine formulations have a proven track record at helping people abstain from the addictive use of opioid drugs.
Since Sublocade was literally just approved by the FDA a little over a month ago, there are no Sublocade User Reviews available online at my favorite place to search for these, Drugs.com.
But I have a feeling over the next 12 months Sublocade User Reviews will start coming out all over the internet. Until then, and even after, if you or someone you know has had a personal experience using Sublocade, I encourage you to post about it in the comment box below.
Click here now to view the Ultimate Opiate Recovery System.
Additionally, if you have any comments or questions related to Sublocade Reviews or anything else your heart desires (related to opiate recovery!) please post them in the comment box below.
I have not heard anything from anyone that was on methadone and transitioned over to this sublocade..I have been and still am on methadone maintenance. its been 22 yrs now.
iam down to 40mgs- liquid form daily.i have been on the highest phase at my clinic, allowing me the maximum amount of carry homes- 27 bottles, have not used in 20 yrs,and have never givin any sort of dirty U.A..I am extremely interested in this sublocade..but again, have not heard from anyone that was on methadone before sublocade..anyone ? any thoughts, information, suggestions?
positive or negative..im curious if there’s a way I can do this.i desperately want to be free from the methadone program. iam willing to go without for a few days if I must..in order to do this transition if possible..
My partner was on methadone he was at 77mg he went to detox for 7 days completely detoxed off of methadone they gave him suboxone and then put him on Sublicade he’s been on it now since November 2022 and it beats having to go to the pharmacy daily for drinks. Though it is a bit costly, if you do the 2x 300mg then 4x 100mg you should try to wean yourself off off sublicade of you can. Best of Luck.
This thread looks pretty stagnant at this point, so I have no idea whether anyone is even going to read this. But, after reading a number of comments in here (in particular, from those that had struggled with the shot), I figured it might be worth relaying my personal experience with Sublocade. I’ll apologize in advance for the necro-post in a very old thread, but perhaps somebody will read this and be better prepared than I was…
I’ve been a fairly heavy opiate user for the past 10yrs or so – typical “modern day” addict (started with the perc and oxy pills until heroin became the cheaper alternative). At my peak (just before finally seeking help), I was easily putting away a brick a day ($150) – and of course, God only knows exactly how much fentanyl I was actually dosing at that point. I suspect I was getting a fairly large amount of it, though (scary to admit)!
Anyway – I live in the tri-state area, and Columbia University in NYC (STARS – Substance Treatment and Research Service) was running a “paid” study, directed specifically at users of “high potency” opiods (fentanyl) and attempting to get them on to the Sublocade shot. Don’t misunderstand me – when I say it’s a “paid study”, you are NOT making money on this!! The $10 per visit that they pay, doesn’t even cover the tolls and parking – so that was NOT the reason I chose to get involved in the study. I chose to get involved because the doctors in the STARS program have done some amazing work with opiod addiction treatment, and I have several people in my life who were successfully treated through various other studies STARS has executed over the years – and I was anxious to become another success story.
The study I wound up getting enrolled in, is an attempt to reduce the induction window (7 days of 8-24mg suboxone) down to 3 days or less – and then immediately on to the 300mg shot. I should point out that had I read even half of the things I’ve been reading on this page from some of you all, I probably would have gone a totally diffferent route!!! But I was ignorant as to what to expect (other than the “it’s wonderful” information on the sublocade website) and so I jumped at the chance to take part in this study and kick this nasty habit as quickly as possible, once and for all!
I last used heroin on Monday, February 22nd – my first appointment with the STARS team was the next morning. The study requires you to be in active withdrawal before starting, and with obviously high amounts of fentanyl in my system, I was unable to start that next day as I was not in adequate withdrawal yet. I came back again the following day (Wednesday) and even though I hadn’t used since Monday night, I was still not having strong withdrawal symptoms (had some very vague hot flashes and goose pimples, but still had yet to reach those truly heavy bends). But the doctor decided to go ahead with the procedure anyway (in hindsight, probably the right move – having gone 36hrs without using, I was a ticking bomb – had I been sent home again, I probably would have been coming out of my skin that night and would have immediately run out to get something to make it stop – thereby, pushing off my potential induction start by several more days, if not permanently!).
At some point (and without really explaining the possibility of a 3-day induction, to me), a decision was made by the group to FAST TRACK my induction! Instead of a 3-day induction, they decided to amp me up on suboxone and then hit me with the shot – all within a 4hr period!! Let me add one more note here – I may have had an incredibly heavy-duty opiate tolerance from all the fentanyl I had been injesting over the years, but I was 100% bup naive. I have never taken suboxone at any time in my life, had no idea how it worked or how it might feel – I was loaded up solely on heroin and fentanyl, and the driving goal was to forcefully induce me with suboxone (kicking the fentanyl off my receptors and replacing it with bup) and then to give me the shot. The dosing was as follows:
1pm – 2mg suboxone sublingual tablet
2pm – 6mg suboxone
3pm – 8mg suboxone
4pm – 8mg suboxone
5pm – 300mg sublocade shot
Let me just tell you, before I even got to that first 8mg tablet at 3pm, I was already in serious withdrawal – while at the same time, experiencing a very different (and incredibly uncomfortable) high. I was pacing, couldn’t sit still, hot flashes, dizzy – felt almost “out of body” like!! I was resisting the 8mg tablet by now, but was assured “if I just push through, I will feel better”. I took that first 8mg tablet (which kicked me up to a total of 16mg) and the withdrawal (along with the weird high) became almost unbearable, to the point I was ready to leave – but I was so screwed up by this point, I could barely walk straight!! I didn’t trust myself to be able to navigate the hallway and elevator, and actually make it out of the building which was terrifying. I was offered and given the standard “withdrawal comfort meds” (clonazepam, clonidine, etc.) which did nothing to ease the suffering – and as 4pm rolled around and the doctor came in with that final 8mg tablet, I was close to breaking down. I was practically BEGGING to be released from this hell, but it was made quite clear to me that I had pretty much reached the point of no return – if I were to pack it up and leave after having 16mg of this crap, I was only going to wind up suffering worse at home – I was better off just “pushing through” and taking the final dose (and as addicts naturally have high guilt complexes, I eventually complied and took that last tablet). Again, in hindsight, it was probably the right thing to do – I was so sick and miserable by this point, I can guarantee you that had I left without getting the shot, there was NO WAY on earth I was coming back!!!
At 5pm the doctor came in, scraped me off the floor (as lying on the floor was about the only way I could get any sort of relief), brought me back to the lab room and gave me my shot. The needle pinched a bit, but the FIRE that soon enveloped that area as she pushed that crap into me was the crap icing on the crap cake I just did not need! I have to assume that because I was so messed up from the withdrawal, I was hypersensitive and that’s why it hurt so much. It stopped hurting pretty quickly, but that flame sensation was NO JOKE!!
I hung around the office for another hour after receiving the shot (so they could monitor me), and then was sent on my way – still in serious withdrawal, still so high I could barely walk – thank GOD my wife was downstairs waiting for me so she could drive me home, as there is no way I should have been sent out in that condition, on my own. If I had to drive or attempt to navigate the subway and get home, I don’t see how I would have made it!!!
That first night was the absolute worst – I just layed in bed (legs kicking like I was an epileptic), too hot/cold/sweaty/uncomfortable to even move. When I woke up the next day, I felt like I had been hit by a truck. I wasn’t in heavy withdrawal any more, but I was still seriously restless and anxious and I simply could not get a grip!! Took until about day 4 for my body to FINALLY settle down. My mood was in the crapper – not so much depressed, but just overly “blah!!!” – didn’t want to do anything, barely motivated to even leave my bedroom. Took about another week at this point before I finally felt regulated and I’ve been good ever since! I’m scheduled to receive my second 300mg shot tomorrow afternoon (it will be 28 days since the first shot) – I won’t lie, I’m nervous about that “fire” sensation again. But that said, that’s the only thing I’m really nervous about – I feel pretty confident that I’m not going to experience any of the God awful effects that I went through last time!!
After saying all of this and after having suffered through some of the most horrific stuff I’ve had to endure, I do want to make one very important point: I’m eternally grateful to be on this shot now!!!! Yes, the agony of induction was truly a miserable experience (and I absolutely do NOT recommend it for everyone) – but even as I was suffering through all of that nasty stuff, the “you need to go buy some heroin NOW” voice in my head was completely DISABLED!!! As much pain as I was in, there were no thoughts or cravings forcing me to run out and get something to stop the pain – that cycle was absolutely disrupted, and it allowed me to ride through the misery without the need to score dope in order to make it stop.
I don’t know that this treatment is quite ready for the “rapid induction” that this study is looking to observe – you have to be incredibly committed (and willing to suffer some initial discomfort), in order to get through the procedure. But if they ever do find a way to successfully do “rapid induction” without all of the trauma, I honestly believe this could be a game changing tool, to help fight addiction…
Wow!! Holy crap was that a story. I cant believe they had you take that much subs & sublocade that soon after using fent. Sounds like you were definitely in precipitated withdrawal. I’m glad you got through it & it’s behind you. I hope you feel stronger & better about yourself. How are you feeling now? How many shots have you gotten so far? I just got my first 300mg shot 2 hrs ago. You ain’t lying about the burn. It felt like a horrible hornets sting. I knew it was going to hurt so i put a crap ton of tattoo cream on it beforehand so that 6% lidocaine really helped but yeah it still hurt. I can NOT imagine how that must have felt for you seeing how you were in withdrawal and pain is always amplified by 100. Anyway, hope all is well. Thank you for sharing.
Has anyone used while on the sublicade injection? If so what happens? Is it just blocked or do you go through that precipitated withdrawal?
I was on suboxone strips 8 mg a day for about 6 years. I chose to switch to the sublocade shot as a way to finally get off of them. I received my first 300 mg shot in June and never went back for another. It’s now January. Overall I haven’t had any major withdrawal symptoms. Im not sure exactly how long it stays in your system from just one shot. I planned on going back to the doctor if I felt like I was in withdrawal but it never happened.
It worked great for me. I took only the low dose for 2 months. After that I experienced no withdrawal and finally got of suboxone for good ( which I had bin trying for years with no success. Definitely is going to be the go to way to take suboxone.
update to my last post – the 12mg zubsolv is actually 1 and 1/2 tabs of the 5.7/1.4 not actually 12mg lol
This Rx is garbage!! It’s a pitiful pain med and NOT for people who are in pain. The Nazis would do surgery on people with no pain meds too! If your surgery is botched you are S.O.L. The War on Opiates is criminal and the DEA & state medical athortories who have a flashlight up your Dr.s ass are keeping MILLIONS of people writhing in pain! May they all live a very long and painful life to reap what they have sowen!!!🤮🖕
not surprised .good doctors are as rare as hens teeth
This medication has saved the lives of many, many people. I don’t understand what Nazi’s have anything to do with it but ok sure. We’re not taking it for pain relief. We’re taking it because of a disease called addiction. We don’t really wanna OD and die, and after being stuck on methadone and suboxone for years, I finally see light at the end of the tunnel. I think I can be free from opioids soon, because of sublocade.
Chronic pain patients are on opioids as a last resort to get relief and the line in the sad the drug war has created is heartbreaking … i dont know what the answer is because those addicted to drugs for fun is a completly diffrent issue than watching someone you love suffer from issues they also have no control over … The answer is not and should not be the same for both groups … i am really happy to hear that this drug may help solve drug addiction issues … But there is a huge group of people who’s answers are not so easy, they are suffering more 😔
I am scheduled to get the shot next month. I have been on bup in one form or another for 14 years. I am hoping this shot will eventually be a way off of this stuff. Anyway last few months or so I have been on 12mg of zubsolv daily. I am nervous that the 300MG shot might be too much and cant really afford to be a zombie. for those that have switched to sublocade were any of you on a similar does and did you do well switching to the shot?
The first few days it will feel more then a daily 8mg dose. Might be high energy, and harder to sleep. The early constipation like the first time in subs may arise again. So just ahead time take laxatives or fiber to prepare after that it goes back to normals and feels the same as someone who has been consistently taking the same dose of sub everyday. You know the feeling of no real difference and consistentcy. Just a relatively normal feeling. You then begin to reakize how much thought and time went into the previously act of taking a film or whatever everyday. That thought of taking something subsides and that burden alleviated is enough to be enjoyed. Warning do not switch if you are not ready. If you still have negative habitual acts and pleasures of taking the med everyday and havent come to the point to want to be done with it. Its dangerous if you have it set in your mind to be one way, and then when its not you can even go as far as tricking your mind that its not working. I have seen a friend who obsessed iver still wanting to take a sub on top of it, and anyhow was not prepared or ready for a stable life in recovery. On the plus side, i have seen people finally ween off it with the shot and have way less w.d symptoms and with much ease
Sounds great to me. I’ve been on bupe for just over 7 years and am definitely ready to give this shot a serious try.
I was on 2.8 mg of subsolve equal to 4 mg of suboxone. I went to the 100 mg shot and i was fine. The only hard part is adjusting to not taking a strip everyday. Once you get passed that quitting the shot is easy. You won’t feel like a zombie. You will feel even. Not high or low.
I love sublocade. dealt with major issues staying clean and I couldn’t stand the films. THey never made me feel normal and I hated the taste. Could barely swallow it, so getting my meds was hard.
I’ve been on sublocade for about 7 months. It’s be 2.5 months since my last shot and SO far no w/d. I hope it continues to be the case. I’ll update here if I feel anything bad.
I was a hardcore heroin addict, for a long time. So this saved my life. I seriously didn’t think it could be as good as they claimed since I HATED the strips. But, it was.
Do it, if you can afford it.
You know you aren’t supposed to swallow the strips I hope… you are supposed to let them dissolve under your tongue and even after they dissolve you don’t have to swallow you can spit it out because the bupenorphine absorbs into your mucus membranes so whatever is left over is useless anyway
I have a question I’ve been on Suboxone and
Zubsolv for over 12 years now. Lately I wanted to detox off subs all together. but it hasn’t been an easy road. I was talking to my doctor today and he suggested that I go on the shot. He he should it would take six months or so to build a level up to a constant 8.2 level in my plasma. And then we would discontinue . Then it would become the detox all on its own I wouldn’t feel anything basically . Has anybody have any experience with this how about you ash. how are you doing ?
I posted previously after two months. My husband had struggled with the choice of taking suboxone every day. He has now been on sublocade for five months. He is very happy with his decision. Since the first shot he has had no desire whatsoever to use. He told a struggling friend that if there was a pile of dope on the table right in front of him he would have no desire to use. He has never had any withdrawal symptoms at all. His mood is good. Mood issues were definitely a large part of why he started using, so this is a great added benefit. He says he hasn’t felt this good since he was 14 years old. He even gets up early in the morning not grumpy (Wow!!). He likes not having to take suboxone every day because the routine of it and the way he felt about it reminded him of using if that makes any sense. He doesn’t think about his past habit. He does not feel like an addict, even a recovering one. He just lives a regular life. He seems to hold his head higher. This has been said before in here but I just want to say too, the 300 mg shot is about equal to 24 mg of suboxone. It’s just made different so it’s not equal to 10 a day like it seems it would be. It definitely lasts more than four weeks in him so a rescheduled appointment at five weeks was not an issue. There was no issue when his dose went down to 100 mg. The previous dose is still working for a while, gradually decreasing, so it is not as big of a drop as it seems. The first two shots leave much larger lumps but the 100 mg are much smaller. Definitely much less than 1/3 the size for some reason. I know everyone is different so it might not be like this for everyone, but this has been my husband’s experience. I hope this has been helpful. Best of luck to you!
I think people are thinking way too much into this and causing “feelings” that are all in your head. Yes I was on max does of subutex even injecting it. I took 32mgs subutex the morning of my 300mg shot and was completely fine. Some doctors don’t know what they are doing or how to give the medication properly. The people that don’t want to be on it or complain usually because they don’t get that initial little high one gets when you take the pill. None of those highs. But guess what you get non of those lows either. It was weird having subs sitting right next to me and not needing them. Kinda wanted to take one out of habit. I finally feel like I’m not on drugs. Truly feel “normal” even all the time I forget I’m on this medication. It’s my third month no issues. Little lump in the stomach is worth it. And making end run getting off easier because it stays in your system for a year. So if your serious about staying clean. There’s no way that you are full dope sick on 300mgs I call bs. If you need strips while I’m shot i call bs. Are you really throwing up withdrawling. Or just not used to feeling an even dose. Just my two cents. Find a doctor who knows what he’s doing
same i call bs been on sublocade for over a year
never had issues
I have to agree with you as being an addict you need that substance in you and you’re used to putting that substance in you on your own. Such as dissolving a Suboxone and your tongue whether it be a pill or a strip it doesn’t matter I’m telling you it’s in your head it was for me for the first two months I thought I was in withdrawal with a 300 mg shot. I was not in withdrawal in anyway it was in my head now I am on my fourth shot and I don’t even think about it anymore. We want somethings to grab for and put in our mouth or in our body somehow or another but it’s already in there and you don’t have to worry about that going on vacation and running out of medicine. Being judged by the pharmacist and hoping that they have it in stock because I’ve been to five or more in one day trying to get my strips and that’s pitiful but when I going to get my shot I get it and I go and I go on with my life. I have a four-year-old daughter, husband, a career and a great life so maybe you need to fill your Day with activities get a hobby maybe focus on things that are important in your life that you didn’t before. I am so happy your husband is doing wonderful and I really hope that people out there would give this a chance so we can have more information on it because yes it is a fairly new drug and there are people that have gone six months on the shot and still don’t feel any withdrawals yet they still have it in their urine for up to a year so if that’s an issue for you, you might want to talk to your doctor about that so they can talk to an employer or anyone else you may need to pass a drug test with because it will stay in your system for quite a while. That being said if it’s staying in your system that long how can you be going to Withdraws if there still medication in your urine you really have to stop and think about it if you need to go reach for something in the morning take a vitamin get yourself healthy again get your life back what’s worse a shot and getting that feeling of having to take something Every day or living a normal productive life which who knows what normal is but you know when I’m saying and trust me I struggled the first two months hard and said this is crap it’s not gonna work. I then had to say to myself there’s medication in my body and I would feel that lump on my stomach it’s there and it’s dissolving If you were able to get off at heroin or prescription opiates you can do this I know you can anybody can just look at how her husband is doing And I was on the strips for eight years so it was scary for me too but like I said if you need something to reach for that morning reach for a Bible or even a vitamin or your child or your loved one because there’s medicine in you I promise you that and you’re gonna be OK it’s in your head I can’t say that enough and I wish you all the best of luck you deserve to live your life matters
Oh wow! This sounds so positive and wonderful. Thanks for sharing.
I am hoping to hear from anyone who has stopped the sublocade shot. I was on 3- 2x8mg sub strips per day (non- generic) for 2 1/2 years. I went to 4 strips per day, then went to the generic 8mg tabs that are only bupe. I got to the point I was taking 8-9 a day, so went back to the strips at 3 per day for the last 4 months. On Jan 24th I decided to try the sublocade shot. It was the first and only one, and I am at day 35 ( FEB 28th) since then. I am not experiencing any terrible side effects yet. It has me thinking that maybe I can finally escape the need for any medicine. I do take Zoloft, 200 mg per day for 6 years now, also. My question is, has anyone else never went back after the first sublocade shot? Is it possible, to not experience the withdrawal symptoms that send you over the edge? Should I not continue, will I feel normal or get really sick?
I have not stopped it yet but I know someone that had one shot and didn’t go back for another. It has been 4 months and they haven’t had any major withdrawals or any problems. My understanding is it can stay in your system for up to a year after and so because it slowly comes out of your body you shouldn’t have any withdrawals or just mild ones.
I took the injection of God and i’m completely free
Hi josh, really curios if you ever got your answer to your question? There is nothing out there with what happens when you come off the injection! So frustrating…I’m 2 months after 3rd shot and no withdrawal but I think I’m wishful thinking to just walk away from this without withdrawal. Hope to hear back and good luck to you. Sean
I had 4 shots of sublocade. 1 St 2 were dosing shots 300 mg each than 2 100mg doses.. I decided to stop .it’s been 9 weeks since I missed my next Injection. I feel fine! I was on subs for 13 years from 8 mg twice a day . 4 mg films..even was down to 2 mg films..I eant e this monkey out of my life. I have had no withdrawal since I stopped the shot . Maybe that is the trick. Take few shots no more than 4 and stop .it releases slowly so that your body adjusts. I’m still in Awe! All sites say I would start withdrawal 3 weeks to 1 month after quitting the shot . nothing!!! Felt little chilly here and there but nothing like jumping off or trying to taper off subs . U can do it if I can anyone can..u don’t have to stay on these shots! My doc said I’m good and won’t go into withdrawal! I hope it’s over and I never will need this drug again!
Hello,
What’s your update did you go back to the shot ? My husband is going to take it and we want to know if they can successfully be off with withdrawals.
Hey can anyone tell me if I have to detox from heroin before I receive shot
I got the shot 3 days ago. I was on 3mg a day and started at the 100 mg dose. I have been on drug replacement for 13 years. My problem is not with using anymore but the habit of taking a replacement. I didn’t go up to 8mg before I got the shot just took 3mg that morning and got the shot in the afternoon. I did feel kind of high for the first 2 days but felt o.k. I woke up not feeling the need to take anything and that was the best feeling ever. I am planning on getting 4 or 5 shots then just stopping completely. I did wake up today on the 3rd day feeling sick, I hope I’m just getting a cold or sick like everyone around me. I go to my doctor tomorrow so will talk to her about it. This has been amazing so far. I’m glad I was given the opportunity to try it because I just couldn’t stop the strips myself and after 13 years I had just given up.
Hi Sarah,
I’m sort of in the same boat as you. I’ve been on Suboxone for 15 years and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve tried to detox myself from them. I started at 24 mgs. many years ago and have brought myself down to 2 1/4 mgs. per day. My doctor is switching me to the 300 mg. shot and I am due to receive it tomorrow. I’m worried that the dose (equivalent to 8 mgs. per day) will be WAY too much for me. I increased my dose yesterday to 4 mgs. (in preparation for what will most likely be a huge shock to my body) and got so nauseated that I wound up spending the entire day in bed. It took me a long time to wean myself down to 2 1/4 mgs. and going back up to what is essentially 8 mgs. seems like a colossal waste of time and will make it even harder to stop, which is what I really want to do. How have you felt since getting the shot since you weren’t taking that much Suboxone to begin with?
I feel great. I got my second shot today. Why didn’t you start at the 100mg shot because that was closer to your original dose? Did the 300mg shock your system? I feel like the 100mg did for the first couple days so I could only imagine getting more. I didn’t feel any different from the smaller dose I started from and felt good for the whole month. Not having any ups or downs or feeling like I needed to take something makes it worth it for me. I forget I’m on something, I just feel normal now. I also feel like it will be so much easier to get off it being on the shot. Just that first month of not taking something every day broke that habit. I would love to hear your feedback if you get a chance. I wonder if everyone feels as great as I do and feels like this is totally worth it.
Are you still managing ok on the 100mg dose? I’m supposed to start with a 300mg shot next Monday. I’ve been take 3-4mg strips per day for a few months. Doc told me to go up to 8mg each day before I receive the shot next wk.
Hi. How did you make out. I was wondwring if you continued to experience withdrwal and if so did your dr. Perscribe a low dose of suboxone to you to hold you over until the sublocadebuilt up in your system?? Did your dr. Tell you or did you read anywhere those patients whose dr. Perscribed sublemental dosing for those who experienced withdrawal, like a official site because i have read many reviews of people dosing suboxone due to withdrawal after intial dosing of sublocade and said not to give up and to go through with still trying the shot because your dr. Could perscribed suplemental dosing in order for success!!
Sublocade has been a life saver for me. I took my one and only injection on the 23rd of October 2018, it’s now January 24th, 2019. It’s been 3 months since the very first and only injection of Sublocade. I was taking what was equal to 1 1/2-8 milligram Suboxone. I was and have never been a fan of Suboxone. It’s been a little bit of a journey to where I’m at, which is completely drug free, but it’s definitely worth it. Honestly, it’s not intolerable. My doctor told me that many people don’t come back for the second shot. Even after the 30 days is over, your body continues to disperse the remaining Sublocade into your system a little a time. Basically weening our bodies off it, down to the last drop.
Just curious as to how you are doing??? Your comment gives me such hope!!!
Week 3 on my shot almost week 4 getting my next one on Wednesday (the 2nd) this is a excerpt from my journal I wrote a little over a week ago. Quick summary though …got first sublocade shot almost a month ago and was still having daily hot flashes irritability sleep issues no motivation lethargy. I was taking suboxone for years for opiet addiction before the shot. The shot was doctor and families idea so I couldn’t pick and choose when to take the subs and when to relapse if wanted to. However my tolerance to opiets and especially the suboxone strip 8mg every morning was so high that she shot literally left me feeling like I was white knuckling it. I felt as though I was fighting the longest and worst case of PAWS and regular physical withdrawal too! The whole point of me still being on maintenance medicine at this point in my life and not go cold turkey is because I have two small children ages5 and 7 who need me constantly. I don’t have the time to kick opiets or suboxone right now as that can take up to a year for the brain to balance itself out and for me to even start sleeping normally again. The whole reason I decided to stay on subs was because I want my children to have the best version of me while they are young and where I can focus on them all day everyday and be the best mom I can be. The suboxone every morning was allowing me to do that without craving or chasing a drug and also steeving off withdrawals so I can function and not be lethargic and cranky and mean , ya know like a “dry drunk.” Let me tell ya, I’ve never felt worse, moody , extremely depressed, crying constantly at nothing, no patience, no feelings of genuine happiness, nothing makes me laugh, I can’t keey eye contact with anyone or hold a conversation as I am just kind of a zombie in limbo not even having the energy or the brain will to start or participate in a conversation. I was miserable Christmas shopping. I mozy around the house like I am just existing and going about my motions but not really doing much of anything. I can not concentrate, or begin or finish a task. I feel exactly how I feel after I kicked dope cold turkey years ago and dealt with the year long depression and no sleep. All my endorphins and feel good receptors are blocked or I’m withdrawing and they are just completely depleted. I don’t think it’s fair to my children they do not deserve this side of me as I have already disappointed them by using in the past. I don’t want to have these behaviors ! And what sucks is I wake up and I am fully aware I am being sad depressed tired and non enthusiastic and completely morbidly sad and “blah “ HOWEVER I can not do anything to get out of it! I am literally trapped inside my body ! By the grace of god Christmas Day I found an 8mg suboxone strip and I took it and felt IMMEDIATELY better. I was no longer sick or sweaty no more nose run no more lethargy no more complete loathe feeling of myself and the world. I was able to just act myself and normal…not high or anything just like the average joe. The real me. I wasn’t overly euphoric and I wasn’t manic. I just felt balanced and stable. I thanked god because he was Christmas Day and I was actually able to be around my kids and family without wanting to hide and cry. Perfect timing. Now my kids have a happy Christmas memory and not one of mommy having a depressing episode and being grumpy and sick/tired. Anyway I rambled a little but here is a journal entry I typed in my phone about the shot a week or so ago…
I just started this new drug called sublocade it is 300 mg of suboxone and a higher potency of the blocking agent (vivitrol) in it. It’s supposed to last 30 days. I never effing liked vivitrol cuz it enduced a huge morbid feeling of dread and depression for the whole year I was on it. Shocker…the vivitrol was actually blocking and preventing any of my happy endorphins to be triggered. Not only was it prohibiting me from feeling seretonin increases and euphoria from opiets it also literally Blocked WITH A VENGEANCE ALL OF MY ENDORPHINS. Ya that’s a real blast dealing with in early recovery and raising two kids. So now my new sublocade suboxone shot it’s literally doing the same exact thing. Everyone looks at me like I’m a walking zombie lazy sack of shit but little do they know I am
Pumped full of 300mgs and a 30 day dose of this brand new on the market shitty drug. Talk about a complete shock to
My 100 pound body. How do doctors think this is safe? Anyways. I also am having withdrawals. This shot was supposed to disperse about 8 mgs of suboxone every morning and let’s just say I wake up dope sick and go to bed prefusly sweating. I can only sleep with 50 mg of melatonin and clonodine. I need to convince my parents this isn’t working (they literally forced me to try it ) and if they don’t believe me I am going to have to continue to legit walk around in a dope sick daze where I’m too weak to lift anything and too wretched and delicate to shower because the water is like morbid torturous pain. I haven’t laughed in about a month. And have been ALARMINGLY depressed. I’m only 30 years old. Oh it also leaves a lump on ur stomach which is completely painful. It’s like getting a shot of 300cc and missing the fukn vein and shooting suboxone into the skin ! It’s literally abuse !
Meadow, I am sorry to hear you haven’t done well with Sublocade.
It is vital to point out your misunderstanding regarding the ingredients in Sublocade. There is ABSOLUTELY NO Vivitrol (naltrexone) in Sublocade; it is buprenorphine. Films have buprenorphine and naltrexone. Buprenorphine is the active ingredient. Naltrexone has no physiologic activity when taken with buprenorphine (for several reasons); unless the patient has moderate to severe liver failure (which is indicated by jaundice).
It is absolutely true Vivitrol is a 100% opiate blocker and can cause or worsen depression; especially severe untreated depression. If on Vivitrol and depression does not respond to treatment, discontinuation should be considered.
I have been a full-time Addiction Medicine physician for nearly 15 years. About 90 of the patients I treat are on Sublocade. About half have transitioned from Films (doses 8-24 mg). In my experience, it’s fair to say, for some Buprenorphine maintained patients the transition can be a little bumpy. I’d estimate 7-10%. By and large, symptoms are mild and patients are willing to tolerate it, some of them use some meds like clonidine which decrease the symptoms of withdrawal. If their insurance will cover films after sublocade has been shipped, I’ll prescribe supplemental Suboxone and continue with 300mg doses. No patient has required 300 mg for more than the first six months
You said “The shot was doctor and families idea so I couldn’t pick and choose when to take the subs and when to relapse if wanted to.” If you were “picking and choosing”, and relapsing now and then, I wonder if your children were experiencing “the best version of” you. You don’t indicate that you were doing that, but if you were that is the perfect reason to transition, hopefully you and your physician will be able to workout a plan to so you can succeed with Sublocade. If you do go back to films; take your treatment seriously, don’t play with your medication.
Great reply! I have been a dedicated addict for at least 20 years. A year or so ago I started taking suboxone. After picking & choosing when to use my meds & when to “plan” a relapse, I finally got serious. I took the suboxone religiously with no relapses for 7 months & then asked for the sublocade injection. I got my first 300 mg injection with very little pain. There was some slight burning but it wasn’t bad at all. I wasn’t high feeling or feeling any different at all. I felt great with no drug cravings at all. Keep in mind, I had a VERY high opiate tolerance before starting suboxone. I went back a month later & received my 2nd 300 mg injection. Again…no severe pain, just a little burning & another small bump on my stomach. I’m absolutely in love with this treatment & am so grateful for it. Its truly saved my life. No using & no cravings. My life is better everyday. I went back & got my 3rd injection. Again, everything was very smooth. Actually, even better because now I was down to the 100 mg injection. I got called back in for a random drug test & was informed that there was a problem with my private insurance. They hadn’t been paying the bills. Luckily, the great lady that rubs the place is letting me pay on a payment plan. Although my Doctor wasn’t crazy about this, I decided just to stop getting the sublocade injections. I want to be completely clean & truly free. Its been a month & a half since my last injection. I still feel great & am still having no cravings. I still have 2 very small lumps on my stomach from the last 2 injections. The 1st one is completely gone. I’m finally a normal, functioning member of society & an awesome Mother to 2 boys. If by some small chance, the cravings come back & I can’t control my urge to use drugs, I will run back to my Dr’s office to get the sublocade injection. I can’t say enough great things about it & I highly recommend it to anyone who truly wants to be clean. This is the one thing that truly works & believe me, I’ve tried it all. I’ve tried everything from cold turkey, to A/A & N/A, tried methadone & methadone clinics. I’ve even tried various other holistic, medicinal & “off the wall” avenues that I failed at. Sublocade saved me & gave me back to my kids, family & gave me back my life.
I have been on suboxone for 4 years or more. I was taking 2 8mg strips a day. I was happy with it but my insurance wouldn’t pay for my medication and the generic they paid for gave me a horrible headache and I just felt like it wasnt working. So I decided to try the shot cause my insurance is paying for it and it will save me a ton of money. So I got the shot on Monday Sept 9th which was 6 days ago and it didnt hurt me a bit when they injected me. It burned for a few seconds and then it was fine. Then about 45 minutes after I received it I got a horrible headache it was so bad I could barely see. Then once I got home I was extremely lethargic I couldn’t keep my eyes open. I felt like that for two days and the headache never seemed to go away. On day 3 I went back to work I had been off for 2 days so I hoped that the headache would be gone but I woke up with one and I went to work and for some reason anytime I got up to do anything I began to sweat profusely. I mean just dripping sweat. I felt short of breath often and my headaches never went away. Well here I am on day 6 and I have been having chills and cold sweats ,its like my body temperature cant regulate. I feel almost like I’m in withdrawals. I keep yawning and I cant help but notice that I just feel blah. I had such high Hopes for this but I dont feel it’s right for me. Also one of the main reasons I’ve stayed on the suboxone for so long is I have Rheumatoid arthritis and spinal stenosis and nerve damage and it really had helped with my pain. I feel like I’m in much more pain now. I had some suboxone left over so I took one hoping that would help. I dont know how I could be in withdrawals and I’ve read that it’s all in my head but I had really high Hope’s that this was going to work for me so it’s not like I was expecting it to fail or have been dwelling on it. What works for some might not work for others. Good luck to anyone who decides to try it . I really hope it works for you. I have contacted my dr and make sure he knew about the side effects but they didnt seem to concerned and as soon as this month is up I’m going back to my strips.
No peach sized lump. Im a 135 lb, 5’8″ in female. Not a lotta fat on my stomach (or so said the nurse that administered the injection) & my 1st two injections (300) were about the size of a mosquito bite. The 3rd injection was the 100 mg & the lump was even smaller. By the time I got the 3rd injection, my 1st lump was almost completely gone. I don’t know much but, I’d be spooked if my injection site was the size of a peach. Maybe you had some kind of reaction? Does your Doctor say that is normal?
Julie my daughter is on her third shot . She is in treatment in Hawaii we have had a dr in UTAH give her the shot . It’s changed her life . Much better . We have had a hard time finding a dr in Hawaii that gives the shot . The sublocade website names 25-30 drs in Hawaii who give the shot I called them all only a few give it . Email your name please we may have to send her back to mainland fir 4 th shot .we need help thank you .
My husband recently got his third Sublocade shot. He is doing really, really well. He was on Subutex
8 mg a day before he started the Sublocade. Though he said he was fine, the first two months he didn’t really look like he felt fine until week four. I suspect the dose was too high for him, approximately equal to 24 mg a day. Now on the lower dose, equal to approximately 8 mg a day, he is doing absolutely fantastic. He is generally happy, more so than I have seen in quite a long time, has more energy, and is more interested in doing things. He was very happy with his choice from the beginning because he had no desire whatsoever to use, and he had no withdrawal symptoms, but it’s so nice to see him how he is now. His provider says that people tend to have less withdrawal issues with Sublocade because it wears off very slowly. I have found in studies that months later there is still a small amount. I am surprised at how much negative feedback I see in here. The people in a group I am in online have had a lot of success with it.
I got the Sublocade shot 8days ago & it’s been a living hell! I was taking 6mg of buprenorphine for 7mo prior to the injection of 300mg. What I don’t understand is whether your taking 8mg or 24mg, everyone still gets the same initial dose, what???? Apparently I am getting 24mg a day of buprenorphine & I’ve been miserable! Dizziness, lightheadedness, feeling faint, weak muscles, tight muscles, trouble breathing (improved after first 4 days), agitation, confusion, thinking slowly, tinnitus has significantly gotten worse, headache, drowsy, no energy, I haven’t been able to go to work because I appear “high” & I can’t take care of patients because of the liability issues. This has been a terrible experience. If I would’ve been on 16mg +, I’m sure I would’ve had a way different story. This stuff is powerful & my doctor hasn’t even bothered to call me even though I’ve called with “overdose” complaints. She told the nurse to tell me to “hang in there” & that I’d have to wait to talk to her until my appointment which is tomorrow, 9 days in from getting the shot. Idk if I’m more upset with the medicine messing me up or the fact that my doctor hasn’t done anything to try to help me. They’ve been negligent & they say “you’re getting too much of the medication”, sorry. Totally unacceptable!! If you’re not on a dose of at least 16mg, I would suggest not doing it. I’m actually their first patient ever to get the shot & they’re totally clueless. Not much research about this injection & it’s my own fault for not doing much research and trusting that my doctor knew what she was doing.
I feel.like you are writing for me. I have Been falling asleep.midday..while doing laundry..and feeling dope sick.for first time in.three years.. I.have Never gone above 8 mg.a day.even.with.hip replacement..!I don’t know why Dr isn’t concerned. I’m.going.to.sit in.his office tomorrow until.they figure out how to manage this changeover.. I.don’t like being a guinea pig for anything..
I am stunned it isn’t delivering that same amazing balanced drug delivery feeling on some. Suboxone took me longer to get used to, but hardly delivered such results. I’ve been on Sublocade for four months now and I feel ever closer to an almost perfect state of mind/body/soul.
I honestly believe this will simply replace suboxone in the long term due to a far superior delivery system on the mind.
Kinda sucks to get a shot once a month, but the negative is far overshadowed by the positives! I’ve always felt kinda off on the films, like I traded addictions.
Sublocade is far superior in many respects!
My suggestions to all is let this drug work by itself. Don’t mix anything with it – even suboxone. Suboxone has different blood concentrations that alter, and Sublocade gets you’re body used to a balanced steady state. i personally actually enjoyed the complete transition. I have no plan or hope to ever come off this stuff considering the changes it’s delivered.
PS: the lump is far smaller and visually unnoticeable once the matinance dose of 100mg begin.
Best regards
Carolyn, Lace, and Jones A-
First things first- As Carolyn, pointed out- the study subjects were started after 7 days of 8 to 24 mgs. But it was SUBOXONE FILM. Carolyn didn’t say if she was on film, but because she said buprenorphine, I am figuring she is on generic tabs. It is often recognized that generic medications are not equivalent to Brand names. Ask the many patients who have had to increase the dose of whatever med they were taking when they had to change to the generic. Specific examples I can think of off the top of my head, Prozac, Lexapro, Zoloft, Valium, Xanax, Synthroid, Coumadin, Prilosec. Generic ibuprofen isn’t as good as Motrin, and over the counter isn’t as good as prescription Motrin. The point being, buprenorphine tablets are supposed to be equally effective as Suboxone Tablets. But they aren’t. Suboxone Film is more effective than the same mg tablets (see the Suboxone Film Prescribing Information (PI), Google Suboxone Film FDA PI PDF). So if you are actually taking generic buprenorphine tablets at 6 mg you are 3 steps away from the lowest Suboxone Film dose used for the studies. And oftentimes, tablets are absorbed sub-optimally; if you don’t let the tablet (or film) dissolve completely before you talk, drink, smoke or eat, you are not getting the full dose. That puts you 4 steps away from the study method. The same issue applies to Zubsolv tabs, they were studied against Suboxone Tablets. And although Zubsolv is a brand, it’s still a generic because it is not produced by the pharmaceutical company that developed Suboxone. In essence, I suggest that Carolyn and Lace’s difficulties may be explained by the above.
I have been a full-time Addiction Medicine physician for nearly 15 years. My first board certification is Internal Medicine; my second is Addiction Medicine. About 40 of the patients I treat are on Sublocade. I have many more on Suboxone Films. Jones A didn’t mention the dose being used prior to the Sublocade so obviously it can’t be postulated that’s why the transition was smooth.
If your prescriber has you on anything but Suboxone Film 8/2 mg daily, I advise discussing an increase of your dose to at least that much. To avoid the problem Carolyn and Lace experienced, for the limited number of patients I’ve transitioned to Sublocade who were on a dose less then 8/2 mg I had them increase by 1/0.25 mg every 7 to 10 days. If the patient still had concerns about the 300 mg dose (everyone wonders why there is a “one size fits all” dosing schedule) I have them go to 12/3 or even 16/4 mgs. It’s gone pretty smoothly. One patient said he felt like it was a little too much and it only lasted 2 days, which is consistent with the pharmacokinetics of Sublocade. The buprenorphine serum concentration peaks within 24 hours and drops to the average concentration slowly over the next few days. Like any medication steady state is reached after 4 to 6 doses, depending on the half-life of the medication. See the Sublocade PI, section 12.3 Pharmacokinetics and table 6.
Jones A and I are in complete agreement- Sublocade will become the buprenorphine treatment of choice. Not only because it delivers a steady dose of buprenorphine, there are many other advantages, including – it’s not divertable, it can’t be lost or stolen, there’s no difficulty at the pharmacy not having enough stock to fill your prescription, or if you miss/delay the next appointment/injection there is no sudden drop in your serum concentration like there is if you run out of Suboxone. And that’s not all of the advantages.
For patients coming into my practice, who are Suboxone naïve, I’m getting them on Sublocade as soon as possible after the first 7 days. Due to issues related to insurance it sometimes takes 6 weeks. What’s really, really cool, is patients who haven’t been on Suboxone they get as excited about it as I do. Sublocade is really hassle free.
I should have explained my last remark a bit more. The Sublocade study participants were essentially Suboxone naïve (hadn’t been on it); that’s why new patients coming into my practice for Medication Assisted Treatment will be treated with Sublocade (if they are not on Suboxone already).
Hi Julie,
Your posts are extremely helpful and informative, thank you. That’s why I decided to ask you the question I have that I can’t find the answer to anywhere.
I’ve been on subutex or suboxone since 2002-3. I’ve been very stable on it 99% of the time—until recently.
I’m going through menopause and I don’t know if this is the reason, but suboxone has not been working well for me for about 6 months. (I’m on 10-12 mg tablets a day). I feel very triggered by the sublingual aspect of it lately and for the first time, have been struggling to manage my dose/medication. It’s extraordinarily uncomfortable and I’m fairly upset about it.
I have an amazing Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner—she manages my psych meds. She also is willing to prescribe MAT for me. I desperately want Sublocade or Probuphine.
The issue is she is across the country from me and I see her via telemedicine. The reason I want to have her as my provider for MAT is because I can’t find a provider within 200 miles that prescribes these more updated medicines.
What I want to ask, is if she prescribes Sublocade or Probuphine—how will I receive the injections or implants? Are pharmacists able to administer them?
Thank you so much, I am hoping you see this. Take care.
Just curious if you are feeling better now? It is only a recommendation to start at the 300mg dose but your doctor can choose what dose to give you. My doctor called the rep for the company and was told it was absolutely fine to start someone on the 100mg dose if they were on a smaller dose to begin with and I didn’t need to up my dose before, I would be fine. I was on 3mg and started at the 100mg dose and I couldn’t imagine how I would feel if I had to start at the 300mg. I feel great at the lower dose and I even felt kind of high for the first 2 days after I got it. I just got my second shot today and still feel great. If you get a chance let me know how you are feeling now. Thanks.
Curious???…did your 6mg strips give you energy? I see a lot of people saying the shot caused drowsiness, but when I take strips I have so much energy and I’m hyper! I could literally run a marathon! I started at 16mg a day and now I’ve weaned down to 3-4mg a day but I’m supposed to start the 300mg shot next Monday. Even after I take 3-4mg strip I get a boost of energy. So I’m wondering why so many are have fatigue with the shot? Did strips make you fatigued or energized? Thanks!
Hey Melissa, I used to take suboxone for about 9 months. 1 8mg strip a day. I was always energized when I took it. I was just in treatment for 36 days. I was coming of a 90 mg of percs a day habit and they detoxed me with 6 days of subsolve going from 8,6,4, then 2. I planned to get the sublocade shot so the 6 days prior to me leaving they dosed me back up to 8mg. I then got the sublocade shot the day I left treatment. I got the 300mg shot. Since then, I have had zero urge to use but I am working a program in AA. BUT I am extremely lethargic and nauseous periodically throughout the day. It’s extremely difficult for me to get out of bed in the morning. My eyes are extremely heavy, I liken it to the feeling you get when you’ve been on your phone wayyy too much in a day. I feel like the dose was wayyyy too much for me and my situation personally. It’s hard to say whether or not I regret taking it because I have zero cravings, but I hadn’t been to rehab in like 9 years and I was really at a point where I felt like I wanted to quit. I also never worked a program which I am thoroughly enjoying thus far. I see other people’s comments saying it’s been a miracle drug for them so I don’t wish to talk badly, but this is my experience so far. It’s been about 12 days since I’ve gotten the shot and the lethargy hasn’t begun to creep downward even a little bit. Hope this helps…
Scard, after reading comment of sublocade, which i had the shot today. I really hope I don’t have withdrawls. But im use to only taking 12 mg a day. Been on suboxn 1 year, befor that methadone. It seems most people are honest but id like to know for the people who havent had issue with sublocade are you pot smokers or taking any other meds that might be helping you deal with the switch? Cause i dont and i want to be able to balance the reviews out. thanks
I’ve been on Suboxone 16mg for the first year and about 8-10mg the second. Just started Sublocade two months ago. I had my second 300 mg shot about 3.5 weeks ago, and it has been a miracle for me! My only concern is the drop to 100mg coming up. Nonetheless the doctor said we could go back to 300mg if I don’t adjust.
Drug had brought my manhood back. Increased energy, power, and sex drive!
Only side effect that sucks is the little lump on my abdomin
I would recommend this for anybody bound to bup
Best luck to all
I’ve been on Sublocade for 5 months now. Prior to this I was on Suboxone 24 mg for two years. It’s been working great for the most part. Every once in awhile I will feel like I’m in mild (very mild) withdrawal, but it goes away. I do not take anything else with it. My only concern is how they plan on weaning me off. I’m not sure how that works or how hard it’s going to be and can’t find any info on it.
I got the shot over a week ago and felt no withdrawals whatever. This isn’t my first rodeo, and I had a seriousoy bad habit before switching to Subutex and then after ten days sublocade. I was stable on 12 and got the 300 and I feel totally balanced. Not too much, not not enough ever. Like my body knows what it needs. Am I nervous? A little. But I wanna stay clean bottom line. These things are only tools. I didn’t stop feeling sick until I started exercising. That kick started my body and made me feel better before I even was able to get the shot. I am truly grateful and I too think this will be the way of the future for maintenance. So easy. Hurt bad though, no lie. But worth it.
Ive’ been on the shot for about 6 months now and I think its great for the first 3 weeks. The last week it works ok ! Overall I think it is well worth getting.
I have had no issues going from suboxone pills to sublocade injections & I don’t smoke pot or take ANYTHING else. I’ve been an addict for 20 years & have tried EVERYTHING to get off of opiates. I have never felt better or more free. Don’t worry…you’ll do great. I hope you love & appreciate sublocade as much as I do.
Am I the only one who finds the peach sized lump on my abdomen an issue? It looks like I have a hernia. Definitely wouldn’t have gotten the shot if I knew it would be this way. I’m a very lean guy, and this lump is unsightly.
Anyone else bothered by it?
Peach sized lump? Oh no. My doctor talked to me today about switching from suboxone to this and idk about it now. Sounded good at first but geez. Hope ur feeling ok? Is the lump still there?
I’m in the same boat. I take 8mg of suboxone a day and my doctor has been encouraging me to switch to Sublocade. She even had it ordered and sent in. I need to figure out now if this will be a mistake… and is the lump really the size of a peach?
It’s a little lump – I would compare it to a mosquito bite. Luckily for me I didn’t suffer any itching, or irritation.
Nonetheless a small price to pay for consistent delivery of a medication my body relies on. In addition the nasty naloxone is finally out of the equation. I firmly believe sublocade will help so many people improve there lives.
I received my shot 9 days ago and I feel blah. My heart rate will increase and I start sweating. Very tired and I am not sure Sublocade is for me. I took 8mg/2mg two times a day for 7 years. Did great and no problems. I thought ok do the shot once a month, be a breeze. Well I have become depressed and out of sorts. I have a bad bruise where the shot was injected and a lump that is a lot bigger than a pimple. Just doesn’t seem to have the same affect as suboxone. No energy also.
The lump is not suppose to be peach sized I’ve never had that happen to me or the 6 others in my group on it and yes it goes away it dissolves away trust me as addicts we over exaggerate yes a lump but not the size of a peach they need to get checked out if it’s that big
John, if you make it the entire month without sudden withdrawal feelings frequently reported between week one and two (sweating, fatique, aches & tremors primarily) then consider a lump on your lean abs with the urgency of a pimple. Also, you’re extremely fortunate if you haven’t experienced any burning or itching at the site, either at the onset or and ever omnipresent one.
You left your comment nearly a week ago. How have you been feeling, and how are you feeling today?
All the best to you in your recovery. This discussion blog is a great virtual room to be in and feel supported.
Peace and good.
John like Preston said if your lump is your only concern you are very lucky I got my second shot on Tuesday and I am still needing to take 4 mg of suboxone a day to get through the day a week after my first shot I started having WD symptoms extreme fatigue headaches sweating RLS I felt like crap I waited till I couldn’t go anymore to call and tell my Dr and she gave me strips to get me by and my second shot I’m still needing half of those strips a day so just consider yourself very lucky another thing my doctor told me is the lump has to do with how far and what angle your doctor sticks the needle in because I have a never small lump that you can not see but can feel if you touch it so there’s a good chance your Dr isn’t sticking the needle in as far as it can go best of luck to you ❤
The larger dose usually is the size of a tide pod and the smaller dose is smaller. Only people with VERY LITTLE abdominal fat is the lump formed noticeable without feeling for it. Ask your provider to inject the larger dose in the lower abdomen, there’s more fat there.
12/27/19 – Frankly, when I read John’s post of 6/15/2018 reporting a peach sized lump following an injection I suspected he was exaggerating, at least a little. In all my years of practice I have never lied to patients; lies are impossible to sustain and eventually the patient realizes the deception perpetrated, or attempted, and trust is eroded. I am not about to start lying to the public on a blog. My reply to John on 12/27/18 was completely accurate. Since then, I have administered at least another 90 Sublocade injections.
I am compelled to share with readers- I have had one patient report a very large lump after the 1st injection. Much like John reported. This patient also said the swelling was red and itchy. BUT, those symptoms peaked within the first 24 hours and resolved within 72 hours. He didn’t even call the office to tell me about the unexpected response. He only mentioned it when he returned for the second injection. On examination, the site was normal. The typical Tide Pod sized lump was present. I was concerned about proceeding with the next injection; it was possible a more severe reaction could occur. However, he insisted and we went ahead with the second injection. I checked up on him a few days later and he said there had been no reaction.
Unfortunately, John didn’t provide enough details regarding when the peach sized lump developed relative to the time of administration or how many days it lasted.
Do you think it is ok for my doctor to give me a 300mg shot to start when I’ve been on 3-4mg strips daily for 3-4months? They said I have to start at the 300mg dose.
No. I swear. I don’t even know why they would prescribe you that. Is it money, vacations from reps who knows. I was on 2 strips for almost 5 years, well and Subutex the pill. I started at 100mg and finished 4 shots there. I think they just look in their book of literature. Man, has no dr been through addiction, or any kind of. They seem robotic. Mmm let me check the litaratuuure. Just a moment. Better question is why the company says you need that much.
I have had no issues going from suboxone pills to sublocade injections & I don’t smoke pot or take ANYTHING else. I’ve been an addict for 20 years & have tried EVERYTHING to get off of opiates. I have never felt better or more free. Don’t worry…you’ll do great. I hope you love & appreciate sublocade as much as I do.
No peach sized lump. Im a 135 lb, 5’8″ in female. Not a lotta fat on my stomach (or so said the nurse that administered the injection) & my 1st two injections (300) were about the size of a mosquito bite. The 3rd injection was the 100 mg & the lump was even smaller. By the time I got the 3rd injection, my 1st lump was almost completely gone. I don’t know much but, I’d be spooked if my injection site was the size of a peach. Maybe you had some kind of reaction? Does your Doctor say that is normal?
Yeah bro, i recently had my 4th shot. I had been fine until I got my 3rd a couple months ago. It was by a new nurse practitioner at my docs office. Now, she gave me my 3rd and 4th shots. Or she used too because I’m not going back, I’m done for my 5th. Just not gonna get it. Feel worse now after my fourth. I’ve had 4 injections of the 100mg. I was on strips, then the Subutex for roughly 4 or 5 years after a lortab prob, and on occasion percocet issue if I could find them. Once every 2 weeks. But my addict mind was at a ropes end from more than opiates honestly. So I broke down called my family for help. When I saw that chance to take his deal and I’d take his I played the work. That’s what I’m most afraid of coming off. Going to a doctor 5 years from now by myself with a broke foot. I’m away from all that other lifestyle. I cannot resist opiates from a doc. So yeah I worry about that. Have to be strong and take someone with me. Anyway he new what my addiction extent was because I told him those exact words about the tabs, occasional Percocet. So I told my friend about it after the strips were prescribed, and he showed me a little list of opiates from lightest to hardest. I can’t believe looking back I was even prescribed anything but Clonodine for that issue. Nope two 8mg strips everyday. And y’all know how it is. I jumped all over it. I had my taste of one before I knew what it was. I remember being so enthralled by the fact you could take such a little piece and feel it. Anyway back to that story, (I’m all over the place please bare with me), but it took her over a minute of pure hell and agony like someone shooting lava in my stomach, and the prior two shots were all good. Quick, hurts pretty damn bad. But, atleast its 15-20 seconds of lava being injected. It took so long to get this shot over with I eventually had to breath naturally. I hold my breath during these shots and other experiences like that and grit my teeth down. I guess I found that out about myself, but when I went to take an agonizing breath, my body begins shaking from the pain, or experience. Not sure, but I started shaking so hard. After it was finally over, and the nashing of teeth, and convulsive shaking was complete. She slapped a bandaid on that bad boy too quick, and I noticed but just wanted to get out of there. So I get home and I forget about it, so later that night I took the Band-Aid off when I was getting ready to take a shower. Man, it looked like a shank sized knife was inserted into me. (I have plenty of pictures and it’s still not completely healed yet. Matter fact it’s still as big as it was), if I’m not mistaken, but I have a lot of anxiety about looking at it, so I just kind of feel it every once in a while, if that makes sense. Like when showering I wash it. So it feels like a big scab, Gross I know. The wound was the size of an an elongated dime.
As I read through the comments I’ve been following since first posting several weeks ago, it appears my fears of the obvious (to me) have been realized. The side effects of this sped-to-market medication (2-trials, 24-weeks) were minimized, and that’s showing in the mixed bag of efficacy being reported here. For those of you who the medication has worked as advertised, I’m guessing (speculation, so “guessing” is the operative word) you were lower level (amount and perhaps for a shorter amount of time) than the many who have described going through 2nd-3rd week withdrawals.
My insurance company actually approved me for Sublocade last week, without me knowing it (I was denied in February), and my doctor was beyond excited to tell me this past Monday when I showed for my monthly appointment. A little too excited, actually, which made me question his motives, so I flat out, directly asked him, “Dr. A, what type of incentives are you receiving from the company representing Sublocade?”. He paused, looked at his computer, and sidestepped my question by defensively asking me, “now, why would that be the first thing that comes to your mind?”. He then proceeded to ask about my blood pressure medication and whether I was following through with my 12-Step & SMART Recovery schedule we agreed to (I am), and entirely ignored my question. I let it go.
Ultimately, when I refused the shot (which was already on the table, fresh from the fridge), he threatened – er, “suggested” – we begin an immediate taper of my generic bupe/nax (8/2=16mg/day) that month. He was agitated & fidgety (I’ve known him for nearly 2-years). I remained calm. He reminded me that he “ordered that injection specifically” for my visit.
I asked if I could make a suggestion, and he agreed. I kept my cool and said, (paraphrase, though I’ll use quotations because it’s first person) “Dr. A., I like the idea of Sublocade. At this point, I don’t feel comfortable with moving away from what has been working so well. Thank you for caring enough for me to consider me as your first Sublocade patient. I would like to have a more detailed discussion about switching at my September appointment. Until then, we can both continue to research the efficacy of this brand new medication.”
It was an odd sensation to feel like the voice of reason in the room. He appeared to relax a bit and agreed to my suggestion. He asked me for the link to my research sites, and this is the first one I sent him via email, later that day.
Huge thanks to Matt for getting the conversation going.
We’re all in this together, friends. I wish you all nothing short of peace, good and comfort. For those who’ve taken the time to share their experiences, thank you. Really.
My son had shot number 3 last week. He had two 300 mg doses and This time it was the 100 mg dose. He has had no side effects. No withdrawal. No cravings. He doesn’t wake up sick. He feels great. He was a heavy heavy user for a number of years so I’m not sure if u are a lower level or not has anything to do with it. He had no withdrawals or cravings from day one . I don’t understand why it’s not working for some. The first two doses of 300 mg is like getting 24 mg a day of suboxone. Mayb it’s too much. The main reason he went on the sublocade was he stressed about the choice every morning to take it or not. And most days he wd not. This way the shot is in him and he has no choice. With the amount of heroin my son was using I feel if it wasn’t for the sublocade my son would be dead. I was hoping that this wd be it and wd help everybody But from these posts it is not working for everyone.
@Jay-
Just wondering why your son isn’t posting first hand? I think it would be more informative to the group to have a first hand look of his experiences versus second person(your view). I hope no offense is taken however it’s sonewhat frustrating that your son has other substances to fall back on like pot when the rest of us don’t which definitely matters as pot numbs a lot of symptoms we are dealing with. However being from the south(non medical/recreational marijuana state) that’s not an option for me or many others. Also wondering how long your son has been on suboxone for. That’s what Preston is referring to not Street drugs.
@Ryan everything you just said I wanted to so thank you for saying that! Jay id love to hear from your son because he might be keeping a lot of his symptoms from you in fact when I started WD after my first injection I acted to my family that everything was ok nobody knew I had called my doctor and got more strips because I felt like I failed and let my mom down again and just like Ryan said your son is very lucky to have the weed to fall on I would smoke weed when I would be in WD from pills and it took a lot of my discomforts away but I live in VA and that’s not a option for me if I’m on suboxone
My son is 21. We are very very close. I am addicted to the addict and am on him in every aspect of his life. He has a recovery system with recovering specialists and case workers. I go to every dr appointment w him. There is nothing I don’t know. He has been using heroin for three years and has only been on suboxone for a few months. As I said he didn’t really use the subs because he played w them. He overdosed twice. He went to two rehabs. The suboxen for some reason is working like a miracle for him. I’ll ask him to come on and post something so you will get a first hand look rather than my view. But I can’t guarantee he will. This will b my last comment since I feel After Ryan’s post that I’m not helping which is what my initial intention was. Thanks and good luck to everybody.
@jay
Addiction is a family disease. I have seen many grandparents and parents at the facility I attend come with their loved ones and watch them suffer and also have strides in their addiction and there with them side-by-side so thank you for sharing your information is just as important like I said everybody matters and if your son wants to come on here and give his account of how he’s been feeling that would be wonderful and I think there’s no problem with you giving your side I don’t know it’s just information that we all want to share with each other there’s nothing wrong with that at all you don’t have to take the information and run with it or you can take it and run with it it is what it is I found it helpful that a family member shared because they are a very big part of our recovery Plus parents are not stupid they know my mom knew because her herself as an addict so she knew what I was doing she can tell if I’m high or not still to this day and I’m 36 years old and she knows me better than anybody. No she doesn’t know my every movement but I share with her of how I feel I have no reason to lie to her if the shot was not working for me I personally would tell her and I would get back on the steps there would be no reason to put yourself through pain of withdraws when I’m sure you would have no problem with him going back to the strip I’m sure all you want is the best for him that’s how it sounds like to me
Speak for yourself — pot’s never numbed opiate withdrawals symptoms for me.
Jay how long was your son on suboxone? I think how long you’ve been on it and your mg has a lot to do with weather sublocade will work or not I got my first shot 3 weeks ago the first 3 days I thought I had found the answer to my prayers but then my WD started I kept it to myself for awhile until last Saturday I couldn’t take it anymore I was at the point I would of taken anythung to make it stop but I couldn’t find anything on the street (thank god) and decided to call my Dr lucky I had her cell number and I told her how I was feeling she then told me it takes a few shots for it to reach a theaptuc level and told me she would call me in 8 mg strips and to take one a day and that has done wonders for me I went into her office last Tuesday so we could talk and we together came up with the plan that we would contuie to do the 300 mg shot instead of switching to the 100 on the 3rd shot and that she would prescribe me a 8 mg strip a day until my 4 or 5 shot then we would stop the strip and if I was still having WD symptoms we could stop the shot and go back to 16 mg of film the shot is not for everyone
Outstanding news, Jay! I’m happy for your entire family. As we all know too well, addiction is a family disease. I suppose we all metabolize food and chemicals in our own unique way, so why it’s working well for some and not for others will continue to be a mystery.
I’m just psyched for you, though, and your son, of course. Your family walked through hell, and you kept walking. I applaud you for being active in his recovery. I’m a 54-year old father of four who had nearly 30-years of sobriety. Then I discovered pills and a generous pain doctor who believed every lie I told him. I’m grateful to be alive. Lucky, too. Some would say blessed.
I digress, though. My comment is about you and your son. I’m psyched beyond words that he has found this medication is working, and hope it continues to be a good solution for him.
Thank you for sharing your story. It’s inspiring.
Jay I think that’s another reason sublocade is working for your son and not for people like me that has been on suboxone for 4 years 16 mg everyday
I have been on suboxone for 7 years at a minimum of 16mg-24mg a day. I received my sublocade shot 3 weeks ago and I feel it is a miracle drug. I have had no withdraw symptoms, and I thank God I do not have to get up and take something everyday to feel decent. I have done a lot of research on this shot and most people that have chose to take it have seen amazing results.
This is the first forum that I have been in that I have heard such negative side effects from sublocade. I personally know 18 people in my counseling group that have all had the sublocade shot and are seeing excellent results. It could have to do with metabolism, or possible mind over matter? Everyone will react differently to medications. I am just wondering if the people above that are experiencing negative side effects are taking any other medications for unrelated illnesses?
Jay,
I have a feeling you’ll still be reading these comments and, therefor, I’ll take the time to write and urge you to continue to share your experiences with your son on this forum. A couple people had suggestions that your son should post for himself. I hope you know that this comes from a place of love and curiosity. Addicts see far too many codependent, enabling parents, and you eloquently described your participation in his recovery, and clearly are not one of those parents. In that spirit, please continue to post. At the very least, it may prove to be cathartic and it will allow you to be engaged. I, for one, welcome you in this discussion. If your son chooses to write, more the better. You have your path and he has his.
As I mentioned before, and it’s been said a million times before by others, addiction is a family disease. Addiction does not discriminate. The recovery community is the largest “club” in the history of humanity that not a single person wanted to be in. Yet, here we are, together.
Together, Jay. Stick around and continue to be a valuable contributor, please.
I don’t think jays coming back brother. He took that comment so out of context that it reminds me of certain family members I have. It’s perplexing honestly they’ll show up whenever you need them. Day or night no matter what. If I called and broke down and said look I gotta be honest with you and told him I was barely getting by day to day. Having to stay out looking for something, panicking because I had work the next day and already missed to much as it was. He would do whatever. He is a solution finder, he likes that. Problem is, and this will sound very odd, is I’m not sure at all he likes or loves me. Sure he enjoys my company from time to time. He reacts like Mr. J with all do respect whenever he feels confronted and I feel I know this guys dad. Trust me I’ve got one all too similar. I’m not saying this about Jay. At all, let’s make that clear. My father would behave the same though. Tell everyone he was, you know. But when it cane down to what I really needed in my life. For my entire life.i needed him to, forgive me, but chill the F out. Be my damn friend sometimes. Stop being that authoritarian always. Everything he’s done I feel has been because he is addicted to the feeling of others seeing him in a role of controller and authority. “Hey my sons got a substance problem what is it we need to do” loud so everyone could hear with his hand on his side in a power pose. Just, if anyone understands that then you do. A lot of you think I’m an asshole for saying and maybe I am. Maybe I should be happy to be blessed with a father who could fake everyone else around. But never me. You don’t care as much as you say if you can never just be my friend for a while instead every lesson and bit of advice after advice. What maybe he thought my mother was supposed to hug me huh? He was that guy. It just doesn’t work that way because we look up to our fathers. He craves power to the point where he will jump out of bed at midnight if there is a way he can come take control of some situation. Where other men in positions of power will witness him. I love him, he does help. He is a godsend when you you need him. But he doesn’t have an affectionate bone in his body. He was married to my mother, super easy to control woman, until I was idk in my mid 20s. He got in trouble at work but got to keep his position and retire there a bit later as a full bird colonel. Lesson, somewhat is whether he knows it or not he’s an addict as well. We are all addicted to something. Believe that. My uncle will be dead in 1-5 years because he’s morbidly obese. He eats fast food all day. Works a full time job. Goes over to coworkers houses for bbqs and no one sees he dying from feeding his face, yet they outcast so many of us, deny jobs, he won’t be there in 3 years ever again. Who cares about his attendance record for the time being… am I crazy here? People who cannot control themselves. Let me end, let me tell you who can’t control themselves, last time I checked heart disease which is over eating if Im not mistaken was the number one cause of death in America by far. But seriously, do correct me if I’m wrong. I don’t like being ignorant. Sorry for the rant. I wasn’t comparing jay to anyone, he was just a catalyst into a conversation I needed to have. Thanks
I don’t understand how 300mgs per month would equal 24mgs per day. I’ve heard that a few times now and am in the process of trying to get the shot now. Can someone explain that to me? Seems more like 10mgs per day.
I was thinking the same thing! 300mgs for 28-30 days is 10mg average. So I’m wondering if anyone reporting this is also including taking more subs ontop of the shot or just adding their math up incorrectly.
Nick and Kiki-
Everyone wonders why 300 mg of Sublocade isn’t equal to 10 mg per day. I can usually explain it pretty well when I can draw a picture. I hope I can help you to understand with only words.
First -the concept of a Therapeutic Serum Level (TSL) – it’s expressed as a concentration, like 1.0 ng/ml. A concentration of 1.0 ng/ml is the buprenorphine TSL which controls withdrawal. So, as long as your serum level is 1.0 ng/ml you won’t have withdrawal symptoms, that is to say, it’s therapeutic.
Next, the concept of half-life of a drug. The half-life is the time it takes for the serum level to decrease by 50%. (It takes 5 half-lives for a medication to be considered completely gone from your body.)
When you take Suboxone film/tabs “transmucosally” (absorbing it through the tissues of your mouth or cheek) the serum level rises and falls with each dose. So to get above AND stay above 1.0 ng/ml around the clock your serum level has to peak much higher to accommodate the decrease in the concentration which occurs with daily dosing. The half-life of buprenorphine is 24 hours, or so. The half-life is pretty consistent from person to person because of how buprenorphine is metabolized by the body.
Now, I’m going to make up numbers to try to clarify that further. So, to keep your serum level above the TBL you need the peak serum concentration to be at least 2.0 ng/ml; but you don’t want to cut it that close. It would be better to peak higher, so when 24 hours rolls around you are not just barely above 1.0 ng/ml. For the sake of discussion, peaking at 3.0 ng/ml would be reasonable, because at 24 hours your the serum level would be 1.5 ng/ml.
Because Sublocade releases buprenorphine at a steady rate you don’t have to account for dropping serum levels. And you don’t have to keep the serum level so high above the TBL. It’s fair to think of Sublocade as being more efficient.
There are other reasons Sublocade is more efficient, too. I have posted about some of this before- See Carolyn’s post on 9/5/18 and Lace and Jones A’s replies, I replied to all 3 on 12/2/18.
By the way, metabolism of a drug is not the same as what people generally think of as metabolism- they gain weight easily, or can eat anything they want and not gain weight. We all know someone like that! And some drugs ARE metabolized differently by different people, but it has to do with genetic differences (Citalopram, for instance, has a lot of variability from one person to another. Heroin is another). It’s just that buprenorphine isn’t one of them.
I hope its still working i was really really bad on dope oxys and stuff i have been on 8mg sub strips for 2yrs im getting my shot on the 18th hear in a week or 2 and im really really scared about it not working the same bcuz i cant go back to being sick all the time i would really love to know how he is still doing and if he is still doing real good on it
I have been on suboxone for at least 12 plus years first to detox from pain medication. then I took a fall at work and became disabled I am currently on 1 film per day for The Last 5 Years and cannot taper down without losing energy or feeling anxious. Suboxone it’s not an easy drug to get off of my withdrawals are horrible. but it is sure better than being hooked on opiates I think I won’t stay with the film till more data in research is done. Good luck everyone y’all can do it
Hi Preston,
My husband just received his second 300mg shot yesterday. Before switching to sublocade, he’d been on 3 suboxone strips (24mg) a day for three years, so I’d say that’s a consistently high dosage over a long period of time. He has had 0 strips since his first shot a month ago. To be honest, he missed them at first but did not experience any withdrawal symptoms at all through the entire period.
Yes, he has the lump. No, it doesn’t hurt and is about the size of a silver dollar on day one, diminishing over time.
His only symptoms have been an experience of extreme euphoria on day one and headaches every morning for week one. This happened for both his first and second injections, but he enjoyed the strange feeling weeks 2-4 of feeling ‘normal’ (asymptomatic) without having to take strips several times a day. He could forget about his medication, which after years of addiction and years of strips has been most welcome.
The headaches are bad…I won’t deny that, but we’re hoping when he goes down to the 100mg shot next month, this will also cease.
So far, so good. He feels the trade-off is worthwhile for now. We’ll keep posting as he moves closer to the lower dose.
Best wishes to you!
Preston, I’m sorry to hear your insurance company will not allow you to use Sublocade. Thank goodness you feel okay with the “watch and wait” approach. I am a physician. I am an Internist by training. Later I studied Addiction Medicine and earned board certification. I have been a full-time addictionologist for nearly 15 years. I have about 25 patients on Sublocade. And lots more on films. Some have had 7 injections and 5 got their first in October. And I don’t receive any compensation from Indivior to prescribe any of their drugs. I’m just very passionate about treating persons who have substance use disorders and part of doing that is ensuring they understand their disease and the medication assisted treatments, which are available. Not just Suboxone. I’ve been following this blog for about 6 months. A patient told me about it after I brought up Sublocade. It’s great you could speak to your MD in such a frank manner when he started to twist your arm. But I had to laugh when you said your MD seemed a little too excited. I was absolutely thrilled when the first dose arrived too. So was the patient. Partly because he had been struggling for years controlling his suboxone use. He’d take too much and run out and suffer. Six years of that and he never lapsed, just suffered. Some posters have had the same problem. We had used Insupport to do a benefits inquiry and it was covered, but getting it delivered from the specialty pharmacy was more complicated. It had taken a few weeks, and many phone calls and emails. It was only because its a new process and given Sublocade is a controlled substance dispensed only through specialty pharmacies seems to make it more complicated. So we were all excited. The patient, my staff and I. It went great, and he is so happy to be on it, he had no problems at all. I have a lot of other stuff I’d like to share in response to not just your posts, but a lot of other posts too. Preston, your reservations about making the switch are understandable. Especially after your insurance company says the bit about “lacking scientific data”. (March 28th post) The thing is- when it comes to insurance companies it is all about money. Delaying spending money for even a day or two saves them tons and tons of money. The veil of “lacking scientific data” is a common tactic. Some insurance companies refused to cover Suboxone at first for the same reason. When the Suboxone film became available, all the insurance companies covered it, pretty much from the get go. Why? Because it didn’t cost anymore then tabs. Keep in mind, Sublocade is not a new drug. It’s a new method to administer Suboxone, just like Suboxone film was compared to tabs. And the delivery system, Atrigel, is not new either. Eligard, for prostate cancer, uses the Atrigel delivery system. But on the other hand, when generics came out and were cheaper, some companies stopped covering Suboxone. There are no randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled studies of generic drugs. Why? Because they are not new. I have to call you on a few hugely incorrect statements. Sublocade was not “fast tracked” (i.e. “rushed to market”). In fact, all the studies are longer than those used to approve Suboxone in the first place. Because the readers of and posters to this blog are seeking accurate scientific information I’m including some brief details. There were 3 Suboxone tablet studies- one with 326 subjects and 4 weeks long, one with 162 subjects and 16 weeks (of active maintenance doses), and the third had 731 subjects for 16 weeks. The goal of these studies was to demonstrate the treatment group had a higher percentage of urine tests without drugs other than opiates. All of these trials are Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Randomized and each has one or two additional features to strengthen the conclusions (i.e. the data is more robust). The first has an active-controlled comparison, the second is a double-dummy, with a parallel-group comparison, the third is dose-controlled with a parallel-group. When it comes to the blinding of a trial, that’s as blind as you can get. I’ve never actually heard of a “triple blind” trial, but maybe the double-dummy Finally, the Sublocade trials included a 48 week sub-study with 412 subjects. I refer you to the Sublocade prescribing information, section 6.1, table 1.
For those of you who like to read medical professional oriented information I encourage you to Google “Suboxone tablets FDA PI PDF”. PI stands for Prescribing Information. That search will yield a PDF of the FDA approved information about the drug. If you’ve ever been dispensed an unopened box of 30 Suboxone Films it is a PDF of the document printed on super thin paper and folded into a small rectangle which is inside the box. For that matter, substitute “Suboxone tablets” with any other drug name and you’ll get the same information. Be sure to select “full prescribing information” or “professional” if is isn’t just a PDF. The Sublocade PI is much more detailed than the Suboxone PI.
Why is fda is okay with suboxone subutex sublocade etc but not butrans? Trying wanting in the process of switching from suboxone to sublocade but TERRIFIED. Thanks to my way too real doctor…. “no bullshit this is a very painful injection especially first few times with 2 big sticks”
My Doctor was as happy & excited as I was when I got approved by my insurance company for my sublocade injections. Not because she was getting any kick backs or pat on the backs. Just because I had been her patient for 7 months (with no relapses) & I had a constant fear that my heroin addicted nieces & step-daughter could possibly find, steal & sell my Suboxone. Plus, I was my Drs 1st approved patient & she was generally happy to see me doing well. Sublocade saved my life & my sanity. I sincerely cannot say enough great things about it. Dr Julie, thank you so much for your comments. I have learned a lot from you.
I too have been on subs but very small dose as I have done numerous tapers throughout my decade treatment. I too have also had to fight off my all to eager doctor to push this on me. I will tell you that 2 of the docs assistants both confided in me seperately to “NOT ALLOW THE DOCTOR TO FORCE SUBLICADE ON ME AS THEY HAVE SEEN NUMEROUS ISSUES with insurance and also BAD REACTIONS AND ALSO DUE TO THE FACT THE DOCS ARE USING US AS GUINEA PIGS AND GETTING INCENTIVES FROM PHARMA CO. I dont know about u folks but i will not ever allow myself to be a Guinea pig for big pharma as the last decade has proven they’re corrupt. Secondly I have worked so hard to taper down and now the doc wants me to go back up so I can get the shot. Over my dead body. The major problem here is that I too have caught my doctor in outright streching the truth as well as outright lying to me and also backtracking on previous statements when it has the ability to line her pockets. I also will say for those of u who would say find a new doc or that this one isnt the right doctor for me etc I will also let u know that doc tells me Im her model patient continuously and we have a great relationship despite those truth streching situations. I for one have learned that doctors and the pharma co. Do not have my best interest in mind and I do therfore I will continue to do what I think is right and to continue to educate myself and research on my own to decide what type of treatment will serve me and my family best. To trust doctors without question is how half of us got into this situation in the 1st place.
It’s old, I figured I’d respond your comment for posterity’s sake.
I was my hospital’s first Sublocade patient and several of the doctors & nurses) were very, very excited. Not because they were receiving compensation from Indivior, because they didn’t, but because they want to help their patients, and Sublocade holds so much promise. Heck, even I was excited.
I also know this medication isn’t cheap and, in my case, the logistics of ordering and receiving it were not trivial. My doctor asked me 2-3 times before placing the order to be sure I was serious about receiving the shot.
Maybe consider for a moment that your doctor was excited for you, and that you may have offended him by your assumption.
Received the shot 7 days ago. First day was great, felt like a huge dose of suboxone. Then it seemed to level out the days following. Then day 5 came, and had mild to moderate withdrawl symptoms. Sweats, headaches, nausea, and diarrhea. They eventually subsided, but now just feeling like crap in my own skin. Low motivation, ECT. FYI I’ve been on the strips for about 10 years 24 mg’s a day, kinda wish I would’ve stuck with that at this point. Anyways, I hope I feel better soon. I’ll keep you posted. Thanks.
Cory,
I had the exact same situation happen with me man. I actually lasted 7 days but throughout felt like literal death and just sat on my chair at home and struggled to do anything. I decided to call and go see my doctor.
I would recommend reaching out to your doctor as when I did I was told the following-
The first month you won’t get to max dose but by the 28th day you will feel leveled out once second shot is received. I was on your exact dose and the exact time length as well. My Doc argeeed to allow me to take an 8mg strip each day until I receive the second shot this month. I hope this helps man as my doc was not keen at all to flipping me back to strips and neither is my wife.
Good luck and keep me updated as I will with you as well man.
So I’m 2 weeks in from my first shot. These 14 days have been a true test of my recovery system, and support. I took everyone’s advice and notified my doctor I was having withdrawal symptoms. All she offered was some Imodium, ect. She said she will not give me strips along with the shot. Each day has gotten a little better. (actually getting out of bed and showering) I feel as if I’m at a crossroads now. I feel that the buprinorphine level in my system is so low, that i dont know if i want to receive my next shot. You have to understand I’ve been on Suboxone for almost 10 years, and would love to be free of it’s grasp on my life. (it has also saved my life) ?????
Cory I am so sorry your Dr did that seriously I think she needs to read up on how the shot works because my Dr who has gold card status in the state of VA and has won several awards for how great she is told me steady state is not achieved until a few shots and agreed to give me one strip a day until the 4th or 5th shot and she would give me the 300 mg one every time instead of switching to the 100 mg at the 3rd simply because it takes a few shots to reach steady state for it to be a therapeutic level but we also had talked about this before I got the shot I asked her if the shot didnt work what was the plan and she did what she said she said she would call strips in for me and we would talk about what I wanted to do if she hadn’t of called them in I would of went back to using and I know that for a fact so I am so sorry your struggling right now but your right if I was in your shoes is go back on the strips when this next few weeks is over if your Dr isn’t willing to work with you because if what my Dr was right about what she said it will be a long few months for you I hope you start feeling better but with my experience I just got worse as time went on if you find that happening id call again and tell her your on the end here and you feel if you don’t get somtjing you will go back to using and if that still doesn’t work simply tell her you will be looking for a new Dr and id do just that as there job that should be there only goal to listen and to keep us clean if possible I couldn’t imagine why she wouldn’t give you the strips if she had actually done the research I think sublocade only works for patients who were only on suboxone for a short amount of time not ones like us that have been on it for years good luck to you keep us updated ❤❤
Cory,
So I went through pure torture the first week of this shot. The first 7 days it was a chore to walk, talk, parent and live. After 7 days my wife offered me one of the five strips I had left. I took a half in am then a half in pm. It brought back life to me. I called my doc and he agreed to continue letting me take a strip a day until I get second shot on 6/21. I have decided not to get the second shot as he will not agree to further my one a day strip after shot. Upon my reaction and feeling after the first shot I couldn’t take more termole by risking it again another 28 days. So I’ve decided to scrap this shot entirely. Based off studies on this shot by the second shot your completely level in the bloodstream with bup but like I said I’m not risking it further. It completely defeats the purpose of taking the shot if I don’t feel good and have to take strips as well as my doctor and I discussed. I wish you the best but if I were you I would re read your paragraph you wrote and go with your intuition man. For some like Jays son it’s great. It’s just def not so great for me so I’ll be back to my 24 mg dose on 6/21. Good luck my friend-
Ryan
Ryan that’s problably the best choice for you if your doc won’t give you more strips after the 2nd I really wish more doctors were like mine and listened to There patients and maybe did a little more research my doc said for someone like me it takes a few more shots for a steady state so I can stay on the 8mg of strip a day to the 4 or 5 shot then if I still feel like crap we forget the shot completely I want the shot to work so as long as my doc is working with me ill keep trying I’m sorry it didn’t work for you I also hope your Dr doesn’t start being a complete ass because you don’t want the shot anymore thank you for keeping up with this form I’m glad I got to see someone else go on this journey with me ❤❤ best of luck to you also please let us know how your appointment goes
Fuck the shot, I’ve experienced and heard of doctors basically railroading you to get on it. The only thing that makes sense to me is it’s for monetary gain.
I am a prescriber of suboxone and sublocade. I am wondering if you are currently prescribed Suboxone and if your doctor is railroading you personally and/or people you know. And how many doctors have tried to railroad you. In some parts of the country, (and in some parts of some cities) particularly high unemployment/low income areas the problem of Suboxone diversion is huge. I’ve worked in areas which are experiencing those economic stressors and areas which are not; that’s why I can unequivocally make that statement. Heck, in the areas where diversion rates are high all the doctors know that it happens. Some accept that diversion is an economic necessity for their patients. Some don’t. In those same economically depressed areas people will also sell other medications which are very important to their health, such as insulin and diabetic testing strips because they just plain need the cash. Professionally, I have several ways of approaching suspected diversion. If the patient is doing well (not using opiates or other illicit drugs), attending appointments with me, etc. and taking at least some of their medication, I tolerate it. I also discuss, now and then, (with all of my patients) the risks taken by people who divert meds. The risk is not just being busted and charged with dealing, but the risk that someone might be harmed by using Suboxone without a healthcare provider’s supervision. There have been 2 deaths in my area related to diverted Suboxone, in both situations people were prosecuted, found guilty and sentenced to long prison terms. An entirely different issue is when a patient is diverting their suboxone because they want to continue using and only take their suboxone when they can’t get their drug of choice, usually selling at least some of their suboxone. Before sublocade I would probably have to discharge the patient, because continuing to prescribe the Suboxone is enabling the patient. And, just like parents/family/loved ones who enable, I would be putting them at risk for death from overdose or drug related crime. In the past, the only alternative I could offer those patients was treatment with Vivitrol, very few patients decided to go that route. NOW that a non-divertable version of suboxone is available I can offer them treatment with Sublocade. If the patient declines to switch, they have made the decision to continue using. Could that be what happened to the people who have told you they were being railroaded?
The other assertion you made – about monetary gain – is just plain incorrect (and cynical). Reimbursement for office visits does not change if a patient is on sublocade or suboxone or vivitrol. If the injection is done on the same day as the office visit, there is no additional reimbursement for the injection itself, despite the fact it either increases overhead (the cost of having staff administer the Sublocade) or decreases the time available the healthcare provider to perform other reimbursable work which decreases receivables. Therefore, administering Sublocade causes the provider to LOSE money! Unless, the patient has to return on a different day, the provider only accepts cash and increases the cost of the visit, or the patient is charged a “surcharge”. Which, in the event you didn’t know, a healthcare provider who charges patients fees AND bills their insurance is violating their contract with the insurance companies involved (i.e. insurance fraud); if that insurance is state or federally funded, or the healthcare provider (or facility) accepts any money from a state or federal source for purposes other than patient care, they are committing medicare or medicaid fraud (a federal offense). Even if they don’t charge medicaid or medicare for the care of the patient from whom they accept cash, but they do bill for care provided to other patients with that type of insurance they are committing the same federal offense.
I was on same film amount. I’m in day 8 of the shot. I felt fine the first day. By day 3 I was in withdrawal. I’m overly tired. I have no energy or desire to do the simplest of tasks. I went a whole year on suboxone and felt normal after years of opiate and benzo use. My Dr told me to”wait the shot out because it’s in my system so I can’t take film on top of it. I have had a terrible headache every day. I want it out of my system NOW! I pray it works for others, just not for me
Mentally and physically exhausted
Ugh… That’s awful. I really hope that you and your doctor figure out how to make you feel better. Best of luck to you.
This is for Julie what if it’s not covered by insurance no one can afford 1500 a month for the shot 1500 a month
Y’all I had the same thing happen to me I am also taking a 8 mg strip a day but my Dr said she will keep letting me do this for 4 to 5 months because it takes a few shots to get your steady level Corey don’t be afraid to call your Dr I’m so glad I called mine
I got my first Sublocade Injection this morning and I feel normal. I hadn’t taken any subutex since yesterday around this time so by now, I would have been in withdrawals. I am gonna stay hopeful about it after everything I’ve read. The shot itself was more uncomfortable than pain. Which went away not long after. I took a nap when I got home and woke up feeling good! Just wondering how long I’ll continue feeling like this? I really can’t go back to sub again.
Hey, I’m 26 and have been struggling with abuse ever since I was 12. My whole life I couldnt take anything in moderation. Wether it was video games when I was 5 or weed when I was 12 I just never had self control. Once I got my first taste of opiates when I was 13 it was the begining of the end for me. By the time I was 16 I was addicted to OC 80s when they still existed and then heroin by 18. By this time I was taking 8, 7.5s and 3 bags a day and i wasnt even old enough to by ciggs yet. Finally after numerous fails at cold turkey i tried subs. I was able to take 4mg and be good all day with no triggers at first and it was perfect. That didnt last long tho and I started abusing them taking double the first week then having to manage with quaters for the last. I fucked myself every week but still kept doing it. I was on subs for 3 years doing the same shit over and over. I ended up finding out about methadone. I knew that I had to go in everyday for my dose so i couldnt abuse it and would be forced w a counslor instead of just going to a doc once a month. It actually worked good for me but the problem with switching from subs to methadone is you have to stop taking it for a few days before and i ended up relapsing on dope and got arrested. I ended up taking treatment court but after a year i was missing alot of court mandated groups and the judge put me in for 7 days. My county jail only has subs so they just left me there for 6 days in a cell detoxing off 150mg of done’ cold then finally my last day they put me back on subs. Right back were i started. That was in jan and im already abusing my subs worse then ever but i cant say anything bc i will just get sent back to jail. Then I found out about the sublacade the other day and it sounded like a gift from god. I had the same concern about it being so new as well but when u think about it, its not a whole new drug its the same thing the only thing changing is the route we take it. I have been out of my subs for 2 days now bc i fucked up and still cant get them till monday so i left my self to suffer like an asshole once again and no matter how many times I go thru this, I always end up abusing something when i can. This once a month shot is exactly what I need. I cant abuse it and it will get me out of the habit of needing to take something everymorning to not be sick. I met with my doctor yesterday and told him I heard about it and wanted to do it. hes starting the process for me I just hope it goes fast and smooth. I will return when i get it and follow up with updates on how it goes. Great thread and i hope we get more input.
Tony I hope it works for you what you did with your subs is exactly what I did so your not alone there I got my shot almost 3 weeks ago but I started having mild WD symptoms starting on day 11 so I called my Dr and she explained to me its not rare that it will probably take me a few shots for it to be where it’s still treapute to me so she called me in 8 mg suboxone strips to take 1 a day until I’m comfortable today is my second day doing that and I feel great yea its not exactly what I was hoping for but eventually ill get there I hope it works for you but don’t be afraid to call your Dr if it doesn’t
Tony-
I feel you and have been down your route for over 14 years(10 yrs on subs minus one bad relapse for 5 mths) (minus the heroin never touched it) I was on oc 80s then oxy 30s(420mg or $560 a day) The shot is up and down for me but my doc is also letting me take a 8mg strip a day for the first month until I get my next shot as it takes the first 2 doses to really get maximum dose in bloodstream. If I were you I’d do the shot man. I’m gonna make it work myself. The struggle having to not run out of strips is real and with all of us so this is a great option for you. I’d pull the trigger on it man and best of luck to you.
I’ve been on Subutex for two years, 8 mg I have a son and would like to expand our family but not before I get off subs completely. I am very interested in this shot but only if it would eventually wein me off completely. Like what happens after you go down to 100mg? And it doesn’t sound like people usually WD towards the end of the month but that’s def a concern of mine too. I just want to get off this completely and I can’t stand to feel sick for two months! It would be great to not have to take the sub and wake up not sick everyday! Please everyone give their feedback because I’m very interested just nervous and wonder what the WD is like .. and is it as bad as subs? Maybe it’d be easier to get off the shot? Or maybe shot is stronger? Things I’d like to know… thanks!!
Waiting to get off subs before having another baby is a great idea I had a baby a year ago got pregeant by surprise I had to switch to subutex and my baby boy had withdrawal and had to be wined off morphine for a month before coming home I was on suboxone for 4 years and received my 1st shot last Tuesday the only benefit I’ve gotten from the shot is waking up not being sick that’s seriously it I have headaches everyday I wake up im EXTRA tired then usual my appetite has increased a huge amount and I get a lot of hot flashes and those symptoms seem to be getting worse I’m going to try to get through this month before I decide if I want to go back to strips or stick with the shot but as of now id say strips are better but the meaning for the shot is to get off subs a lot faster so if you can get through everything that comes with it the shot is a great option
Sublocade was only approved for administration in March, so there’s no data yet on weaning specifically from Sublocade. But, I think the data on weaning will be similar to any other form of buprenorphine. It’s a tough drug to get off. But, on balance, is your life better because of buprenorphine or worse.
Here are my thoughts about coming off the shot versus the strips- There is a common misconception it seems in which every sub. user is thinking after the second month when going to 100ml injections it’s of a lesser dose. This isn’t the case actually if you look at the steady states for the drug on (www.sublocade.com) in average bloodstream the 100ml maintenance dose is like having more than 2 8mg strips per day. There is no way you could just come off this shot in my opinion. Here is what I’ve observed about buprenorphine and coming off of it. I’ve been on it for 10 yrs. tried coming off cold turkey several times including 6 days clean at one point just suffering and relapses. My dad, brother and 1 other close family member I know have been on it as well for years. The only way I’ve seen success is tapering down to 2mg then 1 mg then off in which my brother did. Here’s the thing however, he also picked up drinking and still to this day does it every night. Success is measured in many ways but for me it’s being clean, clear headed, making quality decisions and being here for my family in which is why I know I’ll be on this drug until I die. I also have cystic fibrosis in my digestive tract and have tremendous pain from pancreatic malfunctions and problems. This drug has saved my marriage, me being a father and my overall commitment to win and make it in life. I’m not a fan of this shot however. It’s mentally frustrating for me because as an addict I don’t like the unknown and I’m not in control at all in terms of pain management. I haven’t felt like my self since getting the shot. The constant unknowing of how I’ll feel one minute to the next just dosent fit me. I hope this helps someone.
Ryan well said I’m not a fan of this shot either I don’t feel well at all and everyone else on here seems to be great but not me so I don’t understand why but thanks for the comment we seem to both be having a bad experience frim this
Ok who on here has the shot not helped I’m 11 days in and I’m not doing well I’m wondering what should I do? I don’t think I will survive the next few weeks like this and I want to go back on the strips has anyone else experienced it not working?
Ok so I had posted I wasn’t doing good well today my Dr called in 7 suboxones she thinks maybe its not enough med for me so were going to see how this works and if it works ill take the 300mg shot along with a 8mg strip a day so guys don’t lose hope if the shot doesn’t work speak to your doctor about how your feeling a good Dr will work with you
My son just got his third shot. First two shots were 300 mg. This one is 100. They told us that there is still some of the 300 shot in him so the reduction to 100 is not going to effect anything. He is nervous going down to the 100. He has had no withdrawals. No waking up sick. It is a steady state. No ups and downs. He never got a headache and has energy. He drinks a lot of coffee and does smoke pot. He is 11 weeks clean. He has no cravings. He played w his suboxone so in his case the sublocade takes away the choice to use or not to use. His experience w the three shots so dat he says There is no difference in his feeling from day one to day 30. Hope this helps
@Jay- just FYI In my state NC no controlled substance can be prescribed to a patient whom is on a illegal substance. Your son is lucky to have the weed for the side effects.
He is very lucky. He got his medical card And definitely helps w the anxiety and sleep.
Same for VA if you fail on your drug test they take you off subs or bupernorphine if I could take something for my side affects I might be ok I’m wondering if my Dr would prescribe me the 2mg tablets to go along with the shot I think it would help with some of my side effects and def help with my mental part
My husband has been on suboxone for three years. Three days ago he received his first sublocade injection. It does leave a knot at the injection site but isn’t painful. The day of the shot, he experienced extreme euphoria (unusual for him with bup/nal) and said his head felt a lot of pressure but felt no withdrawal symptoms. Day two, the euphoric feeling was gone, but he said he felt like he’d been hit by a truck and had a massive headache. Still no withdrawal, though. Today is day 3, and he woke up with another truly bad headache that made him nauseous. Still though, no withdrawals. The goal is to eventually wean off the medication. He’s tried doing that with kratom without much success, so we’re hoping this works. He’s being patient and trying to believe these side effects are just his body adapting to the new delivery system. The most important thing is to avoid debilitating withdrawal. For that purpose, it has so far been effective. I’ll continue to post as he moves closer to the end of the first cycle and when he receives his second injection.
Tommrow will officially be a full week since getting my first injection I have woken up with a headache every morning and feeling super super tired and I got the same euphoric feeling the day of my shot too
Hi Kasey, how are you feeling now? It’s been a couple weeks for my husband. The headaches have diminished a bit. Also, still no withdrawals, so that’s good. I think he may be missing the strips from time to time, but that’s to be expected after years of using them. The atrigel delivery is a bit strange. He still has a sizable knot on his stomache and it has changed shape like the medication is shifting around or dispersing under the skin. I’d say that since the headaches have lessened and there’s still no withdrawal that at the end of week 2, results are positive. He also hasn’t ever experienced that euphoria again. I hope you are doing well and would love to hear back from you. Take care Kasey and community! I’ll check back in soon.
Wife I’m glad your husbands doing great it sounds like! I started having pretty bad WD symptoms and kept them to myself until a Saturday morning I seriously couldn’t take it anymore and went to the streets to find something but I couldn’t find anything which is a blessing itself but I decided to call my Dr and she agreed to call in some 8 mg strips so for little over a week now I’ve been taking a 8 mg strip on top of the shot she’s decided to let me do this for 4-5 more shots because it takes a few shots to get it at a steady state for it to be therapeutic she’s also decided to give me the 300mg shot every time instead of going to the 100 mg on the third injection and if that doesn’t help and I can’t do without the strips ill stop the injection and just go back to my 16 mg strips a day :)thanks for your update and again I’m happy the sublocade is working for your husband
I will receive my 300 mg shot Tommrow at 12:20 and I’m getting really really nervous I have been on 16mg of suboxone for 4 years the reason I wanted to switch to the sublocade is because I run out of my meds early every month and I’m sick of it so I want to try this but I’m scared what if it doesn’t work what if I start WD I’m a single mom of 3 young kids I can’t be sick I have a question for those that have tried this already how fast does the shot kick in? I took my last 2 strips today so I have nothing to take Tommrow so I’m worried how long it’ll take to kick in after I recieve it? Ill keep everyone updated after I get it Tommrow
Well guys I got my shot today and I feel great my doctor was nice and numbed me with lidocaine first but I still felt that burn at the end but it didn’t last long she also gave me a script for 4 suboxone strips in case I needed them tonight but I don’t think I will because I feel great already if it works like its supposed to for the rest of the month ill be getting it again in 28 days
You will feel great all month u won’t wake up in the morning sick you won’t have to decide whether not to take your strips my son said it feels funny at first not to take the strip but you’ll get used to it in a couple days. He has no cravings at all.
Hello all,
I’ve been on suboxone/subutex for over 10 yrs. I was currently taking 3 strips a day or 24mg. I decided to try the sublocade shot and I’m 3 days in. The first day I felt great. Yesterday and today I’m not feeling so hot. Some hot flashes but definitely not feeling as good as I did on strips. I’m unsure if my month will be like this if so I’m literally freaking out. Just wondering if anyone else has experienced this and if maybe it just takes a couple days to get going. I’m def not withdraw sick but I’m def not energetic. Thanks for any feedback!!
Ryan
Well as you guys know I got my shot on Tuesday and ill be honest I’m not too impressed I feel so so freaking tired its nuts I have absolutely no energy so I feel like crap I’m still having hot flashes im hoping these are just mind games but I’m not sure I’m hoping this gets better because I want it to work but Idk if it will right now id say the strips are a lot better for me anyways but ill keep keeping you guys updated and the reason I’m posting all this is because I looked and looked for reviews before getting the shot I looked everywhere and this is all I found so I’m hoping to help someone by my experience
Ryan I am 4 days in and I feel exactly the way you feel sometimes I feel great other times I’m having the hot flashes and exhaustion I did have more energy on the strips I feel like but I like waking up feeling good everyday without taking medication I think it will take sometime to get use to at least that’s what I’m hoping but my doctor has been so supportive and checking upon me and will gladly put me back on strips if needed but I want this to work so I’m going to keep trying but I’m not sure ill get through the full 28 days but I’m hoping I’m wrong we will see good luck to you and your recovery
@kasey how are you feeling now? Any better or worse? Btw are u taking those strips u got as well? Jw?
Thanks
@Ryan I am not feeling too Great I took two of them the first day I got the shot one on Thursday then the last one on Saturday and wishing I had more honestly I’m still super tired and get really hot really fast how are you feeling?
Thank you first post I’ve seen that helped me first day on shot very nervous
Don’t take any suboxone the day of the shot. They won’t give it to u. My son took one the evening before and got the shot next day at one. It kicks in right away. He was scared to. But u will b fine. No more taking strips. No more waking up sick. He gets his third shot a week from today. Any questions please ask.
I have a question for anyone who got the second round of the shot did you start WD before getting the second one? How are you doing now? I just need some hope I want this to work but I’m not doing too great I’m 7 days in is it going to get better or should I get switched back to strips now?
My son is on the third shot. No difference from day one to day 30. It doesn’t wear off. He was scared it would but it didn’t. He actually went 31 days in between first and second shot. Just had his third shot. Steady state. No ups and downs.
Is your son still doing good i have been on 8mg for two years but i wanted to try this so i talked to my dr about it and she ordered it fir me i get it on the 18th but now i see everyone saying real bad stuff about it so bow im freaking out feeling like its a mistake witch sucks bcuz i was so excited to get this and feel more normal not having to take a pill everyday but now im scared about it dose it start working right away
I got the shot 3 weeks ago and it’s truly been a miracle, first time in my life I’m not relying on taking something to reduce my anxiety I was constantly running out of my films because I thought I needed to take just one more just one more to feel better now I know I don’t need to take just one more and I feel better. My doctor would ever do two shots of the one shot when you’re done that is way too soon for anyone with an addictive personality I’ll probably be on the shot for at least 6 months until I’m comfortable that I don’t need anything and that’s the way all doctor should operate. I’m super lucky that my insurance covers it 100% but I will keep everyone updated I get my second shot next week and so far so good and it’s really starting to train my brain that I don’t need to take something.
How are you feeling now? Having my first shot tomorrow.
I started reading these comments last night. I struggled for close to 20 years with opiates. I started suboxone strips 4 years ago and haven’t relapsed one time. Suboxone saved my life. As I write this, I am in the waiting room at my doctor’s office. I am here so my doctor can “discuss” switching to the shot. I am so nervous and my stomach is in knots. I do not feel comfortable switching to the shot, but I feel my doctor wants me to and (for whatever reason) it is hard for me to tell my doctor no.
Having said all of this, I have done great on the strips. I graduated with my Master’s degree last Friday in Clinical Social Work. Why should I get on the shot when I am doing fine with the strips? And as far as I know, I would be the first patient in this office to recieve the shot. I am so nervous!! UGH
I’m a doc who prescribes suboxone. The only reason for you to switch to sublocade is because it might make weaning easier. If you are used to taking something daily-or splitting your dose, with the trigger for the second part of your dose being that you feel badly, then taking the option of taking something when you feel badly off the table might help you develop better/different coping skills. If you’re comfortable where you are, weaning isn’t a consideration, and your doc is comfortable that you aren’t diverting, then there’s no need to switch.
I am a Dr. who has four patients on Sublocade. It’s main use is not to wean, although it will be great that they get used to not taking medication everyday. It could be one step in the process. My patients are not have any withdrawal and are not feeling the ups and downs as with oral bupe. They are feeling good. So far, so good.
I struggled with an opiate addiction for over 16 yrs. I have been on suboxone for 2 years 11 months. I am getting the shot today. I’m looking forward to not having to take a daily dose.
Hello, my physician is switching me to Sublocade at beginning of June and I am doing this so I can wean off the suboxone for good and work towards vivitrol instead. Suboxone has saved my life and I am grateful. Taking medication 2x a day has kept my dependence so I hope that the shot will teach me to cope in a better way.
Hello, my physician is switching me to Sublocade at beginning of June and I am doing this so I can wean off the suboxone for good and work towards vivitrol instead. Suboxone has saved my life and I am grateful. Taking medication 2x a day has kept my dependence so I hope that the shot will teach me to cope in a better way. Hopefully
Hi guys,
I am trying to figure out how to get sublocade instead of the 12 mgs of suboxone i take daily. I just heard about it today from my gp. I filled out the subocaderms register and do I need to mention to my suboxone doctor i want to take this instead, or do I find a doctor on the sublicense site in my area and change to him? Also, my insurance covers my suboxon e prescription. Should it cover sublicense as well? Please let me know what steals i need to take. I will really appreciate it so much. Thanks
My sons doctor who prescribed his suboxen offered him the shot. Your dr sd b able to either call Indivior or the rep in u state to find out how to get it. Avella pharmacy will send the shot to u dr overnight and he will administer the shot. Some ins companies are not covering it because it is so new. Blue cross and blue shield covers it. If u go on the sublocade website u can also locate a dr in u area. Insupport for sublocade Ipaperwork on line is another step u can take. The shot has been a miracle for my son since he played w the strips. It gives u a steady stream so u don’t wake up sick and no choice to use. It is a process to get the shot but well worth it. Any more quest let me know.
Thank you so much. I will look at the doctors on the insoprt site. When reading the rsm site, it said to register and I did get a password and started paperwork . Then it asked if I was a nurse, doctor etc. So I logged out. Do I take it to a doctor?
Thanks again for the help.
The doctor will file the paperwork w insupport. There is a section for doc to fill out. Print paperwork and fill out. A dr that subscribes suboxen sd b able to give the sublicade shot. The doc can get a hold of the sublocade rep in your state. They came to the dr office and explained process My son is the only one who has received the shot in conn. We also called our ins co to c if it was covered. That might speed up the process too. Blue cross covered it but some ins companies aren’t covering it because it’s new. It’s all so new and the process needs to b more timely but again it is worth the effort.
My doctor just offered this to me as a three shot fix to completely stop subutex. I’ve been on it for 7 years . Have you heard of this happening? He says after the three shots I can completely quit
This is exactly what I am wanting to do. Completely get off suboxone. I have been on it for 4 years now and want to wean off. I have tried before and get passed the worst of the physical part, but I can’t take the horrible depression that comes and stays. Plus I already have major depressive disorder and sever OCD so I already take ssri’s and other depression medicine.I just want to live a stable life without suboxone. But the depression that comes with the withdrawal and lingers makes me suicidal. Please, if anyone has any advice, please chime in.
Your sub doctor should have all the information about it but you should definitely let them know. It’s still Buprenorphine maintenance so the doctor that prescribed it now should definitely know about it. I’ve had it for a week now and it’s been going alright. It’s harder during the week for me because I’d take my medicine on my way home from work so changing my routine is the hardest part of all of it but other than that it’s wonderful to not wake up in a cold sweat. From what my doctor said it takes a little bit for your body to get use to it so by shot 2 I should feel great. I sometimes feel a little crappy but I think it’s because I was on the highest dose of subutex and was still feeling sick when taking it. I haven’t gotten many cravings at all but I have realized that even if I did get cravings, I can’t get high unless I want to be deathly ill. So please don’t use on it, whatever you do but i would get the shot again and highly recommend it for those that are serious about staying clean.
So this is my second week on the shot. The actual shot itself burned like a !#”@#$ going in..they give it to you in your belly area. It went away after but very painful to me anyways. So the first day I didn’t take any strips because I wanted to see how effective it was and I felt wonderful a couple hour later…..and the next few days awesome . It’s so nice.to wake up and feel.so good without having yo take any thing first . My favorite part . It’s been a couple weeks now and unfortunately at work yesterday I got that really hot feeling and my cravings were high…i almost went to go by a strip twice in oneday…because my body just doesn’t feel right . There is a lump where the shot went in….itches bad. I tried to move the lump around thinking it would release some medication I know that’s weird . But I think my body metabolized it faster or something .I was on 2 strips a day for 5 years and 300 ml or whatever it this isn’t just enough for me. I want this to work so bad though . Because in the beginning I felt awesome . So everyone is different I would highly recommend this shot it’s worth a SHOT get it. I was first one in my city to try it. I’m going to call my doc today to see what my options are .
Yes!!! This is exactly what I said pretty much about how it was when I first got it. But i guess it was denied because it’s not on here. I’m on day 3 now and I got the hot flashes and all after work but I think it’s just because I use to not take my medicine till after work. Please keep us updated!
My son just got shot number two. Still no side effects and working great. He has no cravings. Wakes up feeling normalcy . Has been clean for 46 days. He is a little nervous about going down to 100 mg for shot number 3.
Hello I’m currently waiting for my sublocade to be shipped to my doctor. How long should it take? I’ve already been approved and my doctor ordered it two days ago. I’m really excited to try this!!
Katie. They ship it overnight. U can call avella and they will give u a tracking number. But it sd b there next day. Sublocade has been a miracle for my son. Tomorrow will b 50 days. No cravings at all. Make sure u have been on suboxone for seven days. Don’t play w the pocket it makes in u belly. Just leave it alone. No more choosing to take the suboxone. No more waking up in the morning feeling bad. Steady stream. Normal all day.
UPDATE: I just got the shot!!! I am the first at my clinic and the third in Maryland to get it. So first things first, the liquid is super thick (even the doctor said so) and it’s painful halfway thru. I did it standing up but I highly suggest doing it laying down because you get kind of light headed. It left a big lump on me that hurt at first but 5 mins after it feels fine. I literally just got it so I’ll give you an update either tonight or in a couple days. As of right now, I would get it again next month… as long as it actually does what it’s supposed to. I will known shortly if it does because I haven’t taken any subutex yet today and it’s 12:30pm. Wish me luck!!!
No more having to take it in the morning. No more feeling bad when u wake up. No cravings. It has been amazing for my son. He just got his second shot yesterday. All is good. He went 31 days and was fine. He is the first and only one in Connecticut.
I have been on and off Subutex for 3 years. The longest I’ve gone completely clean from everything was 45 days and I absolutely hate it. Mostly because I know I’m not clean but I feel like I am. I’m not shooting dope and smoking crack, I’m living a real life; working, accountable, active family member and girlfriend. But when I got into “the rooms” it kind of makes me want to get high because they look down on it. So if I’m not clean then why am I not doing what my body craves to do… ugh anyway, I have the longest time clean, on Subutex, that I’ve ever had. Coming up on 8 months. I signed up on 4/14/18 to get the Sublocade and I got the message from my doctor that I was approved for it today (4/18/18). I am scheduled to come in and get the shot on 4/24/18 and I’ll be the first person at my clinic to get it so it’s like a big deal for not only me but for them too… I am unbelievably scared though. I have the same fear that I’ve seen many have… will I get sick? And if I do what do I do? I am on 24mg (8mg 3x a day) and I have a high tolerance to any medication whether it be an antibiotic or an opioid. I appreciate everyone’s testimonies and I truly pray they’re honest ones. I will let you guys know how I feel the day I get it and will continue to check and see if anyone else posts about it.
All the best to you on your journey, Ashlynn. I’m curious, were you motivated – in part, at least – to get the shot because of the guilt from others taking your inventory at 12-step meetings? Emotional sobriety is about honesty. If you know you’re not high off subs, the God of your choosing knows too. I simply never mention it in my meetings, and I happened to find a sponsor who understands and makes it just our deal. Always be wary of the doctors, lawyers and marriage councilors in 12-step meetings. People have one inventory to take…..their own. Thanks for sharing your experience and fears. We are pulling for a positive experience for you.
Thank you for your kind words and understanding. I have yet to find a sponsor that will sponsor me. Also, yes I truly believe that part of me is getting the shot because of the judgement . You know they always say well you’re still taking something every day and I have to worry about people seeing my prescription bottle or be careful who I take it in front of. I also have still been getting sick because my insurance changed the company they will cover and ever since they’ve switched I had to go up on my dose and now I’m maxed out and still feel “dope” sick every day. I’m hoping the shot will fix that and that It won’t be a reminder that I’m “not clean”; like taking 3 pills a day is.
I have been in and out of the rooms for years and have found that the majority of people will say that you are not clean when you are on Subutex even though you aren’t shooting dope and you are abstaining and you are living a normal life. It took me a long time but I was able to find a sponsor that actually would sponsor me and doesn’t care if I take Subutex just so long as it stays between us. I am currently pregnant and I’m thinking about trying to sublocade shot and look forward to hearing how your experience goes I wish you the best of luck
Here is what the field sales reps are saying on Cafepharma. Not at all encouraging. All with a grain of salt, though.
http://www.cafepharma.com/boards/threads/could-sublocade-grab-record-for-worst-launch-in-history.620687/
Keep in mind that is a public site and any “troll” can write whatever they want. I would not take that with any validity or truth. Probably a competitor bashing. At the end of the day recovery is different for every person. What works for these 1000 people may not work for you, your child, husband or wife. But we know it certainly will not hurt to try…..it is another option for people still struggling or those that want it for convenience. Jeez ppl always complain about something…..people didn’t want suboxone on the street and this injection eliminates diversion bc ppl can’t sell it and it also eliminates ppl struggling in their recovery bc they won’t have the ability to just not take the oral for a few days to get High and possible OD and DIE!!! Ppl are never happy!!! I’m glad ppl are doing well on the shot. I’m waiting for my insurance to still approve- taking a few weeks. The film saved my life!!!
Congrats to those doing well!!!
Please continue to share your stories….I’m nervous about pain but it won’t be any worse than the pain over caused myself and my family for the last decade!!!
Guys I have been on suboxine strips for 5 years. I have took 3 strips a day, thank goodness I only pay $5 a month for 80 strips, thanks to good BCBS insurance. 2 months ago my doctor wanted to enroll me in the 300mg a month subacade injection. Oh my god I was scared, very scared. I thought I would start withdrawals in just a week or 2. Well it’s been over 2 months and I am still receiving the 300mg dosage a month, once a month, and after my 3rd month she will inject only 100mg a month which is a maintenance dosage since this medicine is very long acting. I’ve got to say from a addict to a recovering addict, please switch to the monthly injection. No more worrying about getting up every morning and feeling like crap, no more waiting to feel good before I go to work. I feel beautiful everyday, I’m extremely talkative and I’m just a different person in general since I’ve switched to the subacade. I don’t get sick from swallowing that nasty suboxine film anymore. I feel normal and I feel absolutely great. I just pay $5 a month for the injection. This subacade is wonderful, it’s weird on how it last a whole month, but trust me, IT WORKS. No more withdrawals. The only thing I have a problem with is the constipation. But my doc gave me a script of high fiber and it works. It is a abdominal shot, a little itchy but that’s about it. Anyway since I started receiving the injection I can o play with my kids, I can go walk a few miles on a beautiful sunny day with my wife without feeling like crap and having to take a half of suboxone strip to get in a good mood again. Mind you that your first few days you may develop a slight headache but after a week that will subside. So everyone that’s thinking about the subacade injection, don’t doubt yourself, go do it now,. My best decision ever! I will keep you guys updated every few weeks of any changes that have or may occur. Remember there is hope!
Thanks, Pharmaceutical Rep! How’s the Sublocade sales in your territory? Up for any awards, troll?
Your comment is such an obvious pile of rubbish. You covered all the features and benefits, and then thought to make sure the objections were answered as well. The icing on the cake was your touching family anecdote. Still deciding whether I should laugh or cry. Maybe both.
Now let’s see if Matt has the guts to post this comment. Likely not.
Um, why would I not have the guts to post your comment? Anyone can post on here. If it looks like spam I won’t approve it but so far I don’t see any spam or any people being mean. Well, your comment is actually a bit rude and questioning my guts? And it didn’t seem like a rep to me. Seems like a real person but how could I be sure?
You’re very cynical but I wish you the best there William. Next comment leave me out of your cynicism okay? I don’t have any ties to drug companies and in fact, most of this website is about info on natural methods and other methods to get off these drugs. Be respectful or all your posts will be deleted. And don’t ever question my “guts” again, sir.
Totally agree Matt, that harsh reply was unnecessary at best. At any rate, handed my enrollment form in today. See my doc again in a month, will probably start treatment then. If so, I’ll definitely post my experience. Thanks to all who share their experience with this new treatment! We’re all in the same place looking for input to help us all!
I’m so proud of you, David. And thanks for sharing your journey with this me and I’m sure everyone else following this post now and in the future will appreciate it. You rock! 🙂
This is the first I’ve revisited this page and, therefor, the first opportunity to make my immediate amends to you, Matt. My personal comment directed at you during my previous comment was wrong, and I apologize.
Awe thanks! I accept your apology sincerely and I appreciate it. And I do understand where you were coming from. Lots of people are out there faking comments and taking advantage of people so it’s good to be skeptical and really analyze these things. William, you are a good man and I am absolutely stoked to see you write this here and admit when you’ve had an error in judgment. Everyone makes mistakes but most people don’t admit them. Thus, you’re an exceptional person and I now consider you a friend. You, sir, are a rockstar!!! My sincerest gratitude. 🙂
Josh, I can only take you at your word, and your word sounds like quite a yarn spun by someone who works with Indivior Pharmaceuticals, the company who is selling this medication. We practice rigorous honesty in this forum. Thank you for your “experience” with Sublocade.
What josh said is exactly how my son feels. Exactly!!!! He is going on almost two weeks on the Sublocade. This definitely is a game changer for our family. It was the best decision he has made. The shot is amazing. And I am not a pharm rep!!
🙂
My doctor asked me today if I would like to try to get approved to try this medication. This would be wonderful for me because I have a hard time keeping up with my medication sometimes. I’ve been on suboxone for 8 years and I’ve been completely clean for 4 years. My prescribed dosage is 2 1/2 8 mg tabs every day. I take a half in the morning upon waking and a half when needed. Sometimes I end up taking more than prescribed since I take it when that “achy” feeling creeps up on me. It’s hard to keep up with when you take a half a pill 5 times a day. My concern is what happens when I no longer have any medication when I get that achy feeling? And when I decide to start coming down from the medication (which i’ve really been talking to my dr about lately) how does this work with the injection? It would be great to wake up in the morning and not feel like i cannot move until that medication is in my system. I would love to try this, but am hesitant. My doctor couldn’t really answer these questions since he hasn’t started using this yet and my pharmacist had never heard of it. I’d like to read some testimonials or find out where I could ask these questions. I’m terrified that i’d get the injection and feel horrible and no longer have more medication to fall back on.
It sounds like you could possibly be a rapid-buprenorphine metabolizer. Some people can take Suboxone once in the morning then be fine until the evening of the next day, and some take it a few times a day then wake up in slight withdrawal. It has to do with how fast you metabolize the drug, I believe. At the place, I worked there was a test for methadone patients called the “Peak and Trough” test. If a person showed on that test they were rapid metabolizers, the doctor would approve “Split Dosing” for them so they could drink half their medicine at the clinic where they dosed, then take home the other half to drink later in the evening. With Sublocade, according to what I’ve read on the official website, this medicine is supposed to supply steady levels of the buprenorphine daily, which is just one of the reasons I liked it. I understand your worry because you’re not sure how you’ll respond. Trying a new medication is always a risk even if it has proven track record because not everyone responds the same to medications. I had the same question about the tapering and couldn’t find any info on that. My guess is that Sublocade is just intended for long-term maintenance, and if a patient wants to get off buprenorphine they would need to use an oral form of buprenorphine or buprenorphine/naloxone. This is my educated guess and I am not sure if it’s a fact. That’s the logical way to think about it though.
I have an extremely fast metabolism. I weigh 110, when I’m lucky. And that’s a struggle. So yeah, I guess I never thougt about that having anything to do with it. It would be great if there was more information readily available. Let me know if you come across any websites with testamonials. Thanks!
One week today. No side effects. No craving. Wakes up not feeling sick. No anxiety of having choice of taking subs or not. Little weird not taking sub and not knowing if the sub will work but that went away after a few days all in all he says he loves it
Awesome!!!
I’m a doc who prescribes buprenorphine for people addicted to opioids. Several of my patients also use cocaine habitually. Because of the cost of cocaine I’m concerned about those patients selling/trading their prescribed buprenorphine for cocaine. Hopefully sublocade will be a great option that will help polysubstance abusers continue safe treatment with an opioid agonist while they also manage cocaine abuse.
Absolutely wonderful input! When I was a counselor at an OTP some of the Suboxone patients would test dirty for cocaine and admit to using it as well. It was even more common with methadone. And I heard a lot of stories about the patients with methadone take-homes selling their meds or trading it for other drugs. A once monthly shot of buprenorphine can prevent a lot of bad stuff from happening. Great comment and I thank you for sharing this information, Roy. I agree with you 100%.
My son got the sublicade shot today about five hours ago. no side effects No pain at injection site. Feels good. Will keep u posted.
Almost 24 hours later. Still feels good. No side effects. Feels normal.
Alright!!! Thanks for the update, Jay. That’s great to hear. 🙂
Still doing great. No side effects. On day four. No cravings.
Sweet! This is great to read. Again I thank you for updating us. This is going to be the ultimate Sublocade Review article because I believe over the next several months others will read this comment thread and post about their experiences too.
Have been on Suboxone for 7 years 16mg daily. I am not currently looking to taper off Suboxone but I do worry sometimes about the way I use the films. Every now and then I will take more than prescribed. I don’t really get anything out of it but alas even all of this time after leaving full agonist opiates behind. I still find my self indulging in “junky” behavior.
My Dr. brought up Sublocade today and for the reasons stated above mainly I am not looking to taper down and I sometimes abuse my tabs I think I would quite like to try Sublocade.
BUT I do believe that I am going to wait a couple of months and see what people’s reactions are. Primarily I am worried about how sure they are that a steady amount of medication is being released? What if I start experiencing withdrawal symptoms on day 24? Not to mention injection site reactions and a whole plethora of other unforeseen problems. Leaves me not wanting to jump ship from something that I know for sure works for me today.
I want to offer a heartfelt thank you to all of the members of the community willing to give this new medication a try for the benefit of all of us. I sincerely hope this new formulation is everything they say it is.
Those are great concerns, Adam. And I hope for your sake and many others the medicine does what it’s supposed to and helps out without those negative consequences you mentioned being common.
Thanks for your honesty, Adam. Nearly 17% of patients have experienced injection site reactions. In my English/Lit Major mind, I round that up to 20% and conclude that 1 in 5 are having the burning, stabbing, itching, tingling or other reactions that have been reported in the trials, at the injection site. I also like Matt’s reply. Keeping it simple, let’s just hope that this medicine does what it’s supposed to do!
i should be getting it soon.. very nervous.. would love to chat with you
As of today (Sunday, March 25,2018), I still see no patient reviews. I have been taking Zubsolv (11.4 mg. / day) for over a year now. Without question, this drug has improved my quality of life in a significant manner. After decades of struggling with opiate addiction, I have come to the conclusion that I will more than likely be on buprenorphine maintenance in some form for the rest of my life. I am totally fine with this realization because my life has become so much more enjoyable since finally finding this treatment. Like many taking the sublingual pills or strips, I often feel I’m not getting the entire dose due to swallowing more of the medication than desired because of excess saliva. For this reason, I am going to give Sublocade a go. I will give my doc the insurance form in two weeks with the normal four week approval process after that. Being that I have good insurance, I expect to be approved. This means that I won’t be able to post my results for at least six weeks. My main concern is the injection site. Until I get these next six weeks in, can anyone else point me to some patient reviews? Thanks in advance!
Great post, David. I’ve met others that have had the same goal and if you find a medicine that really helps you, I see why you would want to stay on it. I still haven’t seen any patient reviews on Sublocade on Drugs.com or other sites like that but they will eventually start coming in. It could be some time though.
My son should be getting the shot this week….the approval process and shipping is taking much longer than we expected. Will post the results once he has the shot.
I currently take 18 mg a day. My doctor also wants to give me the shot. To be honest I don’t want the shot and I don’t want to keep taking these strips. I haven’t had a proper bowel movement in 2 years. I almost came off them when I had my surgery, but my doctor had me double my dose to get it back in my system. I think if you can go over a year without any type of narcotic then you are ready to be free of the suboxone as well. Yes, as you stated it is very hard to come off this medication. I feel more doctor’s should be focused on getting their patients free from any substance. Instead they are pushing them to be guinea pigs for this pharmaceutical company. You said you are a recovering addict. How did you break the chain and get free of this demon. For some of us, it would be more helpful to read an article on how to successfully come off this medication. I’ve tried to taper off without success.
Here is how I got off Suboxone but I relapsed months later: Why Getting Off Suboxone Was Easy For Me>>
Here is how I got off heroin and finally got clean for over 6 years now: My First 6 Weeks Off Opiate: How I Got Through It>>
Here is my complete story of addiction and recovery: My Story>>
Here is my best free detox plan on getting off Suboxone: How To Taper Off Suboxone Like a Champion>>
Here is a free ebook I wrote that is working very well to help tons of people get off Suboxone: The Kratom Playbook For Opiate Recovery>>
Hello.
My profile: 51-year old male, currently taking 16mg of generic Buprenorphine (8mg/2mg tabs x2 per day), and on same dose since March 2017. Pain Management patient who was prescribed and abused 180 mg oxycodone/day and fifteen 1000 mcg Fentanyl patches (RX’d each month). I put myself through detox February 2017 and completed a CD Treatment program. I’m an addict. I found an outstanding Suboxone doctor who is also a GP in Scottsdale, AZ last March, and he started me on the Bupe tabs. It’s saved my life and I’m in no hurry to stop taking them.
Today, this doctor had me sign a release for insurance authorization for Sublocade. I’ve spent the past hour researching this drug and have just now discovered how new it is. With just two limited “studies” (they weren’t triple- blind, so they’re really just “trials”, this drug appears (operative word, “appears”) to have been rushed to market with great fanfare and just enough science to leave all of us “early adaptors” as the guinea pigs. Very much in the manner of vaccines, in fact (analogy, folks, I know that Sublocade isn’t a vaccine). We’ll soon find out if my insurance company covers this medication. If it does, though, I’m going to ask my doctor to hold off for 6-months until we can get a better evaluation of how patients respond to Sublocade in mass.
I will continue to follow these comments and I wish all of you early adaptors success. I hope it ends up being the viable alternative it’s designed to be; one shot each month vs waiting 15-minutes each day for 2 pills to dissolve? Uh, yes, please!
For all who are here, you walked through hell. Let’s keep walking. Heroin is no dance one leaves easily, no matter if it’s prescribed as a pill/patch or bought off the street. We are part of a national tragedy.
Loved reading your post!!! Great stuff! 🙂
Thanks, Matt. UPDATE: My insurance company has declined my prior-auth for reasons of “medication lacking scientific data”. This isn’t surprising. Remember, this medication was rushed (to me, two 24-week trials with less than 900 patients is rushed) to market and those trials will turn in to real world studies. The issue with actual “studies”, as it relates to the brain, is that it’s impossible to perform non-biased, triple-blind medical studies on living brains. When a patient is dead, you can (I offer you the NFL deceased CTE studies as an analogy). At any rate, I’m relieved I get to sit back and watch this all unfold and wish you all sincere success, in both the efficacy of this medication and your recovery. Peace and good to all.
I’ll let you know how well it works in a month ….I’m getting my shot in 5 days , I been taking 24 mgs.strips a day for 6 years and haven’t relapsed 1 time….I’m a little scared but I trust my doc and he thinks this is a way better road to go down so I’m actually kind of pumped about it …hopefully I won’t be wanting strips during the day , will let you know in a couple weeks how it’s working
Thank you. I appreciate you doing that. It will be awesome to have some personal testimonials here. 🙂
My son gets his shot in 7 days. Will keep u posted. Wp if u cd post the day u get it and How u feel that wd b great.
You guys are so awesome. Again, thanks a lot! I think it’s going to go very well.
It’s great you trust your doctor. That said, I encourage all of us to think of our doctors motives as well. What arrangement does your doctor have with the pharmaceutical company for administering a certain amount of injections each month? Also, if you’ve been on strips for 6 years with zero relapses, why risk breaking what’s already working? Also, what’s your “end game” with Subs? Have you discussed eventually tapering off your subs with your doctor? If you have, it’s a whole lot more logical to stay on your Suboxone film because when the tapering begins you’ll be able to simply cut a little bit of your film off at a time, toss it and take the rest, all the way down until your final micro-dosing. Please, don’t ever blindly “trust your doc”, pause, step back, think and be intellectually honest. This drug has been rushed to market after only 2 (TWO!) 24-week clinical trials.Nearly 17% of recipients have had major injection site reactions. That’s nearly 1 in 5! As much as I would love for you to be my guinea pig, please think this through. Tell your doctor, “thanks for letting me know about Sublocade, and we’ll talk about this option in 6-months when there are more real world reviews about this medications efficacy”……all the best to you.
Very useful and thoughtful insights, Preston. Thanks for joining this conversation and adding your beliefs and knowledge and values here.
they dont have sublocade in canada yet. im taking 16mg 2x8mg suboxone tabs a day. and here u have to goto the pharmacy every singe day and take it under the witness of a pharmacist so theres no ‘saving it for later’ or anything like that. it really is a hassle tho since i work all over the place and getting to the damn pharmacy every single morning is a pain !!!
What a HASSLE!!! That’s a pain in the arse! Unbelievable. It’s better than using heroin like you were before, Justin, but this is very inconvenient for you as I know what you do for a living and how demanding it is with travel and time. Still, despite this pain, I’m STOKED to see you taking medicine instead of doing heroin many times throughout each day.
why the high price tag….the government makes a big deal about the opiate epidemic.
they spend trillions of dollars they don’t have. on bail out bullshit..it’s ….just fiat, digital dollars….if this treatment is helping addicts, keeping them from ruining their lives, and the lives of others….then this should be payed for some way, some how…….their can be no fraud involved here…….i know the pharm. co needs to make a large profit for share holders ect, ect…….i get it……but, this clown world is upside down, and backwards….i’ve been on 8mg of the generic sub for almost 10 yrs now…..i see a phd
every 4 weeks. takes my medicare, and 40 bucks. it used to be 70….why it went down in price is a miracle in itself…….being able to have the med working for 6 months. with no dr. visits, no nasty taste in my mouth, no pharm visits……that would be a miracle for me, and maybe just maybe the way the drug is distributed …the brain will adjust, and no further med. will be needed……….even the shot would be better…i doubt my dr. does this….i.m going to look into this asap…….thx for the article, and great comments
The shot was recommended for my son. He is already on the suboxen strips. If he is already on the suboxen strips will he be less likely to have any of the side effects. Also, If he uses while on the sublocade what will happen?
Hi Jay,
Patients can only get the shot if they’ve already started on Suboxone. My guess is Sublocade will not add any new side effects but every patient is different and we all have unique biochemistry so there is no way to know for sure. But if he is doing well on Suboxone, he will likely do very well on Sublocade, and probably even better than taking the strips. Since this is the newest and best formulation yet. I’m still waiting for people to comment on their experiences here in this comment section. If you want, feel free to post about how your son ends up liking it here or feel free to have him write about it here. I know it would help a lot of readers.
If he uses while taking Sublocade, the same thing will happen as when a person uses on Suboxone. The buprenorphine is supposed to prevent any opiates from filling the opioid receptors as buprenorphine has a high binding affinity for the receptors and blocks any opiates from getting in. At most, if a person uses a lot they may feel a little effect, but not get high. I used opiates on Suboxone before and didn’t get the high, but I felt a tiny mood-boost, and that’s it.
Thank you. The process is started and he should b getting the sublicade shot next week. He plays w the suboxone so the shot will make sure he doesn’t have to chose every morning whether to use or not. It will already be in his system. As a parent I’m nervous w it being so new. But he won’t go to rehab so this is his only option right now. Once he gets the shot I will keep u posted.
Thanks, Jay! Looking forward to your next post on this. That’s very kind of you. And that is the main reason I love Sublocade so much. Too many patients on Suboxone can choose to not take their medicine and use opiates for a while, then get back on the Suboxone when they feel like it. This totally hinders progress and keeps them stuck in their addictions, never moving forward in life. Let me just say that you’re an absolutely awesome father for not making him go to rehab and letting him go with a treatment approach that resonates with him. I know you’re nervous because it’s so new, but this medicine has a very high chance of not only working well but also preventing your son from “playing” with the Suboxone like you stated. And the longer a person continues to not use opiates, the less and less they have the urge to do so. Soon it won’t be a mental obsession for him anymore and he will create new wiring in his brain and the neuronal pathways that he has created which make him want to stop taking Suboxone to use opiates will fade away over time. Just make sure he also does more than just takes medication. If he uses this time on Sublocade wisely and really makes progress with his life, he can literally change his entire identity and will no longer be interested in the “drug life.” But he will become more passionate about creating a vision for his life and creating it with all his might.
Can he still go on the Sublocade if he has not been on the suboxone for seven days straight. He has been on it for months. But what will happen if it’s not seven days straight.
That’s up to the doctor that prescribes it. Ask the prescribing doctor and I’m sure they will make sure your son is medicated the right way that is safe.
What. Would happen if u. Used opiates before u got ur shot
My doctor wants me to switch from films to the shot. It scares me I do not want to make the switch untill I know it’s safe.
I hear you, Justin. If something has been working for you well, it can be scary to switch and get a new type of treatment where you haven’t been made aware of the long-term safety of it. It looks like a really good medicine to me. But I’m still waiting for people that are on it to chime in here and leave their testimonials as to how they are doing on it.
You’re thinking like a person who thinks, Justin. Tell your doctor you’re scared and you feel more comfortable staying the course until this drug has been firmly established as the miracle formula it’s marketed to be. Go with your gut.