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re: Suboxone is as bad or worse than true opiates

Posted on 4/10/18 at 10:19 pm to
Posted by Dubosed
Gulf Breeze
Member since Nov 2012
7574 posts
Posted on 4/10/18 at 10:19 pm to
quote:

Not quite sure the public understands just how bad the opiate epidemic is.

I changed my tune on this after I had back surgery 6 years ago. Painkillers are the frickin devil.
Posted by Iron Lion
Romulus
Member since Nov 2014
13754 posts
Posted on 4/10/18 at 10:22 pm to
I'm pulling for all the people in this thread that are struggling with addiction. Battled a lot of demons myself and so have family members. "One day at a time" is cliche but it 100 percent applies to getting clean. Win the day so you can fight again tomorrow, after awhile the fight tomorrow gets a little easier. Good luck to you guys.
Posted by Hopeful Doc
Member since Sep 2010
15388 posts
Posted on 4/10/18 at 10:27 pm to
quote:

You obviously know your shite.


My experience is limited, but it is probably higher than most people that aren't in recovery on either the healthcare or patient side.
quote:

What’s the difference between suboxone and subutex? I’

Subutex is buprenorphine, the partial opiate receptor agonist I described above.
Suboxone is that + naloxone. Drugs get swallowed, absorbed, passed through the liver, and then into the body. Many drugs get destroyed by the liver. Some become more active. Naloxone is essentially entirely destroyed by the liver when taken orally, so it goes mouth --> gut--> liver and stops.
One common way of making liver-metabolized drugs give more effect faster is to give them in a vein- going from vein-->heart-->brain (being simple here) and only to the liver later on (or really in smaller amounts at a time, because it depends on how you're distributing your blood between your organs at that time).
So, the naloxone is actually a super effective opiate ANTAGONIST. Meaning it is the antidote for overdose and gives instant withdrawal when given. When you take the pill, it has no effect. When you crush the pill up and snort or inject it, you actually ONLY get the naloxone effect- the opiate can't work! It's a pretty neat example of pharmaceuticals designing a drug with certain patients in mind- it's more difficult to abuse.


quote:

It seems that treatment centers prefer to give subutex when detoxing but I don’t know why.



Probably cheaper and when being administered and witnessed, the anti-abuse potential of the Suboxone is less than crucial. I don't really do this sort of work though, so take my opinion as to why with a grain of salt.
Posted by Jack Daniel
Gold member
Member since Feb 2013
28766 posts
Posted on 4/10/18 at 10:35 pm to
Sorry, but I can’t consider taking a drug willingly an epidemic. An epidemic is a disease that can be contracted uncontrollably like cancer, flu, chicken pox, etc. I’m not addicted to opioids because I made a personal decision to never use them.
Posted by Hopeful Doc
Member since Sep 2010
15388 posts
Posted on 4/10/18 at 10:42 pm to
quote:

Sorry, but I can’t consider taking a drug willingly an epidemic


The biggest problem with addiction is the persistent behaviors despite consequences, typically without a willingness to actually do them and usually with a willingness to quit.

quote:

An epidemic is a disease that can be contracted uncontrollably like cancer, flu, chicken pox, etc.I’m not addicted to opioids because I made a personal decision to never use them.


Most exposure to opiates is initially appropriate. Many people who take them get off of them after the broken arm heals, stitches come out, etc. It's actually very much like what you describe, though, except for the personal decision part.
Some people are prone, somewhere in the BioPsychoSocial model to be prone to certain exposures. Some people who work with asbestos get lung cancer and mesothelioma. Some do not. Their willingness is irrelevant.
Some people who are exposed to the influenza virus, or even HIV develop disease from it. Others do not. Their willingness is irrelevant.
Whether you believe it or not, what is also true is that some people who are exposed to opiates- for justified reasons or not- are prone to developing addiction. Others are not. Their willingness can play a part, but it is not the only thing.

Yes- their is stigma around it. Yes- there are some generally bad people who also take opiates. But addicts are just people with a disease. Stigmatization of the disease only worsens the cycle.
Posted by Sofa King Crimson
3rd Ward
Member since Nov 2008
4135 posts
Posted on 4/10/18 at 10:46 pm to
well said. Also, obviously meds affect everyone differently. As some folks in this thread have said, opiates do not make them feel "good". This is not something you have control over, so in a sense, you have no real choice on whether or not you become addicted.
Posted by Jack Daniel
Gold member
Member since Feb 2013
28766 posts
Posted on 4/10/18 at 10:46 pm to
quote:

disease

Nope
Posted by bigrob385series
B. Aura
Member since May 2014
2636 posts
Posted on 4/10/18 at 10:46 pm to
quote:

 But addicts are just people with a disease. Stigmatization of the disease only worsens the cycle. 
...from a doctor.this should settle the debate
Posted by Hopeful Doc
Member since Sep 2010
15388 posts
Posted on 4/10/18 at 10:50 pm to
From Merriam Webster:
quote:

a condition of the living animal or plant body or of one of its parts that impairs normal functioning and is typically manifested by distinguishing signs and symptoms


Opiate addiction fits that definition quite well. Rest assured, though, your opinion does not really matter to the CDC, psychiatrists, adolescent and addiction medicine, family medicine, and internal medicine doctors or their patients who deal with the disease on a daily basis.

I do hope that it never shows up in you or anyone you love's life.
Posted by dgnx6
Member since Feb 2006
86285 posts
Posted on 4/10/18 at 10:55 pm to
Lucky for me, opiates make me feel car sick. Don't fricking like them.

Posted by HaveMercy
Member since Dec 2014
3000 posts
Posted on 4/10/18 at 10:55 pm to
It's called Pine Grove in Hattiesburg, MS.
Bless her heart she researched rehabs all on her own and found one that suited her. With her being a geriatric, it was of paramount importance to find one that had a flawless record of overseeing detox.

I have learned a lot about addiction and recovery from this experience. One thing that surprised me is that the most deadly detox is from alcohol; not "illicit" drugs.
Posted by Rebel
Graceland
Member since Jan 2005
141547 posts
Posted on 4/10/18 at 11:00 pm to
quote:

Jack Daniel


You are really really dumb.

Go back to the rant.
Posted by HaveMercy
Member since Dec 2014
3000 posts
Posted on 4/10/18 at 11:04 pm to
quote:

Some people who work with asbestos get lung cancer and mesothelioma. Some do not. Their willingness is irrelevant.


This is an excellent analogy.
Posted by BowlJackson
Birmingham, AL
Member since Sep 2013
52881 posts
Posted on 4/10/18 at 11:07 pm to
quote:

lol, Jesus Christ dude. You couldn’t be anymore wrong. Heroine and pill physical symptoms last for a week or so. The long half life of subs makes it last much longer with the same intensity


I've never experienced a withdrawal from subs. Opiate withdrawal is hell though. But thats the only thing I've ever used subs for, they're too nasty for me to ever want to do recreationally. I also know plenty of people who use subs and none have ever mentioned withdrawing from them.

But I also only ever used them in an effort to get completely sober, so maybe that mentality instead of going to subs just because its cheap or just because you dont want to be sick helped me to not want to keep using them.
Posted by supadave3
Houston, TX
Member since Dec 2005
31816 posts
Posted on 4/10/18 at 11:15 pm to
]
quote:

Hopeful Doc


Awesome! Thanks for the detailed reply. I appreciate it. That’s pretty cool what the human body is capable of and how we have learned to manipulate it with drugs. Very incitful!
Posted by TROLA
BATON ROUGE
Member since Apr 2004
14424 posts
Posted on 4/10/18 at 11:19 pm to
I’m thankful that I have a natural aversion to opioids.. it’s unfortunate that doctors have been put in such a difficult position the last few decades. They need to see more and more patients and prescribed drugs legally while being unable to follow patients as closely with what we are learning.. Our society looks for scapegoats and the docs and pharmas are the easy target but the real issue is our overall healthcare industry.
Posted by supadave3
Houston, TX
Member since Dec 2005
31816 posts
Posted on 4/10/18 at 11:21 pm to
quote:

One thing that surprised me is that the most deadly detox is from alcohol; not "illicit" drugs.


I’ve experienced full blown DT’s. I wouldn’t wish them on my worst enemy. After a 12 day binge drinking over a fifth of vodka/day, I aruptly stopped. With hours my hands started shaking, I was sweating through my clothes, my muscles would clinch and release over and over, and I even had audio hallucinations (I heard a cat meowing over and over again that wasn’t there.). After a few hours, I had to have something to drink to alleviate the symptoms and went straight to a medical detox facility. I truly thought I was about to die. Absolutely horrible!!

FWIW, I’m 22 months sober now and so glad I don’t have to live like that anymore. For those that argue that it’s not a disease, try viewing it as a mental disease. What else would you call someone that does the same thing over and over despite destructive consequences every time. It’s insanity. Insanity is a mental disease.
This post was edited on 4/11/18 at 1:37 am
Posted by porkrind
Hog Jaw
Member since Apr 2012
950 posts
Posted on 4/10/18 at 11:51 pm to
5 years off opiates myself. I was on suboxone back when it was a orange flavored pill with a dagger imprint.

The suboxone made me feel like and idiot. Seriously it was like my brain was firing at 1/4 capacity. The withdrawls from suboxone are actually worse and longer lasting than common opiates.

I had to take my licks and just quit. Best decision I ever made. It wasn't as bad as you might think. Once the bad effects wear off its almost like being clean is a new form of high. If I had all the money back I spent on that shite I could go buy a Ferrari.
This post was edited on 4/10/18 at 11:53 pm
Posted by Ba Ba Boooey
Northshore
Member since May 2010
4729 posts
Posted on 4/11/18 at 12:05 am to
Worst part of my job everyday. At least 50 calls a day trying for early refills on narcotics. Good luck with your continued recovery but suboxone is nowhere near as bad or worse than full opiate agonists.
Posted by supadave3
Houston, TX
Member since Dec 2005
31816 posts
Posted on 4/11/18 at 1:37 am to
quote:

Worst part of my job everyday. At least 50 calls a day trying for early refills on narcotics


I’d imagine that gets extremely frustrating. I’m sure you’ve heard every excuse in the book.
This post was edited on 4/11/18 at 1:38 am
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