Buprenorphine(Suboxone/Subutex) and liver problems

true, the tests reults results differ even when not taking eneythhing! im afride ii have o go with the doc on this!

So this is day number 2 for me of subox w/ds! today has steadily gotten worse. Cravings are hell, NO energy, aches & pains, chills, sweats, no sleep, this is hell. A little less intense than w/ds from roxi & oxys but still the anxiety and depression alone is enough to make you wanna jump out a window. I want this more than amything as I have every other time ive tried to quit but im svared to death. I know its gunna get worse and I dont know how I can deal with this for weeks to come.

i have een a heroin addict for over 24 years and i think subutex is a godsend we didnt have bupernorphine in the 90,s to come off withdrawl from unless you went into a inpatientent detox center and they were few and far between. beth isrieal in passaic n.j. was the only one at hat time.and the counselour at he time said to me at hat time that in the future if you want to detox this will be available to you in a sub lingual form and 17 years later he as right.listen up after all the dope shooting i have been doing since 1998 i take 2 mg of subutex to keep me from going through withdrawl and it has been working great however i just abrutly stopped and now it feels like someone is sitting on my chest and my corrodid arteries are being constricted like somone is grabbing me by the throat like im choiking and thats no BS now i havent done any heroin in like 10 years but the new thing is oxycontin and not so new dilaudid .maby im a fool because i just cant put that needle downbecause ive been shooting the subutex and breaking them into quarters however if i drop dead tomorrow and this post helps one other addict ill have earned my place in heaven.

First of all, the person shooting up Suboxne or Subutex really needs to get some help, I was addicted to cocaine, E, alcohol and cigarettes in my early to mid twenties. I pretty much partied every single day for 5-6 years because I had graduated with honors from Univ. of Southern Calif. I never did a drug in my life until after I graduated. I was a full time model and traveled for work I ran and did yoga everyday to stay in shape and ate super healthy. I started to hang out with some new girls from college that were very beautiful and very social but they all used coke. One day I had a few drinks while out and one friend asked me if I wanted a line. I said what the heck I have been so strict with myself my entire life , I can just have one line. After I used coke I started to do it once a month , then once a week, and then once a day then all day everyday. It really sneaks up on you. I did not have a 9-5 job and my job was all about being thin and looking good. In the beginning you like it because your not hungry and you loose weight without trying. In the beginning your body does not show the wear and tear it taking but after awhile it starts to show, I finally got sober and was so happy to be back to reality but then I had surgery and the doc. gave me vicodin to help with the post surg. pain. Being the extremest I am I took them not for pain but for the high. I don't even like the opiate high but your body becomes addicted to it so quickly and the withdraw is way worse then any coke or alcohol withdraw. My doctor decided to put me on Suboxone and now Im only on 1-2mg a day after weening myself off of it so Im not on it forever. I have noticed that my skin and eyes are not bright like they used to be, I think it is from the toxic Suboxone in my liver. I dont drink, smoke or do any other drugs. I take tons of healthy vitamins and drink raw juices and workout everyday but still do not look as healthy because of the suboxone in my liver, I believe so yes it does reck havoc on your body, it's just not as obvious and I believe a good doctor would want his patient off of the pill as soon as possible a bad doc will tell you , you can be on it as long as you need to because they make money when you have to go to them for a new prescription

Just so everyone is clear! i am no doctor but i do know a little about the body.  Your liver is a filter.  It filters your blood ergo if foreign things get into your blood stream they are also filtering through your liver.  So anything you take even tylenol will effect the effectiveness of your liver.......If you drink soda or other artificially colored drinks that can be harmful to your liver.  That said.  Im sure taking subuxone does effect your liver but not to the extent that acetaminophen does.  people have actually died from taking to much Tylenol because your liver has a hard time filtering it.  Please be advised your body has different organs for a reason and if we aren't supposed to be taking something it will get filtered through our liver and have some sort of effect.  The person above is right in saying that subutex has not been around very long so the long term effects on your liver are probably not 100%.  Just be careful and some people need subutex because they are chasing drugs everyday spending every last dollar they have and taking a lot bigger risk using illegal drugs than using suboxone.  Do not judge somebody until you have walked a mile in their shoes.  These people didn't wake up one day and say "id like to be addicted to drugs"  Yes they make the choice to pick up for the first time but its uncontrollable after that.  Thank you and i hope this helps some.

my gf is pregnant and shoots it im really worried

15 years ago a TMJ Doc prescribed Oxycontin. It was so new back then he said it was NOT addictive because it was time released. Then the Harvard grad fool told me to cut in half between 40 mg every 12 hours. Well, when you cut them in half it circumvents the time release. So as you can imagine. Bada-Bing ADDICTION! I eventually went to rehab. Was great for 10 years until a Motorcycle Accident, Gallbladder surgery and back on Hydrocodone. I was so tolerant thatI had to take a huge amount for pain. They wanted to give me Morpine but I said no. I hate this Demon. Long story longer, I found a shrink that had his own addiction and got into helping people like me. He got his life back and turned his shrink into Addiction Specialist. He had a lot of success with Suboxone and I have been on it for almost 4 years now. Every time we start cutting my dose something happens. Accident, surgery, etc. But I will say Suboxone 4 to 16 mg a day depending on health it has been a MIRACLE. No high, clear head, no jonesing, no wanting more. My life was back. I wish Doctors would prescribe instead of normal painkillers. We would have so many less pill addicts like me. The reason for my post:

I had high enzymes from an Auto Immune disease I was born with. I have Rheumatoid Arthritis, Sogjrens and basically Hep C but not. I will say if Suboxone effected the Liver I would be in deep sh*t. I can say that the drug has not effected my Liver at all. Check with your Doc and have regular blood draws and watch you enzymes. Suboxone has no reflection on my levels positive or negative. My Liver does not  clean my blood well enough. I can't process ammonia like we should. My symptoms are dizziness, hazy thinking, can't sleep, blurry vision, metallic taste in my mouth, fatigue, appetite, tension, blood in my urine, sweats and headaches. It is not fun at all. When my gallbladder was taken out my body went to hell. It effected my Liver to where I have Pancreatitis as well. SUCKS! I will say when it is all say and done Suboxone has kept me away from the Demon of Addiction. 

Good Luck to everyone and be safe. Stay away from the Pills people. No way to live your life. Life is to good to live in that cloud. 

All I can do is give my story.About 15 years ago I suffered a serious fall while carrying my 3 month old daughter.In protecting her and not letting go I broke my forearm,fractured 3 ribs,tore the nerves in my shoulder and ruptured 3 discs in my lower back.I am a recovering alcoholic and using painkillers was a very difficult decision.Where as NSAIDs might have helped me,I was unable to take them due to a serious anaphylactic allergy.So they started me on Vicodin Hydrocodone750/APAP750,then it went to Norco Hydrocodone10/APAP325.They let me take 8-10 of those a day.When I learned what APAP does to your liver,I said hell no;I learned what dopesick meant. So then I took the pain meds to just not be sick.After awhile I learned about suboxone,started out with 4 8mg strips a day,weaned down to 2mg a day and quit.It wasnt easy.But at least I was off drugs and sober again in my mind.

Well back problems dont get better with time.I'm a  very healthy 6ft 200lb man.I'm in my 50's,I exercise,I play racquetball(which I'm not supposed to do) and I own and operate an auto repair and paint shop which requires serious manual labor.I had a serious sciatica episode that caused me to lose all feeling in my foot.MRIs showed ruptured discs,stenosis,arthritis,you name it,surgery time.But since I had such severe stenosis,the surgery was a "maybe better,the same or worse".

Painkillers came back on the table.No way.I tried moriphine,Lyrica,methadone and I asked them if I could try suboxone.When I was detoxing off the painkillers with the sub,I hadnt experienced any serious back pain.My pain mgmnt guy said the bupreorphine has been around since the 30's.I dont know if he's an expert on that,but we tried it.

I've been taking it for 5 years.I'm able to manage my pain,avoid surgery on 4mgs a day.My foot is still numb,but a Pilates/yoga class has the feeling back in all but three toes.it's the only drug I can take that helps with my pain and doesnt touch my psyche.I cannot take NSAIDs which the doc said would help me.but with the suboxone,I dont even know I've taken it if it werent for the pain relief.I get a physical every year and my blood work is above average.My cholesterol got a little high one year,but we figured out it was the cholesterol in the Trader Joe's frozen dinners.Man check the labels on those things.The beef stroganoff that I used to get had your daily cholesterol in one serving,there were two servings in the container.Stopped eating them,the following year my cholesterol ratio was the best my doc had seen since he started practicing.Go figger.

I dont drink,I dont smoke,I sure the hell dont take recreational drugs.I drink a gallon of water a day,I exercise AT LEAST 4 times a week and I eat right.

The literature with Sub does say liver panels might be necessary every six months.But read any medication's literature,     aspirin,ibuprofen,read the warning labels with Tylenol,you'll never take it again.

To each his own,everything has it's upside and downside.Try to live your life to it's fullest.You dont have to suffer,that's not in the game plan.Talk to your doctor,find a good one that will explain thing to you and ease your mind,ask him questions. Do what you have to do to make things as good as possible for your happiness.Do what's best for YOU.Trust me,everyone around you will be glad you did.

And to the poster who said they were shooting it.That's the worst form of suffering,I damn well know I dont have to tell you that.I'll say a prayer for you.

I hoped this helped.Suboxone has helped me stay out of surgery and allowed me to live the life I need to live.I'm using it under a doctor strict supervision.It could all change tomorrow,who knows,but that's tomorrow.

I have Hep. C. I took Suboxone for 2 months. I had Edema and Acities problems from the first week. I had only had Edema and Acities once before over two years ago and it only lasted for three days. I had these problems from the first week on Suboxone. My G.I. doc and my PCP doc said to stop taking it so I did. I noticed a change within one week of quitting Suboxone. My Edema and Acities went away. I ask my G.I. about starting it again because I quit my pain doctor for accusing me of being an Opiate addict. I have started and stopped Suboxone 3 times and every-time I start my problems would come back. Then when I quit Suboxone it would clear up again. Now both of my doctors feel that it had to be Suboxone causing my Edema and Acities problems. If I ever get the right care again I would NEVER take Suboxone ever again. I called the MFG. of Suboxone for samples in the beginning and was told that because I was not a Heroin I.V. drug user that I would not qualify for assistance from them the MFG! Don't believe it when your doctor says he wants to put you on Suboxone I swear it is a scam from the MFG. to the doctors with this drug. It helped me sleep and helped with about 50% of my pain. But with Hep. C and this drug it is a NO GO answer for me. I say if you have Liver problems I would never take Suboxone. Period. It also costs about $380.00 amonth for a script of this med. $19.67 for three pills. The MFG still has an active patent on this drug. No generic available. Suboxone is a two compound drug one is a senthic verion of Opiates and the other is so I.V. drug users cannot get high from it if shot up. Please if you have Liver problems don't take this medication! Sierrado

if you have preexisring liver problems it can be very dangous to use

really really a bad idea.....i took subs 10 days in a row and my liver docs jaw dropped and said what happened ...your yellow!!!! i stopped ,, i feel no withdrawal. maybe cuz Im so worried bout my count of 2 for liver gas instead 88. time to buy a plot i guess....shootin is really bad man. anything time released isnt so smart

I couldn't Put it better myself.

Subxone Negative

I detoxed from Suboxone two months ago and it was miserable.  Everyone is different, but it was the most I've suffered in my life (I've been lucky, no major illnesses or injuries).  

Like all opiates, Suboxone can screw with your testosterone.  I started taking it at 38 years old and after a year began to feel fatigued and experienced a complete loss of sex drive.  My doctor said I had the testosterone levels of an 85 year old man (seriously).  No problems before, so I don't think this was just normal aging.

After stopping Suboxone I began taking OTC medications to deal with withdrawal.  A few days later I developed jaundice and liver enzymes 5x normal.  My GI doc really wasn't certain, but he thought the long term Suboxone use combined with higher than normal use of OTC meds sent the enzymes up.  Fortunately, after stopping all meds, the enzymes are returning to normal.

Also, after two years I began experiencing withdrawals in the morning.  I would be anxious and exhausted until I took a strip.

 

Suboxone Positive

Completely removed all cravings for opiates.  Helped with depression at first.  Although it carries risk, much safer than street drugs or Vicodin loaded with APAP.  No legal issues.  I found it easy to get, but then I live in a major city and the doc was a bit of pill pusher.

 

I am battling liver failure currently. I have learned you can go into liver failure and come up. My AST/ALT were at 1900, 10 days ago... after the hospital, I foolishly, used again - and am now, again - having my same reoccurring symptoms. High fever for days, body aches. I constantly am watching my urine for color change, I guess that will decide when I go back to the hospital. BUT I have Hep C, not sure how long. I am at the point now, where I can not put any chemicals into my body, for fear that my liver can not take it. My partying days are over... Another point I wanted to make, that Bupe is very taxing on the liver. If you don't believe me, google which narcotics liver compromised people can take. It seems that Fentanyl is the best of the liver... Bupe is not. So be careful out there. I do have a lot of knowledge over this stuff, so if you have any questions, I guess.. just ask.

I have hepatitis C and have been on suboxone on and off since 2010. And have had NO problems with my hepatitis.