On Suboxone and Need to have Surgery

I just had a Alveoplasty and Frenectomy done by my dentist. This is when they shave the bone in the gums so that I can be fitted for dentures w/o them being painful. I stayed on my suboxone up to two days before my surgery, told my dentist what I did and he prescribed vicoden 5mg for my pain. He almost didn't give me anything because, I didn't tell him about the suboxone until the day of my surgery and this was because they were asking me if I had the scrips that they had written for me the month before! I told them "No" I didn't keep the meds I took them for my pain. Sincne they were in disbelief I told them about the Suboxone but, I had no intentions of telling them.  After telling him and the nurses everything I believe that they used a different type of anesthesia because, I slept most of the day after surgery with hardly any pain. The first time I had my teeth pulled I came off my suboxone completely two weeks before the precedure and I was prescribed vicoden 7.5 and was miserable and depressed as hell!  w/o the suboxone even though I had pain meds. I was still in a lot of pain. I believe it was because, they used a regular anesthesia because I had been off suboxone and didn't tell them that I was on it. Just be sure to tell the doc that you are on suboxone and let him talk to your suboxone doctor about what to prescribe for your pain or he might not give you a narcotic at all if he doesn't talk with your suboxone doctor. Mine almost didn't because, I told them about the suboxone the day of my surgery.

Hi there,(THIS GOES OUT TO EVERYONE WHO NEEDS HELP IN THIS AREA)

There are so many blogs and posts about this. Everybody is slightly different so some people have a few hours difference, but I will tell you what I know from dealing with myself and a lot of other people in this same predicament. I just actual got out of the hospital. I had 3 surgeries done on Aug. 12th, 2011. I have been clean for about 7 years now off heroin, but I started Suboxone about 1 1/2 years ago for my chronic chest pain for my very high anxiety(yes a lot of people don't know that Suboxone can also be used for high leveled anxiety patients too..who have generalized anxiety or panic attacks). They tried everything for it, and I already am on Benzo's (Clonopine), but I started getting sick a few years ago and got a lot of stress and anxiety and a doctor suggested Suboxone, which helped tremendously!To answer your question, I'll tell you about my experience quickly this last week. I tapered down to 1/2 pill(*mg Tablets) for the last week, and stopped the Suboxone 2 days before my surgeries.My doc. knew I was on it and I let everyone at the hospital know too(this will give you an advantage to them understanding that not only are you opiate tolerant but also are on Suboxone which blocks opiates. After I had my surgery on Friday the 12th, in the hospital they were giving me IV Dilaudid for the pain(which if you don't know is the strongest painkiller out there you can get..it goes up to 8mg), I have been on Dilaudid a few times and once it was for a whole year and 1/2, so I do have a pretty high tolerance for that too, but they gave me the shots, and asked it it was helping and I said not really because of my history, so they kept trying and gave me more. It slightly helped, but right when your out of surgery, it's really painful. When I got home and got a script for the Dilaudid, I was taking the 6mg every 8 hours (they said 4, but I'm not too shabby on the idea of taking opiates anymore since I got off the heroin(I usually take non-narcotic pain med.'s if the pain is not really really bad). I was using my prescription for the pain and than on Thursday the 18th, I got another script for the 2mg to come down off of.There's a lot of people in other blogs(like other surgery blogs when people are on suboxone and are going to surgery, or wanting to find out when they can take Suboxone after using)that say they didn't take their suboxone for 2,3 days and some say a week, and that they did not feel the pain med.'s at all.I have no idea why they wouldn't if they def. were not taking their Suboxone at the same time, because It worked perfectly for me(I am 29, 5'6", and 112pds)..as well as all the people i have helped and watched do the same thing...well when I mean perfectly, I mean it took some of the pain away..it's obviously not going to take all of your pain away, that's never possible unless your using heroin or too much of your med.'s. Anyways yesterday Sunday the 21st I took my last dose of Dilaudid (1mg...I was tapering down for 3 days and the last day I split the 2mg pill into half's and was taking just 1 mg for an easier detox). I took my last pill at around 5-6PM. Today I woke up at 3 am in withdrawal and took some sleeping pills and clonopin to put me back to sleep and ease the withdrawals, and than woke up at 6am again and couldn't go back to sleep. I waited till 10:00 am and took a piece of my 8mg Suboxone (because my Suboxone specialist..my Dr. obviously told me to take it as soon as I fall into a pretty good withdrawal or 12-14 hours later). I took that little piece which prob. equaled to about 3mg of Suboxone to make sure I was not going to fall into the Suboxone over-withdrawal, which is when you take it too soon and still have too much opiates in your system and you fall into a HUGE BAD withdrawal from it and you can actual die from it too(now the pharmacist I know who is my best friend says that it's not really common to die like that, so DON'T panic..but it does happen when people take it way too soon, their hearts stop)...so I waited about 30 min.'s and I didn't feel anything, which was s a good sign because I was testing to see if my withdrawals would get worse, and I'd have to wait longer(just in case, because you do NOT want to fall into a Suboxone withdrawal after taking opiates too soon, it's horrible!!!)..so since it didn't effect me, I decided to take my 2 8mg tablets about an hour after that(And this was just now about 4 1/2 hours ago). Now I feel brand new again and the withdrawals from the Dilaudid are completely GONE! Thank god. hate when I have to have surgery or something where you have to take narcotic pain med.'s because it's just too painful(I actually now HATE taking any pain med.'s, that's why I choose to take the non-narcotic(Ultrium also know as Tramadol) ones if I have something going on. So my last opiate was yesterday at about 5-6 PM and I took my Suboxone(the little test part at 10:00 AM..and than my 2 8mg at around 11:00AM..now that gives a time frame of about 15-16 hours after ingesting the pill. I have known people that I have been there and helped many friends and people get off Heroin.Oxycotin/Dilaudid/Roxi's/Percocets/and Fetanly and on to Suboxone many times and non of them ever waited the 48 hours that is "said" to do..even Suboxone clinics do not make you wait that long..It's said by many doctors I have spoken with that once you fall into a pretty good withdrawal (you don't have to wait it out and be in really bad withdrawal)..you can start your Suboxone. Usually the time periods I have seen that no one has ever gotten the Suboxone back-kick is between 12-24hours the most! Just as long as you are feeling the actual withdrawal starting, and you wait a bit till you get some leg and body cramps, the stomach being upset, and some sweatiness, and feeling like you are withdrawing and craving and slightly want to crawl out of your skin, you can take it..I would test it like I did just in case, and you'll find out in 20-30 min.'s if it's ok to take the full amount. You DO NOT have to wait till your completely withdrawing from the opiates and ride it out for 2 days...I don't know what some people may say, but I have dealt with helping a lot of people, have educated myself with my Suboxone specialist, Suboxone clinics, and other Doctors tained to give out Suboxone, and they all usually say 12 hours after your last use, but make sure that you are feeling some of the withdrawals for a few hours first, and feeling them starting to get a little worse where it's annoying and your craving to get rid of the pain, but your not going crazy full blown out withdrawing. I hope I helped you out a little. I had to take my Suboxone test with myself the 2nd time now after surgeries and going on pain med's and I have always felt great after taking the Suboxone about 12-15 hours after my last use.(And I have a very slow metabolism too, so I'm surprised). And also I tapered down from 8mg tablets 2X a day to 4mg a day and stopped it for 2 days..on wed. and thurs. and Fri. morning went in for my surgeries, and I didn't feel any withdrawal symptoms from the Suboxone those 2 days I didn't take it or the next morning, and the painkillers worked as much as they could(on my very high tolerate body) pretty well.Always think positive too, your brain is very powerful and if you don't think about it, it's not gonna effect you that much either. Hope everything works out for everyone!!.Let me know!! ;0)

Hi there, (THIS GOES OUT TO EVERYBODY DEALING WITH A SITUATION LIKE THIS)
There are so many blogs and posts about this. Everybody is slightly different so some people have a few hours difference, but I will tell you what I know from dealing with myself and a lot of other people in this same predicament. I just actual got out of the hospital. I had 3 surgeries done on Aug. 12th, 2011. I have been clean for about 7b years now off heroin, but I started Suboxone about 1 1/2 years ago for my chronic chest pain for my very high anxiety(yes a lot of people don't know that Suboxone can also be used for high leveled anxiety patients too..who have generalized anxiety or panic attacks). They tried everything for it, and I already am on Benzo's (Clonopine), but I started getting sick a few years ago and got a lot of stress and anxiety and a doctor suggested Suboxone, which helped tremendously!To answer your question, I'll tell you about my experience quickly this last week. I tapered down to 1/2 pill(*mg Tablets) for the last week, and stopped the Suboxone 2 days before my surgeries.My doc. knew I was on it and I let everyone at the hospital know too(this will give you an advantage to them understanding that not only are you opiate tolerant but also are on Suboxone which blocks opiates. After I had my surgery on Friday the 12th, in the hospital they were giving me IV Dilaudid for the pain(which if you don't know is the strongest painkiller out there you can get..it goes up to 8mg), I have been on Dilaudid a few times and once it was for a whole year and 1/2, so I do have a pretty high tolerance for that too, but they gave me the shots, and asked it it was helping and I said not really because of my history, so they kept trying and gave me more. It slightly helped, but right when your out of surgery, it's really painful. When I got home and got a script for the Dilaudid, I was taking the 6mg every 8 hours (they said 4, but I'm not too shabby on the idea of taking opiates anymore since I got off the heroin(I usually take non-narcotic pain med.'s if the pain is not really really bad). I was using my prescription for the pain and than on Thursday the 18th, I got another script for the 2mg to come down off of.There's a lot of people in other blogs(like the surgery blogs when people are on suboxone and are going to surgery)that say they didn't take their suboxone for 2,3 days and some say a week, and that they did not feel the pain med.'s at all.I have no idea why they wouldn't if they def. were not taking their Suboxone at the same time, because It worked perfectly for me(I am 29, 5'6", and 112pds)..well when I mean perfectly, I mean it took some of the pain away...I was still in a tremendous amount of pain..it's surgery, so your gonna be, especially as opiate-tolerate patients...it's obviously not going to take all of your pain away, that's never possible unless your using heroin or too much of your med.'s. Anyways yesterday Sunday the 21st I took my last dose of Dilaudid (1mg...I was tapering down for 3 days and the last day I split the 2mg pill into half's and was taking just 1 mg for an easier detox). I took my last pill at around 5-6PM. Today I woke up at 3 am in withdrawal and took some sleeping pills and clonopin to put me back to sleep and ease the withdrawals, and than woke up at 6am again and couldn't go back to sleep. I waited till 10:00 am and took a piece of my 8mg Suboxone (because my Suboxone specialist..my Dr. obviously told me to take it as soon as I fall into a pretty good withdrawal or 12-14 hours later). I took that little piece which prob. equaled to about 3mg of Suboxone to make sure I was not going to fall into the Suboxone over-withdrawal, which is when you take it too soon and still have too much opiates in your system and you fall into a HUGE BAD withdrawal from it and you can actual die from it too(now the pharmacist I know who is my best friend says that it's not really common to die like that, so DON'T panic..but it does happen when people take it way too soon, their hearts stop)...so I waited about 30 min.'s and I didn't feel anything, which was s a good sign because I was testing to see if my withdrawals would get worse, and I'd have to wait longer(just in case, because you do NOT want to fall into a Suboxone withdrawal after taking opiates too soon, it's horrible!!!)..so since it didn't effect me, I decided to take my 2 8mg tablets about an hour after that(And this was just now about 4 1/2 hours ago). Now I feel brand new again and the withdrawals from the Dilaudid are completely GONE! Thank god.  hate when I have to have surgery or something where you have to take narcotic pain med.'s because it's just too painful(I actually now HATE taking any pain med.'s, that's why I choose to take the non-narcotic(Ultrium also know as Tramadol) ones if I have something going on. So my last opiate was yesterday at about 5-6 PM and I took my Suboxone(the little test part at 10:00 AM..and than my 2 8mg at around 11:00AM..now that gives a time frame of about 15-16 hours after ingesting the pill. I have known people that I have been there and helped many friends and people get off Heroin.Oxycotin/Dilaudid/Roxi's/Percocets/and Fetanly and on to Suboxone many times and non of them ever waited the 48 hours that is "said" to do..even Suboxone clinics do not make you wait that long..It's said by many doctors I have spoken with that once you fall into a pretty good withdrawal (you don't have to wait it out and be in really bad withdrawal)..you can start your Suboxone. Usually the time periods I have seen that no one has ever gotten the Suboxone back-kick is between 12-24hours the most! Just as long as you are feeling the actual withdrawal starting, and you wait a bit till you get some leg and body cramps, the stomach being upset, and some sweatiness, and feeling like you are withdrawing and craving and slightly want to crawl out of your skin, you can take it..I would test it like I did just in case, and you'll find out in 20-30 min.'s if it's ok to take the full amount. You DO NOT have to wait till your completely withdrawing from the opiates and ride it out for 2 days...I don't know what some people may say, but I have dealt with helping a lot of people, have educated myself with my Suboxone specialist, Suboxone clinics, and other Doctors tained to give out Suboxone, and they all usually say 12 hours after your last use, but make sure that you are feeling some of the withdrawals for a few hours first, and feeling them starting to get a little worse where it's annoying and your craving to get rid of the pain, but your not going crazy full blown out withdrawing. I hope I helped you out a little. I had to take my Suboxone test with myself the 2nd time now after surgeries and going on pain med's and I have always felt great after taking the Suboxone about 12-15 hours after my last use.(And I have a very slow metabolism too, so I'm surprised). And also I tapered down from 8mg tablets 2X a day to 4mg a day and stopped it for 2 days..on wed. and thurs. and Fri. morning went in for my surgeries, and I didn't feel any withdrawal symptoms from the Suboxone those 2 days I didn't take it or the next morning, and the painkillers worked as much as they could(on my very high tolerate body) pretty well.Always think positive too, your brain is very powerful and if you don't think about it, it's not gonna effect you that much either. Hope everything works out for everyone.Let me know!! ;0)

I too have been reading the horror stories and getting terrified. Knowledge is power.  Talk to all of your doctors until you are satisfied.  My Suboxone doctor gave me some written up protocol (because he doesn't have experience with his sub patients having surgery)  The protocol called for going off Sub 24=36 hours before surgery.

After some research and stories, I realized this is probably not the best way to go about it!  The anesthesiologist at the hospital said to have a pain specialist do a 5 day bridge with narcotics.  My current Sub doctor actaully went to a seminar that week and talked to some collegues about what to do, so I didn't have to seek out a pain management specialist.

I am going off the Subs 5 days before surgery (for a huge cyst on my ovary).  It is laproscopy, unless complications arise.  They also recommended that I stay overnight to make sure I have adequate pain management, even tho' this should be outpatient.  They have had many patients end up back in the ER and one even in ICU becuase of their reaction after surgery.  My Sub doctor is putting my on Lortab 5-6 times per day, but said to take as few as possible up until surgery.  I hope this works and I will let you know how it comes out.  I am terrified - never had surgery before!

What has been your experience during / after surgery?

I just had surgery while on suboxone i stopped my subs the night before the surgery took nothing in the morning had my surgery and told them i need something stronger for pain because of my tollerence . they give me oxy 10s and i had no prob with the pain just stop the subs you wont get sick the pain meds will counter act the sub withdrawles hope this helps. sorry bout the spelling

OMG I need to have laproscopic surgery for a cyst on my overy and ya'll have me scared s__tless!!|-O

THANKS, for taking the time to share this info

i would say take 2 suboxone for a couple days but notify or ask ur dr. b4 because u dont want to run out early i would not take any of the pain killers if u can get through it, with just suboxone but i would never ever take them in the same day u have to have a 24 hour peroid b4 switching over~~ also i find sometimes if u take just plain old benedryl it will knock u out at bedtime!!!

i have been on 16 mg of suboxone for well over 3 years now and i just had surgery yesterday. the first thinh u need to do is tell the surgeon that you nare on suboxone and then tell the anesthiesiologist becuiase they are the ones giving you the meds during the surgery. they will know they need to give you a MUCH higher dose because of you opiate tolerance. so my advice is to make sure you talk to your anesthiesiologist before you have the surgery and make sure they understand that you on suboxone, how much your on and how long you have been on it so they know how high to make it. you dont have to stop taking your suboxone at all, actually my doc told me to take it the morning before the surgery and i did and i was just fine, absolutley no pain at all! you will have no withdrwl symptoms at all unless you stop taking your suboxe prior to the surgery. i hope this helped and i hope you surgery went goes alright for you.

That sounds terrible. I had the exact same surgery two days ago and have been on suboxone for four years! I took a small dose the day of my afternoon surgery and started pain meds post op. the pain meds are working and I have been off sub for two days. I am not going back on sub I am going to ween with pain meds. I experienced no withdrawal. Hope this helps

to the guest just above, you have to be careful with that strategy. While on Suboxone you may be put INTO withdrawals if you take another narcotic. This is why they created subutex so you can have that surgically. I am having surgery in 5 days and I am still on 2 mg of suboxone myself and I am scared. I had a minor procedure 6 months ago and I just said no narcotics at all please. This upcoming surgery is likely to require pain meds and you can't take NSAIDs (Ibuprofen, aspirin, Aleve) because of bleeding risk. So narcotics are the only option.

Talked to my doc that prescribes the suboxone. He suggests I transition before the surgery to something like Vicodin. So I have a call into my regular doctor to get a SMALL amount of that prior to surgery. Our goal is to get the normal opiates bound to my receptors and get the suboxone out of there. This is not easy to do. Supposedly Suboxone lasts 36 hours.

Back when I was still abusing pain killers, I would take suboxone for a few days until I scored Oxycontin. I was still able to get high from the OC if I stopped the Suboxone 18-24 hours before, but it took twice as much. So the key learning from all I've read here is that Suboxone leaves you VERY opiate tolerant.

My advice is get that info into their hands and transition back to Suboxone once you can. Suboxone has very little pain killing effect for me and it is not actually indicated for pain management. It's a medication to manage opiate withdrawal.

I just spoke with my suboxone doctor about all this. She told me the only pain med that can over come suboxone is Fentenyl sorry for the spelling. I am sheduled for gall bladder surgery next week she siad she would consult with my surgen about the Fentenyl please check it out.

I was taking 8mg suboxone for the past yr due to chronic back pain. I just had a c-section 7 weeks ago and they had me go down to 2mg for the last month prior to my surgery. Then the final day before my surgery I took about 1 mg of the suboxone. I had no problems at all during surgery or the hospital stay. For some reason once I got home I had some mild with drawl from the suboxone so I ended up back on it!
Hope this helps anyone going into surgery. I had pain relief. They used percaset with me and I did fine on it!!

Hi, i just read ur post and first i wanna say congratz on ur new baby! Hope he or she is doing well.. i am scheduled to have my c section in 9 days. Im prescribed 24mg of subutex but my sub dr told me to stop 3 days before so i can get pain management if needed. Im so worried because all these stories im reading r saying nothing worked for them. Would u mind giving me some input on ur entire experience please.. do u know what kind of anthestesia they used? And what meds were in the anthestesia? After ur section did they give u any iv pain meds?if so what were they and did they work? I want a good experience and be able to enjoy the baby without horrible pain.. any info u can giv me is greatly appreciated... Also, did ur baby go through any withdraws? If so how did they hNdle it? ThNks for ur time and i hope u n the baby r doing well!look frwrd to ur reply

I didnt tell the doc i take subutex because i hate the automatic lable of drug addict attached to me. Im having surgery on Wed june 20th and im teriffied of being in pain. I plan to take my last subutex dose tomorrow which leaves 72hrs to get out of my system, but im still really worried that the post-op pain killers are not going to have any affect because of my tolerance..... ANY ADVISE would be greatly appreciated!