Pain Management; Suboxone; Fentanyl; Oxycontin; Experience;

I have used Subs since 2006. I had back surgery in 2000 for sciatic pain that left me unable to stand for longer than a minute or two. After 5 years of a relatively pain free life, the sciatica returned, first in the butt and then, within a year, to my foot, where it played it's tune every time I stood or walked. I was taking oxy 120mg/day when I had to stop for my family's sake, and switched to 12 mg/day of subs. To say I liked it was an understatement. No ups and downs, and acceptable pain without craving. I did fall asleep too easily in the mornings, so I split the dose into am and pm. This lasted for 2 years. Looking back, I wish I had only taken 1-2 mg of subs twice a day at the most, to make the pain and fear of withdrawal less acute.

Now to the juicy part. In 2008, I weaned myself down to 4 mg/day and found myself sharper and more alert. So I kept weaning myself down, to as low as 1 mg/day. (I strangely became a gambling addict, internet horse racing on TVG, who has lost his retirement and my wife is divorcing me after 9 years).

When I knew that I would need more pain relief, like if I am going to have dental work, then I'd skip the suboxone and take 20-40mg Oxy two or three times a day. The problem occured when I took the oxy for more then a week and then in late 2008 I was stricken with Pancreatitis that left me on a Dilaudid drip for over a week. I went back on subs, starting at 4mg per day and then slowly weaned myself down to 1mg every day or two. Whenever I tried to stop the subs altogether, after the fourth day my body would hurt to move like I was an old man with back pain, which I don't think of myself as at 55. Without subs, even at that low dose back came the mood swings and pain that had me on 12-16 advil per day.

My answer is to take a tiny piece of suboxone, only 1/4 mg -1/2 mg, just after I awake about 5am, then if I have more acute pain, I can take 20-40mg of oxy at about around noon and if needed another 20-40 mg of oxy at dinner time. I find the small piece of suboxone helps both the mood swings and the pain, and at the least, keeps me away from advil, and tylenol. No matter how painful my back and shoulder I must block the temptation to break the oxy pills, as the pain and mood swings get worse and the stress of my divorce feels more acute.

I hope this helps someone.

hi, where is your doctor located? and hows he working out now? thank you, Eve

Was on suboxone 4 years ago.Started with 16mg's per day then down to 8mg's per day.Took that for 6 months religously.Ok when I stopped taking 8mg's a day for 6 months I did not sleep for 16 days,my teeth ached around the clock as well as my body.Every muscle and joint burned constantly.I sware my hair even hurt.I have severe chronic pain from serious bike accident and 3 failed back surgeries.However I wouldnt reccomend suboxone to a lab rat.It is the worst drug I have ever taken.You think you didn't care about anything when you were doing oxy's or herion well sub's give you same sence of who cares about it.And it is sooo exspensive I would rather take real pain medicine.Whatever dr is prescribing this medicine for chronic pain is a whack job and should have their liscence taken.Good luck getting off your suboxone.Stuff is evil.I really thought I was going to die cause I literally didn't sleep for 16 days.I told my doctor I felt like I was going to die and he gave me some 10mg valium which I took 10 of them and still caouldnt fall asleep on the 13th day.Honestly this is all true.I had to take 10-10mg valium and only fell asleep for 2 hours.Seriously was the worst hell I ever felt in my whole life.I will stay on my oxy's forever.And I will never abuse them either.One because I cannot go without my meds for any period of time due to severe chronic burning stabbing grinding 24/7 pain.So God Bless Perdue Pharma for inventing oxycontin.We all have the right to be pain free life in America...

I have been on opiates for the last 5 years - when I was pregnant. I started on hydrocodone 5mg 2x a day. Of course after a very short period it didnt work well at all but even though I started taking it more than i should, the addiction/withdraw wasn't that bad. After my daughter I went to oxycodone 5mg 2x day to 10 mg 3x day. i got out of control pretty quickly and the withdraws were unbearable, so of course, I turned to the streets. I finally got up to around 10mg 12-15x day and the withdraws...i would get sick just thinking about them. Well, I was broke and had no choice but to stop but I was too afraid of the stigma that would follow me for the rest of my life, if I told my dr. I was afraid they wouldn't help, and that they would stop treating me. Yeah I have a problem with the oxycodone but I will be in pain everyday for the rest of my life!! I can't just say oh dr im sorry, I've been so bad. Most people, especially who havent been through it just dont get that part.
Anyways, I decided I had to get control at least take a good break. A friend told me about suboxone. He suggested I could prob take only 1/4 of a 8 mg and I was amazed. I could spend hundreds less and one pill could past 4 days!!! Well, I started out on 1/4 in morn 1/4 at night and It has worked wonders. The first day i was so tired and just had no energy but other than that, I had no withdraws at all!! I only took the 1/4 at night bc i was afraid I would wake up in withdraws. I have been 6 days without pain meds and I haven't felt this good in a long time. I will prob cut back to 1/4 tomorrow and then try to go without in a couple days. I think i will be fine.

I am not suggesting taking meds without them being prescribed but if ur not going to tell ur dr but u want to stop b4 it ruins ur life, i would suggest getting a couple suboxone. Start out with just a quarter and see if u need more or not. It's not going to get you high so don't take a bunch hoping it will. I would not take any other meds with it bc u dont know how they will react but if u have to u can call a distant pharmacy and ask without giving ur personal info. I never thought I could get off of oxycodone myself but suboxone has been my miracle drug. So far, its saved my life and my family!!! And the best part, after 2 1/2 yrs of oxcodone every single day, I have barely even had an urge for one. I am still an addict I still have alot to deal with but I fill like I am in control of myself and my life now. I couldn't have asked for more.

Ps STAY AWAY FROM METHADONE!! Just my opinion but i have lost so many people to this drug and everything I read says its terrible withdraw. Yeah u withdraw for a few days to a week with opiates but this says it can be 6 months. Can you imagine 6 months of withdraws?? I cant!!! Suboxone can have withdraw too but If you start very small and only take as much as u need for a short period, i guarantee its not going to be half as bad as full blown paain killers or methadone. Just my advice.

Good Luck on getting your lives back. These drugs sure can take them away in the blink of an eye.

Suboxone by far is the best answer and give it time it will help a lot with the pain. For me it worked better than oxycodone I use 8mg/2mg and I was using more than 240 mg per day of oxycodone. sometimes more than 300 mg a day for the pain. I can get by with 1/2 suboxone pill a day and my pain is bearable. If you just look past the high that some people get than you can actually tell there is a pain reduction. I believe oxycodone just makes you not care as much about the pain but suboxone actually reduces it. buprenorphine is used in other Countries for surgery cause it is actually a very strong drug, why do you think you only use 8mg on the strongest dose. If you are not trying to control pain but just trying to get off narcotics you only need 4 milligrams a day after you get it in your system. After you use 4 mgs a day for a week or two cut that in half for another couple of weeks then just quit there will be almost zero withdrawal symptoms other than maybe hot flashes. Good Luck to all of you who are trying to quit and keep up the good work and beat that Devil.

I have a spinal cord injury in lumbar region and a tumor in my thoracic vertebra at t1 and t2. I have been taking pain medication longer then I would like. I will be on them the rest of my life unless there is some type of medical cure for my spinal cord compression and vertebra tumor.



When I was taking microbiology and pharmacology for my bio medical engineering degree we were given information on methadone it is more addictive then heroin and it actually does not block the pain it just tell your brain you don't care that your in pain

(ref. Mayo Clinic).



As for long acting vs short acting opioid the reason Doctors can not leave chronic pain patients on short acting opioid for extended period of time is the acetaminophen will damage your liver and kidneys. Prolonged use of acetaminophen will either shut down or cause severe irreversible damage to several major organs. This is the reason Doctors eventually give chronic pain patients long acting opioid.

I was referred by a neurologist and family physician.

Hi Folks, For starters I personally think that Pain Management is the wrong term. Lifestyle Management would be better. I've been in pain from spinal injuries for over 25 yrs, along with knee ligament reconstruction and I can tell you that limiting your activities is the first step. I've been through the Multiple Disciplinary Pain Clinic at Royal Brisbane Hospital and at first they labeled me as 'a drug user looking for a free fix' to quote the professor who ran the place at the time(handy). Seems that long hair and earrings are frowned upon, anyway they put me on 60mg/daily methadone. That stuff is awful. I vomited almost everyday for over 12 months (NOT GOOD for back pain ). 'Just give it a chance' they said. I have never raised my fist to a woman but I still want to beat the c**p out of the little old lady who put me on the stuff, and that was about 15 years ago. Since she left I've been put on progressively larger doses of morphine sulfate and I've had a few epidurals and steroid injections but unfortunately the epidural space cannot be found at L2/L3. Laying in hospital for a weekend with an epidural catheter stuck in your back is not everyone's cup of tea but the relief was worth it trust me. I now take Kapanol 150mg/daily, 10mg/daily Valium, and 1800mg/daily Gabapentin. Yes it messes with my head. I was studying Bachelor of Applied Science, Surveying when I busted my spine for the fourth time and have not been able to study since. The massively chronic pain in my lower back and legs along with the drugs means that I now make lots of mistakes. Believe me when I say you don't want to sit through a 2.5 hour calculus test when half your body is on fire and screaming for relief and your brain has been turned to mush by the drugs. Gabapentin is an epilepsy medication that also works on 'referred pain'. My left foot is permanently asleep and everyone knows what it's like walking on a foot that's asleep, not pleasant, but the Gabapentin really helps it also helps with the 'broken bone' ache I get in my lumbar spine. I've had discs removed from L4/L5 and L5/S1 replaced with donated bone (someone's femur). I try to do as much as I can but I feel like I'm chained to my bed. If any of you have spent 9 hours in the saddle of either bike or horse you'll know how the lower half of my body feels right now. The big problem with lumbar spine injuries is that the injury has to carry the weight of your torso. Once you're injured there is no way back so to speak. The second thing the Pain Clinic told me was 'you've injured you're spine deal with it' it wasn't long after that I took 'a long walk off a short pier'. I was up to my nipples in water when I thought 'bloody hell I left the van open' then I thought 'if I'm worried about someone stealing my stuff what am I doing out here' so I went back. I was with a wonderful woman at the time but the stress eventually got to her. I would wake up and hear her crying because she felt absolutely helpless so I've lived alone for 10 years now, I don't want to put anyone else through that ever again it's not fair.
Anyhow try GABAPENTIN hopefully it will help you and whatever you do don't re-injure your back, NOTHING IS WORTH SCREWING UP THE REST OF YOUR LIFE. Since 1991 my life has been hell absolute bloody hell.
"What's the one thing that never changes no matter what you do or where you go? YOU"
Good Luck,
Fatman.

LONG POST BUT WORTH IT FOR CHRONIC PAIN SUFFERERS WHO GET NO HELP

I just recieved a letter in todays mail (Septemer 19, 2011) thats been dated September 14, 2011 from my Primary Care Physician who i've been going to for over 7 years saying she's decided with "great sadness in her heart" to no longer write narcotics prescriptions for her patients that have been diagnosed with Chronic Pain. In the letter (that is a template letter addressed to "My Dear Patients" not even my name has been hand written in the "TO:" field, but i guess after 7 years of a VERY CLOSE relationship with her and almost EVERY EMPLOYEE in BOTH of her offices, i dont deserve any personal attention, go figure)...anyway...the letter doesnt state she would stop being my doctor, just stop writing me the prescriptions that SHE PUT ME ON, which i am at a very high dose at this time due to my chronic illnesses (hidradenitis supperativa stage 3(worst stage of the disease), eventual tolerance of the meds (oxycontin) over time and severe chronic nodular vasculitis in both lower limbs and feet, chronic cellulitis and open skin uclers/fistulas/sinus tracts, along with every small infection, i.e a UTI, that turns into a near death experience because of my immune system defficiency from 2 auto immune diseases). I am in constant excrutiating pain because i pretty much have holes all over my body and very severe in the places that you use to, you know, sit, walk, lay, live...etc (for info on my main condition, please educate yourselves at http://www.hs-usa.org/hidradenitis_suppurativa.htm this will give you a general idea of ONE of my conditions that has in turn given me secondary infections and for the past 10 years, like the 2nd auto immune chronic disease(nodular vasculitis)...ok, so, over the past few years shes done certain things for those patients that she writes these scripts for like, drug testing (which of course i passed), she completely stopped writing one of my scripts which was for the short term pain and dropped me from a 60mg dose to a 10mg dose every 4 hours, i dealt with that...etc, and i live in FLORIDA which is the WORST in the country for abuse of these pain killers, so i completely understand her want to cover her you know what and actually have empathy for her because its difficult for doctors to treat their patients when they practice in a state that houses shady clinics and has patients that come in from everywhere to get these drugs to abuse them. i have the empathy because, as a chronic pain sufferer i am chastised, disrespected, etc until my "story" is told (i am SOOOO tired of telling my story). its not fair i should be punished for being sick! i have NEVER been a drug addict (i dont do any kind of illegal drugs, never have), not a drinker, a partier, nothing...my most wild trait is that i have some tattoos (my best friend owns a tattoo shop)...and ive even learned to cover them for fear that i will be classified as one of the "crack heads" (as theyre called down here, i didnt come up with the name, im just repeating what i hear), that have made my life a living hell. I've tried every type of pain management except accupuncture...ive done bio feedback (breathing and meditation), neurological meds, heavy duty drips, extreme IV meds, holistic meds, even a freaking lady that reads tarrot cards and told me to light this candle and stand facing that way and say these words, blah blah...I am extremely blessed to have an incredible family, husband, friends that support me and understand through education about my disease, my meds, etc...i thank the powers that be every day that i am able to see, talk, hear, walk (sometimes) and love...i have decided (im 37 and have had this crappy disease for 20 years) that i will contain a positive attitude and NOT let these disabilities run me, I RUN THEM (although there are so many times, like now that i feel like im losing the battle)...even though i suffer from anxiety disorder (brought on by chronic pain, near death anaphylactic shock from one of my meds, and all the other horrible things i go through because of what i have), i REFUSE to break...i breathe through my panick attack (i cant take a xanax it makes me too woosy and i have a 10 year old-which is a miracle all in itself that i was even able to procreate, but again, im blessed), and my attitude and willingness to emotionally and spiritually FIGHT BACK is what gets me through my days...so after 7 years of having a great doctor who cared and wanted to provide comfort and a quality of life to her patients, its over?! ive NEVER been to a pain clinic (other than one in the hospital and had a pain specialist consultation another time i was hospitalized and they BOTH wanted to INCREASE my meds and add a bunch of other stuff to what i already take to which i REFUSED!)even though im EXTREMELY HURT AND ANGRY at her personally, not for giving in to Florida, but for handling me the way she did, which is WRONG, can i truly blame her? so her letter states that "unfortunately, the pain management climate in south florida has changed. there are many laws and regulations which make it difficult for those of us who just want to practice good old-fashioned medicine. no longer can you treat a patient for chronic pain without having a pain contract, random drug screens, etc. even if you do all the right things, some patients can fool you. for this reason, i have decided to no longer practice chronic pain management. i will no longer be writing any type of narcotic medications for people who have chronic pain." TAKEN FROM THE LETTER I RECIEVED. WAIT! WTF! THIS IS WHY IM ANGRY WITH HER! if she really cared and wanted to practice good, old fashioned medicine, why give me a 4 day notice? why not give me one last visit? one last prescription (which conveniently i am due for refills in 2 weeks so no i have two weeks to find another doctor to write my prescriptions, but my insurance will only pay for a visit to my primary, and i dont know how to doctor shop, ive never done it!)...THIS IS HOW YOU TREAT ME AFTER KNOWING ME, MY FAMILY, etc...so lets see, our long patient-doctor relationship, my 6 or 7 thick files of my records in her office, my about 75 hospitalizations for which i was admitted for NO LESS THAN 5 days at a time which, half of the time SHE WAS MY ATTENDING!, my 29 picc lines (arm permanent IV's), my now 3rd chest port (my arm veigns are destroyed so now i have a chest port because i get IV care at home CONTINUOUSLY, antibiotics and some for short term pain because she stopped writing the other short term pain meds remember), my home health (IV and Wound care) 5 days a week, all the specialists, tests, etc that she sent me to that CONFIRM ALL MY CONDITIONS, my POSITIVE drug screenings to ensure i took the meds she prescribed, her SEEING ME AND PHYSICALLY EXAMINING ME TO SEE ALL MY "boo boos", all my surgeries (several abcess removals, excisions, gland removal, etc...MOST RELATED TO MY ILLNESS)...i know she had to weed out the patients that were abusive but i KNOW she can count on her hands the patients like myself that she is this involved with, including cancer patients...so im not worth AT LEAST a 30 day notice to find another doctor, or something? she cant OFFER to write me my last prescriptions? (BTW i get 3 month supply via mail because im disabled, the co pay is cheaper, etc)...im scared to go through withdrawl...ive never experienced it, but everything i read says its dangerous for the high amount of meds im on...can it kill me? I DONT DESERVE THIS! I dont know what to do, where to turn...about 4 years ago when i would get my prescriptions every month and i would go to a pharmacy (if for whatever reason my pharmacist didnt have the meds) ive had pharmacists offend me, be rude to me etc)...if i run out do i go to the hospital? im angry but more so im scared...i dont want to go to a pain clinic, i shouldnt have to, how do i know they are legit? HELP! IS THIS EVEN LEGAL!

Sorry for the rambling and thanks for reading, any advise, help you can offer, please help...

 

lena, i had to sign up just to answer you! you poor woman, what a screwed up system and what a screwed up world! i'm wondering if you've had any luck, spoken with the doctor, etc, since you wrote. your situation was dire and everything you said i can understand and have so much empathy for... what we go through for pain relief! i have severe fibromyalgia, me/cfs and now diabetes.


my life was steady like yours until the last time i asked to go into pain mgmt about two months ago. i had titrated down, with the help of a pharmacist and pain mgmt, to half my oxycontin dose--i just wanted to know where i stood with pain and was promised if it didn't work out, i'd just go back to my old dose (same dose for 7 yrs!!). so i was taking 20mg x 3/day for 60mg/day, 600mg of gabapentin x 3, and zoloft for the--ouf!--depression we get from being in constant pain and illness. well, my pain got worse and worse at that low dose and with the oxycontin reformulation. i asked to go back to 30mg and they just said "no"... no breakthrough, no more oxycontin... they want me after 12 yrs to just shift to methadone or morphine. well i've tried both and they make me so sleepy and nauseated! one doctor, a chart review and the second doctor, same HMO... "no". i'm stuck. oxycontin has worked so well for me! and it was explained to me just like to you... policy has changed: it's not about US, it's about THEM. (and screw us!) yeah kaiser permanente!


i'm scared too. maybe we can be scared together and help each other through this c**p. don't know if i should give up the 20mg or just stay in pain. don't know what i'm going to do, but i'm definitely going to membership services and if that doesn't get any action, i'm going to the state board! we've got to fight back somehow...


i'm in oregon. i've lived in miami/ft lauderdale. sorry you have to deal with all the florida c**p. another woman on this board, a nurse, has to deal with kentucky. no it's not about US but it sure as hell effects us... ~laura in oregon xoxooxoxox

I realize this was posted some years ago but would like to comment . I'm in Hawaii where we have medical  marijuana. I have found THC to be the  best drug for chronic pain and the resulting loss of appetite. I was on NO opioids although occasionally when my back ( I have cervical & lumbar spondylosis as well as ridiculopathy & have had joint replacement) keeps me bed bound I will resort to requesting something from my PCP & 30 percs get me through the rough spot. Never asked for more , never needed them.

A new pain manangemnt clinic opened here on Kauai & I went in for my MUM(medical pot) card. She not only did that but was more than happy to start me on medication to help my constant pain....she started me on 10 30 mg Oxycodone daily......that's 300 tablets a month. I was painfree for the first time in nearly 20 years but at what cost. I am now trying to get off of them by myself. 

The nausea , vomiting and costipation that the pills caused were worse than the pain I had!. I could get that many tablets monthly for as long as this clinic is open...which won't be long, I think but I hate the feeling that I am dependant and can't evengo a day without taking it. It's been just 2 months since I started and I read all your posts and decided to titrate off.  I am down to 2-3 30 mg a day from 10 a day. I never got the high everyone talks about, I only got really nauseated and threw up a lot...but had no pain. I tried today, 3 weeks into weaning off, to go down to just 1/2 tab. The pain was incredible within 15 hrs. I'm referring to my back, not to WD aches. I finally contacted a psychiatrist who is helping with the WD and finding some other pain manag. Epidurals help me tremendously and I wish I had never taken ONE of the freaking pills . I thought it ridiculous that I would be addicted after just 2 months. The doc who gave them to me said originally that if I wanted off, she would help. When I told her that i WANTED OFF , HER HELP WAS, WELL, JUST WEAN OFF.....THANKS dOC. She did however ask if I would like to try other drugs such as Morphine! Yeah, thanks, NOT.

I wanted to write and thank one woman whose name was Bambi29, I believe. Her posts were from 2009 but she was an angel who helped me tremendously. IF you are still out there, Bambi, thank you for all of your suggestions. Does anyone know how long it takes to actually develop a physical dependance on oxycodone? Is it about 2 weeks? That seems very similar to the lies we were told about cigarettes.......

Marcia on Kauai

It took me 3 months to get off the suboxone. could not do anything.

been there done that. now if something happens to me and i'm in really bad pain the doc's will not give me JACK> because once you go on subs you're an addict.

your note was from a year ago hope things are better for you.

reg

I do believe that the choice for a person with chronic pain, must be made individually.   I became a recovering alcoholic/drug addict by the time I was 13.  Now at 49, I have had to undergo three surgeries to fuse, reconstruct cervical vertebrae.  Now as the degenerative process continues, I must have my C1 and C2 reconstructed and then again add plates, screws etc... 

 In between surgical procedures 1 and 2, I found the perfect pain killer, at least for me, Tramadol.  At that times it was considered "non-narcotic", but we all found out that wasn't correct.  However, because of my addictive personality, I build tolerance very fast.... with everything. So I was one a very high dose of Tramadol, which led to the a total of 3 seizures.  I didn't want to take narcotics again, as I was addicted to them back when I was 19.  I had a good recovery going, picked up a 10 year chip, and I will spare all the details regarding what happened, when and why, all I know was, I was in a lot of pain, I still had to work as I was denied SSDI, and was too naive to realize I should have appealed it.  The withdrawal off of Tramadol was terrible, I began taking lortabs again.  Within one year, I was up to taking percocets 10 mg 5-8 at a time.  Fentanyl patches, nothing was working as my tolerance built and it was wreaking havoc with my entire life.  I went into a treatment facility that specializes in chronic pain patients, was introduced to the BEST orthopedic surgeon ever, in Birmingham, Alabama.  He did my 2nd surgery and got rid of that sharp shooting pain across my scapula on my back and down my right arm.  However, the permanent nerve damage was done.  All because I was seen as "drug-seeking" because of my history 20 years ago.  I couldn't get certain people to listen to me regarding my pain.  Which really irked me as my pain is very specific.  No vague aching.

I had that surgical procedure done while I was still a patient in treatment, and they put me on suboxone for pain.  Yes in the beginning there is a "high" to be felt, but their is a ceiling effect, and then it becomes more of less is best.    I did over take in the beginning, would run out and then I would either supplement however I could or suffer.  I  took me about 9 months of that screwing around with the suboxone, then one day I notice I had extras.  I had to turn the "addict behavior off"  easier said than done.

Yes, I am fully aware that I will have to slowly taper off of suboxone if I am to ever get off it, but with my permanent nerve damage I will be in mild, moderate to severe pain off and on all my life.  Until they come up with something different, I feel like taking suboxone will be one medication I take for the rest of my life.  I see a pain management doctor, he has been giving me BOTOX injections in both neck muscles (sternocledomastoid muscle)  that really helps the pain.  I noticed I only take a quarter of my prescribed dose of suboxone with the BOTOX on board; unfortunately, it is a temporary relief.  And when the pain returns, it returns with a vengeance.

So as long as I check my motives, that I remain open and honest with my doctor, don't over take my medications.........  I am fine!  Does the suboxone get me high anymore???  No, it has a added benefit, and I don't know how it works, but it removes the obsession and compulsion to want to use or drink.  My pain level remains at a 3.  And that I can live with and have some quality of life.  Beside methadone I have always heard make one gain a lot of weight, and that I can't afford with a bad neck, and my also deteriorating L2-3.

Hi. I'm saddened by stories of Dr's putting patients on meds that you don't want to be on when you know what works for you. I've been on several opiates and mixtures of different meds myself. Only you know how medications affect you and you know what works. Medications affect different people in different ways. You have found what works for you, so I urge you to talk to your Dr again and again if you have to. It sounds to me your heart is in the right place. Please don't give up on getting it through his head what you have told us. Print your story and take it to him if you have to. Please! Also, I wanted to tell you that I too have had injections(steroid) for my back. I hated having them. It probably took 3 or 4 injections in the same place but I was surprised that they did start working. The Dr's have to find the nerve that is causing the pain and sometimes it's hit and miss but when they do find that nerve that's causing the pain it's sooo worth it. Sometimes it's multiple nerves. So keep that in mind. I was relieved when they found the right combinations. Unfortunately, there are times it can't work. I've asked my Dr's why they don't work on me and I found out that sometimes the injury just gets worse over time and they just stop working. When they were working my pain level went down enough to be taken down to loratab again. Yes, it surprised me and I was happy. My quality of life was much better and I didn't feel "drugged up"! It's just my advice as a long term pain management patient but I urge anybody that has pinched nerves especially to allow your Dr's to atleast try the injections. There have been times that I've dragged myself into pain management crying and walked out smiling after a simple injection. I couldn't lift my arm or move a leg because of the pain and I left as almost pain free. There are good Dr's out there and a lot of them are afraid because they have patients that overdose or die. There are also Dr's that are money or greed driven and they just give patients what they want. But remember, you are the ones that have to deal with the addiction and loss of valuable time that you could be living a life with vitality and happiness.

This is excellent advice and information. I personally know this to be true, as I've lived through it and am living through it. My doctor sinfully took me off of hydrocodone 10/500 (3xday) onto 16mg of suboxone. That's about 1500% more opiates than I used to be on and he made it SOOOOO much harder to get off. Suboxone is good for helping people transition off of all opioids in less than 6 weeks in my personal opinion, after being on it for 4 years and trying desperately to get off. The doctors have no real relief for acute or post-acute withdrawal symptoms of suboxone that last 3 months to a year. Short acting opiates detox/withdrawal only lasts a week or two. Doctors have no idea how powerful, addictive, and the extreme difficulty getting off of suboxone. I'm now trying to get a doctor to help me get onto short-acting opiates to then detox off of them (vs. subox) and no doctor will help me at all. They're all very happy to write suboxone scripts (for hundreds of dollars cash/refuse insurance) for years on end, but will do absolutely nothing to help you get off of suboxone and avoid the long drawn out horrific withdrawal symptoms that accompany discontinuance of the drug.