what are the long term effects from using Suboxone?

i recently started using suboxine to get off of oxycontin, ive only been using it for a few days and so far its great, of course he put me on 8mg every 8hrs, which ive only been taking it every 12 afraid i will become addicted to it. it is a wonder drug, now i am wondering how bad the withdrawal is going to be and i dont wanna be on this 4ever. talk to your dr. and ask to up your dosage for a week and see what that will do for you. hang in there hopefully things will get better.

The restless/hurting legs and fatigue are classic withdrawal symptoms, which you obviously have/(had) because of the Suboxone tapering. I have read on many forums that Suboxone requires SLOW tapering, so as not to experience bad withdrawals. And because of its "half-life" it remains in the body a lot longer than typical narcotics.

Knowing what I know now, I wish I had've just gone cold turkey on my former narcotics than to have a long drawn out Sub taper, in which the withdrawal symptoms are going to be far longer now since I've been on it about a YEAR. :-( And, I dont know much about long-term Sub damage, but so far it has affected my teeth going bad rapidly and my vision. Its far best to try and stay 8mg's or less of Sub per day. It lasts longer than average narcotic- so its easier to get away with taking less. I haven't started a successful taper yet, but read that about every 3-4 days - taper about 1-2mg's . For example: (Based on 8 mg's a day) Day 1-3 or Days 1-4 = 6mg's
Days 4-6 or 4-7 = 4-5mg's Etc. In other words, taper down 1-2 mg's less about every 3-4 days.
This taper, of course, depends on what mg's per day one is taking and for how long, how high a tolerance, etc. It may be necessary to taper slower than this- like spreading the taper longer like tapering down a single mg over more days. My own future taper will be to taper every 4 days at 1-2mg's per 4 day period. It will be difficult to split 8mg pills into single mg's. I have a pill splitter which helps some, but often the small pill pieces becomes powdery. In which I go ahead and use the powdery parts first under my tongue before I use the pieces that are still in solid form. Hope this is helpful. ;-)

I have been taking suboxone for 22 months. I currently take 7 mgs a day. This is the first place i got info I could relate. Thanks. I was doing good on a taper, down to2-3 mgs. a day in nov. My back hurt some but not horrible. I chose to get a vascetomy. My doctor told me to take more suboxone for the pain. I got a little buzz. For the next four or five months I had a bad problem abusing it and got up to 14-16mgs a day Its still hard not doing a little extra every now and then. Unfortunately every time I do more for 2-3 days I have wild mood swings and get real angry. I am having a hard time tapering. I have also noticed my vision has gotten horrible. My teeth probably got bad but I veneered them so I cannot tell.
I am close to checking in to detox off the suboxone. I want off this stuff

Abused heroin 2 yrs (2 bags per day), did well on methadone 6-7 yrs. my dose was about 100 per day but varied from 70 to 120). Dropped methadone to 400 mgs for 4 weeks and then went to bupe with no problems. Used minimal benzos during transition. Getting my meth down to 40 was much harder than the transition.
Problem with bupe is the treatment providers. They want you to "12 step and pray every day." They lose program $ if they do not push some bogus therapy. They also wanted me to take a high dose of 2-4 four large tabs per day. That gave me terrible headaches, blurred vision and insomnia. I was not dopesick however. The stuff does "hold you" contrary to word on the street.
Finally, I found a doctor who gave me a few bottles of the stuff to find the right dose/schedule. I now take the small tabs, 1 to 2, per day. I take a whole tab upon waking 6:30 AM and a half at like 3 pm. I believe the dose of bupe varies as in poor quality control. Or, perhaps my body metabolizes it differently some days. Anymore than two small tabs over the course of a day and I cannot sleep and get an annoying buzz like too much coffee.
I detoxed from bupe after 3 months from approx 1 large tab per day. Beware of "Delayed Intensity."
I went 10 days and went back to bupe. The first day is OK but a little weak. Then, just like heroin's second day sickness comes like clockwork. The twitching and crawling flesh like heroin happens but at a low level--survivable not so bad you it makes you run out to use. The next 2-3 days were OK but more lack of energy. I thought I did, but no. That fifth-sixth day was a bastard and a complete surprise. The heroin smyotoms were back worse than they were on the second day. Less intense than smack but worse than meth.
I went back to bupe. I see Dr. every 3 months get script for 2 bopttles (30 tabs each) with 2 refills. Beats going to clinic and there are none of the side effects of methadone. Thats what is great about this stuff. No sweating like a pig when the temp get gets above 75. I ruined many fine clothes. Also the stuff does not control your bodily functions like meth regarding eating, energy levels, bathroom. I am a health care professional & practicing atty who fopught the system regarding my disability before bupe was usa legal. It would have saved a few dozen trees. 

:D

I've been on suboxone for over a year and have stopped it a few times with only about a 24 hour with draw with nervousness which is controllable with some Lorazapam. It took me 2 weeks to get off of oxycodone lasy year and it was horrible. They didn't tell me to use suboxone.

Well this is the first site that I have found, were I can get some real info. I have been on suboxone for 17 months now. I started off with a quarter of an 8mg pill and now I am up to 2 8mg pills everyday. Better I guess than my pain pill problem I had. I was on hydro (vicodin,perocet,lortab, ect) for 3 1/2 years, and was up to 10 to 12 10mg pills a day. At that time my husband thought I should try suboxone to try are get off the pain pills. At first the suboxone gave me a headache and I didn't like it very much, but I stayed on it anyways and got used to it over time. Now, I am stuggling to get off suboxone and my teeth are totally ruined. Maybe I should have just tried to kick the pain pills. It hasn't been any easier trying to get off suboxone!!! I try to cut down and I have a bad day and to hell it goes. I am so depressed and sick of spending all my money on PILLS. I have to buy at street price of $15 to $20 a piece. SUCKS ! !
So if anyone has been where I'm at please let me know. Maybe I might make it though, maybe not 8-|

ive been on suboxone for 9 months and successfully tapered myself down without telling the doctor. that way if anything happens i can have a stash in the pharmacy.
what i did was i tapered down 1/2 a dose, not 1/2mg and under my circumstances i had to taper down rather quickly. I went from 16mg a day to 2mg a day in under a month.
I must admit every time i went down half a dose i felt some withdrawls for maybe 3-4 days after. Your body will adjust you just have to find out what your body needs. depending if it is ready to come down in dosage. its mind over matter, your brain wants off, but your body wants to stay on.
i recommend taking your vitamins and drinking plenty of fluids. B vitamins with exercise helped my muscle aches tremendously, also try protein.
if those dont help try something non-narcotic like clonadine, its a blood pressure medication used to help withdrawls of opiates. they never much worked for me as i have panic attacks and needed something stronger.
they put you on 1 pill then prescribe you 4 more to get off that 1. before you know it your hooked on more drugs than you were before, its good to try to get your mind in the right place, and wanting to be off of ALL medications, before going and getting addicted to another.

I'm sorry to suggest this, but you absolutely have to check out www.subsux.com and find out some difficult realizations about long term suboxone use. Some of the people are a little disdained about the drug, but there is a lot of truth that you will find there. Anyways, stick to the positive reactions you get from people because they are the helpful ones that will make you succeed. You will however get a horrible sinking feeling in your stomach when you realize what you've done to yourself by taking this drug for an extended period of time. If you can, stop before you've been on it too long otherwise you WILL pay.

Thanks for that link. Very helpful (but scary) information was posted on that forum. My doctor didn't tell me half of that stuff. WTF?

So in response to the first question about long-term effects of suboxone. i have been taking suboxone for a year and 4 months now, and im 19 yrs old. it was for a heroin addiction through IV use. my doctor started me off on 8mg a day but honestly i had to personally wane myself down on the dosage. i am now taking about 1/2 mg a day and it is enough to keep the withdrawals from happening............the long term effects i have personally experienced (but may be due to other factors also) that have not shown up until a couple months after taking suboxone are: SEVERE CONSTIPATION WITH UNDER-DIGESTED BOWELS (my bowels are hard and food hasnt been digested properly since i can see sum in it) INDIGESTION, CHRONIC HEARTBURN, VERY VERY WEAK IMMUNE SYSTEM (i used to have a great immune system where i would barely need medications and pain relievers, but now im prone to sicknesses) i also have allergies which i never did before, and very prone to skin rashes/allergic reactions. I used to get sick maybe once a year, now i get sick probably about 4-6 times a year (colds, flus) i also get poison ivy allergy reactions about 3-4 times a year when i barely touch plants when i never really had a problem with it before. URINARY PROBLEMS (i developed interstitial cystitis, but could have been from heroin use) IRRITABILITY, NAUSEA WHEN RIDING IN A CAR, NIGHT SWEATS, COLD/HOT FLASHES only sometimes, HYPERSENSITIVITY TO TEMPERATURE, SHALLOW BREATHING, POOR BLOOD CIRCULATION, DECREASED SEX DRIVE, DEPRESSIVE STATES FROM TIME TO TIME

I have been on suboxone for 15 months........ BIG MISTAKE! I was taking vicodin 20+ pills a day just to feel "normal". Went to inpatient rehab where they started suboxone. I thought it was a miracle b/c I had NO WITHDRAWS..... but then, after 5 months of suboxone, and a controlled taper, I jumped off 2 mg. and had the worst w/d of my life. Went back on sub for another 10 months and tried again. This time I tapered to 1/2 mg. and STILL HAD THE HORRIBLE W/D.

In essence, I traded one drug for another, and frankly, suboxone is a hell of a lot harder to kick than vicodin ever was. I wish to god I had suffered through the original vicodin w/d and never ever touched the suboxone. I have been off sub for 14 days now, and although the majority of the physical symptoms have passed, the mental ones are still keeping me on the couch. Life is passing me by thanks to my long-term suboxone use, and I have no one to blame but myself.

There are a few things that will help alleviate the symptoms.... a strong anti-depressent (start before you kick the sub), vitamine C and B (high doses), and in particular, immodium. The active ingredient in immodium is similar to an opiod, but without the euphoric effect or possibility of dependence (according to my info). OTC pain relievers like tylenol, motrin, and alleve are useful as well. My doc also perscribed atarax to help calm me down (its an antihistamine). Unfortunately, since I have zero energy, its really not something I like to take, except at night. For me, the immodium and vitamins made the biggest difference.

I understand that suboxone saves the lives of many, but go into it with your eyes open. It is extremely physically addictive, and the w/d is longer and stronger than your original DOC (drug of choice). Do not take it longer than neccesary, and you must not only taper the dose, you must space it out to minimize the w/d. Try to take 1/2 mg. every 2 days for 2 weeks, then every 3 days for 2 weeks, etc.

After 14 days of no suboxone, I wish I could say its over, but its not. I wish I had been better informed, and I am furious with myself for getting into this situation.

First I would like to thank you for contributing and most of all I hope you are doing well today.
I was on the usual opiates for surgeries,etc... First time I detoxed with methadone- left rehab feeling like c**p. Two years later back on percocet for 3 back surgeries in 2007-08. Tried cold turkey, etc...(difficult with 4 kids).
Then! Wow! I discovered subox (8mg from a real MD.. I took it for 6 mos- was traveling and could not get a prescription. The first week was not so bad: except very lethargic, even thought maybe I had a blood disease or something- Now, 3 weeks later I can hardly get myself dressed in the morning. Again thought maybe it's some strange flu. I saw my primary MD and he believes it is lingering w'drawals from Suboxone. Any suggestions? What is bup.. and can it be taken alone for pain. Personally I want the monkey off my back. Any hope?
Ann

I want off this stuff! Not only do i want off, I have to get off. I lost my insurance. I have been on 1/2 tab (4mg) for almost 1 year. Last week i started to break those in half. Didn't have too bad physical but mentally I was a zombie. Crying everyday, deep depression and yesterday the Physical kicked in. I did not sleep 1 minute last night. Crawly legs and feet, and my pupils feel dilated but they aren't. Weird. Very tired and tense muscles from the aches. I took 2 muscle relaxers, 1 sleeping pill, 2 aspirin and still could not get any relief. Gonna try a hot bath later and get some Immodium and vitamins like the other person said. I have to go to work the next 2 days in a row and i don't have a choice. I was wondering for the people that said their teeth were ruined, what do you mean by that? cavities, grinding, ??? I'm sitting here thanking God I don't have to be at work right now. I am dreading going to see my regular doc this afternoon. Because of the no insurance c**p I have to get off Cymbalta and on to one that is generic and cheap. I do experience dry mouth, and I get short of breath after about 1 hr after I take my daily dose. I have put on weight too. has anyone experienced weight gain? AAGGHHHHH!!!!!I want off and to feel good and normal again!!!!!!I have to make that happen.

I really need help! I had a really bad pill problem and after hearing about suboxone I thought that would be the best way for me to get clean. Ya see I have two sons and a job that really doesnt allow me time for me to go get the help I need but I wanted to put the dependency behind me..Well starting the subs didnt help! At first I thought they worked great then I realized it was only pro longing the enevitable. I've been on them for 8 months at 32 mgs a day!! Only because I am a sick and suffering addict I dont take them like I'm supposed to. I take 5-8 8 mg pills every 4-5 days. They stay in my system and this allows me to "feel" something from them. I WANT OFF!! I know I cant just stop them but I need someone to tell me how to do it..I have 50 subs to use to get off them I just need to know how...SOMEONE PLEASE HELP :$ :$ :$