Do any of you know anything about Suboxone for Type II TN pain control?

1

Hello, friends!

Gosh, I'm in a pickle. I lost my job recently. Although a very generous and kind friend, who cares deeply, obviously, for my family has given me the money to catch up my house payment, I still must find a job quickly.

I'm scared to death. My two beautiful, beloved, little girls are counting on me to provide for them. Please pray for us, if you do. This is heartbreaking. Plus, I spent almost a week in the hospital recently. I almost died with a very bad kidney infection which I let go too far, for lack of insurance.

Okay, to the point. My family sees that I have a hard time in pain management due to the fact that my pain is of a character that most pain management specialists, who treat mostly back pain patients, do not seem to understand. When I am hurting, I cannot work or take care of my children. I'm distracted by pain. I don't want to run out of my pain medication early, but I do A LOT, because I have something to do which I need to get out of pain for! It's been a nightmare.

I had to get off of Methadone. It was ruining my stomach. I put myself in the hospital for that. Oxycodone 30 x 6 daily worked well, but only for two hours at a time, and in between, I felt awful.

I wonder if Suboxone is the answer. I have an appointment, and I can move it up, if I am running low on my normal medication early, but it is going to cost my family $500 for the first visit, plus the cost of the medication itself, but it covers the first two visits.

I've heard from many chronic pain patients that Suboxone, or Buprenophrine, has been like a "miracle" for them. It causes less dependency, supposedly, etc.

Even on the 30 mg. Oxycontin x 3 daily that I've been taking lately, I still have horrible pain late in the afternoon and evening, and especially around my monthly cycle.

Do any of you have any experience with success, or failure, with Suboxone for pain control of Type I, or Type II TN? I have one friend who has tried it, and it worked a fair amount for her, but I believe that she still had to use other medications. I didn't think anything for breakthrough pain would work through Suboxone.

Any info would be appreciated.

I will probably also post this in the large forum, if I see no replies here. I don't really want too, because anything opiate related feels a little personal.

Anyone? Thanks so much.

Your friend,

Stef

2

Sorry you didn't get any responses to this. I've also wondered about it. It seems like the price structure is based on addiction treatment, and it seems like a rip-off to me to have to pay so much up front. Will the MD even be a pain specialist?

But I have also heard that it can help with chronic pain. Let us know what you find out, please, and sorry you've had a tough time -- I can so relate. Wish someone wonderful and very skilled would figure out a way to get things stabilized so that you can do the things you want to do. And do it without charging you a bunch of money.

3

Well, I had to pay some of my family's last money for treatment. I was looking for a job, and wanted to be free from the side effects that opiods bring. I found a job. I don't know how my family and I will be making it until I can get my first paycheck, or how I wil pay for Subutex treatment to continue, because it took me awhile to secure employment, but I was in desperation.

It was $500 for two visits and the Subutex itself, just for one week, is almost $200. I was given 16 mg. to dissolve under my tongue twice daily. It doesn't help with pain. It just helped me avoid withdrawal from the last opioid I tried, Oxycontin 30 mg. x 3 daily, which worked well, but not in the dose I was given, and was WAY too expensive.

So, I've just been riding out horrid attacks, which can happen in the afternoon to late evening, usually. I hope that I am able to hold my job in this condition.

Right now, I'm just living one day at a time, it's all I can do.

Thank you for caring enough to give an opinion and to write back, Mac.

Stef

4

I can’t understand how this is ethical. I am struggling through a tough medication adjustment, but I’m grateful to have decent insurance, at least. I’m so disappointed to hear that this isn’t helping your pain, given the expense. Who could afford that? Hoping you have some good days.

5

Oh my gosh! I’m sorry your going through this. There has got to be somebody by you who is a pain management doctor who is not just all back and knee patients. Stef you and your family are in my thoughts that this will get better. I run out of my breakthrough medication usually about one week early to two weeks early every month. So I can relate to you on that. Really I hope that you just get some type of pain relief soon.

6

Hi Stef,
How are you? Are you still taking the subutex and is it helping? I just want to check in. You haven't written in a little while.
Karen