Posted by Neuroscientist on November 30, 2010, at 13:31:44
In reply to Re: mu receptors, endorphins, or something else? (nm), posted by Neuroscientist on November 30, 2010, at 13:26:50
-Hi there. I get an email whenever someone replies to a post, so I'll always be around. I didn't go into much detail but there are very diverse opinions regarding Bup (or any opiate medication for that matter). The doctor told you it's like 'being addicted to heroin'. The fact is this, Bup has been available as a prescription mainly for pain. However, a few years ago it was noted that it helped opiate addicts (similar to methadone) without being quite as strong, and with less severe withdrawal. So it is now sold under the brand name Suboxone for opiate dependence. Its different from methadone because one does not have to go to a clinic and get the dose everyday, instead one would go to a physician.
I can relate to your experience regarding the wild variating in prices. Here is my advice, which can Save You A LOT OF MONEY. You can find a list of all Suboxone doctors in your state, or area etc. Call all of them to find their cost, and treatment requirements. Some are 'addiction specialists' and they cost 1000's of dollars and make you visit them every week to get your medication. This type of situation may be appropriate for someone with a serious opiate addiction (and also plenty of money!). What I did (and you may not be as lucky, not sure)is looked around, and I found a Primary Care Physician who was also certified to prescribed Suboxone. (A physician can be certified if they take a course, and are allowed only a limited number of Sub patients). At any rate, I only pay the basic/usual copay for a Primary Care Physician (20 bucks if you have insurance, 65 without)and eventually got to point where I got every 3 months (at each visit am given script with refills). So the moral of the story is that if you look around enough and do your homework you SHOULD be able to find an affordable option.
I am curious though, you said you take Percocet. Is this prescribed to you regularly for pain?
You mentioned you are starting to develop a tolerance, which happens. That is why I mentioned Bup. It is a partial agonist. Chemically, this means it does not 'stimulate' the receptor as strong as other opiates (i.e percocet-oxycodone).This means it will not make one as 'eurphoric' or 'buzzed' etc, but it also means less tolerance to the effects, less likely to become dependent, or have withdrawal. For example, I have been taking Bup for 3.5 years, and have not had to increase the dose.
Back to the various opinions topic. When I first told a doctor that opiates helped with my depression, they told me I was 'too young'. I wasn't sure what that meant exactly. Although he was happy to write me an SSRI script. Ideally, one is 'too young' to be depressed, but in the real world, sh*t happens and some people are not helped by the available medication. Also, Suboxone is officially approved only for opiate dependence. If you are already taking opiates regularly (be it for pain, or depression) then one would already be 'dependent'). However, some physicians are very skeptical if you admit you are attempting to medicate depression with opiates. So choose your words wisely etc (not trying to sound ominous, sorry).
If you want any scientific literature on these topics, I have hundreds of papers (journal articles) from peer-reviewed journals that the medical/science community does take seriously. Although its complicated, there is also an explanation why both opiates and adderall can be helpful for you. Perhaps I'll save that for another post.....
poster:Neuroscientist
thread:965066
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/neuro/20100607/msgs/971954.html