Suboxone used for Chronic Pain Management

Author: boxer

Posted: Mon Nov 05, 2012 7:30 pm

I have been taking Suboxone now for close to 3 weeks for chronic pain.

I am still having a good deal of relief from my pain from some pretty sever injuries I described earlier from a MVA. I cannot say that Suboxone is taking all of my pain away, but wioth the additon I found of using Aleve instead of Tylenol otc, that the pain is definately bearable now.

My doctor said I was a good candidate for cpp and he knows that I was taking more of my opies than I was prescribed, Like I told him, it was like they just ramp up, I mean it is like many know, I needed more of them to get the same pain relief.

My prescription for Suboxone has "DISSOLVE 1/2 FILM UNDER THE TONGUE EVERY 4-6 HOURS AS NEEDED FOR PAIN" Even though it says on the script ‘FOR PAIN" I figure people at the pharmacy don’t even read that as busy as they seem. but I just feel that whehn they get home, and sround their friends. "oh you know that so n so is now taking Sub…, what a loser…., etc.."
This seems like a lot for me to start, especially that my insurance will only cover 93, 8mg strips per month. This prescrition cost me $614.89 This almost 8 bucks a strip. I am definately going to shop around at other pharmacies !

About three years ago, I was diagnosed with pituatary failurem apprently from where I borke my neck maybe, and I was prescibed HCG injectable form for about 2 years, it was about 500 buck a month, not prob. w/ insurance until one day after getting my refill I got a letter in the mail staing that they no longer covered that med. They said it needed PA , but PA was never approved by them.
The reason I mention this is that Suboxone being very expensive too, I fear that they will find a reason to stop covering it too.

I also do not want to fill anymore of this medicine at my local pharmacy, I live in a rural area and I am sure most of the town knows I am a "junkie" in the gossip mill…LOL Even though I live a very low profile life in this samll town, nothing is a secret here it seems though.

Since the doctor knows I have taken more meds than I should at times, which I admitted, I was wondering if I have to change doctors will I be treated as a junkie, even though I am going to a pain doctor, or will another doctor perhaps even years down the road see me as a pain patient? After all it was the doctor’s idea to give me the Suboxone to begin with, just hope it keeps working, thats for sure. I almost feel like a test subject, especially after I read that Suboxone is used for chrpnic pain as an off0label use at this time according the the FDA’s website about Suboxone.

I guess I need to ask my new pain doc, am I a pain patient or a pain patient being treated for addition also? If he is treating me as a pp and an addict, I may have to find a new doc, because I don’t want to tell my immediate family..hey I take Suboxone because I am an addict. Not to mention that is the doctor is treating me for addition also, even though I additedly told him I sometimes took more than prescribed, and now I wonder do I have that flag on my record now for seeing a pain doctor.

It worries me at times, since how strict doctors are now days on prescribing any narcotics, I just hope if something happens like my doc moves, retires, etc…I hope I will not have a difficlut time finding a new doctor to prescribe me my Suboxone?

It does as I said help some with the pain, and is better than the downwrd spiral I saw myself going toward before I got on Suboxone.

With out Suboxone, I know I would be doing opiates, running short, and I would be on the hunt about 3 weeks after seeing the doc..oh no…not again !!!

My biggest question: Does this ever end?

The reason I ask is that if I eventually do go to another doctor, I just know they will be like the pharmacy people, they see the word Suboxone, and I feel like "junkie" is stamped on my forehead!