Author: rule62
Posted: Sat Feb 04, 2012 1:46 pm
Hey All,
It’s been a little while since I updated ya’ll. My Suboxone Dr. referred me to a pain clinic to manage my pain from the cancer surgery and radiation therapy.
I feel like I was thrown to the wolves. My Oncologist said he’d manage my pain until I mentioned Sub and he said he didn’t really know what it did so he too referred me back to the pain Dr.
Finally saw him last Thursday and was very truthful about my addiction and alcoholism. This doctor does not like Suboxone and considering my case, did not want to prescribe full agonist pain meds. I can understand that part. So what he gave me was 10 Lortab 10/500 and also a Butrans pain patch. The patch takes a day or two to take effect so that’s the reason for the Hydro. Of course the pharmacy had to order it so I lost a day there. His reasoning for not giving me Sub was that it can be abused by taking more. The patch is a consistent delivery system and you don’t think about taking a pill or film at all. It actually sounds right but I don’t like it. (that’s my addict brain talking) He also wants me off it right after the radiation is over. So much for compassion. A very smart clinical Chinese Dr. just like my surgeon.
For those not familiar with the Butrans transdermal patch, it is Buprenorphine without the Naloxone like Sub has. It is meant for pain. He gave me the strongest one which is 20mcg’s per hour. Reading the pamphlet insert it said the patch lasts for 7 days and contains 20mg’s of Bup. So divide 20 by 7 and you have 2.857mgs of Bup per day. (approx) The doc said it would be close to 4mgs but the math doesn’t add up.
Put the patch on late yesterday and today I feel okay. No feeling of the Bup so it must be very weak. But getting almost 3mgs of Bup should work just fine. The problem was the price. Even with insurance and a discount card it cost me $105.00 for a box of 4. This patient cannot afford this med with all the co-pays I’m making to every doctor on my case. I’m on a fixed income and don’t have much left over at the end of the month.
So I am going to go back to my Sub doctor and go back on it once the patches are done. Suboxone does not cost me anything with the discount card and insurance.
My confusion is this: The information on the patch says not to exceed 20mcg’s per hour or you risk overdose. What???? With Sub, they give us 8, 16 and 24mg’s and say you can’t overdose on it. Same drug, different opinions.
That’s about it my friends. My neck is healing well but is still swollen. The main problem is the nerve damage done. I’m still paralyzed on my right side but it should pass. They gave me Lyrica to help with that and time will tell. I still have a demented smile and it’s hard to eat ’cause I bite my right lip. It beats dying I guess.
Thanks for reading.
Rule
