Author: Breezy_Ann
Posted: Tue Nov 22, 2011 12:17 pm
Suboxone is buprenorphine and naloxone. The bup is the active ingredient in sub and the naloxone is added to supposedly stop people from injecting sub. They claim it is not absorbed when taken sublingually (the correct way to take sub) but people do have adverse reactions to it. Also it really does nothing to stop injection so in my mind it’s just a big joke.
There is no generic for Suboxone but there is a generic for Subutex which is buprenorphine without the naloxone, so it works just as good if not better than Suboxone. The problem is a lot of Drs are hesitant to prescribe it because they buy into the whole naloxone fantasy. I pay cash for my meds and am prescribed 16mg a day, so I get 60 pills a month. When I was on Suboxone it cost me about $475 a month, my Dr switched me to generic Subutex and the same amount only costs about $170 for my month supply.
The only problem is like I said a lot of drs buy into the bull and automatically assume your drug seeking just because you want to save money. So when calling drs you could ask if the Dr is open to prescribing generic Subutex. It may be hard to find one but doesn’t mean it’s impossible. Also if you can get by on a lower dose, say 8mg or 12mg your cost would be even cheaper as you are charged per pill.
Another thing that you can do is to only pick up as much as you can afford. If you only have enough money for a weeks worth the pharmacy will let you do a partial fill and come back for the rest (or however much you can afford again). We have some members that could only pick up 2 or 3 days worth at a time.
One last idea is to look into your county health programs, they may have sub drs that will see you based on a sliding scale. This could drop the Dr cost significantly.
Have you thought about talking to your husband? This is a lot to take on alone and support is very important. I was scarred to death to tell my husband, but he was and is extremely supportive. In fact I think it has brought us closer together. I know it’s scary but remember he loves you and though it may shock him at first I am sure he would be glad you let him in. Also him knowing may help you to budget some money for treatment. I am sorry that it is so expensive, it is completely ridiculous. Such an important treatment should be more affordable. Know you are not alone, we are here to support you in anyway we can. Even if you just need someone to talk to. Please feel free to pm me anytime, it can really help to chat with someone who has been where you are. I really hope you can find a way to get into treatment.
