Belbuca and Withdrawal: What Users Say

• Ske...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 29, 2020

For Pain "Was on the Belbuca 7-day patch but suffered from withdrawals every 5.5 days. If not complete withdrawals, then pain all day on the sixth day. Got tired of it and changed to the 12-hour film. No matter how hard you try, it sticks to your teeth and takes about an hour to go away. I found it took care of my sciatica but didn't do a thing for stretched nerve pain. It would break through the Belbuca at about 11 am, and screaming breakout pain would be with me for 12 hours. So I couldn't tell if it worked at all. Either my breakout pain was a hundred and the Belbuca was a ten, but I could not tell if I was on the medication or not. I hurt every day."

• Bab...
• March 1, 2019

For Chronic Pain "It probably would work fine if titrated to correct level. I can’t take NSAIDs because I’m a stroke survivor so got Hydrocodone many years ago. Didn’t take except as prescribed. The Belbuca is fine (with its non-dissolving issues), but it’s over $600 a month for Humana Medicare. It’s more than 8 if above 300mcg. They offer no discount for Medicare. The copay for me was $317.00. Butrans was given since it’s a lot cheaper but the mcg start at 7.5, which is way less than 150. I’m in fear to start it. I’m in fear of withdrawal and severe pain. The doctor doesn’t seem to care. He’s doing his job except he’s not helping his patient. He’s obeying the government."

• Hea...
• October 21, 2018

For Chronic Pain "I've been on Butrans, but I grew used to that, and my pain management put me on Belbuca and I've been on it for about 3 years. I was on 900, and for the first time in so long, I had no pain. My insurance refused to pay for it anymore. I can't afford $800.00 a month. My issue is that I'm allergic to all pain meds except Belbuca. Now I'm going through this awful withdrawal, and now I'm crippled again, where it's very hard to walk or even breathe. I have RSD (Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy) for the last 13 years. In the meantime, with no pain meds, I also lay here with 2 broken toes and a foot that has a bone infection. Can't operate because of no pain meds. I started out using the prescription card from Belbuca, and I guess once you're hooked, they take it away. There is no generic. So I lay here in the most awful pain ever. It was the best while it lasted, but for a person like me who is allergic to everything, it's hard."

• Dev...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 20, 2017

For Chronic Pain "I hate reading reviews before I take a med because it does have a placebo effect on you whether it'll work or not. (If you're doing this, stop! Just take the meds and see how it works for YOU.) But I was put on Belbuca after misusing Vicodin from chronic pain and disc replacement surgery. Vicodin helped, but the dosage wasn’t enough, and I abused it. But Belbuca never helped my pain. Started at 300 and had WDs, so bumped to 600mg and helped WDs, but not pain. I had breakthrough meds, but Belbuca renders them useless. I ended up taking more BT meds trying to help pain on bad days, but then sent red flags to my doc. He didn’t seem to get Belbuca did not work for me. Withdrawals are GOD AWFUL."

• Khe...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 27, 2022

For Pain "My pain intervention physician changed my medication from Oxycodone 10 mg to this buccal pain patch. I have used dermal patches such as Duragesic in the past years, but it didn't absorb well. I told my doctor, and he said that this Belbuca of a mid dose should work better. Well... this medication is such a joke! I have had 4 back surgeries since 2009. But the pain I needed relief from was recent weeks of a bilateral total knees done at the same time! Since being pulled off my years of Oxy use, I was just pulled off (withdrawals or not)! This buccal film that this new medication releases medication is a very poor way for absorption to control pain. The little patch either didn't stick inside my cheek, or stuck to the outside of my teeth, or just stuck to my finger! This was the worst pain relief med I have ever taken. ZERO pain relief! Plus my Oxy withdrawals that I experienced post-recent total knees and back pain. Thank you, government, for actually caring about us real patients with pain."

• Big...
• January 30, 2020

For Chronic Pain "It did not work very well and seemed more like a placebo. I stopped taking it, and it took a few days to get over the withdrawal. I feel a lot better. I think it was interacting with other meds I take and making me feel ill."

• Ros...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 24, 2023

For Chronic Pain "I am new to Belbuca. I have neurofibromatosis. It affects the nerves and can cause severe pain when it surrounds the nerves in places in the body. I was on fentanyl 100 mcg and 15 mg of oxycodone. I got the Belbuca and have not had the painful withdrawal that is associated with fentanyl, and it can last 7 to 10 days. The best thing for me after being on fentanyl for 10 years."

• Ken...
• April 4, 2023

For Chronic Pain "I have been taking Belbuca for three years now. Before that, I used to take morphine sulfate and sleeping pills, but I had to stop due to severe withdrawal symptoms. My memory was also affected, and I even forgot where I was in a store. My doctor prescribed Belbuca to me, but it doesn't do anything for my pain. When I was on morphine, I could walk with the help of two canes, but now I'm in a wheelchair. I stopped taking Belbuca because I only used it at night to avoid withdrawal symptoms and sleep. It's been three nights without it, and I'm still experiencing withdrawal symptoms. I have decided not to take any more pain meds and have started using a marijuana vape at night only to sleep. It's cheap and has been helpful."

• Zig...
• July 13, 2016

For Chronic Pain "'I was recently placed on this medication for chronic pain due to a cyst on my lower spine. All the comments are true. Medication packet: you will need scissors, wet buccal area of mouth, and it doesn't adhere as directed, doesn't dissolve, sticks to teeth, and I end up swallowing it. As for the pain, it remains. Very expensive with no RX coverage for Belbuca. The phone number on the card and brochure from my doctor is inaccurate, and the one-month free trial and reduced rate don't apply to me. Tried to get renewal from the office, but they are strict on pickup dates for RXs, claimed I didn't call for renewal, and once I was halfway home, oh here it is. The pharmacy did not even carry it. I had to go back. So what do I do? I had most of the side effects and withdrawal."

• Kat...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 14, 2023

For Opioid Use Disorder "I am a 31-year-old female. I have struggled with opioid addiction (mainly Norco) and chronic pain for the past 5 years. I developed severe pain in my neck that got increasingly worse with no help from medication, physical therapy, or surgery. I was taking Norco, which would mask my pain for an hour at the most but left me with horrible withdrawals, severe insomnia, and depression. My physiatrist prescribed me buprenorphine, and it was very helpful. It helped my pain and got rid of opioid cravings. However, the buprenorphine sublingual tablet caused horrible constipation. I couldn't use the bathroom for 8 days and gained 10 pounds in that time. I did some research and found that the patch called Belbuca (buprenorphine buccal film) had fewer side effects. I find the patches to be a bit less helpful, but if you suffer from horrible constipation from buprenorphine, please use Belbuca."