Buprenorphine and Constipation: What Users Say

• Mis...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 4, 2020

Buprenorphine for Chronic Pain "I have been struck with horrible chronic pain from PLDS (Post-Lyme Disease Syndrome). First I was prescribed oxycodone. I hated the side effects: apathy, brain fog, severe constipation, sweats, nausea, headaches. I was miserable. I fired my pain doctor and signed up for a Chronic Pain MAT program. They prescribed Belbuca, and I’m very satisfied with my experience. It helps with pain as well as the oxycodone did, but the apathy and brain fog are pretty much gone. On my correct dose, I have no nausea, headaches, or other icky side effects. I’m free from the endless rollercoaster of pain and withdrawals between doses, and having to make sure I have opiates with me at all times just in case. A word of caution regarding the bad reviews: some of them may not have given the medication enough time to find the right dose for them. For others, it may not work, but for me, Belbuca controls pain and doesn’t make you high - to me, that’s a good thing. I can be a full participant in my life again."

• Jan...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 14, 2019

Buprenorphine for Chronic Pain "My insurance company just canceled me. Pretty sure it was due to the HUGE cost of this medication. Different pharmacies charge from $900 to $1500 per month. I have NEVER abused any medications. Ever. Yet I am made to feel like some kind of drug addict. I have had multiple surgeries on my knees, shoulders, ankle, back, etc. Metal plates and pins. This drug gives me headaches, constipation, and I can't sleep. I am exhausted all the time. What the government has done to people who need pain medication is abuse. They need to go after the illegal heroin, fentanyl, and whatever else. Leave the people who REALLY do need pain medication alone. Let our doctors do their jobs! This drug is a joke. And yet again the pharmaceutical companies are getting rich off of Americans who have worked their whole lives. I just want to be able to function again. Belbuca is not the answer for my pain. Maybe it works for others."

• Dav...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 2, 2020

Buprenorphine for Chronic Pain "I've now been on a 15 mcg Butrans patch for 6 months with some good relief for permanent nerve damage in both legs. However, I've noticed that the patch basically becomes non-effective on day 5, and I start having withdrawals. I'm 22 years old and drive daily with the patch. I only notice tiredness after 11 PM, so it suits my working life fine. I'm going to my doctor to talk about getting put on a 20 mcg patch and a 5-day change. Constipation, nausea, and loss of appetite have been side effects for me, but it hands down beats any oral tablet. I'd rather be on a patch as opposed to taking tablets due to liver damage over long-term usage. For nerve damage, amitriptyline was the best relief I've ever had with brilliant sleep and pain relief. However, I experienced fibrillation and irregular heartbeats, so I had to come off them. Stay safe and always consult with your doctor or medical person in charge."

• Anonymous
• December 28, 2011

Buprenorphine for Pain "The best medicine I have taken so far for the control of sacroiliac joint pain. I have been on OxyContin, Percocet and this patch works better. The side effects are tolerable. My only complaints are severe bloating and constipation. You really have to stay on top of taking a laxative or you will be in bad shape. But you cannot beat the pain control. The patch enables me to work full-time at a professional job and remain comfortable."

• Lup...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 21, 2019

Buprenorphine for Chronic Pain "I’m shocked by how many dislike this drug. After 7 years and multiple drug cocktails, this works for me! However, people love Vicodin, and I hate them, so to each their own. I love it, it kills my pain to a 3, and the only side effect for me is constipation. No headaches. So my other medications must be helping as well. I think not everyone works on all drugs, but this one is worth a try!"

• heb...
• November 10, 2011

Buprenorphine for Pain "I have been on Butrans patch for about 6 months. Started on 5mg, then 10mg after a few months, and then 20mg. I had several side effects although it did relieve my pain. Just the past two days, I had to go off of the patch because my side effects were very worse being on the 20mg. The side effects I have experienced since I started Butrans 6 months ago are: In the beginning, very itchy all over, not just at the patch placement site... that did go away after about 3 weeks. Severe horrible constipation... I mean horrible... severe appetite loss. Although I needed to lose the 27 pounds that I have lost since taking Butrans, I am a worrywart, so I worry it could be something more severe, but I think it's the patch. Severe nausea too."

• kat...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 15, 2020

Buprenorphine for Chronic Pain "I've started on a 150 mg dose of Belbuca. I was so tired, then I seem to adjust to it. Then they just upped me to a 300 mg dose. I'm so tired I could fall asleep at 1 in the afternoon while I'm driving. I'm not saying that it doesn't work for the pain, but who can be this tired all the time? I can't even put a thought in my head. Going to ask the doctor to take me off. I'm going back to the 150 mg until then. PS: also terrible constipation, which I never have a problem with."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• March 18, 2017

Buprenorphine for Chronic Pain "I have DDD. Fibromyalgia... chronic pain issues. Pinched nerve in lower back, fusion in neck with nerve damage issues... I am taking Belbuca 300 mcg 2 times a day, and for the first time in years, I have my pain under control with the only side effect being constipation (which can be remedied). I love Belbuca, and yes, I've tried a bunch of other medications.... It works great for me!"

• Pai...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 14, 2025

Buprenorphine for Opioid Use Disorder "I was on Suboxone for 8 years (4-6 mg). I decided to go the Sublocade route. I did have to increase my dosage to 8 mg daily before I got the shot. The shot itself was painless (my doc numbed me up before). At first, I HATED the shot, I was groggy, numb, and withdrawn. However, after two weeks, I started to feel better. I recommend that YOU DO NOT SUPPLEMENT!!! The whole reason to get this shot is to get off daily Suboxone. Yes, there was some discomfort in the beginning, but try to stick it out. My doctor recommended 3 shots total: 300 mg, 300 mg, 100 mg. After the first shot, I realized I feel fine, I called the doctor's office and canceled my next shots. There are some side effects, my constipation is horrible, I feel like I gained a few pounds (for some reason, I craved SWEETS the first month). However, it’s been two months since my shot, and I feel better every day!"

• not...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 23, 2015

Buprenorphine for Pain "I've been using this patch for 2 and a half months. It helps my pain a little, but I feel that this stuff is a joke. I started at the 5 mcg dose and am now on the 15 mcg dose. My pain management doctor refuses to try something else. I stay nauseated and constipated. I get rash and blistering at the patch sites as well. It's all the bad side effects of pain medicine without the benefit of helping pain. The only good part is that it weakens considerably after 2-3 days, so I get to eat some. It's worthless as a pain reliever for me."

• Lil...
• July 30, 2015

Buprenorphine for Chronic Pain "After 20 years of tension migraines, 10 years of fibromyalgia, and an SI sprain to the left hip, I thought I'd never know normal again. I can fake being well enough to make others comfortable, but I rarely am. Butrans was prescribed 3 months ago, and my constant, inconsistent days of pain, from 3-9, varying on weather, mood, stress, exercise, etc., is finally becoming more stable! The lows are gone. The higher peaks are 6-7 now and more rare. I'm on 15 mcg/hr every 7 days. Slight itching at the patch site, but with proper skin prep and rotation, I've had no other issues. This med, and low-dose Percocet, have given me my life back! Constipation has been my only side effect, but it is nothing compared to what I've lived with for so long."

• Jus...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 14, 2016

Buprenorphine for Pain "Been on this for 4 months now, and it has brought relief that I hadn't had in years. I have too many issues to name. My dose was upped this month to 7.5. I found that after about 5 days, the patch is wearing off. Last month, the doctor changed the rx to every 5 days instead of 7, but this presented a bit of a problem with insurance filling it. Since there's only 4 in a box, I had to go back on day 20 to fill again (with additional copy). Still, every 5 days was better, but I did still have breakthrough pain. The problem for me was that the doctor changed me from 4 times a day tramadol to 3 times a day, so I still had issues. This is my 2nd week on a higher dose and back to 4 times a day tram. The patch is good, but I have a rash/itch at the application site and constipation that I didn't have with Norco."

• Hea...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 18, 2024

Buprenorphine for Chronic Pain "Was on oxycodone for 15 years for chronic long nerve/pain. Trying Belbuca 150 mcg film. Belbuca works from 6 to almost 12 hours per film. Breakthrough pain can be handled by oxycodone or a crumble or two of the pill (under tongue) form of buprenorphine. Juggling things around until we get it right for me. I am liking the film so far. It does take care of my pain for longer time spans than the oxycodone does. I hope to stay at a low dose level as there are both good and bad side effects. I do not get constipated. Some nausea, which I hope will disappear with time. Does screw up my sleep a bit. I am quite pleased to be at a pain level that works for me. The conversion from oxycodone to this was not that bad. I could not deal with the pain without upping into larger doses of my former pain med. This Belbuca has been good so far. Not perfect, yet very good for pain. There is always a trade-off relief vs side effects. I am only going into month 2. So far...so good."

• Pre...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 15, 2022

Buprenorphine for Opiate Dependence - Maintenance "I started on Suboxone 2 years ago. It was fine. No side effects, really, except constipation. I didn't like taking it daily, the whole routine of it, and absolutely didn't like the taste. So I switched to Sublocade. I didn't notice the transition, except being really tired for about two months. I have nothing but good things to say about it, and it's kept me opiate/heroin-free for two years. I have absolutely no desire to use, so I've decided to go off Sublocade cold turkey. After reading the reviews, I'm quite confident."

• joe...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 26, 2023

Buprenorphine for Opiate Dependence - Maintenance "I had my fourth 300 mg shot yesterday and feel awful: nauseated and badly constipated. I will not be getting any more shots because it did not work for me at all. I might even lose my job because I was too sick to go to work. I have been on Suboxone strips for 13 years and am dying to get off, but I will most likely be on it for my whole life. It's all about the money. Remember that they are not trying to cure anyone. The reason I say this is that buprenorphine, which is sold alone in tablets, works better than Suboxone with no naloxone and only costs $30.00 for a month's supply, whereas Suboxone strips cost hundreds of dollars. The VA medical board told doctors to stop prescribing it about 4 years ago and the only way to get this cheap medication is to be pregnant or allergic to naloxone. It's a 50-50 shot with Sublocade. It did not work for me, and I am stopping. No more for me. It makes me feel like rubbish."

• Mug...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 20, 2022

Buprenorphine for Opioid Use Disorder "BEWARE before taking it if you are sensitive to meds and subs! I really don't like Sublocade. I have been on it since February 2022, and it has been awful. I started on 300 mg, which was instantly too high; I slept 14 hours a night and couldn't stay awake throughout the day. I went down to 100 mg. Still too high. I gained 30 lbs within the first month and a half on this, could not stay awake throughout the day, and was foggy-headed. I became SO constipated that I have to take this daily: two Ex-Lax pills, one Colace clear, and four doses of Miralax. I have to give myself an enema at least twice weekly because I am so blocked up. My doc said my only choice was this or methadone, or she wouldn't treat me, so I got a second opinion from an expert, who ran the FDA trials for Sublocade. He said the 100 mg dose was too high and was a 'TOXIC' dose for me. It slows down EVERYTHING: my body, mind, and ability to function. After nine months, I'm finally getting off it and will never go back to it."

• Kat...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 26, 2022

Buprenorphine for Opiate Dependence - Maintenance "I've been an opiate addict for 20 years now. After 5 years on Suboxone, I was looking for a new solution. I ended up going with Sublocade. I had two 300 mg injections and one 100 mg. It's been 2 months now since my last injection, and I'm still feeling great. The only side effects I had while on the injection were tiredness and constipation. I would absolutely recommend this to anyone who is ready to be sober."

• Mic...
• July 31, 2020

For Chronic Pain "I have a disease called CIDP where my body thinks the myelin sheath that protects and covers peripheral nerves is an enemy, so it is constantly attacking and destroying my nerves. This is a horrendously painful disease. I have pain throughout my body 24 hours a day, no matter what. I used to wake up every 2-3 hours every night from pain. I asked my doctor about Belbuca after researching to find which pain meds caused the least constipation. For my type of pain, I've found Belbuca to be a life changer. I'm no longer on the nightmare rollercoaster of up and down pain throughout the day and night. I now sleep without interruption. The pain control is more even, and so is my mood, which the other opioids affected. This is a class 3, so there are fewer restrictions-like my doctor being able to call it in! There is less risk of respiratory depression as well."

• Moi...
• April 3, 2016

Buprenorphine for Chronic Pain "Woke up early in the a.m. 36 hours after applying a 5 mcg patch on a Sunday for the first time; knew it had kicked in. Thereafter, pain relief so-so. By Thursday, definitely not impressed. Pain doc's office said it was OK to take hydrocodone 'as I had been' prior, and the patch at the same time. Don't think I want to spend the rest of my days out of a hot tub, doubtful that I will renew this Rx after one month. Some constipation."

• Rom...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 7, 2021

Buprenorphine for Opioid Use Disorder "Got my first 300 injection today, about 5 hours ago, after only taking 8 mg today and taking 32 mg daily until today for over 20 years, and I feel normal. I got the lidocaine injection a few minutes before to numb it, and I felt nothing. I’m hoping to jump off after one or two, or maybe even after the 100 mg one, which is the third. Tired of being on subs and feeling depressed and numb and angry and gaining weight and constipated and losing teeth, this awful drug! Heard it’s easier to come off of than the sublingual buprenorphine, so fingers crossed."

• Swo...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 28, 2021

Buprenorphine for Opiate Dependence - Maintenance "I thought Sublocade was going to be a godsend. Not going to a pharmacy every day, only having to get injected once a month. This injection stays in your body for a long period of time. It has been over 4 months since my last injection, and I still have a prominent amount in my system. It causes extreme nightmares, constipation, sleep irregularities/difficulties, weight gain, hunger, balance issues. Please be aware that this medicine isn't as great as you'd think."

• Moa...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• May 6, 2021

Buprenorphine for Opioid Use Disorder "I was on Subutex for 3 years because Suboxone gives me migraines. I was an IV heroin addict for 6 years before starting Subutex. In 3 years, I had zero cravings, got my life together, and had a beautiful son who experienced minimal withdrawal symptoms after being born. Subutex changed my life. The only negative side effects were a lack of sex drive and constipation. I weaned from 16 mg to 0.25 mg in about 5 months. I stopped taking Subutex 18 days ago. Withdrawal symptoms didn't start until day 7. Withdrawal was minimal after tapering so low. I am experiencing some depression now, but the cravings are nonexistent still. Subutex gave me the clean time I needed to stay clean after Subutex. I would recommend this medication to anyone trying to stop taking opioids or heroin. Many of my friends from addiction are now functional adults as well. Subutex and Suboxone are miracle medications."

• Ale...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 3, 2015

Buprenorphine for Chronic Pain "I had a series of heart surgeries two years ago due to constrictive viral and then bacterial pericarditis. I have fibrous muscles in my chest from the pressure of up to two liters of extra fluid inside my pericardium multiple times and then not healing properly after the surgeries. I have been in a lot of pain for the last two years. When I first took the patch, I was shocked at how well it alleviated my pain. I was only on 5 mcg/h, the smallest patch, and it worked wonders for me, at least for a while. After six months, we have decided to stop the patch due to what seems to be opioid-induced pain increases due to the mental effects of the drug, as well as some serious and stubborn constipation due to the opioid."

• JTa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 22, 2019

For Pain "I agree with the previous reviewer. After being on morphine for 10 years due to failed back surgery and nerve pain, I switched to Belbuca. So far, the pain relief is better than morphine, with fewer side effects. No constipation. Great medicine."

• sc1...
• June 16, 2011

Buprenorphine for Pain "I started Buprenex for pain 10 years ago, and it has been a lifesaver to me. I tried pain pills, and they did not come close to giving me good pain relief. Subutex and Suboxone are only approved for detox. Buprenex injection is just approved for pain relief. Buprenex gave me back some quality of life. No pain pill lasted long enough or came close to relieving the pain like Buprenex. It does not give you constipation at all."