Sublocade for Opiate Dependence - Maintenance User Reviews (Page 4)

• Lb1975
• August 17, 2018

"I’ve been on Suboxone 8mg for 2 year. I received my first injection about 2 weeks ago, and the first couple days were ok. After 5 days I was in Suboxone withdrawal. Sleep is impossible, restless leg, stomach issues etc. I received the 300mg shot and I believe it’s equivalent to 1-2mg of Suboxone. My dr said I have to wait it out and will not give me strips. I am craving opitates bad.I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone on a high dose of Suboxone."

• Willi...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 18, 2018

"I was hoping this injection would change things but it hasn't. It hurt like hell and now I have a big lump in my stomach. I am craving like never before and this is not helping with any of that. I will not be taking this injection every again. What a waste."

• KickM...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 8, 2018

"I was taking between 16mg-24mg of Suboxone for over 8 years. I received my first Sublocade shot exactly 1 week ago today. Some days, even hours, are better than others but for the most part I feel pretty good! The biggest perk of the shot is not having to remember to take Suboxone everywhere I go. Good luck everyone!!"

• Chris...
• January 25, 2020

"Took my second sublocade shot 5 days ago with no supplemental tabs. The first month, I had tabs with the shot- 1/2 subutex per day. Now that they're gone, I feel this drug doing very little. I am re assured mentally that there's two lumps of medication "working", but I also feel it's all placebo. Right now, I am withdrawing but it's nothing too bad- Tight skin, slightly dilated pupils, runny nose, low energy. May be due to the tabs. What I can say now is this medicine puts you right at that fine line of withdrawal and feeling good enough to work. I may as well hop off all together and let this thing self taper. It motivates me to close the addiction chapter. It's not a bad medication, if you're motivated to get off. I can't imagine a horrific withdrawal coming if I am already withdrawal and tapering down off of a half 8mg tab/day. I might be early in saying this, but it may be the perfect remedy to transition towards independent sobriety."

• Sublo...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• March 5, 2024

"After nearly 17 years on Suboxone, a fellow healthcare worker/addict recommended Sublocade as a means of getting off Suboxone. I've tried to wean myself off of Suboxone, but every time it's been unsuccessful. At the time of switching to Sublocade, I had been taking 2mg/day of Suboxone for approximately 4 years, sometimes dosing back to 4mg/day and being very tired of being dependent on this medication. My addiction doctor told me back in 2006 that I'd have to take it for the rest of my life. I didn't believe him, but after numerous attempts to get off it, I finally gave up until Sublocade became an option. The transition to Sublocade was very rocky, starting off with 100mg Sublocade was a big mistake. I went into major withdrawals within 5 days of the first injection and had to supplement with Suboxone to stabilize. At 300mg for 7 months then 100mg for 2 months then done. No withdrawals until 7 months post-Sublocade, now severe insomnia and RLS, taking Gabapentin to reduce symptoms."

• riz...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 15, 2018

"Just awful. The injection stung like nothing I have ever felt and the shot offered no withdrawal relief! I was in withdrawal by day 3 so my doctor called in thirty 8 mg subutex. Even that was not enough, I don't know why but my body was not absorbing this worthless med. At my last appointment we abandoned the sublocade and I am taking my usual dose of 16mg a day. Beware."

• Meh
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 6, 2018

"I had my first Sublocade shot this morning at 9am. I feel nothing. It stung, about like a black fly bite. It went away almost immediately. I feel nothing at all. I worry. The small buzz I got from subs kept me going- not craving and using illicit opioids. My doc put me on the Subclocade due to mismanagement of dose. I wish I could just take the strips as prescribed. I'll keep posting. As of day one, I feel nothing at all. Just tired."

• Niz
• August 30, 2018

"I was on about 12-16 mg SUBOXONE for the last 6 yrs. It was a game-changer for me. Obviously I still struggle with other vices, but nothing has ever captivated me the way opiates have. My dad and I call it my Oxygen. I got my 1st Sublocade shot last saturday 8-25. So far, it’s been a mix of emotions. I used to love the two hours after I woke up where I knew Buprenorphine efficacy was 98%. But that’s unhealthy. So in terms of getting better, this is far more effective. I definitely have some adapting to do-but I would recommend this to anyone who is trying to “normalize” their life or get into more of a daily routine/regimen. Will update next month. Cheers"

• Dave
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 8, 2019

"Just got the Sublocade injection an hour ago. Not going to sugar coat it though....when the medication is being injected into your belly it’s going to sting pretty badly but it does subside about 20 seconds afterwards. Currently I feel slightly nauseous but over all I feel pretty good. I didn't take a Suboxone today and I don't feel the desire to do so now. So far so good. I’ll give periodical updates every so often. Good vibes and good luck!"

• Caitlin
• June 30, 2018

"So I got the Sublocade shot three days ago, and the actual injection was so much more painful than I could have imagined. It stung so bad for a good half hour after getting the shot. I feel fine as far as the dosing goes and it's relaxing not having to remember to bring my suboxone with me to work every day. I also would run out too early and have to deal with taking half my prescription dose the last two weeks of the month. So far so good, I'll get it again next month despite the pain. There is a lump at the injection site as well that as bruised and is sore to the touch. Overall I think the benefit of peace of mind out way the pain"

• No...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• February 25, 2020

"Came off years of opiates with no taper using sublocade. I was on 100mg for 1.5 years. The medication ate two necrotic holes in my stomach. I abruptly discontinued the medication after being on subutex for years previously with ZERO withdrawal symptoms. I repeat, I came off opiates with NO taper with ZERO withdrawal symptoms. This medication is the worst and best thing that has ever happened to me. Unfortunately I am scared for life from it"

• Bobbi
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 19, 2018

"I had my first shot 12/9/18 I feel as if I'm starting to get small signs of withdraw the runny nose watery eyes but I'm having trouble deciphering if its my head or if its real withdraw. I want the shot to work soooo very badly. I guess I just gotta see what the next few days brings."

• Nerdg...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 30, 2023

"I have had a nightmare experience with this medication from the start and stayed on it for months longer than I should have. I had an opiate addiction and have been clean on suboxone maintenance for over 10 years. I wanted to not be a slave to this medication and these doctors so I jumped at the chance to try this new medication that had so many positive reviews. The 300 mg injection made me so overwhelmingly nauseous I had to take off from work the day I got the injection. For about a week everything was ok withdrawal wise but mentally my motivation was completely gone. Then the profuse sweating of my hands and feet as well as crippling anxiety. So I went from being stable and content to a blubbery crying depressed mess. Once I went to 100 mg I was supplementing it with 2 mg of subs on week one then 6 on week 3 and 8 on week four so now what’s the point of the injection? I’m almost taking as much as I was originally which was 12 mg. Long story short I’m getting off the injection thank god."

• SuziQ
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 18, 2018

"I'm now on my second shot. Received it almost 2 weeks ago. (300mg) my next shot scheduled for 2 weeks from now will be 100mg. The first was in my lower right abdomen and burned like crazy for about 10 minutes. The second one I had in the upper right abdomen, and experienced no pain. I was on 1.5 of the 8 mg strips a day for 2 years, and absolutely hated remembering to take it. I'm ADD as well. I love it. So far I've experienced some super tired feeling days, which suck but go away. If I understand correctly the shot won't regulate in your system until the 3rd or 4th dose. So I'm hoping over time I just feel totally normal, after 6 months my plan is to when over 6 months and be done. Does anyone on this thread still get the shot? If so how's it working out? Bc it's so new I've found it difficult to find others experiences."

• Kmt
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 3, 2019

"THE PAIN ISNT BAD! I've been on suboxone maintenance for over a year with great success , no relapse at all. I am getting incarcerated for an old issue so my doc made me aware of sublocade. I went to get the injected and was extremely nervous after hearing mixed reviews about the pain of the shot. My nurse made me comfortable and told me there was going to be a burn . After the initial pinch of the needle a burn is a great way to describe it. I am not good with pain but this is VERY MANAGEABLE. The injection lasted 5 seconds at the most and was not bad. Do not be scared of the pain, it is no worse then a normal shot and is comparable to getting a tattoo. The injection site is pretty tender but nothing too serious ."

• Anono...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 13, 2019

"After being on suboxone film and zubsolv for years I would say so far it's the best way to take buprenorphine for medication-assisted treatment (MAT) so no more sublinguals thank god. I'd give it a rating of 10 but the needles don't bother me it is just the drug itself that burns going in like a shot of hotsauce - but goes away in less than a minute. Ouch!"

• Liz
• July 11, 2018

"I got my first Sublocade injection about three weeks ago. The injection was pretty painful, but the pain only lasted for about 15 minutes. I felt great the first several days, but I started feeling like I was going through withdrawals on day 4- no energy, headache, nausea, stomach cramps, and hot flashes. My doctor called in some strips so I could take one a day, and that has helped a little. However, I still feel like I need to take two 8 mg strips a day to feel “normal”. I was taking 24 mg per day for the past 6 months before getting the shot. After thinking about it a lot, I have decided not to get the second injection. I was doing great on 24 mg a day, so I’m going to go back to suboxone. I don’t want to spend another month feeling like crap. Hopefully the shot will work for others, but it wasn’t for me. It seems to work well for those who have been on a low dose of suboxone (8 mg or less per day)."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 22, 2021

"I took Suboxone for nearly 15 years. I loved that it gave my life back, however when trying to quit the withdrawals was horrible. Just recently I took a 100 mg injection of sublocade for one month. Now, it has been nearly a month since the sublocade ran out and I have felt great. I really haven’t had any withdrawals, besides maybe a hot flash here and there. Nothing that I couldn’t handle and nothing like any other withdrawals I’ve had before. No others withdrawals and now it’s over and I’m living a blessed life. It’s amazing."

• Happy
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 21, 2020

"I was 24mg of subs a day. I have been on them for 5 years and finally got to a point I was so sick of counting my pills and feeling trapped. I have taken my first shot for sublocade. My body has hated it. I hit it all the time and it gets swollen. However, I will gladly take the pain because the whole time I was on the subs I counted, waited and felt not in control. The feelings were all.over the place. Take a pill and it could be mot even an hour later and needed another one. I have had a few times my nose was running or a slight twinge but nothing like when on the pills. Nothing! This stuff is working so well."

• Scarlet
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 23, 2021

"AMAZING LIFE-CHANGING! Addicted to OC’s from 18-24 then to heroin from 24-35. Had been on Subutex 2 years w/in that time & stayed clean but relapsed in days. Went 2 rehab got clean right before I got pregnant w/ son. Was on Subutex while pregnant + 2 years (24mg daily). I have Fibromyalgia & deal w/ severe chronic pain. 8 months ago I went on Sublocade. The 1st injection burned for 30 sec, after that they didn’t hurt. IT FELT LIKE A NEW LIFE. Felt great all the time, depression decreased. I tapered off a month ago after 6 months, ZERO WD’s even 1 ½ months later. Sadly my pain came back severely so went back on. MIRACLE drug if u want to get off maintenance w/ no withdrawals. I could never go off Subs w/out detox. No side effects, and zero issues going from 24mg Subs to injection, for me it works instantly"

• Drugf...
• August 11, 2018

"Three months ago I received my first sublicade shot with the intention of receiving 2 shots in total and that would be how I would get off the suboxum My second and last shot was almost 2 months ago now and still feel better than any taper I have tried doing with the suboxum. When I received my first 100mg shot I had been on a constant dose of 12mg/day of generic suboxum. It was in a less fatty area in my upper abdominal and it felt like a bee was stinging me until they removed the needle to administer the shot. My second shot was in a more fatty area in my lower abdomin and was painless by comparison. Transitioning from the suboxum to the sublicade was mildly uncomfortable for about five to seven days (mainly noticeable loss of energy and looser bowel movements, nothing unbearable....essentially went from 12 mg to the equivalent of 8 mg with the 100mg injectable sublacade.) I would recommend this to anyone who is serious about getting off the suboxum."

• ZDoggie
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 16, 2022

"I have been on 8mg per day of buprenorphine since 2005 (Total of 17 years) and it is about time I got off this medication. I feel that buprenorphine is very effective in helping me managing opioid dependence. However, I feel that buprenorphine has some unwanted side effects for me like chronic constipation, depression, and an overall dulling out the feeling of being alive. I feel buprenorphine has robbed me of some of the joy of living and ambition. I discussed with my doctor a strategy for the cessation of buprenorphine for me and we decided on Sublocade to accomplish this. I received one 300mg shot exactly 88 days ago. So far, the Sublocade lump is completely gone and I have been feeling very minimal negative effects. The symptoms I have been feeling are subtle and I wonder if it's just in my head or I am really experiencing withdrawal symptoms as I have not received a follow up shot. I do feel a little depression and normal bowel function has resumed. So far piece of cake...."

• Daniel
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 16, 2023

"Has anyone been off sublocade for years? Just read an article from a doctor saying patients tested a year after their last injection still show a clinical level of buprenorphine in their blood. I see many reviews saying you can quit with no withdrawals and people say they feel great after a few months. I haven't seen any reviews of people who have been off for years—just wondering if that's not actually long enough to know. Just with Suboxones longer acting properties comes a longer withdrawal I'm wondering if this might be even more so."

• Anony...
• February 27, 2020

"Day one & no complaints so far. The burning, (Not from the needle but from the medicine going into the stomach tissue,) subsided after I moved around a little. To inject, they pinch a chunk of stomach flesh and they alternate between four quadrants/ injection sites around your belly button. After an hour there was little to no injection-site sensation/ pain. The process was bearable and I was able to speak normally immediately after. I did use an ice pack a half hour before to freeze the stomach area & I think that helped. If possible, it’s always best to have someone drive you to your first appointment so that you have one less thing to worry about."

• Unsure...
• March 16, 2020

"I have been on Suboxone for 9 years and decided to try sublocade I am on my 6th day post injection and still feeling terrible? 2 days after the injection I landed myself in the ER with withdrawal and from my experience that is exactly what it felt like and then I ended up back in the doctor's office. I now have to supplement my 8mg tablets of Sub again. So for the past 4 days I have taken 6mg of an 8mg tab and yesterday I went to do the same thing, I still wasn't feeling great and when I went to take my last 2mg of the dose last night I ended up feeling like I all of a sudden had to much of the med? So today I decided to do 2mg morning and 2mg afternoon and nothing else today. The problem I'm having is that the first couple of days I know I wasn't getting any of the med and was in withdrawal, since yesterday I feel like I'm getting some of it but I'm finding it hard to tell how much and still feel ill I've been getting headaches blurred vision fatigue?"