Posted by 4WD on February 22, 2009, at 2:22:20
In reply to Re: The lowering Nardil after remission myth (+oth » 4WD, posted by Questionmark on February 19, 2009, at 0:11:41
I am on Suboxone now. I've been on it for about two weeks. I go to a special clinic where they are licensed to prescribe it. I broke my back last year and have chronic pain from that. That helped with getting on the Suboxone. My psychiatrist, the doctor at the pain clinic and my family doctor have all diagnosed me with endogenous endorphin deficiency. The Suboxone helps with that. At first it helped a LOT - no depression, lots of energy and motivation. But it has gradually begun to give less of that effect. It's also not as effective for pain as 100mg of Percocet a day was. But you can't have everything, right? The only problem I'm having with the Suboxone is controlling my intake. I don't crave getting high - it's impossible to get high on Suboxone anyway. I crave endorphins. And while I was managing okay on 12 mg a day, they then lowered my dose to 8mg a day and I've felt like crap ever since. Except I take an extra dose when it gets to be to much to bear - either the apathy or the pain. And then I either get in trouble for taking more than prescribed or else have to suffer for a few days on even less to make up for the extra I took the day before. I'm in that situation right now. The day ran out before the pills did and I had to take extra. This has happened two days in a row now so to keep from getting in trouble, I have to lower my dosage to even less than prescribed to make up for having taken extra the last two days. It seems like it's easier to get narcotics than it is to get Suboxone. If it's such a safe drug, with low abuse potential and little sedation and no high feeling, why is it so hard to get on it? I don't understand that part of it.
Oh, well, it's late and I'm just feeling discouraged. I always get this way when the Suboxone wears off. I'll feel better in the morning after I've had my first dose.
Marsha
> I don't think you would be able to find a family doctor/ general practitioner who would prescribe an opioid for depression. They (the DEA if not others) monitor physicians' prescribing of tightly controlled drugs, particularly opioids. And they (dr.s) can get into trouble if they are believed to be over-prescribing or carelessly prescribing these types of drugs to people (and prescribing them for depression would almost definitely be considered , well, unnecessary or careless or something). You will have more luck with a psychiatrist or psychopharmacologist but it's still highly unlikely.
> I think the reason is (aside from the DEA regulations/monitoring) that opioids build up tolerance so rapidly and continuously so (and of course are highly addictive and prone to abuse). I think some would say-- and maybe rightly-- that that's irrelevant because oftentimes one does not develop tolerance to the antidepressant effects of opioids like they do with the euphoric and pain-relieving effects. I'm not sure if this is true or not. If it is, then it is very sad that opioids cannot be more easily utilized or tried.
> But you would have a much greater chance of getting a buprenorphine Rx possibly if you saw the right doctor. Still may be pretty difficult though, i'm not sure. (Buprenorphine of course is not a full agonist opioid.)
> Good luck still.
>
>
> > \thanks for your kind thoughts. I am still on Suboxone and doing okay. It doesn't work as well as it did in the beginning and they have just lowered my dose as well.
> >
> > The trouble is that it treats my depression beautifully if I take enought - 6 2mg pills a day or some days I need or 8 pills a day. but they had me on 6 only. And now are lowering it to 4. When I told them that at that dose, it would not help my depression, they told me they could not legally prescribe it for depression - only for addiction and chronic pain. So I don't know what to do. Magnify my pain in the hopes that they will raise my dose back up?
> >
> > Why can't they prescribe it for depression? And if they won't maybe my family doctor could? I've read that anyone with a schedule three license can prescribe buprenorphine so maybe I should go to my family doc and tell him how much it helps with depression but that they won't prescribe enough to keep the depression away.
> >
> > Thinking about my options.
> >
> > Thanks for thinking of me.
> >
> > Marsha
>
>
poster:4WD
thread:823866
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20090213/msgs/881629.html