Posted by Elizabeth on March 23, 2002, at 13:43:30
In reply to Re: buprenorphine for chronic pain? » Elizabeth, posted by shelliR on March 22, 2002, at 19:21:12
Shelli,
0.6 mg is the max recommended dose (in a single dose, not per day) for *pain*, but that's just because it hasn't been studied in higher doses. (I got this from the monograph.) You've got an excellent point: there aren't any established dose recommendations for depression. Of course, tolerance is an issue with pain as well; I don't think the monograph even mentioned that.
I'd be surprised if the effective sublingual dose (again, any single dose) wasn't higher than the effective IM dose for any particular person. Have you ever determined what dose you'd need if you were taking it IM?
I think you're right that your previous use of methadone and oxycodone may have had a lasting effect on your tolerance.
FWIW, addicts who switch to buprenorphine *can* taper rapidly. The problem is that they then (also rapidly) go back to heroin.
-elizabeth
p.s. You said you're having trouble getting buprenorphine from overseas? I'm having trouble getting it from the U.S. -- the pharmacy orders it, but the wholesaler doesn't have it (or doesn't have enough of it). I've heard there are a lot of drug shortages lately (at the manufacturer level). I hope this isn't one of them.
poster:Elizabeth
thread:97162
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020322/msgs/99651.html