How Can I Manage Pain While on Suboxone?
Question by Peter: how can I manage pain while on suboxone?
I am a long time heroin addict. I have been off heroin and on suboxone for 2 years now. I take the generic version that does not contain naloxone. One of the benifits of being clean is having dental insurance and after years of neglect I am finally getting my teeth fixed. Today I have an appointment to get 6 of them pulled out. I will be under IV sedation but when I awake I have been warned that I will be in pain. I planned on not taking Suboxone for days prior to the proceedure but I didnt stop taking it. Buprenorphine blocks the effects of other opiates and honestly I shouldn’t even take them. I need non narcotic ways to manage the pain. I do have some methadone (I keep it for when I want to detox myself off suboxone) but if I am correct that has the same opiate blocking characteristics as suboxone and the suboxone would block the methadone anyway. Any advice is appreicated. I am prepared to live thru the pain to get these teeth pulled I just want as easy a time as possible. Thank you.
Best answer:
Answer by arnie
A little info I think should be considered about this drug Versed ( Midazolam ) that is used for Sedation for many medical procedures..
I feel that if people were aware of the effects of this drug they would Opt For Another Drug!
Erasing someones memory of what was done to them is wrong!!
There is simply no good or valid reason to ever purposely induce amnesia during a medical procedure. It is only a recent development in medical thinking that amnesia is somehow a “benefit” to the patient.
In fact, many people who use Versed for ” IV Sedation,Conscious Sedation” Twilight Sedation, during a procedure are Awake For The Entire Procedure but remember nothing, often Believing They Were “Out” the whole time.
Versed (Midazolam) is an amnestic. It is also commonly used for minor procedures like setting broken bones,colonoscopies,endoscopies, dental procedures like extractions,conscious sedation,twilight sleep, so that patients won’t remember pain and discomfort.HOWEVER THAT DOES NOT MEAN THAT THOSE SENSATIONS WILL NOT BE EXPERIENCED!!!!Forgetting does not mean it did not happen!!
A note from an anesthesiologist
I agree that using midazolam alone in painful situations is wrong. I’ve heard people getting colonoscopies and screaming, and maybe they remember, maybe they don’t.
A note I got from someone on Yahoo Answers who did have a bad experience..This is very disconcerting… My sister said she heard me screaming from the waiting room but assumed it wasn’t me. When we left we heard another female patient screaming. I did a lot of research since your post, thanks so much for the info.
Here is a note from a Dentist Who uses Versed
I’ve used Versed 1000+ times during oral surgery procedures and I’ve never had a complaint. It’s a miracle drug because it is safe and it causes you to not remember an unpleasant experience. My answer to him is isn’t it better to have not experienced the pain than to have forgot it. No wonder you have had no complaints they have no memory of the procedure…..
There is a blog about this drug you may find interesting http://versedbusters.blogspot.com/2005/12/introduction.html
Arnie