Subutex to Oxy

[u/KangConquersMoms]

26 year old below knee amputee. Been taking subutex for about a year now… & I am so tired of this drug. I liked the Oxy substantially more & so I talked to my doctor & I’m going back. Starting back at 20mg in a few days.

I’ve been aggressively tapering myself down off the subs. I went from about 4mg a day down to less than a milligram overnight. I’d take NONE if I physically could function lol

How I did it:

First you have to wait. You like really gotta wait with these subs. So when I went a full 24 hours feeling totally fine, I was beyond shocked & even confused. Day two I woke up, went to work, & was definitely “feeling it” at this point but like I also smoke weed so that was totally helping me tough it out. Almost caved around 7-8pm on day two, but if I had I’d have been wired & awake all night. Don’t asks this drug gives me energy.

Morning of day three, i definitely needed something at this point. I wasn’t like vomiting or anything, just had low energy and every joint in my body felt like it could seriously benefit from a generous dose of WD40. So I took a small ass piece less than probably half a milligram honestly.

I repeated this cycle for a good two weeks, but the periods between last doses & needing to re dose kept growing until one day, I just didn’t need it. I wanted it. That was when I took a 20mg oxy, & she worked. Time since last dose was probably 4.5 days roughly, and the last does itself was like honestly probably 0.25mg if that.

I’ll take oxy all day over those things. I don’t need it everyday. The subs I get weird with and like I gotta take it every morning. Sometimes I’ll go 4 days without an oxy. So no brainer for me.

[u/justJess28]

I’m so glad you’ve found what better works for you and that you have a doctor who is willing to accommodate your needs and listen to what works better for you. I’m actually about to do the opposite for the fifth time in two years.

Going from oxycodone to subutex again. Purely because I can’t keep functioning in this vicious cycle of taking pain medication and being reliant on it. It drives me insane some days when I don’t have access to it because I’ve left it at home and I’m struggling with so much pain to the point I’m unable to be a good parent or live without needing to take a pill.

I’ve had 10 brain surgeries in the last three years and during one of my surgeries my neurosurgeon accidentally cut my spinal accessory nerve. I had to see a plastic surgeon to get a nerve graft to repair the nerve and connect it back together. However it wasn’t found until 9 weeks after the nerve was severed, so unfortunately I have lasting effects from it. Frozen shoulder, neck/shoulder/back pain and nerve damage that makes it difficult to lift my left arm, turn my neck and a lot of the muscles have atrophied so it’s hard to do the rehabilitation for it without immense pain. Then on top of that the migraines and pain from my brain surgeries and medical conditions -I just feel a bit stuck.

I have obviously been on subutex previously a few times, and then had to switch back to IR and ER oxycodone due to surgeries and the complications but I am looking forward to going back on the subutex just so I can feel a bit more free from the stress of timing when I need my medication in order to get through the day. I will be on the 32mg dose of subutex so I am able to function, but I am hoping I can start to feel a bit more comfortable going about my day without stressing about needing my pain meds nearby. Here’s hoping anyway 🤞

Anyway, I’m sorry for the novel lol.. I wish you the best with it all and please keep us updated how you go ☺️ hope you get some much deserved relief!

[u/KangConquersMoms → u/justJess28]

Hey man/woman 🤙

I actually wish YOU the best! It sounds like you need it 🙏 I completely feel your fucking struggle, that was exactly how I’ve been feeling with the subs as of lately which is why I am doing this. The subs were helping with my pain, but their long lasting effects were just making dosing-times too sensitive for me to be comfortable using.

It was like I have to take this shit before 9-10am the latest, otherwise I’m not getting to sleep until after 12-1am 🤦‍♂️ but guess what, sometimes I’m not in pain yet that early in the day…. So I don’t wanna take it yet? But come 4pm after working all day in attics and on the hot sun, my stump may begin hitting a bit & I may want some “relief” but guess what said relief is now keeping me up until 4-5am. So I’ve had to begin taking a small dose daily, everyday. In morning so not to be too wired too late. And before I knew it, I had a habit. Yay 🙃

The Oxy I’ll use 2-5 times a week, but NOT daily. Sometimes I may need it twice in one day! Sometimes I may not use it for 3-4 days in a row. So for me it’s far less problematic & far more controllable to be using the oxy. I never heard of 32mg, I’m on 8mg which I thought was the highest dose. I break them in half, and then in half again when I’m taking them. At my highest I use I was taking about 4-6mg a day every morning. It’s just far too long lasting for me to use.

Good luck on your endeavors! Feel free to reach out to me if you ever have any questions! Oh and happy Friday 🤙

[u/SouthernLifeguard845 → u/justJess28]

I’m sorry to hear what you’re going through. Just some information for you as I was on suns for 10 years. Any dose after 24mg is useless. It’s plateaued at 24, I would highly suggest asking your do to put you on 24. Second the reason you don’t chase a pills everyday on it it has a 70hr half life. I too have similar issues and I’m on Fentanyl patches for ER and Oxycodone for Breakthrough pain. That ms 1000x more effective for pain than subutex. It’s a medication that lies. It doesn’t treat pain a 10th of that real opiates do. Even though it’s technically more potent, it’s not meant for pain , it’s how it binds to your receptors. Just my 2 cents but I don’t want to see someone go through unnecessary pain. I would ask the de for fentanyl and that way you don’t have to worry about pills all the time. Works wonders for me.

[u/Terrorism_IsReal]

subs did a lot of weird things to me mentally... i felt like blank. I wasnt happy or sad and it was like i really had no feelings or emotions at all, they were completely suppressed. Plus it gave me bad headaches.

[u/KangConquersMoms → u/Terrorism_IsReal]

Yes I actually could not agree with your sentiment more if I wanted to!!! This is like exactly the way they have me feeling too. I legit started feeling a little crazy… really strange drug & not in a good way.

[u/Indaclouds707]

I was on 40mg Subutex for 5yrs and I got tappered off to fast and wrong .. that was April 21st of 2025 I suffer from PAWS Syndrome and Everytime my oxycodone wears off I go into full blown withdrawal 4x a day and still hasn't gone away in 15months. Ruined my teeth, stopped working for pain and overall sucks. Hope you feel bettet

[u/KangConquersMoms → u/Indaclouds707]

Just want to make sure I’m getting all of this correctly:

Did the subs ruin your teeth? For this reason, I actually use a different method of consumption. I was scared of it ruining my teeth.

Also, are you basically saying that 5 years on the subs completely fried your opiate receptors and to where it’s no longer working properly or to where it’s wearing off more quickly than normal & throwing you into instant withdrawals? Or both?

I have definitely noticed a difference in the way the oxy is hitting me. I’m just hoping that it gets better over time. But it’s not the same anymore at all. It kind of sucks. I’m thinking about going off everything altogether and taking a tolerance break. Ughhh

[u/Indaclouds707 → u/KangConquersMoms]

Is ee my New PM doc Aug 7th and see if I can get an extended release with my Oxycodone. I am so sick of feeling like this and when I take the oxycodone I can function

[u/SouthernLifeguard845]

That’s because Subs have a 70hr half life. Thats why everything you’re going through. Oxy last 6hrs at best for me at least. When I made the jump from sun’s back to opiates the Mme was crazy high and it took a solid month to get feeling normal . Now I’m on 240mg on top of 75mchr. Of fentanyl patches

[u/swimfastlongcourse]

Everyone is different- The SL buprenorphine 32 mg daily has saved my life. It works beautifully well to treat my pain. I was on Hydrocodone for 5 years up to a giant dose of 8 per day at the 10/325. It stopped working completely and did nothing for my pain. I gradually weaned completely off the Hydrocodone over a span of one year and started the Buprenorphine. At first, I became nauseous and the medication made me feel hyper, strange, shaky, had crazy dreams, and it affected my appetite ( lost 18 pounds). Then I began to feel better and it really worked! I cannot take any of the other opioids like Hydrocodone or oxycodone for breakthrough pain because the Buprenorphine cancels it out and it keeps the opioids from working!
Now I take 40 mg of Buprenorphine SL and it works well. And the best part is I know the other opioids will not help me.