I'm currently taking Buprenorphine, but it seems to be causing a major loss of my appetite. Does anyone know if either Suboxone or Methadone are better in regard to appetite suppression?
I can't tell you how important you all are to all of us trying to deal with titration off of these terrible DA's. Very best wishes to everyone.
Chris
I’ve been on Buprenorphine sublingual tablets since the turn of the year and during this time I have experienced a noticeable loss of appetite. It’s not been a dramatic process, but initially it caused me some anxiety - that chilling little phrase ‘an unexplained loss of appetite’! So I did a pretty comprehensive check of Buprenorphine side effects and it popped up often enough to reassure me that, whilst a less common consequence, it was up there with a welter of other noted if less usual phenomena. It’s stayed pretty steady over time and I now see it as benign, enabling me to fit into clothing that I’d laid aside whilst not getting in the way of an occasional substantial meal. So unless your appetite loss is extreme over pre-Buprenorphine levels, take advantage!
I lost my appitite three years ago, around the time I started taking Oxycodone fir RLS. I now take low dose Buprenorphine.
I use liquid nutrition because I have no interest in food. It is a shame and I put it down to the medication but don't know for sure.
I take a lot of quality supplements and have a high protein/calorie shake which I add a banana or a few nuts to. flaxseed etc. I use a company called Huel. I am confident in their product. I use British Supplements for some of my supplements. They don't contain any nasty fillers.
The downside is not wanting to go out for meals with friends etc. I can eat, just don't enjoy it.
The upside is I have no RLS :))
Well, health diet-wise you’re probably not in too a bad place, but the Bupe appetite suppression effect has clearly gone deep for you. Insomnia is my particular Buprenorphine burden, but I’ll shoulder that against both the PLMs (which are currently conspicuous by their absence) and the weight gain, headaches, augmentation and other horrors attendant on pretty much all the other meds I’ve taken against our conditions over time! I hope that you can coax your appetite back a bit so that you might have a celebratory night out to raise a glass or two to Buprenorphine!
Yes insomnia is another issue for many with opiods. They can really mess up your sleep pattern. I am prescribed Clonazepan which helps with sleep:)Unfortunately I can oonly raise a non alcohohlic glass as that is another thing my body can't now take.
Boring but I don't have RLs so really I am so lucky!! Also I used to drink rather too much anyway.
Looks like we started Bup around the same time. Do you mind me asking when you take it and at what dose?
After a wrangle over dosages with local GPs and eventual backup from my sleep clinic doctor, I’ve been on 0.6 mg for just under a month, 0.4 for a month or so before that. I take 2 tablets, one 0.2 and one 0.4 just as I go to to bed, generally around 10.00/11.00 and if I’m really lucky I’ll squeeze in two or three REM sleeps with some shorter scale sleeps (again, two or three between 45 to 60 mts duration) over 6 to 7 hours. My Zolpidem has finally lost its mojo so I’m switching to Amatriptyline from tonight. But I haven’t had a single PLM since being on 0.6. Hope that helps.
I assume you meant Amitriptyline. It is known to make RLS worse for many. I thought you wanted a sleep aide. If so, have you tried zopiclone?
I’ve used Amitriptyline as a sleep aid before and found it reasonably effective, although the dry mouth side effect has tended to wake me up. I don’t have RLS; I have exclusively PLMD. When I asked for Zopiclone my GP said that it was too similar to, and yet weaker than Zolpidem. If I pushed it after a period of short scale sleep and insomnia he might relent.
Another one is Ramelteon. Try asking for it.
Thanks, Sue, I’ll follow that up.
Dick Jones, when you say you haven't had a single PLM do you mean while awake? Or do you have some means of monitoring PLMs while sleeping??Paul
I have PLMW. When active, the PLMs wake me up and I have to walk them off.
I've been taking about 0.4 to 0.5mg of Bup per day, usually in 4 small doses (I have to cut small pieces from 2mg tablets) one in mid morning, two around 8-9pm and one middle of the night.
I was wondering if Methadone or Suboxone might have fewer side effects (mostly constipation and loss of appetite and fragmented sleep).
I am on Suboxone. Still have constipation and appetite loss. Of course, the loss of appetite has helped me lose weight which I needed. And I am sleeping 7 to 8 hours most nights with very little RLS. A year ago, I had nearly constant pain and very little sleep. Once off the ropinirole, which took nearly a year, I feel I have a life again.
Have you been prescribed clonazepam along with buprenorphine? The reason i ask is because my understanding is that benzodiazepines shouldn't be taken with opoids.
Hello AmrobYes Iv'e been on low dose Clonazepan for years. It helps my anxiety and sleep. The docs dont seem too bothered.
Without them I would have perm' anxiety.
Do you think it affects appitite? or are you asking generally?
Hi SmilingJane, I was curious if your doctor had okay'd the clonazepam and buprenorphine combination because i have always read that opioids and benzodiazepines shouldn't be mixed.
I intend re-trying buprenorphine so i have been doing a long and slow taper of clonazepam, thinking that i needed to be off it completely in order to start the buprenorphine.
I think the thing us here that theres been an overlap.
My neuro, (originally private but now NHS) prescribed Bup, (a little reluctantly and I had to try the other RLS drugs not tried before) before it was allowed)
I doubt my GP would have said yes.
I think if they are both low dose its not really an issue. For me anyway.
I think because I've been on Clonazepan a long time my GP wouldn't attempt to take me off them.
However, I think I am affected differently to many in that I don't find Benzos difficult to come off.
Done it before for a few years (Diazepam then), because I was learning to drive and was on a high dose)and no side effects. Just cut the tabs down over two weeks. Didn't bother telling my doctor.
Out of interest what dose of Clonazepan are you on? Also what are you taking for RL now? and has your doctor agreed to trialing you with Bup'? but told you that you would need to stop Clonazepan?
I have taken between 0.125mg and 0.5mg of clonazepam fairly consistently over the past five years. So, a very low dose. I am now on 0.03mg (1/16 of a 0.5mg tablet) as i'm weaning off ultra slowly because i've been on it long term.
I also take 300mg pregabalin and also trialled clonidine recently in addition to pregabalin and clonazepam. However i've had some light-headedness which i'm attributing to the clonidine.
My GP willingly prescribes buprenorphine for me to try as i have a good relationship with him. I'm in Australia and have never had any difficulty obtaining scripts for opioids or any other medication that i have wanted to try, which is why i'm surprised when i hear of others having difficulty.
I haven't had a conversation with the GP about benzo - opioid interactions. I'm just going off what i have read about it. I did enquire with the pharmacist however and he said that on the very low dose of clonazepam that i'm currently on (i.e 0.03mg), he sees no issue in also taking buprenorphine.
Exacrly .I think if there was a real issue, GPs would stamp down.You really are taking a weeny bit of Clonazepan. I suspect if you stopped them now yr body wouldn't notice.
I took Diazepan 10mls x 3 times a day, the blue tablets. I was off them in 2 weeks.
I am pleased you have a forward thinking doctor. All the best going forward to you and your son 
Thought I needed to update all on this thread re the protein shakes I was taking, (see below).
I no longer use it because it causes stomach issues, bloating, stomach ache and constipation. I am sure many are fine with liquid nutririon protein shake. However for me, it must be something in the ingrediants. No idea what. They all seem pretty inocuous.
I am attempting to follow the Sarah Mayhill diet, (substitutung meat with fish). Seems to make sence although I need to drop the amounts offood she suggests. Its a lot.
I bought a Magic Bullet blender, (cheapest), to make her recipe of PK/Paleo bread.
She suggests a major reason people fall off the wagon of a low carb gluten free diet is no bread.
Her youtube recipe goes through the easy linseed bread recipe. I will be using coconut oil as opposed to lard to grease the bread tin. And ... theres no needing involved. Scales def needed though.
I bought some mechanical ones for ?10 from Amazon.
Wishing you all well
Jane
It doesn't work for chocolate cake, for me!🍀😥
I know that I shouldn't find this amusing, but....🧏♂️
Do you mean it put you off chocolate cake?
Nah- it doesn't lose the weight the cake puts on me.!😢
Yes, you’re right, and it can also cause severe stomach problems in general.
Opioids for pramipexole withdrawal – DAWS
RLS / DAs and lack of appetite
National Opioid Register USA
Iron, Opioids and great information
