To whome this concerns,

I am an administrator for a Face Book Suboxone support group. We have over 6000 members whome all have tapered from or are on suboxone, subutex or the few other brands of buprenorphine medication. Members receive doses and a timeframe according to their needs. We have had women who became pregnant and switched to subutex, but we also have members who had to switch due to alergies to Naloxone.

The main concern doctors have with prescribing naloxone is a belief that it is a deterant for addicts who use Buprenorphine IV, when in fact any addict who has used this medication IV has done so with suboxone as well. The naloxone does not have any effect in detering addicts as the amount of naloxone in suboxone is not enough to get an addict sick, which is the desired result from adding the naloxone.

I wish you can hear the testimony from the recovering addicts in my group who have this allergy, they are now forced with having to go off of subutex when they are not ready and they are scared. I myself suffered from addictio for 30 years and found suboxone to be the one thing that enabled my recovery, I couldnt imagie having to be forced off this medication when I wasnt ready, and thanks to suboxone I can now face my life sober.

We have an opiate epidemic, with thousands of addicts losing their fight each year I cant understand why limits are being put on the one medication that is saving thousands of other lives. The members I have that have this allergy to naloxone are not kids seeking a cheap thrill, it is mothers and fathers whose recovery depends upon this medication.

We also have members who are in recovery with the use of suboxone that still suffer an addiction to the high of using a needle, this is how I know people are still using suboxone with no ill effects from the naloxone what so ever. Sometimes in addiction we dont do everything correctly right away, so breaking the the habbit of the needle takes time.

If suboxone users are still using this medication IV, why insist that subutex be only used for pregnant women? why cant a doctor who has proof of their patients alergy be able to prescribe it as well?

One day you are going to hear stories about these individuals relapsing because they had no alternative to suboxone, I hope you are preparred to take the blame for those such individuals.

Thank you,

Lorraine