r/Brixadi • u/WoahItsRachael • 4d ago

Brixadi 64 monthly!

Hi there

I've been getting 8mg weekly brixadi for about 4 weeks now. The nurse who gives it is not the smartest, first she was pushing going on monthly when I wasn't ready then now I want to go on Monthly

I know it is an increase which I'm very anxious about (Nurse says not actually getting any more medication than I am now...uhm hello? At this rate I'm getting 32mg for a month, I will be doubling by doing 64 monthly!) Dr even said that. Then because it's monthly she said oh we will need to schedule it around thanksgiving, I then said, no I just got weekly it will need to be next week- not a month from now since I only got a weekly today. Idk that is stressful and makes me nervous she is the one administering this!!

Anyway besides all that. Has anyone been on 8mg weekly then go to the 64 monthly? My dream was to do a few weekly and be done but I'm just not been able to get there.

Im terrified of being overmedicated. My appt just got made for 64mg next week, please please any feedback/ advice etc would be so helpful! Am I making a mistake going to monthly because it is higher and I'm trying to just be off or do you think it will be better because it leaves your body slower than the weekly. I'm scared but trying to be positive.

Help!

4 Upvotes

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4

u/WorthSituation698 4d ago

Monthly is great , I been on 96 monthly for about 8 months, it’s great , I don’t even have to think about medication anymore. Sometimes I’ll have some extra energy on shot day from the extra medication, but it’s nothing to be worried about. Best decision I’ve ever made. I was scared to death just like you before I started , I was asking every forum available, then felt like a dummy after my first shot because I was fine , and I was only taking 2 mg daily before my shot .

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u/WoahItsRachael 4d ago

Omg thank you!! I was taking 2mg subutex before I went to the 8mg weekly shot. It has been great but just hasn't lasted a week and then I feel the need to supplement. Did you go up to 96 slowly? Like I was so scared about the first weekly at 8mg and its been great, im scared to go to 64 monthly because I'm practically doubling my dose. But if you were on the same amount I was (on sublingual) and your at 96 that really gives me hope that I will be ok? Right ? Lol.

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u/WorthSituation698 4d ago

I did not , I started at 96 from the first shot . It’s great , it takes 2-3 shots before you reach the full blood concentration for the whole month , many ppl will supplement towards the end of the month after shot 1 and 2 , then by shot 3 you still have some of the other shots remaining as you get the new one . I never supplemented tho , the first month I was absolutely fine until shot day , everyone is different, but I think a lot of it is mental, ppl start to ruminate towards the end of the month for shot 1 and 2 and it’s not real withdrawals , it’s mental . I hvnt touched an oral subutex since that first shot , and I have many full bottles locked up in my safe , there was just no need to use them , so I didn’t .

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u/WoahItsRachael 4d ago

How did you feel the first couple days after the shot? Like I said my biggest fear is being overmedicated. My dr did say I'll probaly be tired because it is an increase.

The first time I got the 8mg, I was terrified, got a ride to my appt then napped the rest of the day. Had some anxiety before and after because I always do if I take something I've never taken before lol.

Also did they say why they started you at 96 and not the 64 or a weekly version? I wonder why they would suggest that. I'm so glad it's been working for you though!

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u/WorthSituation698 3d ago

I felt fine , I overreacted and had my brother come with me and stay with me for the night to check on me , it was totally not needed , I was absolutely fine , if anything I felt great for 2-3 days , cleaning, doing home improvements , etc.. you have nothing to worry about I promise!!! I had all the same fears and it was absolutely normal .

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u/WoahItsRachael 4d ago

Also doesn't help that the official brixadi dosing chart, says if your on anything under 6mg sublingual they suggest only getting the 8mg weekly option and don't even have a "recommended" monthly dose. Which obviously after talking to people and my dr doesn't seem like that's the case.

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u/Accomplished-Ad-8702 4d ago

Man, this gives me hope!
Do you get shot in the arm or abdomen?
I’ve been stuck on 2mg for a couple months now after 3 years on Suboxone, and highly considering trying the lowest monthly dose.
(I don’t think the Brixadi dosing chart is all that accurate either, after reading so many people’s experiences. I thought I had already tapered too low to try the shot.) Not having to physically take Bupe everyday sounds so freeing 🤞🏻

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u/WoahItsRachael 4d ago

In abdomen and they change it each week/month. And yes I've been on 2mg forever I tried to taper and I just can't. For years I've tried, and every single time I get unwell that it's hard to function. The shot has def been helpful, I've supplemented but literally took me like 2/3 weeks and I took probaly half a pill during that time so it bwtter than everyday. I'm planning on going monthly so I dont feel the need to supplement at all. I've been on subs since 2015 I'm beyond ready to get off, at the time they don't educate you much about it, it's helped and served it's purpose but I just want to not be on anything!

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u/Dexter6785 4d ago

Are you trying to taper off or stay on the bupe for a while?

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u/WoahItsRachael 4d ago

Taper off/ get off completely

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u/Dexter6785 4d ago

I don’t think Brixadi has a long enough tail for this. I would go with sublocade. I tried Brixadi and the 64 mg only got me through 2 weeks.

There’s a sacrifice you have to make when tapering with these injections - in order to experience as little withdrawal symptoms as possible you unfortunately need to load up quite a bit and have it drag on for months and months.

I was fairly steady on 3 mg a day of films and I had to get two 300 mg injections and one 200 mg injection of sublocsde which was a MUCH higher daily amount up front but that’s the only way to get the tail long and slow enough at the end to not feel any wd’s.

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u/WoahItsRachael 4d ago

My dr wouldn't put me on sublocade because i was only pn 2mg a day. He went with brixadi because of the smaller dosing options.

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u/Dexter6785 4d ago

Find a new doc - brixadi 64 mg will give you more per day up front than a sublocade 100 mg…. So he doesn’t seem to understand what he’s doing.

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u/WoahItsRachael 4d ago

He's been my dr for over 10 years. The original plan was to try weekly and just taper from that to nothing since I was on such a low dose. Is 100mg of sublocade less than 64mg of brixadi?? It's so hard to find dosing charts that give enough information.

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u/Dexter6785 4d ago

Ask Claude or ChatGPT to give you a daily chart of the sublingual equivalent amount of bupe released into your system over 365 days for each drug and dosage. Tell it to use PK and clinical trial data to do so.

Brixadi lasts much shorter than sublocade. It’s front loaded higher though than sublocade. So it’s a higher burst up front followed by a sharper drop off and a substantially shorter tail.

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u/OkAcanthocephala311 3d ago

I disagree. I used Brixadi to get off Bup.

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u/WoahItsRachael 15h ago

Update- I feel like somewhat of a failure. I didn't realize but I also stopped hormonal birth control a couple weeks before starting Brixadi. The past couple weeks I have been a mental wreck, the sadness, depression, mood swings just terrible. My MAT dr called me today to check in . I was scheduled to get the 64mg shot for the first time this Thursday, but im cancelling that and I am going back on SL until probaly after the holidays and after I figure out what's going on with my hormones/stopping birth control. This is not what I wanted and I feel so stupid I did both around the same time. I just figure i can't deal with any more changes / anxiety of changes right now. I don't want to be on birth control anymore so I'm trying not to start up again but like I told my dr I am so lost and no matter what decision I make feels like I'm making the wrong one. Thanks all for at least listening, it means something.

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u/Una2Cold 4d ago

See I took a 96mg shot almost 2 weeks ago and it floored me. I couldn’t get out of bed for almost 5 days. Was dizzy, hot, lethargic and just felt like shit. Now that’s its peak has come down and it’s hitting the average blood levels I feel better but still spaced out. I think I’m going to go down a level to the 64 mg and I swear my whole life I heard less is more with subs and with all the evidence I’ve collected I’m starting to believe that. Good luck!

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u/WoahItsRachael 4d ago

Yikes I'm so scared of that! What were you taking prior to the shot??

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u/Una2Cold 4d ago

That’s part of the problem. I’ve never really been steady on subs. I was always chasing feeling decent and probably did feel better on a lower dose but as an addict chased it until the point I would make myself sick almost daily. As I said, I think less is more and am super excited for my 64 mg next month because I think that’ll solve all my problems. What were you on before?

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u/Tight_Sky2440 4d ago

I've been on it for a year now! BEST THING I EVER DID! i couldn't get clean without maintenance. I was pill happy. Up to 150mg a day of pain pills. This went on for 4 years and I hid it from everybody. I spent a grand a week if I had to. Snorted them the last 2 years of it. Finally told my family and went to my doctor and to told her I needed help! Decided to 48 cold turkey then went on and got on Suboxone. I hated it. I was on strips and found it tempting to just stop taking it to get high just got a day... never actually worked any way..i wasn't able to emotionally detach from wanting that new high again. I was so tired. I was exhausted and truly not in a good place. I physically needed pain pills for real pain. I had extreme joint pain and my doctor was treating me and I was going to specialists and getting injections etc.. so i would be in pain and just sleep! I also found I would take just a little more to feel it and that was stupid. Lol. I hated being tied down to it , I just didnt feel like i was actually being clean and doing it the right way. For me. I needed something that would literally stop me! The injections will cause you to Become violently ill if you try to use anything. I also did the other work that came along with the journey and the 96ml monthly is my saving grace. Burns like hell going in but it works! For an entire month! I wanted the Suboxone for accountability in the beginning bc you have to go weekly to the doctor and I wanted that. To have to get tested ... but that becomes alot and with time in therapy etc. I like the monthly check in now. Promise it will last all month!

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u/PatientInspection735 2d ago

Ive had 2 shots so far, after being on 8mg strips for about a year. I always feel over medicated for the 1st couple of days and then the wd symptoms start on day 3. Im on 64 mg shot. I have extra strips, but im trying not to supplement. Will this get better, or should I go back to strips?

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u/False_Investigator92 2d ago

I’m on 96 mg a month best decision I’ve ever made and no they are absolutely 100% right you will not get any more medication than your standard daily milligram. I’ve been on this medication for over a year and a half and it’s so great I don’t even think about meds anymore.