About:
- Buprenorphine is a semi-synthetic opiate with unique properties. It is a partial agonist and antagonist of the opiate receptors in the brain. What this mean is that a ceiling effect occurs with dosage. After consuming a certain amount, larger doses will have no further effect. This significantly reduces the chances of overdosage. However overdosage is not impossible, especially in combination with other depressant drugs such as alcohol. Buprenorphine also blocks the effects of other opiates, significantly reducing their effects if they are consumed.
- This drug stays in the system for a long time. It takes around 37 hours for the amount in the blood to half. This means that this opiate can be consumed once daily.
- Buprenorphine is between 25x - 40x stronger than morphine, though it is consumed in correspondingly lower doses.
- This drug can be used for pain management but it is usually used to treat heroin/opiate addiction.
- The drug is consumed by placing it under the tongue, not by swallowing.
- Some research has suggested this opiate may have antidepressant like properties.
Dosage:
- For recreational usage, 1-2mg is suggested. For opiate addiction, doses as high as 32mg per day can be used. Doses higher than this have little further effect.
Side Effects
- The side effect profile is similar to other opiates. Nausea and sedation are common side effects. For a complete list of opiate side effects see General Opiate Side Effects.
Addiction Potential:
- Like all opiates this drug can be physically addictive if consumed frequently. However this drug is generally reputed as being easier to taper off than other opiates.