Hello Pam!
you bring up a great suggestion.....and i actually asked my Dr about this med (suboxone) and if i recall correctly he said that it takes a specially licensed physician to prescribe it.
I was surprised how easy it was for me to taper off the Fent patch. I was at the highest dose of the 100mcg (every 48 hrs!)....they are supposed to last for 3 days, but not for me..... I had a very high tolerance to opioids and was really nervous about weaning down......but I'll honestly say, that once I had the SCS implanted and my pain went down so much, my body just needed less and less of the meds.....we did it safely a month at a time going from the 100's, 75's, 50's 25's 12's .....
I won't fib by saying there weren't any 'bad' days, even to this day I can get a pain flare from hell and not knowing what on earth i did to bring it on..!?

But, I didn't experience ANY of the horror stories I've heard of people trying to get off these meds. Actually i recall seeing a documentary or something that indicated that those of us who truly suffer chronic, longlasting severe pain and have legitimate reason to be on high strength opioids,, our pain receptors soak them up and control the pain as it is intended. It's usually the folks who are taking strong pain meds without really needing them, or abusing them in some way....they are the ones who have the struggles of getting 'hooked' and having to withdrawal.....because their pain receptors didn't need them the way a 'real' pain sufferer does......and that's why they were being used to 'get high'......no pain receptors 'received' them, so their brain signals directed the effects to attain a euphoric feeling.
Does this make sense? i know what i'm trying to say, but i'm afraid it isn't coming out right....

Everybody is different and the important thing is to have a physician in a good trusting relationship and the tapering is the KEY. Taper.

Anyway, thanks for bringing this up. Good discussion!
I hope more will chime in on their feelings on this.

As always,
Rae