Are Dr. Reddy’s Generic Suboxone Films Causing Headaches, Chills or Withdrawals?
Recently, we had a patient transition from generic Suboxone tablets to Dr. Reddy’s generic Suboxone films. The result was not what we or he expected.
Generic Suboxone Tablets and Films – Aren’t they the same thing?
All generic Suboxone films and tablets are supposed to contain the same medications and the same amounts of medications. In most cases patients take the 8-2 tablet or film, which is 8mg of Buprenorphine and 2mg of Naloxone. How and why could there be any difference?
While we don’t know the answer to how and why they could vary, we do know that some people have had very negative reactions to the generic Suboxone films. In particular the Dr. Reddy’s films.
According to the manufacturer they do in fact contain the same medications and also the same amounts. However, some people find they not only feel withdrawal symptoms after a few days of taking Dr. Reddy’s generic Suboxone films, they also claim to get headaches and experience stomach issues. We’ve even seen other recovery websites with hundreds of visitor comments from around the world claiming that Dr. Reddy’s causing people to experience withdrawal symptoms and more.
Meet Andrew, who had a bad experience with Dr. Reddy’s Generic Films in October 2022
To protect his identity, we’ll call him Andrew. In October 202 he switched from generic Suboxone tablets to Dr. Reddy’s generic Suboxone films.
“I had tapered down to 4mg daily – just half a pill. I maintained 4mg for over two years and was planning to taper off completely in 2023. My doctor suggested I use generic Suboxone films since they could be cut into smaller sections, easier than breaking a pill into quarters or eighths.
The first couple of weeks I felt just fine. No changes whatsoever. I slept good, didn’t experience any side-effects and felt normal. It wasn’t until around week four that things started to change for me.
Around week 4 I started waking up at 2 or 3 am with the chills. I wasn’t shaking or anything, I just felt cold. I added blankets to my bed and went back to sleep. This happened repeatedly over the next couple of weeks.
Around week 6 things really changed. I noticed the hair on my arms standing straight up most every morning when I woke up. I’d take my half a strip of 4mg and usually feel better in about 20-30 minutes. But, it was also at this time I noticed the same thing starting to happen right before bedtime. Hair standing up on my arms, and my pupils slightly dilated.
It was also at this time around week 6 that I noticed my cravings came back for the first time in over two years. I simply wanted more Suboxone that previously. I went back to my doctor and requested a dose increase. He increased me from 4mg daily to 8mg daily.
I started taking 4mg in the morning and 4mg in the evening before bed. This put an end to my withdrawal symptoms and again I felt normal for a couple of weeks.
At week #8 things really changed. A fog developed. I felt almost sleepy all day every day, like I hadn’t been sleeping well, despite sleeping my normal 7-8 hours per night. It was as if someone pushed a slow-motion button on my brain. I just couldn’t seem to focus anymore. My ability to think clearly seemed to vanish.
It was also at week #8 that I started to get headaches. My girlfriend suffers from migraines, so I’m used to hearing about headaches, but I’m not used to getting them. I had a mild headache, brain fox, lack of thinking clearly for another two weeks.
This is when my cravings for wanting to take more Suboxone shoot through the roof. Instead of taking my recently doubled dose of 8mg daily, I started taking 12mg, quickly burning through my month’s supply of Dr. Reddy’s generic Suboxone films.
I called my doctor and asked for an early appointment, knowing I’d run out almost 5 days early, and ashamed for taking more Suboxone than prescribed.
How had I gone from feeling great taking only 4mg of Suboxone generic tablets every day to now feeling like garbage, wanting more and more Suboxone despite taking 12mg daily? What the hell was happening to me?
Thank God for a Great Doctor
My doctor was awesome in his response to my issues. He could clearly see that I had stabilized at 4mg for over two years up until 8 weeks ago and was now sliding down a slippery slope despite not wanting to. I was feeling terrible, taking more Suboxone than before and craving even more.
Getting Back to Generic Suboxone Tablets
My doctor switched me back to 8mg generic Suboxone tablets. I started taking the generic Suboxone tablets the day I left his office. I can without a shadow of a doubt that I felt completely normal again in only two days.
In just a couple of days my withdrawal symptoms completely stopped, my headache went away, my stomach felt normal, I started sleeping the whole night again and my brain fog disappeared. My cravings lasted a little while, maybe a month or so, but they nothing like the cravings I had while taking the Dr. Reddy’s generic films.
It’s now early January 2023 and I can say I am almost back to normal. In just a couple of weeks I should be down to 6mg, and hopefully I can get back down to 4mg soon and then plan my taper off of Suboxone.
Here’s What I Learned Taking Dr. Reddy’s Generic Suboxone Films
I know generic Suboxone tablets and films are supposed to be the very same thing. I understand this could have been psychological in nature. I get it. I considered all options and angles. However, I am absolutely sure that there is something different about Dr. Reddy’s films, but I can’t tell you what it is.
What I can tell you is that I was perfectly stable at 4mg until switching to Dr. Reddy’s films and these films put me into a tailspin. I experienced the following while taking them:
- Mild to somewhat severe withdrawal symptoms
- Dilated pupils
- Hair standing up on my arms
- Headaches
- Brain fog
- Stomach issues
- Constant sleepiness
- Low motivation
- Overall feeling that life is hard
- Constant cravings to take more and more Dr. Reddy’s generic Suboxone films
Within a matter of days of taking the generic tablets I’d taken for years prior, I experienced this:
- Brain fog lifted
- Cravings reduced
- Withdrawal symptoms gone
- Better sleep
- Motivation came back
- Overall feeling that everything is okay (again)
I have found other websites where hundreds of people have complained about the very same experiences I had with Dr. Reddy’s films. I’m not a doctor and I’m not saying they’re bad. However, I had a very negative experience while taking them and would not recommend them.
Also – If I had started my recovery with Dr. Reddy’s films and experienced all these things, I don’t think I would have made it this far. I feel bad for anyone who experiences these things out of the gate and thinks this is the best there is. It’s not the best, or even close to it. For me the generic tablets and original Suboxone films have been excellent. They’ve saved my life, and allowed me to change my life for the better.
That’s my two cents. I hope this helps someone else.”
If you’ve had a bad experience with any generic Suboxone medication we’d like to hear from you. Please share your comments below and possibly help someone else in recovery.
Same problem. You don’t quite feel out of withdrawal. I experienced this in 2019, or 2020. I had been prescribed only one film a day at the time. That’s when I started using more. Luckily, my doctor increased my dose to two films a day, and I started getting the Alvogen strips regularly. Fast forward to April 2023. I had ran low on my normal strips, so I had to make two of them last 4 days. With the Alvogen, I was able to do it. (1/2 strip a day) I get my refill. It’s those awful Dr. Reddy strips! I had gone from 2mg holding me over for 8 hours, to taking a full strip, and still craving. You keep sweating. Even if you don’t really feel withdrawal, you don’t feel right. I was even hoping it had been in my head before, giving them the benefit of the doubt. Nope. Somethings different. They’re not the cheapest brand for no reason.
Yes, that’s the feeling – Not quite withdrawals but feeling like garbage at the same time. I made the bad decision to try them again last October and the same thing happened. My cravings went through the roof, I took more than I was prescribed and I still felt like garbage. Back to the tabs and I feel great again. Thanks for confirming this Mike.
The reason they can be different is becuase the generic versions are legally aloud to use less, or even a higher dose than the normal brand name suboxone. It’s the same with all generic opiate medications, as well as generic benzodiazepines. I don’t know why this is even legal but it is and it causes millions of people to have issues with there medications not working effectively, or even being to strong.
I completely agree I just wrote the FDA asking who I needed to speak to about the issue The generic brand makes me so sick at my stomach and I have recently started taking migraines again but I didn’t think about the generic brand causing it It makes sense I start feeling withdrawal symptoms by the end of the day I think patients she have the right to choose or refuse medication
Hello
I can tell you that unequivocally Dr. reddy SUBOXONE strips are NOT what they supposed to be. I have been on Suboxone for 5 years. I started with the pills…fine no problems. Switched to the strips…fine no problem. Changed from brand to generic fine no problem. Was even given a different brand of generic and again no problem. That’s why I was not concerned in the least when I picked up my Rx this time and again it was a different generic. This time it was Dr Reddy and that’s when ALL the problems started. Day one nothing really. Day2 felt like I had some light withdrawals symptoms. Runny nose, fatigue, etc. Day three the horror started. It was like full blown withdrawal. I could get into specifics of the symptoms but if you know then you know. All I can say is that this company should be looked into and or, at the very least pharmacies should NOT DISPENSE this product.
**Note: I informed my doctor and pharmacy and they were kind enough to take back and switch my unopened boxes of Dr Ready for a different generic. Within 1hr of taking the other generic all was back to normal. It was absolutely Dr Reddy
I had a similar experience over a 5-week period. Slowly I started feeling sluggish, then headaches started, then my stomach, etc. The ONLY change in my life was Dr. Reddy’s. I switched back to tablets and felt great within a day or two. Thanks for sharing your story Sandy.
I started taking Dr.Freddy’s laboratories brand of buprenorphine and naloxone. I’ve been taking 4mgs generic brand for years and I was totally fine. Then I went to pick up my prescription at the pharmacy and it was the Dr.Freddy’s generic brand of 4mg films. The pharmacy said that they were trying out a different brand so I didn’t think anything about it . I started taking the films right away I noticed that I needed to take more of the medication than I normally would take. Then I started waking up every day with really bad headaches and was nauseous and having severe pain in my back. I couldn’t understand why I was feeling this way every day and the symptoms started to get worse and worse. So I started to think about what could be causing these symptoms and the only thing that I was doing differently was taking the Dr.Freddy’s laboratories brand of medication so I know that it had to be the medication. I had to call my doctor and let them know what was happening to me and how I was feeling. I needed to get a different prescription for the films that I was taking before. I stopped taking the DR.Freddy’s brand and I was fine all the symptoms that I was having before were gone. So I know it was that brand of medicine that was making me sick! I definitely wouldn’t recommend anyone to take this brand of medication! Whatever chemicals they are using to make this brand are definitely not the same as other brands of this medication! It’s horrible! Someone needs to look into this company and find out what they are using because something is definitely wrong and pharmacy’s need to stop selling this product right away!
I had been on methadone for 10ths, then made one of the best tough decisions of my life and switched to subs. When the generics came out, I got Mylan and I could almost not tell the difference except the worse taste (and I HATE Mylan because their benzos are such obvious trash idk how they can sell them). Just last week I was just forced to take these because of insurance. My stomach hurts like back when I used to take 170mgs methadone a day.I feel that hot and cold feeling that only happens when your levels are low. My stomach hurts, can’t eat, can’t think, no energy. Sweating plenty.
Good meds come out of both China and India, but they are “cheaper” and India is very poor. I used to order generic Klonopin from India, made by Torrent Pharmaceuticals (India) and I could swear they were using the same industrial solvent used in those outlawed magic markers from the 80’s that reeked of FRUIT FLAVORED FUMES!!! So these banana fume pills from India that come in a blister from Torrent Pharm also caused instant headache and didnt work the same. I just read there were also carcinogens in Torrent Pharmaceuticals BP meds recently. Maybe the US shouldn’t be feeding us possibly poisonous low grade drugs from the worlds poorest countries just to turn a profit?
I agree, I was going on a trip to my best friend’s daughter’s wedding in Illinois, so I got my refills of suboxone films and packed them up and off I go. I had problems immediately! I didn’t realize the pharmacy switched me to dr. REDDYS without saying a word. I didn’t notice because the packaging was so similar. I left my entire make up bag on the plane never to see it again, now im out of state for a wedding and feel awful and now I have no makeup for the wedding. The next thing that happened was I left my dress for the wedding back at there house and had to attend the wedding in a plain everyday dress that looked terrible. I was still foggy and sick and didn’t understand what was going on. Later that night I go to my room feeling terrible and took a closer look at the medicine box when I was horrified to see th brand i had was dr reddys! That is the worst experience with a generic medicine in my Iong story short that crap ruined my vacation and had my best friend pretty upset with me. They need to take that crap off the shelves itstell
Dr reddy films are poison!!! My pharmacist is pushing me off the generic strips I been using to Dr Reddy!!! I have insurance and a $10 copay! I will not take Dr Reddy products again!! Worst 2 weeks of my life!!! I was considering going back on pain killers and H.. luckily I tried only a 2 week supply and was able to get the alvagen brand!! And I’ve been on this for the past few years now my pharmacist can’t get them wholesale so now I’m forced to by them at cost and not use my insurance .. I’ll pay out of pocket be I’m forced to take Dr Reddy .. this product needs to be taken off the shelves and investigated!!! Yes they are cheap but this is for a reason!!
Just don’t swallow the salyvia, and you should be fine!
Suboxone has been a lifesaver for me since 2013 but doubts have filled my mind for the last year due to my pharmacy change in the generic films they order. For over five years, when I was taking either name brand, Alvogen, or Sandoz films, I was able to maintain on 4mg consistently and feel great. Before that, rarely had I ever since first being prescribed the drug did I ever need or want to take more than one 8mg film per day. I can proudly say I always had medicine left over every month. When I started taking Dr. REDDY’S, this all changed. I need more than my 4mg maintenance amount to even start to maintain. I am headache, tired, and have even been diagnosed with excessive daytime sleepiness because of my increasing inability to stay awake if I sit down. I even fall asleep while standing. Its awful. I have been ashamed in myself for taking a minimum of 8mg per day ( usually 12 mg) just to feel half the effects of what 4mg did for me for half a decade. My pharmacy tells me that is all they can get in since Covid and that there is no other choice since my insurance does not cover name brand. I tested my theory one month when I had the money to pay for name brand out of pocket. I felt great. I had films left over at the end of the month like I always had.The following month I was able to alternate between Dr. REDDYS and the name brand films I had left over and I did pretty well. The following month was a different story and has only gotten worse. I was right back to running out early and feeling like crap. I chill all the time and have been waking up in night sweats…something I have not done in years. So I agree. I can’t explain and I know this is not what is supposed to happen but It is happening and I feel that my sobriety is at risk because of it. I need to also mention that there was one month where my suboxone levels were not detectable yet I had taken more than the month before. Something is not right with the Dr. Reddy’s films!
I just came across this page and had a light bulb go off. I had weaned myself down to 2mg once a day with the name brand or alvogen brand and was fine for over a year and half at that dose. The last 6 months I have gotten dr reddys strips and after about two weeks on it I felt like if I took a nap any time I woke up covered in swear and having chills and in the mornings was more severe. So I increased to half a strip 4mg. Well it all clicks now. I have daily headaches I almost always am nauseous especially in the morning. I go into withdrawals just 6-8 hours later yet never feel fully right I just assumed the stresses of life had me experiencing these symptoms and after seeing others stories i now know it’s because of this brand. I am going to switch brands at all costs with my next script to see it that makes things improve systemically. I hope that’s the reason why I haven’t felt all that great and not once normal for rhe past 6 months thsts a long time to blame it on myself instead of knowing the true culprit.
Hi Jodi. My experience with Dr. Reddy’s was horrible. It was a slow creep to feeling bad, so it wasn’t until week 5 or 6 that I knew something was wrong. I started feeling withdrawal symptoms early morning – like I couldn’t wait to get another film every day when I woke up. (That’s not normal..). I was extremely tired all day every day. My sleep was terrible because I’d wake most everyday feeling jittery and cold. My stomach didn’t feel great either. I lost my appetite. I finally asked myself, “What did I change in the last month or two?” I had switched from tablets to Dr. Reddy’s generic films – that was the only change. I switched back to tablets and felt like a new man in only two days time. Every symptom went away. I’m glad you were able to make the change back too.
Imagine if Dr. Reddy’s was the very first thing you tried when first getting clean? I would have gone back to drugs. That’s were the danger lies. Newcomers need to know that most of the generic Suboxone tablets and films work perfectly. It’s just Dr. Reddy’s that’s awful.
I tapered from 24mg suboxone brand films down to 6mg films per day (3 2mg films) in about 8 months.
At the 3 hour mark after each 2mg dose I start getting way over heated, sweaty and feel like crap. (This has happened my entire time on films after I dose).
I researched online and it appears to be an allergic reaction to the naloxone.
I’m going to talk to my doctor next appointment and see if I can switch to subutex (just buprenorphene).
These sweat attacks SUCK and make me want to take a bunch more. It’s defeating the purpose.
Look into naloxone side effects if experiencing bad effects from suboxone.
Hi Joe – That’s quite a taper you did in a very short time. Is it possible the sweating is simply a type of withdrawal, having dropped so quickly? I know from my experience I sweat as a part of withdrawal. I wonder if your prescriber might have some suggestions about this? Either way, congrats on the substantial taper!
I’d like to chime in here. I have been on suboxone for 21 years now. I was one of the first patients on the list when they hit the states.
I started on 3- 8 mg tabs and stayed on those until I became pregnant and was scotched to plain Buprenorphine tabs. Years went by and my doctor wanted me to switch to the new films and I did. No problems at all. A few years later. I picked up my script, didn’t recognize the label and requested my usual blue and white package films. Pharmacist said no.
I went home and within 2 days of taking the new Dr.Reddys. I started to feel sick again. Headaches, shivering, so so tired I couldn’t wake up. Called my doctor and asked to please be switched to generic tabs. He wouldn’t do it. It’s all in my head he told me. The same thing the pharmacy told me. No way! I’ve been on suboxone too long not to know the difference.
It took me relapsing to get my doctors attention!
He said I’ll give you one chance and switch you back to generic tabs and if you relapse again. I’ll no longer see you as a patient. It’s been years now and I have been doing great until last week. My doctor asked me to try the strips again to try and taped 2 mg.
Here we go again. Dr.Reddys all over. Back into withdraw and can’t function. Called my doctor and insisted I needed to return the strips immediately or I’ll relapse. Now I’m back on my generic tabs. My doctor did have me go from 3-8mg (24) to 2 1/2 tabs (20) but I’m okay.
I don’t understand why someone like me, that’s been on suns for over 20 years is not allowed to recognize there’s something wrong with the strips Dr. Reddys makes? The pharmacist doesn’t take them neither does my doctor. So patients are the canary in the coal mine and they really need to believe us. Then maybe doctors can request Albigensian instead of Reddy’s on our scripts and so be it if I have to find another pharmacy. I will to keep myself alive and sober. I have no reason to lie. Suboxone has saved my life literally and I want to be happy and keep my life on track. I have two disabled daughters to care for the rest of my life and I can’t afford to be anything else, but a great mom as well as a sober mom. After 20 years you would think my doctor and the pharmacist wouldn’t second guess my opinion and reaction to Dr. Reddys strips. They’re awful hands down. In my opinion. They’re cutting corners on the amount of ingredients to save a little on their bottom line while they’re destroying too many peoples lives tagt are trying to get off street drugs. This is terrible for a new user. I’m afraid they’ll never recover and give up within a week or less. I would have. Good luck. Let’s keep this up so maybe we can get Dr. Reddys removed from the United States market for hood to save so many lives.
Thanks for sharing this Maryann. You are not alone. Though they claim to have the same two ingredients everyone else uses (buprenorphine and naloxone), there is clearly something different about these films. Apparently, the FDA isn’t too crazy about their manufacturing processes either. I found multiple citations including this one regarding quality control: https://www.fda.gov/media/154632/download and this one citing cleanliness in their facility: https://www.fiercepharma.com/pharma/dr-reddys-scolded-maintenance-shortfalls-india-new-fda-form-483. Do a search for “Dr. Reddy’s FDA” and you’ll find plenty more. Just ridiculous.
My pharmacy was out of the generic suboxone that I normally take. So I was given the Dr Reddy’s 8/2mg. On day 2 of taking Dr Reddy film, I was woken up in middle of the night with very painful stomach cramping. That was than followed by consecutive days of headaches. I didn’t experience “withdraw” symptoms (atleast the typical symptoms I personally would get when in withdraw). But I did have stomach pain, discomfort, and headaches. A family member of mine also received Dr Reddy films, and they had a more severe side effect. Similar to full withdraw symptoms.
Check out Maryann’s comments and the reply below it. Dr. Reddy’s has multiple citations from the FDA, yet they are still trusted to make medications that save people’s lives? Unbelievable…
I was given the Dr.Reddy brand 8/2s because the pharmacy switched to that brand. I am on 2 strips a day, one in the morning, one in the evening. I start having withdrawal symptoms well before my next dose is due. I never had this issue with the other films, heck I didn’t have this issue with Zubsolv. Waking up in the middle of the night with withdrawal symptoms is not cool. I take my medication as prescribed but still have to endure withdrawal symptoms because the medication doesn’t last long enough in my system to get me through to my next dose. I can’t taper because I’m already uncomfortable in between doses. Something needs to be done about this medication. I have been on 3 other brands and they worked just fine.
You are so right – All other generics work just fine, but not this one. Dr. Reddy’s is the ONLY Suboxone generic that has ever made me feel sick, tired and a little shaky. It’s terrible medication and needs to be removed from the shelves of all pharmacies… immediately.
I’ve been on suboxone for more then ten years now I’m in a new state paying cash and these dr reddys ate terrible and cost ke 85 bucks!!! I feel so off from them, 1/4 of suboxone is better then 16mg of dr reddy!! I don’t know what to do…
Hi CB. I’d be happy to try to help. What state are you in, and do you have health insurance? If not, have you considered “state” insurance? It typically covers all addiction treatment costs and it costs nothing.
Wow I thought I was tripping I didn’t get why I was having headache everyday but now I know why I can’t wait to stop taking subs do y’all think I should go cold turkey? I’m tired of taking a sub
Dr reddys came out with a new batch of straps in February 2024 in shorter packaging. I suffered from 2 weeks of withdrawals and intense sores under the tongue and roof of my mouth before my doctor sent I. A script for name brand. Within 45 minutes of taking the name brand I feel 1000% better. I have contacted the fda and I encourage all who are experiencing this to hold on to your dr reddy strips and give the info to the fda. The lab in India that makes dr reddys is already under investigation from the fda for unclean labs and equipment, lack of training for employees, and not testing drugs before released to the public. The more people who contact the fda the better. Also ask your doctor to complete the fda medwatch about dr reddys. I am fortunate that I have the finances to pay out of pocket for the name brand. My heart goes out who can’t.
I’m so angry that this product is being dispensed. Ive been on Subs for about 8 years. I’ve gone from films to tabs back to films. I’ve been on Subs a long time and it’s going to take me a long time to get off of them, this I know..
I like the ability to cut the films with dosing changes.
Just yesterday I filled my script and got Dr Reddy for the first time. I didn’t think anything of it. Within a few hours of dosing, I felt nausea, didn’t think anything of it. Second dose and headache set in with nausea. Woke up feeling like crap, like the beginnings of withdrawal, headache, heart pounding, achy, stomach pain, cold, no energy, etc ..wtf? Dosed again and only mildly did the symptoms dissipate. Idk what to do about this as it’s Friday and Dr is closed till Monday. I’m angry at Dr Reddy for compromising our sobriety and the govt allowing it. Yes, I thought about where and how I could feel better.
Hello My Good People. This is probably going to be long. But it is going to be 100% truth and I pray that it helps someone who may be feeling like I felt just a short time ago while taking the Dr Reddys brand medication. Please feel free to answer some of my questions at the bottom. I would love to hear back from the person that started this thread but any feedback will be appreciated.
First, I want to say THANK YOU FOR POSTING YOUR EXPERIENCES here. This is a topic a lot of us who have been in recovery for many years have a hard time talking about. I’m going to be candid about my entire 2 experiences I have been on SUB’s because there is a possibility it may help someone who is struggling and not understanding what is going on to have something to put in front of your respective doctor or addictionologists that you get your meds from.
Ok. I first got Sober back in 2006. My Dr, the late Dr Ken Cronin was a renowned Addictionologist who cared deeply about his patients. I was on a program with him from 2006- 2017. During this time I stuck with the dose of 1.5 Tablets of the normal 8/2 Suboxne sublingual tabets. After a time of 3-4 years he bumped me up to 2 tablets per day. Many days I would take one tablet but I still was averaging about 1.5 tablets per day and would have pills left over almost every month. Every once in awhile I would have “One of those days” and would have to take a second tablet or more than likely a second 1/2 of a tablet that would put me at 2 per day as I was prescribed. In these 2 treatment periods I am going to cover here I want to say this… Taking the tablets and then after 5-6 years going to the Blue and White brand name labeled meds I NEVER FELT LIKE I WAS Having withdrawals and that I needed more and more. With that said in 2017 I successfully weened myself off of Sub and made a horrible mistake that would result into a few years of me abusing Adderals and taking Xanax. At some point in 2014 I decided to play with the idea of casual drinking. Casual drinking led me to going to see a psychiatrist because I felt like I was having issues paying attention. Nonetheless against my Sub doctors recommendation I decided to get on Addys and Xanax. This resulted into a horrible addiction which led me to snorting a lot of adderals and taking a lot of Xanax. My dosage was 3.5 30 MG of Adderal and 4-5 MG of Xanax per day. It was a pure sh*tshow. During this time I walked away from my career where I was making 300-350k per year to be confined to the house everyday eating pills (No Opiates) but I a severe downward spiral. In Oct of 2021 I came to myself and decided to go get some help. On the Adderals I completely quit taking the Subs and also got sober 100% off of alcohol. So know there was a 3-4 year stretch of me stopping subs and taking the Addys and Xans everyday.
So I go to treatment for 6 months and I’ve been over 2.5 years again and Praise God I am still sober and still standing. After I got out of treatment I started having cravings and also some depression and even though I was not taking opiates again other than Viva Zen Kratom Shots I made the decision to seek out a Dr and get back on my Subs. I fully believe this was a the best choice I could have made for myself and my psyche. Just taking a couple of these Viva Zens per day had me feeling like I was back on Opiates and I hated myself for going down that path. It did not last but about 1 month and I was back seeking out the Dr that I currently am seeing. I have left nothing out of this and I’m trying to cover all the bases because I just had an experience with these Dr Reddys brand strips that could have been very bad. So I started back seeing this doctor about 1.5 years ago and I’ve had no issues. But about 6-7 months ago I noticed the yellow box got changed to something in a white box. I didn’t think anything of it and at first I thought the Reddys brand were even better than the Yellow brand. In the last 4-5 months though something had been changing. It was my dose. For some reason with the Dr Reddys I have been taking more and more of them. I never really noticed until I got put on 3 per day and one day I thought. Wow. What has changed with this medication ? In the first several years of me taking the Sub I never felt compelled to just take another half. Take another half. Etc. Well about 3 weeks ago I got my prescription filled and I didn’t think anything of it. I was taking the 3 Per Day but I started feeling like that amount was not ENOUGH. Never had I ever took 3 strips or tablets before the Dr Reddys brand. Something is off on this brand I am here to tell you. When I opened the last box of meds it was like I couldn’t take enough of them. I started waking up in the midnight hours having to take a 1/2 of a strip and it really had me thinking something else was going on with me. But I take no other meds except a few Benadryl sometimes to sleep. Last night was horrible. I have been feeling like I was having these anxiety attacks when all in all I think my body was going thru withdrawal symptoms. I would take my medication and almost immediately be thinking about the next strip and the next strip and I have NEVER EVER had Subs make me feel like I’m phening at all. I mean never. I’ve ran out before and that’s something we should never do. But going a day or 2 and knowing what was going on compared to not knowing what the heck is going on because your taking your meds and having these feelings.
Now I will talk about where I currently am.
The Solution (I Hope Pray for Me Please)
Today I went in to see my Dr and I took my meds that I had left and all of my empty wrappers. I’ve never done that but I wanted to do this to let them know something is defiantly off with me. So I get there and they pull me in the side because again I’m early getting my meds. This has become an issue as the last 2 months I barely made it to my refill date. This time I’m 12 days early. I still had 12 or so Strips of Dr Reddys and I tell them something’s not right. That I had not eaten in almost 3 days. On top of this anxiety and that horrible sweaty/cold feeling we all know all to well. Thank GOD FOR GOOD DOCTORS. My Dr immediately could see something wasn’t right with me. He could tell that I was being sincere almost in a dead panic attack about what was going on with my meds. He immediately discontinued use of the Dr Reddys and put me back on 2-3 of the N8 Mylan tabs….. it is 4:24 PM right now. I didn’t see the Dr until 1:30. So another 20-30 min getting the new prescription filled puts me probably taking my meds around 2-2:15. So literally about 2 hrs ago I got the tablets into my system. I put 2 in my mouth and that’s something I haven’t done many times ever. The reason I took 2 is I know there is a huge deficit of how much medicine that was in my system, or the meds that need to be in my system. So I’m saying this. It’s only
Been 2 hours and I don’t feel 100% yet. But I feel 1000% better than I did and I had taken 1.5 of the Dr Reddys strips also earlier in the day and I still was feeling like I was in withdrawal almost the entire time that it took driving the hour drive to my doctor. I was fine to drive but just had that “something ain’t right” feeling. So on closing… again Thank You to whoever started this thread. I say that and I truly can’t thank you all enough becauae when I found it I immediately felt like this wasn’t my heart or anxiety this was WITHDRAWAL i was going thru. It started getting worse when I opened this 3rd box of medication that I gave to my Dr when I went in. It’s like it didn’t have some of the balance of the drugs that I/we all have become accustomed to taking. I know I shared the story that each month it was getting worse but it got unbelievably horrible these last 5-7 days. Almost like this whole box of medicine was tainted. So finally I am starting
To feel like myself again and I can only imagine it will keep getting better with some time. This has been a hard ride. But I wanted to take the time to come back here and write my story in hopes that maybe it will help someone else just like it helped me. My Dr didn’t read any of it but I had it ready to show because this information is put together very well. If you are a Sub patient and you are having ANY and I mean ANY type of issue that you have not
Been having and you are taking the Dr Reddys brand medication SEE YOUR DOCTOR ASAP. I mean do not do what I did and see it coming and not say anything. Sub use when done right should not be going up and going up and going up. If anything it should taper off and you should be able to cut down how much you are taking. If you’re taking Dr Reddys and you’re not having any issues, I am also warning you with this message. I to had felt no issues until the last couple of months. Something is different in the formulation of the medication and it is not what it should be. I believe also this was a really bad batch and I guess it was kinda the perfect storm for me with all things considered. If anyone has any feedback to my story or can tell me how long it took
You to get to feeing back 100% after you had your Dr Reddy train wreck I would Appreciate it. I will be coming back for many, many months and years to check this thread to see if it grows or if I can help someone else who could be going thru what I just was going thru literally hours ago. So far so good……. Thank You to all who have read this. I hope this is able to help or shed light onto a situation if your having some issues with your Sub medication. But I feel like I’m gonna be getting back to normal here. Thanks Be to God! Stay Safe out there People.
What an outstanding share this is! Thank you for writing this. This is precisely the experience so many of us have had with these terrible films. They make us sick, put us into withdrawal, and make us feel like we’re crazy. We’re not crazy. Dr. Reddy’s generic Suboxone films are NOT the same as other films or tablets. There is something wrong with them that not only creates withdrawal but also makes us feel sick. It can happen slowly and gradually. You won’t know what’s wrong until you’re either taking too much, feeling like garbage, or both. It’s not you, it’s these terrible films. Justan, I am so glad you have a doctor who is willing to listen. I would encourage anyone who’s struggling with Dr. Reddy’s films to print Justan’s comments and share them with your Suboxone doctor.