A family member of mine is currently in treatment for opiate addiction/pain and was prescribed Suboxone and now Subutex. She has been on opiates in all forms for about 22 years.
Buprenorphine
Well-documented
Well-documented
Multiple authoritative sources agree on dosing and effects.
- 5 corroborating sources
- 1 ROA with full dose ladder
- duration data present
- 19 combo interactions documented
- toxicity data (PsychonautWiki, PubChem)
Well-documented
Multiple authoritative sources agree on dosing and effects.
- 5 corroborating sources
- 1 ROA with full dose ladder
- duration data present
- 19 combo interactions documented
- toxicity data (PsychonautWiki, PubChem)
Aliases: Bupe, Subs, Sobos, Strips, Nalone, suboxone
Summary
Buprenorphine is a partial μ-opioid agonist and κ-opioid antagonist used for opioid use disorder treatment and pain management. It has a ceiling effect for respiratory depression and euphoria at therapeutic doses, making it safer than full opioid agonists. However, this ceiling effect is removed when combined with benzodiazepines or alcohol.
Dose Information
Dose basis. Buprenorphine’s dose depends entirely on route and on whether the reader is opioid-tolerant. The sublingual figures are the meaningful ones: oral buprenorphine is largely destroyed by first-pass metabolism and needs MORE by mass, not less. Oral and insufflated ladders were withdrawn on 7 August 2026 because they had been populated with sublingual numbers, which read as though those routes were 5x more efficient than sublingual rather than less. As a partial agonist it can also precipitate withdrawal in someone physically dependent on a full agonist.
| ROA | Light | Common | Strong | Heavy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sublingual | 1-2mg | 2-4mg | 4-8mg | 8mg+ |
Light
Common
Strong
Heavy
Onset, Duration & After-effects
| ROA | Onset | Comeup | Peak | Offset | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sublingual | 30-80 min | 1-2 hrs | 1.5-4 hrs | 6-12 hrs | 9-19.33 hrs |
| Transdermal | 12-24 hrs | - | 24-48 hrs | 12-24 hrs | 48-96 hrs |
| Intravenous | 2-5 min | 5-15 min | 30-60 min | 4-8 hrs | 4.61-9.33 hrs |
| Intramuscular | 15-30 min | 30-60 min | 1-2 hrs | 4-8 hrs | 5.75-11.5 hrs |
| Oral | 60-90 min | - | 1.5-2 hrs | 4-8 hrs | 6.5-11.5 hrs |
| Insufflated | 30-60 min | - | 4-8 hrs | - | - |
Opioid MME Calculator
⚠ Citation & Disclaimer:
Conversion factors sourced from the
NIH HEAL Initiative MME Calculator (Adams et al., PAIN 2025),
the CDC 2022 Clinical Practice Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Pain,
and the MDCalc MME Calculator.
These are approximate equianalgesic ratios for educational reference only.
Individual responses vary significantly based on genetics, tolerance, cross-tolerance, and route of administration.
This is not medical advice. Do not use these conversions to adjust opioid dosing without professional medical guidance.
mg
0.26
mg
Buprenorphine
≈
—
mg
Morphine
| Substance | Equivalent Dose | MME Factor |
|---|
⚠ Equianalgesic dose ratios are approximations and do not account for genetic factors, tolerance, incomplete cross-tolerance, or pharmacokinetic variations. Methadone conversion is especially variable at higher doses. Always consult a healthcare provider before making any changes to opioid therapy.
Effect Profile
178 reportsScores (1–10) curated from multiple sources:
- Effect keyword matching from PsychonautWiki catalog
- Validated against 152 Erowid trip reports
- Weighted by importance: core (×3), major (×2), minor (×1)
Opioid
8.1
Intense
8/10
Strong euphoria, pain relief, and itching/nausea with moderate sedation
Euphoria / Warmth
×3
10
physical euphoria
cognitive euphoria
euphoria
mood lift
Analgesia
×2
10
analgesia
pain relief
Sedation / Relaxation
×1
7
sedation
dream potentiation
Itching / Nausea
×1
10
nausea
constipation
dry mouth
Based on reports from:
Add missing routes to PsychonautWiki Journal
The PsychonautWiki Journal app already has Buprenorphine, but its built-in entry only covers Insufflated, Sublingual. Here are the other routes we have data for. You can't edit a built-in substance, but you can add a Custom Unit for any of these routes to log it.
⬇ Download import file
Import this file as custom substances
and you get "Buprenorphine (Substance Search)" with every
route's full dose ladder and timeline, no typing. Works on iOS and
Android (v15+); the format is confirmed by the app's
developer. The manual values below work for older
versions.
Dose & duration (reference)
Buprenorphine: routes the PsychonautWiki Journal app is missing Source: SubstanceSearch (substancesearch.com) Transdermal dose (µg): threshold 5mcg/h Intravenous dose (mg): threshold 0.1 Intramuscular dose (mg): threshold 0.1 Transdermal duration: onset 12-24h · peak 24-48h · offset 12-24h · total 48-96h · after-effects 24-72h Intravenous duration: onset 2-5m · come-up 5-15m · peak 0.5-1h · offset 4-8h · total 4.61-9.33h · after-effects 12-24h Intramuscular duration: onset 15-30m · come-up 0.5-1h · peak 1-2h · offset 4-8h · total 5.75-11.5h · after-effects 12-24h Oral duration: onset 1-1.5h · peak 1.5-2h · offset 4-8h · total 6.5-11.5h · after-effects 1-16h Note: ranges are harm-reduction guidance, not a prescription. Start low, go slow, and test your substances.
Custom Units carry a single dose per route, so the full ranges live in the reference above. A route's suggested dose is the midpoint of its common range. Ranges are harm-reduction guidance, not a prescription.
Tolerance
Build-up
develops slowly due to partial agonist ceiling; still produces opioid cross-tolerance
Reset
7–14 days for partial reset; full reset may take weeks — tolerance loss greatly increases overdose risk
Tolerance Decay
Full tolerance
7d
Half tolerance
7d
Baseline
~14d
Acute tolerance: develops within a single session — the reset numbers above apply after sustained heavy use, not after one binge. Within-session tachyphylaxis usually resets largely overnight.
Tolerance accrues with repeated dosing and decays slowly after cessation. Risky behaviors arise when users underestimate tolerance loss during/after taper or detox and resume previous opioid doses.
Cross-Tolerances
Other opioids
60%
Effects
Aggregated from 152 Erowid and 26 Bluelight experience reports
Positive Effects 34
Contentment
34.6%
84%
Euphoria
34.3%
89%
Sedation
28.7%
84%
Stimulation
24.7%
82%
Anxiety Suppression
23.6%
79%
Empathy
20.2%
80%
Sociability Enhancement
15.4%
86%
Tactile Enhancement
10.6%
85%
Music Enhancement
10.5%
70%
Focus Enhancement
9.6%
71%
Pain Relief
9.5%
87%
Body High
8.4%
83%
Mood Lift
7.7%
78%
Itching
7.7%
90%
Empathogenic Connection
7.7%
82%
Peace
7.7%
88%
Emotional Openness
7.7%
82%
Catharsis
3.8%
90%
Tactile Intimacy Enhancement
3.8%
80%
Memory Enhancement
3.8%
75%
Adverse Effects 35
Nausea
27.5%
84%
Body Load
23.1%
79%
Vomiting
19.2%
94%
Confusion
13.5%
80%
Dysphoria
11.5%
87%
Urinary Retention
11.5%
85%
Dizziness
11.5%
88%
Insomnia
11.5%
83%
Headache
8.4%
83%
Sweating
8.4%
87%
Visual Distortions
3.9%
90%
Motor Impairment
3.9%
80%
Dry Mouth
3.8%
95%
Sadness
3.8%
90%
Emotional Suppression
3.8%
85%
Heart Rate Increase
3.8%
85%
Environmental Transfiguration
3.8%
90%
Amnesia
3.8%
90%
Tremor
3.8%
85%
Time Dilation
3.8%
85%
Combinations
Cross-Check Buprenorphine with another substanceCommunity Trip Reports
Anecdotal first-person accounts from Reddit, Erowid, and Bluelight. Click a source to expand. Reports are harm-reduction context, not medical guidance. Tags summarise each author's own verdict — how reports are classified.
Erowid 8 reports 2 positive 2 neutral 4 cautionary visit
Mixed Experience I had mixed feelings about my experience with suboxone. I was hanging out with a few friends, and one of them offered some to me. I'm usually well educated about a drug before I try it, but with this I wasn't and didn't know what to expect.
I have had many pleasant times with subutex and it is one of my favorite opioids. I have only tried subutex IV because i like the fast onset of opiates and that I get the 100% bio activaty of the drug.
An Opioid, Music and Catharsis as Creativity Aides Ive just had the most fascinating, fulfilling, and cathartic experience Ive had in a while. As soon as it was over (and even a little before) my first thought was; I cant wait to write a trip report about this when I get home! Ive been doing a series of these rec...
Unlike most people I know, my first real profound drug experience occured not as a teenager drinking at a party or smoking weed, but with prescription opioids. At about the age of eight, I was unfortunate enough to be diagnosed with a non malignant tumor behind my inner ear that required extremely painful surgery.
This is going to be my story of getting addicted to and abusing opiates for three years and how I found the way out of hole that I had gotten myself into. I hope maybe this can help someone who is in the situation that I was in the past few years. I guess I should begin with a little background.
My Addiction to IV Buprenorphine I got addicted to opiates at the age 16 from abusing prescription pills, first I was sniffing them but soon I had a friend introduce me to using syringes.
The effects of long-term Buprenorphine/naloxone usage on my body. As well as other observations. Ok, My name is Jeff and Im an addict. I was introduced to Suboxone by my friend Terry who generously gave me some when I desperately needed it.
Bluelight 8 threads 8 neutral visit
Note: This is part of a much larger trip report called "Tequila Mockingbird" ( http://www.bluelight.ru/vb/threads/...es-amp-Cannabis-quot-Tequila-Mockingbird-quot ) Day Fourteen: "Melancholia" I’ve had two hours sleep; been working on assignments for university all night. Tonight is my last opportunity to trip.
Hey guys. Glad too be here. This just happened to me. I've submitted it to Erowid but from my understanding it could be awhile before it sees the light of day over there. So I'm posting it here. Plus I wanted to share it with you guys.
Recently I managed to source enough dried subs to last me a long, long while. At last! I'm closer to 70 now than 60, and up until I was 50-ish used to trip properly a few times a year on acid or shrooms and MDMA when I could get it.
Clinical History : Highly opiate tolerant, past use includes the majority of all pain control (both IR & ER formulations) opiates most often at or above doses deemed abuse for over 10 years (nonconsistantly). Newly experienced with 8mg Suboxone sublingual tablets.
I've seen a lot of questions and misconceptions about plugging bupe. Also, I feel that not everything is completely addressed in the mega-thread. So, here is my 2 cents. I am scripted subutex every month and my favorite ROA by far is plugging.
Background: I had been ingesting on average 8-10 oz of raw grounds per day. I have used as much as 28 oz, partly as grounds and partly as tea because it would be nearly impossible to get down that much grounds. I draninking down grounds is much easier than making tea, and it seemed more efficient too.
I have been on buprenorphine maintenance for my previous heroin/painkiller addiction in the form of suboxone/subutex for three years now. Whilst most reports of substances concern new or otherwise unexpected experiences, mine will concern the opposite, the most expected, the routine, the everyday experience of buprenor...
It was June of 2011. Having left the homeless shelter in the 3rd largest city in my state, I got a room at a rooming house. I had been there for a few months and knew and partied with most of the residents.
Pill Identifiers
2
known pill identifiers on record — view imprints, colors, shapes, and images
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Buprenorphine's nerd page
Pharmacology, chemical data, effect profiles, and more
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Helpful Links
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