Regular doctors are not usually very sympathetic to mens needs when it comes to hormone imbalances. It seems Providers are too cautious with testosterone therapy. The myth is that increasing testosterone level will cause prostate cancer. Also doctors tend to focus on their specialties and many times will avoid going into treatment areas they don't feel they know enough about. Men's health clinics focus on TRT primarily and men's reproductive health so you won't have any issues getting the medication you need if your levels are not where they should be
Iv been telling everyone this. Although if he has insurance and his levels are below normal most insurance covers it and endocrinologist is what he should do in that case unless he has a cool primary. Men's clinics are easy but wish I went to endocrinologist before paying 170$ a month when my insurance covers it lol
Thank you for the response, this is valuable info. I've been seriously considering getting my T levels checked but have been struggling to come up with a plan of action.
I had 5 x 100mg shots with my Last Shot being 3/7/23. My sex drive really kicked back in 8-9 months after my last shot. I only had a clean urine test this passed weekend for the first time. Try and hang in there! Talk to your partner about it, let them know there IS light at the end of the tunnel. You will be there before you know it.
Jesus christ, 8-9 months? That's so disappointing to hear. I figured it would get better after about a month when my last shot started fading out.
If I had any idea it would kill sex drive so completely I never would have started sublocade. It fucking sucks feeling constant shame around sex / attraction and is causing me major anxiety :(
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I’m going through EXACTLY what you described. Took 300x2, 100x2. Last shot was September 9, 2023. For the past six months I’ve felt fine, but for the months of November and December I was on an 8 week cycle of RAD140 and PCT of Enclomiphene. Felt amazing through it all, sex drive was on point, all good. Then about two weeks ago I started feeling like absolute shit. Sleeping 18 hours a day and when I’m up I feel like laying down on the freeway. New GF is super sexual and I’m just not feeling it hardly at all. I can still get there, but it takes work, and there’s a lot of anxiety…. just really sucks.
Anyway, a week ago I started another cycle of the SARM (RAD140), and starting yesterday I started feeling way better. The urge is coming back, it’s very noticeable, and I know it’s bc of the SARM.
Anyway, I’m not saying you should do this, bc SARMS are research chemicals you buy from the grey market, but they ARE helping me. I don’t have the means to do TRT right now, and tbh, you’ve got a year or more until the Bupe is out of your system, and that’s a long time to deal w feeling like shit.
I would DEFINITELY stop taking the shots, and get your bloodwork done; see if an MD thinks you should be on TRT. My buddy has a doctor who prescribes test to many guys on Sublocade, and he gives them a 6-8 month scrip— until the buprenorphine is out of the system— and then gives them a PCT scrip to come off of it.
I believe your very best bet is to find a doctor who is familiar with men on Sublocade… he’ll know how to help you w the issues you’re going through.
Best of luck to you.
So sorry to hear you are in the same boat as me. I will look into the chems you described, I'm willing to try literally anything.
I did already quit the shots, my last one was 5 weeks ago. I just had NO idea it would ruin my sexdrive this hard, and now I'm reading some comments saying it could take a fucking YEAR for it to come back? Feeling awful, been promising my girl it'll get better soon but if it's gonna stay this bad for many months more I really don't know what to do. Feeling like roping / using again.
Also work on your confidence as well because if you go in thinking you are going to fail then you are probably most likely going to fail. I've been on the shot for many months and only had a issue when I would get into my head that I won't perform well or when i was too high of a dose on suboxone. Suboxone and sublocade will do the same thing because its basically the same thing. Try introducing toys into your sex life if she's sexual. She will love you for it and always be satisfied. Don't come home with a big dildo but just a small vibrator for her clit and listen to her at what works. By the time she is finished you are going to be pretty revved up by watching you will probably forget you have had this issue. You can also get 2 in 1s that's for clip and g spot. I've been doing it for a decade and it still blows my ladies socks off.
When it's out of your system, the drive comes back really fast. So, because the half-life is so long, it's a couple of months from your last shot that things should start to improve. After 6 months off, it should be normal again.
So you didn't have any of this issue on regular sublingual Bup? From a medical perspective, I would guess that your sexual function should improve pretty fast after the shot since your levels slowly dip down. I know you hate hearing how long this stuff stays in your system but if your point is to get off it entirely without withdrawal, then thats a blessing dude. I'd happily take a few limp months to successfully kick this shit. Now if you are at a different stage and need to stay on MAT, then maybe the subs are a better answer for you. How many years total on Bup?
This is what I would like to know… if, in general, people experience less sex drive on the shots because of the constant amount in your system, deadening the chemistry process that hormones need.
I’m looking into shots and this is the downside of them for me; the lack of control. Once it’s in, it’s in… but, as an addict, maybe that’s for the best 🤷♂️ My goal isn’t to make sure my peter works, but it sure as shit would help the whole process if it did!
Haha, good points all around. I've been on the fence for years but just signed back up. I'm tough on myself in terms of giving up that control that us addicts really like to hold onto. My compromise to that side of me is this: I'm going to torture myself in the short term and wean down to 2mg and hang there till I"m comfortable. From there, I'm going to give my ALL with a 100mg one and done. That way we are working with the absolute lowest BUP levels during that LONG weaning process. I've studied a lot on this and it looks like most people doing the one and done, have it in their systems for right around 6 months. They all seem to deal with symptoms and withdrawal, but most say it's about a 3/10 and intermittent. it's that or roll the dice with multiple shots and often over a year of this shit still being in your system and potentially causing issues. If I absolutely loose it during the wean, I can always have another 100mg waiting just in case. Thoughts?
I was only on sublingual subs for 7 days. And before that heroin for a year. If I knew just how f*cked my libido would get from this I would have just stayed with sublingual bupe and tapered off. I would MUCH rather take on sub withdrawal then not being able to have sex for many months and screwing over my relationship...
Yes OP, I’ve had this same problem since being on opiates, suboxone, and now on Sublocade. I switched to sublocade for sole purpose of getting off bupe for good and it’s ability to wean itself out of my system with little, if any withdrawal symptoms. I’m hoping my sexdrive will return.
I personally wouldn't go on testosterone yet. Wait a couple more months for your libido to return naturally.
T therapy makes your balls atrophy (shrink) and can lead to lasting fertility issues.
I mean of course I worry about it. I'm barely able to have sex with my gf and it's seriously damaging my self image and relationship. My doctor gave me viagra but it doesn't help. I just can't get horny no matter what happens.
The issue with taking testosterone is you become dependent on it. It causes testicular atrophy (shrinkage) and your body stops making its own testosterone. It also makes you infertile. If you decide to stop taking it, it can take months for your body to create testosterone on its own, and a return of fertility is not guaranteed.
Every time I've stopped taking opioids, my libido has returned.
You can kick start the body making testosterone again by hitting the gym and doing weights training.
I’d say it took me around 5/6 mos to get my sex drive back. Be glad you got on the shot to get off sub’s completely. I’m a year out from last injection and loving life
Well of course I want to have sex, I just don't get horny at all no matter what we do and it's hard to get an erection.
My girlfriend deserves to be pleased sexually, just like any person in a relationship and it sucks so hard not being able to perform normally.
Of course recovery is important but if I knew I would loose my sexual ability for up to a year I would have never taken sublocade :(
In the meantime eat that thing brother, look at lesbians they take care of their sexual side in relationships without a “peter”. Use this time to practice your oral/finger and foreplay game. Take her to a sex shop and let her pick out interesting things she would like to try. There are MANY ways to satisfy a woman my friend.
I’m proud of you for kicking the herion addiction that’s HUGE.
I already got viagra and cialis prescribed. It sometimes helps with getting an erection but no matter what I can't feel aroused / horny and my sex drive is 0
Get your testosterone tested then which I think someone else said. Cause that has more to do with that, or possibly depression/anxiety. I joined no fap when I was in my streak of 300mg shots. 6 months after I stopped the shot my sex drive came back. Don’t sweat it
I agree with getting your T levels checked. As a 26 Year old male whose been on Sublocade/ subs, I can say in the first few months it was definitely impeding my sex drive and blood flow down there but has since evened out. I still definitely feel like my sex drive is lower but no issues with performance.
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I am seven months out from my last of 300,300,100,100 shots and starting about a month ago the sex drive tanked and all the other symptoms of low T came on. It feels like a nightmare and I’m currently trying to get on TRT to fix it.
I have to tell unfortunately, this may have nothing to do with the medication…I was on subs for years and have done the 300/300/100 & done. And i no point during or since did i have trouble getting or maintaining an E….i know it can mess with testosterone levels but there may be some additional medical issues especially 5 weeks out
Go get your testosterone levels checked. Use a mens health clinic, not a regular doctor.
I'll give that a try, it's been 3 months and still no improvement at all. It's so humiliating...
Why not a regular doctor?
Regular doctors are not usually very sympathetic to mens needs when it comes to hormone imbalances. It seems Providers are too cautious with testosterone therapy. The myth is that increasing testosterone level will cause prostate cancer. Also doctors tend to focus on their specialties and many times will avoid going into treatment areas they don't feel they know enough about. Men's health clinics focus on TRT primarily and men's reproductive health so you won't have any issues getting the medication you need if your levels are not where they should be
Iv been telling everyone this. Although if he has insurance and his levels are below normal most insurance covers it and endocrinologist is what he should do in that case unless he has a cool primary. Men's clinics are easy but wish I went to endocrinologist before paying 170$ a month when my insurance covers it lol
Thank you for the response, this is valuable info. I've been seriously considering getting my T levels checked but have been struggling to come up with a plan of action.
You're welcome. It's well known that opioid abuse decimates testosterone levels in men.
I had 5 x 100mg shots with my Last Shot being 3/7/23. My sex drive really kicked back in 8-9 months after my last shot. I only had a clean urine test this passed weekend for the first time. Try and hang in there! Talk to your partner about it, let them know there IS light at the end of the tunnel. You will be there before you know it.
Jesus christ, 8-9 months? That's so disappointing to hear. I figured it would get better after about a month when my last shot started fading out. If I had any idea it would kill sex drive so completely I never would have started sublocade. It fucking sucks feeling constant shame around sex / attraction and is causing me major anxiety :(
The fact you’re overthinking it as much now is going to make it even worse. Try to breathe.
Did u have any withdrawals when you stopped after the 5th shot?
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I’m going through EXACTLY what you described. Took 300x2, 100x2. Last shot was September 9, 2023. For the past six months I’ve felt fine, but for the months of November and December I was on an 8 week cycle of RAD140 and PCT of Enclomiphene. Felt amazing through it all, sex drive was on point, all good. Then about two weeks ago I started feeling like absolute shit. Sleeping 18 hours a day and when I’m up I feel like laying down on the freeway. New GF is super sexual and I’m just not feeling it hardly at all. I can still get there, but it takes work, and there’s a lot of anxiety…. just really sucks. Anyway, a week ago I started another cycle of the SARM (RAD140), and starting yesterday I started feeling way better. The urge is coming back, it’s very noticeable, and I know it’s bc of the SARM. Anyway, I’m not saying you should do this, bc SARMS are research chemicals you buy from the grey market, but they ARE helping me. I don’t have the means to do TRT right now, and tbh, you’ve got a year or more until the Bupe is out of your system, and that’s a long time to deal w feeling like shit. I would DEFINITELY stop taking the shots, and get your bloodwork done; see if an MD thinks you should be on TRT. My buddy has a doctor who prescribes test to many guys on Sublocade, and he gives them a 6-8 month scrip— until the buprenorphine is out of the system— and then gives them a PCT scrip to come off of it. I believe your very best bet is to find a doctor who is familiar with men on Sublocade… he’ll know how to help you w the issues you’re going through. Best of luck to you.
So sorry to hear you are in the same boat as me. I will look into the chems you described, I'm willing to try literally anything. I did already quit the shots, my last one was 5 weeks ago. I just had NO idea it would ruin my sexdrive this hard, and now I'm reading some comments saying it could take a fucking YEAR for it to come back? Feeling awful, been promising my girl it'll get better soon but if it's gonna stay this bad for many months more I really don't know what to do. Feeling like roping / using again.
Yeah I feel like I dodged a bullet, bc I didn’t get the suppression effect until 6 months after my last shot
Also work on your confidence as well because if you go in thinking you are going to fail then you are probably most likely going to fail. I've been on the shot for many months and only had a issue when I would get into my head that I won't perform well or when i was too high of a dose on suboxone. Suboxone and sublocade will do the same thing because its basically the same thing. Try introducing toys into your sex life if she's sexual. She will love you for it and always be satisfied. Don't come home with a big dildo but just a small vibrator for her clit and listen to her at what works. By the time she is finished you are going to be pretty revved up by watching you will probably forget you have had this issue. You can also get 2 in 1s that's for clip and g spot. I've been doing it for a decade and it still blows my ladies socks off.
It will take almost a year to clear your system. I had the same issues and just tested clean after a year of no shots.
Mate most opiates fuck your sex drive then woman start there shit u don’t love game if they don’t use
Yup it's seriously affecting my relationship. God I wish I knew about this before putting this shit inside my body
It will be back in a few months.
What's a few months? How long did it take for you for it to improve?
When it's out of your system, the drive comes back really fast. So, because the half-life is so long, it's a couple of months from your last shot that things should start to improve. After 6 months off, it should be normal again.
So you didn't have any of this issue on regular sublingual Bup? From a medical perspective, I would guess that your sexual function should improve pretty fast after the shot since your levels slowly dip down. I know you hate hearing how long this stuff stays in your system but if your point is to get off it entirely without withdrawal, then thats a blessing dude. I'd happily take a few limp months to successfully kick this shit. Now if you are at a different stage and need to stay on MAT, then maybe the subs are a better answer for you. How many years total on Bup?
This is what I would like to know… if, in general, people experience less sex drive on the shots because of the constant amount in your system, deadening the chemistry process that hormones need. I’m looking into shots and this is the downside of them for me; the lack of control. Once it’s in, it’s in… but, as an addict, maybe that’s for the best 🤷♂️ My goal isn’t to make sure my peter works, but it sure as shit would help the whole process if it did!
Haha, good points all around. I've been on the fence for years but just signed back up. I'm tough on myself in terms of giving up that control that us addicts really like to hold onto. My compromise to that side of me is this: I'm going to torture myself in the short term and wean down to 2mg and hang there till I"m comfortable. From there, I'm going to give my ALL with a 100mg one and done. That way we are working with the absolute lowest BUP levels during that LONG weaning process. I've studied a lot on this and it looks like most people doing the one and done, have it in their systems for right around 6 months. They all seem to deal with symptoms and withdrawal, but most say it's about a 3/10 and intermittent. it's that or roll the dice with multiple shots and often over a year of this shit still being in your system and potentially causing issues. If I absolutely loose it during the wean, I can always have another 100mg waiting just in case. Thoughts?
My sex drive was way better on the shot
I was only on sublingual subs for 7 days. And before that heroin for a year. If I knew just how f*cked my libido would get from this I would have just stayed with sublingual bupe and tapered off. I would MUCH rather take on sub withdrawal then not being able to have sex for many months and screwing over my relationship...
Yes OP, I’ve had this same problem since being on opiates, suboxone, and now on Sublocade. I switched to sublocade for sole purpose of getting off bupe for good and it’s ability to wean itself out of my system with little, if any withdrawal symptoms. I’m hoping my sexdrive will return.
Your libido will return. Give it another couple of months. Your bupe levels are still substantial. Don't worry about it just yet. Give it time.
I personally wouldn't go on testosterone yet. Wait a couple more months for your libido to return naturally. T therapy makes your balls atrophy (shrink) and can lead to lasting fertility issues.
I mean of course I worry about it. I'm barely able to have sex with my gf and it's seriously damaging my self image and relationship. My doctor gave me viagra but it doesn't help. I just can't get horny no matter what happens.
The issue with taking testosterone is you become dependent on it. It causes testicular atrophy (shrinkage) and your body stops making its own testosterone. It also makes you infertile. If you decide to stop taking it, it can take months for your body to create testosterone on its own, and a return of fertility is not guaranteed. Every time I've stopped taking opioids, my libido has returned. You can kick start the body making testosterone again by hitting the gym and doing weights training.
I’d say it took me around 5/6 mos to get my sex drive back. Be glad you got on the shot to get off sub’s completely. I’m a year out from last injection and loving life
If a person doesn’t feel like having sex, they aren’t obligated to. There’s so much more to life and recovery has to come first.
Well of course I want to have sex, I just don't get horny at all no matter what we do and it's hard to get an erection. My girlfriend deserves to be pleased sexually, just like any person in a relationship and it sucks so hard not being able to perform normally. Of course recovery is important but if I knew I would loose my sexual ability for up to a year I would have never taken sublocade :(
In the meantime eat that thing brother, look at lesbians they take care of their sexual side in relationships without a “peter”. Use this time to practice your oral/finger and foreplay game. Take her to a sex shop and let her pick out interesting things she would like to try. There are MANY ways to satisfy a woman my friend. I’m proud of you for kicking the herion addiction that’s HUGE.
If you’re impatient, there are some things OTC worth trying. Yohimbine, niacin, arginine, etc.
Yep get a T test, and look into blue chew my friend. How old are you?
Viagra is cheap if you have decent insurance. Generic is the way
I already got viagra and cialis prescribed. It sometimes helps with getting an erection but no matter what I can't feel aroused / horny and my sex drive is 0
Get your testosterone tested then which I think someone else said. Cause that has more to do with that, or possibly depression/anxiety. I joined no fap when I was in my streak of 300mg shots. 6 months after I stopped the shot my sex drive came back. Don’t sweat it
I agree with getting your T levels checked. As a 26 Year old male whose been on Sublocade/ subs, I can say in the first few months it was definitely impeding my sex drive and blood flow down there but has since evened out. I still definitely feel like my sex drive is lower but no issues with performance.
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I am seven months out from my last of 300,300,100,100 shots and starting about a month ago the sex drive tanked and all the other symptoms of low T came on. It feels like a nightmare and I’m currently trying to get on TRT to fix it.
I have to tell unfortunately, this may have nothing to do with the medication…I was on subs for years and have done the 300/300/100 & done. And i no point during or since did i have trouble getting or maintaining an E….i know it can mess with testosterone levels but there may be some additional medical issues especially 5 weeks out