The drug is not something you want to get addicted too.
If you do end up on this drug, try to find a doctor who's not trying to make money off your misery. Might be hard?
There's two forms of bupenorpine. One has a opiate blocker (nalaxone) in it--It is expensive. Try to get your doctor to prescribe generic bupenorpine. Once you get bupenorpine in your brain, your craving for opiates will diminish. If it dosen't you need to do the whole 12 step dance.
The high of bupenorpine wears off after a few months, so it's no panacea. Remember, you will be addicted to another drug, but at least it's legal. Try to take the smallest dose possible. The slight euphoria wears off! People don't understand that? After a few months you will be addicted to another drug. Your Doctor will become your drug dealer. The fun wears off real quick. I have no reason to lie. And yes--I'm just one person. You're not reading the results of a well done double blind study.
There's a lot of misinformation about this drug--even among the MD's who needed to take a special class in order to prescribe it.
Again, don't start it unless you've bathed your brain in opiates for a long time. A while is not a few months. Even if your hooked to the gills on smack, the media makes detox so dramatic. I've seen people scared to death, thinking they will die from withdrawal. Dying s very rare, unless you have the health of Jerry Garcia.(huge addiction, obese, and diabetic, etc). If you are realitively healthy you can taper off. This goes for Alcoholics too. You don't necessarily need to spend your last 40 grand on high priced Promices. Taper, Taper, Taper. Ten percent a day. Doctors won't tell you this because of the small chance you die--liability.
Again, don't start this drug if you can. They don't know the long term effects. If you are one of the unfortunate ones, and use bupenorpine, make the best of the situation. I have heard of peope getting off it, but they taper their dose, and have a fair amount if decipline. If you are trying to get off bupenorpine, stay off the drug recovery websites; everyone exaggerates, and the stories will just scare you.
My honest, blood written advise is Never take opiates. Especially, if you even think you have a slightly addictive personality, or biology? Don't take that free Percocet offered by you friends. I honestly feel long term opiate use, or buprenorpine use damages the pleasure centers of your brain.
Good Luck--and please save any lectures. This is just my opinion.