The purpose of this research study is to compare two ways of managing pain in people who are taking buprenorphine and are scheduled to undergo surgery. Buprenorphine (subutex) and buprenorphine/naloxone (suboxone) are effective long-term treatments for substance use disorders. The management of pain after surgery in adults taking buprenorphine can be challenging, as buprenorphine may interfere with the effectiveness of other medications used to treat pain. The investigators want to compare how well pain is managed after surgery ("post-op") in two groups: The "Continue Group": those who continue taking their standard dose of buprenorphine before, during and after surgery. The "Reduce Group": those who are placed on a lower dose of buprenorphine starting one day before surgery and during the time period after surgery until the pain from the surgery has decreased. Once the pain from the surgery has decreased, participants will be put back on their full dose of buprenorphine. The investigators also want to find out if there is a difference in pain, opioid cravings, and relapse rates in the month following surgery.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Participants will be prescribed 8mg buprenorphine daily from the day of surgery until transitioned back to their regular dose of buprenorphine when postoperative surgical pain has subsided
Pain scores at 24 hours post-operative procedure
Average pain scores at 24 hours post-op
Time frame: 24 hours
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