Table 4.

Induction experiences with buprenorphine

Domain	Representative quotes
Initial dose too high	“When I took the pills, he gave me 8mg right away; I was so high off of it. I don’t know if it might have been better off giving me 2mgs at first seeing how it goes rather than 8mgs … If it doesn’t work, then go to 4mg, 6mg. Do the minimal amount possible rather than ‘all right let’s start you with this 8mg pill’. It wasn’t tailored to me.”
Persistent cravings	“It [buprenorphine] didn’t do anything. I was on three of them a day. I was still having withdrawal symptoms. They weren’t horrible. But, it really didn’t make me feel good physically at all. For me, it was good in a way. It helped me to build life back. The problem was I was still thinking about heroin everyday.”
Precipitated withdrawal	“I was on methadone in Puerto Rico, one of the sons of the owner used to steal the pill from his dad. I didn’t know about it but he gave me a couple. That day, I failed to go to the methadone program and realized that shit [buprenorphine] is for that. I was scared because I never taken it before. I cut it in 4 pieces. That shit caught [precipitated withdrawal] the methadone I had. I almost died. So then, I get scared of that pill. I didn’t want it anymore. When I came to the U.S. they offered me that, I was like no.”