MyStreetHealth·Sample Microinduction Schedule·mystreethealth.com
Day 1
Microinduction Build-Up, Doses Every 2 Hours
Start at Hour 0
(at the time you and your
provider agreed on)
(at the time you and your
provider agreed on)
🔹 First: Prepare your medication
=
One full 2 mg strip, cut into 4 pieces
Take a 2 mg strip and cut it into 4 equal pieces.
Each piece is about 0.5 mg
0.5
0.5
0.5
0.5
Phase 1 — Hours 0 – 6
0.5 mg per dose
| Hour 0 | 0.5 mg | 1 piece (¼ of a 2 mg strip) |
| Hour 2 | 0.5 mg | 1 piece (¼ of a 2 mg strip) |
| Hour 4 | 0.5 mg | 1 piece (¼ of a 2 mg strip) |
| Hour 6 | 0.5 mg | 1 piece (¼ of a 2 mg strip) |
Phase 2 — Hours 8 – 10
1 mg per dose
✂️ How to cut for this phase
=
One full 2 mg strip, cut in half
Take a 2 mg strip and cut it into 2 equal pieces.
Each piece is about 1 mg
1 mg
1 mg
| Hour 8 | 1 mg | Cut a 2 mg strip in half → take ½ strip |
| Hour 10 | 1 mg | Take the other ½ strip you set aside |
Phase 3 — Hours 12 – 14
2 mg or 4 mg per dose
Phase 4, Hour 16
8 mg dose (only if in your plan)
Take 8 mg at Hour 16 in the form your clinician prescribed. Do not take this dose if you are having severe worsening symptoms, severe sleepiness, confusion, fainting, trouble breathing, or inability to stay awake. If those occur, contact your care team urgently or call 911.
=
Four 2 mg strips
=
Or one 8 mg strip — same dose
This is sometimes 4 full 2 mg strips. Your prescriber may instead give you a single 8 mg film, or another form — follow what they prescribed.
2mg
2mg
2mg
2mg
8mg
| Hour 16 | 8 mg | Four 2 mg strips taken together — or one 8 mg film, as prescribed |
MyStreetHealth·Telehealth Buprenorphine Care·mystreethealth.com
Day 2
Sample twice-daily dosing: 8 mg AM & 8 mg PM
Sample total: 16 mg/day
(unless your dose was individualized)
(unless your dose was individualized)
Each 8 mg dose can be:
=
Four 2 mg strips
=
Or one 8 mg strip — same dose
2mg
2mg
2mg
2mg
8mg
| Time | Dose | How to take it |
|---|---|---|
| Morning | 8 mg | Four 2 mg strips, or one 8 mg strip |
| Evening | 8 mg | Four 2 mg strips, or one 8 mg strip |
MyStreetHealth·Sample plan — follow what your clinician gave you
Day 3 & Beyond
Sample ongoing dose: 16 mg total per day
Once-daily or twice-daily as prescribed
(your dose and timing may differ)
(your dose and timing may differ)
Each 8 mg dose can be:
=
Four 2 mg strips
=
Or one 8 mg strip — same dose
2mg
2mg
2mg
2mg
8mg
| Schedule | Dose | How to take it |
|---|---|---|
| Once daily | 16 mg | Two 8 mg strips, or eight 2 mg strips — or as your prescriber specified |
| Twice daily | 8 mg + 8 mg | One 8 mg strip (or four 2 mg) morning & evening — or as your prescriber specified |
Do not take more than your prescribed total daily dose unless your clinician specifically tells you to.
🦷
Oral health while on sublingual buprenorphine
After the medication fully dissolves, take a large sip of water, gently swish around your teeth and gums, and swallow. Wait at least 1 hour before brushing your teeth. The FDA has warned about dental problems (cavities, tooth loss, oral infections) with buprenorphine medicines dissolved in the mouth. Tell your clinician and dentist if you have tooth pain, cavities, gum problems, or dental concerns.
🚗
Driving and safety-sensitive work
Do not drive, operate machinery, or do safety-sensitive work during induction until you know how the medication affects you. Do not drive on Day 1 unless your clinician specifically told you it is safe.
🩺
Your care team is with you
Questions at any point in this process? Reach out before skipping or changing a dose. If this was prescribed through MyStreetHealth, contact MyStreetHealth.
💡
Why small doses first?
Some opioids, such as fentanyl and methadone, can stay in tissues or affect opioid receptors longer than expected. Kratom leaf products and concentrated 7-OH products are not the same as prescription opioids, but opioid-active kratom compounds and 7-OH can act at mu-opioid receptors. Because these substances can affect the same receptor system, induction planning may need to be individualized.
Starting buprenorphine with very small doses during microinduction is intended to let it gradually occupy receptor space and may reduce the risk of sudden precipitated withdrawal. It does not eliminate that risk.
By the time a prescribed patient reaches the later doses, the gradual build-up is intended to reduce abrupt receptor displacement. If symptoms worsen, do not rush the schedule. Follow your plan and contact your prescribing clinician.
Some opioids, such as fentanyl and methadone, can stay in tissues or affect opioid receptors longer than expected. Kratom leaf products and concentrated 7-OH products are not the same as prescription opioids, but opioid-active kratom compounds and 7-OH can act at mu-opioid receptors. Because these substances can affect the same receptor system, induction planning may need to be individualized.
Starting buprenorphine with very small doses during microinduction is intended to let it gradually occupy receptor space and may reduce the risk of sudden precipitated withdrawal. It does not eliminate that risk.
By the time a prescribed patient reaches the later doses, the gradual build-up is intended to reduce abrupt receptor displacement. If symptoms worsen, do not rush the schedule. Follow your plan and contact your prescribing clinician.
⚠️ Important Rules — Read Carefully
🕐
Day 1 timing matters. Doses are spaced every 2 hours on Day 1 unless your plan says otherwise. Do not skip, double up, delay, repeat, or add a dose unless your prescribing clinician tells you to. If you feel severely worse, very sleepy, confused, faint, or short of breath, do not take more medication. Seek urgent help.
✅
Some mild discomfort or mild withdrawal symptoms can happen during microinduction. Symptoms often improve as the day goes on, but worsening, severe, or unusual symptoms should be discussed with your care team before taking more medication.
🔁
If you feel worse soon after a dose: do not rush the next dose. Wait 3 hours instead of 2 only if this instruction is part of your plan, and contact your prescribing clinician. If symptoms are severe, or if you have trouble breathing, confusion, fainting, repeated vomiting, severe dehydration, or inability to stay awake, call 911 or go to the emergency room.
🚫
Do not use non-prescribed opioids, fentanyl, kratom, 7-OH, alcohol, or non-prescribed sedatives once you start this schedule. Do not start, stop, or change prescribed methadone, opioids, benzodiazepines, gabapentin, pregabalin, sleeping pills, muscle relaxers, or other sedating medications unless your prescribing clinician specifically instructed you to do so. Combining buprenorphine with alcohol, benzodiazepines, gabapentin, pregabalin, other opioids, or other sedatives can cause dangerous sedation, slowed breathing, overdose, or death.
📞
Contact your prescribing clinician before making any changes to this schedule. If this was prescribed through MyStreetHealth, contact MyStreetHealth.
🆘
Call 911 or go to the emergency room for: trouble breathing, chest pain, confusion, fainting, inability to stay awake, severe dehydration, or suicidal thoughts.
🌐
If this was prescribed through MyStreetHealth, your MyStreetHealth care team is available through the patient portal at mystreethealth.com.
MyStreetHealth Microinduction Protocol·mystreethealth.com