If you’re battling opioid addiction, suboxone may help. But before you decide to take this medication, there are several things you should know. Suboxone is available as a tablet or an oral film that dissolves under the tongue. It is primarily used during the maintenance treatment phase of recovery.
What is Suboxone?
A drug called suboxone is used to treat opioid addiction. It combines buprenorphine and naloxone and can be taken as an oral film or tablet that dissolves under the tongue. Only medical professionals with specialized training and certification from the federal government are permitted to prescribe suboxone. Buprenorphine is an opioid receptor blocker that reduces cravings for opioids and decreases withdrawal symptoms when you stop taking them. Naloxone is a misuse deterrent that blocks your opioid receptors if you try to misuse your medication by snorting or injecting it, preventing strong overdose symptoms and potentially saving your life.
Suboxone can be taken in either tablets or the film that goes under your tongue and dissolves (buccal). It’s important to remember that suboxone is not a one-size-fits-all treatment for OUD but should be used alongside other recovery solutions, including inpatient and outpatient detox and counseling. Because of this, regular check-ins with your prescribing doctor are necessary for proper dosage and side effect management. Patients can receive safe and practical treatment for opioid addiction from an online suboxone clinic. These facts can help you better understand and prepare for your upcoming treatment regimen with this life-saving MAT medication.
How is Suboxone Medicated?
Buprenorphine and naloxone are combined to create Suboxone, a convenient sublingual film or tablet. It is usually prescribed in a dosage that your doctor will adjust over time to find the right amount to provide optimal relief. When taken properly, suboxone reduces withdrawal symptoms and cravings for opioids while blocking the high from other opiates. It also prevents overdose, as the drug adheres to the opioid receptors but has a ceiling effect that limits how much it can activate the brain’s opiate receptors and impede breathing. People who overdose on suboxone almost always mix it with other medications, often sedatives like benzodiazepines, that bind to and slow the body’s breathing. You must not chew, crush or swallow the tablets but hold the film in your mouth until it dissolves completely. Be sure to rinse your mouth afterward to remove any tablet residue. As individuals explore the potential benefits and risks of Suboxone for opioid addiction treatment, it’s essential to stay informed about any ongoing Suboxone lawsuits, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of legal developments surrounding the medication. If you need legal assistance, consider consulting “suboxone lawsuit lawyers” for guidance.
What are the Side Effects of Suboxone?
Buprenorphine and naltrexone are two drugs combined to form suboxone. Both of these drugs have been approved to treat opioid use disorder. The buprenorphine in suboxone has pain-relieving effects and can help with withdrawal symptoms. Naltrexone helps to prevent relapse after stopping opioid use. Suboxone can have side effects, which are generally mild and go away after a few days or weeks. If they continue or are severe, call your doctor. It would help if you did not take alcohol while taking suboxone because this can cause breathing problems or make the drug less effective. It is also important to tell your doctor if you are taking other medications, especially antibiotics, antifungals, sedatives (like Xanax or Valium), medicines for depression or Parkinson’s disease, seizures, and blood thinners. While suboxone is an important tool for treating opioid use disorder, it can have serious long-term side effects. Taking too much of the medication or using it in ways other than prescribed by your doctor can lead to an overdose and be fatal. Myths about suboxone can foster stigma that prevents people from getting this life-saving treatment.
How Long Does Suboxone Stay in Your System?
Suboxone stays in the body for varying lengths depending on certain factors, such as age, health, and weight. The drug metabolism rate decreases with aging, which can cause drugs to stay longer in the system. People with liver disease also metabolize drugs slower than those with healthy livers. If a person misuses suboxone by snorting, injecting, or mixing it with other substances to get high, serious side effects can occur. These can include coma, respiratory failure, and death. Suboxone is taken orally and can be administered as a dissolvable oral film or tablet. It is usually taken under the tongue (sublingual) or between the cheek and gums (buccal). If a patient takes a urine test, it can detect traces of buprenorphine in their system for one to four days. Typically, suboxone does not appear on standard 5-panel or 10-panel drug tests given by employers or other organizations. However, it can be tested with a special kit specifically looking for the opioid metabolite, buprenorphine. These kits are available at most drug testing centers.
Is Suboxone Safe?
When taken as part of a medication-assisted treatment plan and under the supervision of a mental health professional, suboxone is safe to consume. However, it is still an opioid medication and can cause dependency when taken at high doses or stopped suddenly. If you experience withdrawal symptoms while taking suboxone, your doctor will gradually taper your dosage to help you recover from dependence. Suboxone contains two medications, buprenorphine and naloxone, that combine to prevent opioid overdoses. The opioid receptors in your brain are attached to buprenorphine since it is a partial opioid agonist, but unlike other opioid medicines, it does not fully activate them. Naloxone blocks other opioids from activating the receptors, making it extremely difficult to overdose on suboxone. You can take suboxone in tablet or film form. The tablet is a pill that you swallow, while the film is placed under your tongue to dissolve (sublingual) or between your gums and cheek to dissolve (buccal). To take suboxone correctly, moisten your mouth, take a sip of water and let the medication dissolve in your mouth. Do not chew or crush the tablets, as doing so can lead to gastrointestinal complications.