Suboxone can slow or stop your breathing, and death may occur. A person caring for you should give naloxone and/or seek emergency medical attention if you have slow breathing with long pauses, blue colored lips, or if you are ecstasy withdrawal and detox symptoms and timelines hard to wake up. In the event of an opioid overdose, a companion should immediately administer naloxone if it’s available. They should then call 911 (or the local emergency number) or bring you to the nearest emergency room.

If you have bothersome or ongoing headaches with Suboxone treatment, call your doctor. They can diagnose the cause and suggest ways to ease your symptoms. If you have severe, bothersome, or ongoing constipation, talk with your doctor about your options. Tell your doctor if you have problems with constipation, as taking Suboxone may make this problem worse. If you have severe constipation already, your doctor may suggest a different medication than Suboxone. Below are answers to some frequently asked questions about Suboxone’s side effects.

  1. This could lead to immediate opioid withdrawal symptoms.
  2. Ask a doctor before using Suboxone if you are breastfeeding.
  3. However, Suboxone is only appropriate for induction in people who are dependent on short-acting opioids such as heroin, codeine, morphine, or oxycodone (Oxycontin, Roxicodone).

According to the American Society of Addiction Medicine, Suboxone is a recommended treatment for opioid dependence. It helps treat opioid dependence by reducing the withdrawal symptoms that can occur when opioid use is stopped or reduced. Naloxone is an opioid antagonist, which means it blocks the effects of opioid drugs.

If you’re having trouble opening medication bottles, ask your pharmacist about putting Suboxone in an easy-open container. They also may recommend tools that can make it easier to open bottles. You should not eat or drink while the Suboxone film is in your mouth. However, you may take a dose on an empty or full stomach, as Suboxone films are absorbed in your mouth and not your stomach. Once the Suboxone film fully dissolves, rinse your mouth with water and swallow it.

Narcotic Addiction vs. Opioid Use Disorder

The onset of action is similar for the film and dissolving tablet versions. Generic drugs are typically less costly than brand-name versions. If treatment goals are not being achieved, the physician should re-evaluate the appropriateness of continuing the current treatment. Do not cut, chew, or swallow SUBOXONE sublingual film. These issues aren’t common, and you probably won’t deal with them while taking Suboxone.

On the second day, your doctor may give you the total dose of Suboxone you received on the first day. But if you’ve had significant withdrawal symptoms, your doctor may increase this dose by 2 mg buprenorphine/0.5 mg naloxone or 4 mg buprenorphine/1 mg naloxone. Once you and your doctor find a Suboxone dosage that manages your symptoms, your treatment will continue into the maintenance phase. For the maintenance phase of treatment, Suboxone film may be placed under your tongue or inside your cheeks to dissolve. During induction treatment, you’ll receive Suboxone doses at your doctor’s office or clinic. For induction therapy, it’s recommended that you place Suboxone film under your tongue and not on your cheeks.

Suboxone generic

You may become addicted to the pleasure the drug causes even when there’s no longer a physical cause of pain. You need more and more opioids to get the same feeling. Ideally patients should be seen at reasonable intervals (e.g., at least weekly during the first month of treatment) based upon the individual circumstances of the patient. Medication should be prescribed in consideration of the frequency of visits. Provision of multiple refills is not advised early in treatment or without appropriate patient follow-up visits. Periodic assessment is necessary to determine compliance with the dosing regimen, effectiveness of the treatment plan, and overall patient progress.

Suboxone and Zubsolv contain the same drugs and are used in the same way to treat opioid dependence. In a 2013 study, Suboxone and methadone were found to be equally effective for reducing the use of opioids and keeping users in their treatment program. Suboxone and methadone have been compared in clinical studies evaluating their use for treating opioid dependence. However, Suboxone is only appropriate for induction in people who are dependent on short-acting opioids such as heroin, codeine, morphine, or oxycodone (Oxycontin, Roxicodone). Some of these tests, including the tests often used in those who take Suboxone for opioid dependence, can detect the presence of Suboxone and other opioid drugs.

Oftentimes, a patient will receive either the strip or the tablet depending on what their local pharmacy has available or what their insurance plan will cover. Klonopin (clonazepam) is classified as a benzodiazepine. Taking Suboxone with benzodiazepines, including Klonopin, can increase the risk of severe side effects.

How To Properly Take Suboxone Strips

If you need a third film, follow the same steps but only after the first two films have dissolved. If you need more than one film to complete your dose, how to recognize the signs of intoxication with pictures place them both under the tongue — one on the right side and one on the left side. Keep the film under your tongue until it has completely dissolved.

However, when administered by injection or intranasally, naloxone blocks buprenorphine from working and helps prevent potential overdoses. Regardless of your specific form or brand, the medication is taken by dissolving it in your mouth. The film may be placed against the inside of your cheek or under the tongue. In 2021, West Virginia had the highest rate of opioid overdoses in the United States, with 91 out of every 100,000 citizens experiencing an overdose that year.