How does suboxone effect the brain

This side effect may go away with continued use of the drug. Weight gain or weight loss are not side effects that have been reported in studies of Suboxone.

However, some people who take Suboxone have reported having weight gain. Rash is not a common side effect of Suboxone. However, some people who take Suboxone may get a rash if they have an allergic reaction to the drug. The most common symptoms of an allergic reaction to Suboxone are rash or hives and itchy skin. If you have a rash while taking Suboxone, talk with your doctor.

You may need a different treatment. If you also have other symptoms, such as swelling of your face or trouble breathing, call your doctor or local poison control center right away. This could be a serious allergic reaction. Sweating is a common side effect of Suboxone. In a study, sweating occurred in about 14 percent of people taking Suboxone. Hair loss is not a side effect that has been reported in studies of Suboxone.

However, some people who take Suboxone have reported having hair loss. Insomnia trouble sleeping is a common side effect of Suboxone. In one study, insomnia occurred in about 14 percent of people taking Suboxone. Suboxone can impair your ability to drive. Suboxone may also be used off-label for other conditions. Suboxone is FDA-approved to treat opioid dependence. 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. Suboxone is sometimes used off-label to help manage opioid withdrawal symptoms as part of a detoxification program. It may help reduce how severe symptoms are. Detoxification programs are generally short-term, inpatient treatment plans used to wean people off of drugs, such as opioids, or alcohol. Opioid dependence treatment, on the other hand, is a longer-term approach to reducing dependence on opioids, with most of the treatment being done on an outpatient basis.

Suboxone is sometimes used off-label for treating pain. Suboxone may be beneficial for people who have both chronic pain and opioid dependence. Buprenorphine, one of the drugs contained in Suboxone, is also used for pain.

However, studies of how effective it is for this purpose are mixed. Suboxone is not used for treating depression. However, buprenorphine, one of the drugs contained in Suboxone, is sometimes used to treat depression and treatment-resistant depression.

Some research shows that buprenorphine may improve mood in people with depression. Buprenorphine has some of the same effects as opioid drugs, but it also blocks other effects of opioids.

Buprenorphine is the part of Suboxone that helps treat opioid drug dependence. It does this by reducing withdrawal symptoms and drug cravings. Naloxone is included in Suboxone solely to help prevent abuse of the medication. Naloxone is classified as an opioid antagonist. This means it blocks the effects of opioid drugs. This is because it blocks the effects of opioids, putting you into immediate withdrawal. However, this withdrawal is less likely to occur when you use the Suboxone film. This is because the film releases less naloxone into your body than an injection does.

Treatment of opioid dependence occurs in two phases: induction and maintenance. Suboxone is used in both of these phases. During the induction phase, Suboxone is used to reduce withdrawal symptoms when opioid use is being decreased or stopped.

Suboxone is only used for induction in people who are dependent on short-acting opioids. These opioids include heroin, codeine, morphine, and oxycodone Oxycontin, Roxicodone. Suboxone should only be used when the effects of these opioids have begun to wear off and withdrawal symptoms have started.

During the maintenance phase, Suboxone is used at a stable dosage for an extended period. The purpose of the maintenance phase is to keep withdrawal symptoms and cravings in check as you go through your drug abuse or addiction treatment program. After several months to a year or longer, your doctor may stop your Suboxone treatment using a slow dosage taper.

Long-term use of Suboxone can cause physical and psychological dependence. Physical dependence can cause mild withdrawal symptoms if Suboxone use is abruptly stopped.

Reports of Suboxone withdrawal showed that most symptoms typically peak by withdrawal day 5. And they typically last until withdrawal day 9 or Below is a chart showing possible Suboxone withdrawal symptoms and a timeline of how long they may last.

The following information describes dosages that are commonly used or recommended. However, be sure to take the dosage your doctor prescribes for you. Your doctor will determine the best dosage to suit your needs. Suboxone is only available as an oral film that can be placed under the tongue sublingual or in the cheek buccal.

It comes in four strengths:. Suboxone is also available as a generic version that comes in other forms. These forms include a sublingual film and a sublingual tablet. Suboxone contains two drugs: buprenorphine and naloxone. These individual drugs come in additional forms. Buprenorphine forms include a sublingual tablet, a skin patch, an implant for under the skin, and a solution for injection. Naloxone forms include a nasal spray and a solution for injection. These forms of the two drugs are not all used to treat opioid dependence.

During the maintenance phase, Suboxone is continued at a stable dose for a time ranging from several months to over a year. If you miss a dose during the maintenance phase, take it as soon as you remember. This means your body gets used to the drug and you need higher and higher doses to get the same effect. Drug tolerance has not been seen with Suboxone or with either of the drugs it contains buprenorphine or naloxone.

While taking Suboxone for opioid dependence, you may be required to do frequent drug tests for the use of opioids. There are different types of urine drug tests. 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. Most opioids can be detected within one to three days after use.

However, Suboxone is long-lasting. It may be detected for longer periods of time. However, there are some home drug tests that do check for buprenorphine, one of the drugs in Suboxone. This, of course, means a positive result for buprenorphine is a positive result for Suboxone.

But if your symptoms are severe, call or go to the nearest emergency room right away. There are a few other drugs in addition to Suboxone that are used to treat opioid dependence. Examples of these drugs include:. There are also other medications that contain buprenorphine plus naloxone, the ingredients in Suboxone. The brand names for these other medications are Bunavail and Zubsolv. The combined effects of these two ingredients reduce cravings for addictive Opioids such as Heroin , Codeine , Fentanyl , and Oxycodone.

People who are undergoing treatment for Opioid addiction usually take Suboxone to manage withdrawal while they detox from Opioids. Afterwards, they often continue to use the medication to control cravings and withdrawal while they progress through therapy and rehab. Suboxone is not meant to be a cure for Opioid addiction, but rather a helpful part of the recovery process. As a result, only doctors who receive certifications from the Department of Health and Human Services may prescribe Suboxone.

The medication is manufactured as dissolvable films and tablets. Learn More. Buprenorphine and Naloxone are the two ingredients of Suboxone. Buprenorphine is an Opioid which is actually more potent than Morphine. In other words, it prevents other Opioids from affecting the brain. Therefore, Buprenorphine provides a way for patients to wean themselves off of Opioids while minimizing Opioid withdrawal.

Buprenorphine is unlikely to cause the intense sedation and euphoria which most Opioids cause, but the drug will suppress withdrawal symptoms and satisfy basic Opioid cravings in someone with Opioid addiction. Naloxone is a medication which reverses the symptoms of an Opioid overdose. The purpose of Naloxone as an ingredient of Suboxone is to prevent people from overdosing on the Buprenorphine.

While Suboxone is potentially addictive, the risk of becoming addicted to Suboxone is less than the risk of becoming addicted to other Opioids. Since Suboxone is not as intensely sedative as other drugs, it is less likely to cause people to experience cravings. Buprenorphine, the Opioid ingredient of Suboxone, may provoke moderate withdrawal symptoms, specifically headaches, muscle pains, and nausea.

While a person can develop tolerance to Buprenorphine, they will not be able to overcome that tolerance by compulsively or repeatedly increasing how much Buprenorphine they take. Although Suboxone addiction is unlikely, Suboxone abuse is certainly possible. Drug traffickers have been selling illegal Suboxone to people throughout the United States. In , police in just one city, Cincinnati , confiscated over 6, doses of illegal Suboxone.

Most people who buy Suboxone illegally are not trying to experience an Opioid high. Instead, they are trying to obtain relief from Opioid withdrawal. A person could misuse Suboxone by using it to relieve Opioid withdrawal without a prescription and without undergoing treatment for Opioid addiction.

In such cases, a person might use Suboxone whenever they start to experience withdrawal symptoms, fail to abide by any medical limits, and suffer an overdose.

When someone neglects to start treatment for Opioid addiction and takes Suboxone regularly to live without withdrawal symptoms, they become dependent on the medication and never overcome the illness. Suboxone was designed to be easy for patients in recovery to take. It comes in two forms: a tablet and a sublingual film, both of which dissolve in your mouth. Essentially, both of these methods offer the same results.

However, tablets are sometimes less expensive than the film, and some patients feel they are more discreet. On the other hand, some patients prefer the film due to their ability to taper their dose in smaller and smaller increments when their recovery goals involve weaning off the medication entirely. This practice should never be done without guidance from your doctor. A complete MAT plan combines a carefully-monitored medication regimen with substance abuse counseling and regular primary care to keep your mind and body in fighting health.

For some patients in recovery, Suboxone is not the right choice of medication. Search Close Menu. Sign In About Mental Illness. About Mental Illness Treatments. About Mental Illness Research. Your Journey Individuals with Mental Illness. Your Journey Family Members and Caregivers.

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