Signs of Suboxone Addiction

Suboxone addiction is a progressive condition that may not present with obvious symptoms right away. However, Suboxone addiction can lead to serious health problems, even death. Since Suboxone is used to assist people who are addicted to other opioids, it is often difficult to tell whether some of the signs of physical addiction are due to the opioid addiction or to Suboxone.

The most obvious sign of a physical addiction is withdrawal upon cessation of use. Withdrawal from long-term use of buprenorphine may produce symptoms similar to those experienced from heroin withdrawal. However, withdrawal symptoms tend to be milder and may include:

• Yawning
• Sweating
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Leg restlessness
• Irritability
• Anxiety
• Cold or flu symptoms
• Insomnia
• Headaches
• Aches and pains
• Mood swings
• Loss of appetite

Signs of Suboxone Overdose

If you are concerned that someone you love may be addicted to Suboxone, it may be necessary to be on the watch for Suboxone overdose symptoms. Some commonly reported symptoms of a Suboxone overdose include:

• Cold and clammy skin
• Coma
• Confusion
• Dizziness
• Extreme weakness
• Fainting
• Hypotension
• Loss of consciousness
• Pinpoint pupils
• Respiratory depression
• Sedation
• Seizures
• Shortness of breath
• Slowed breathing
• Small pupils
• Tiredness

Intervention Resources

When struggling with the idea of holding an intervention for someone addicted to Suboxone, you have several resources you can turn to, including:

• Health care provider (such as a physician, physician’s assistant, or nurse practitioner)
• The American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM)
• Clergy, religious educators, and church administrators who have counseling skills
• Most companies have an Employee Assistance Professional (EAP) who acts as a confidential resource; whether it be a worksite person or a third party that your company contracts with to provide EAP services.
• Narcotics Anonymous provides support groups that help families and friends of people with drug problems recover from the effects of living with an addict.
• Counselors (including social workers, psychiatrists, psychologists, mental health counselors, substance abuse counselors, and nurses). When choosing a counselor, ask if the person has specific experience in identifying and treating addictive disorders, or has certification from NAADAC, the association for addiction professionals.

Treatment for Suboxone Addiction

Drug rehab facilities can be found in every state and offer a wide variety of choices; so how do you choose?
To get the most success in finding the right program for you, think about the following questions before you start your search:

• Do you prefer inpatient or is your schedule better suited for outpatient?
• Do you feel your needs would be better met by a specialized program, specific to your addiction?
• Do you need medical assistance with detox or do you need a program that focuses on psychological and behavorial aspects of addiction only?
• Do you want a program that specializes in your age, gender, or has a particular religious association?
  After answering these questions, you can focus on finding the right treatment program that meets your unique needs.

Suboxone Intervention Help

Intervention is an effective strategy for many people who are addicted to drugs. However, planning and conducting an intervention is not always easy, and we can help. Please call our toll free number today at (888) 371-5712. We are available 24 hours a day to answer any questions you might have about Suboxone addiction, treatment, and intervention. We are here to help.

The patient may choose to go through this process at home or at a supervised facility. It is safer to go to a facility because they are able to aid in the process 24 hours a day. If anything goes wrong, there is someone there to fix it immediately. At home, there is no one trained to help there. During the detox process, the patient will go through undesirable symptoms of withdrawal. However, if Suboxone is not abused, then it will assist in the withdrawal process and will not cause extra problems.

Suboxone Facts

Suboxone is a type of drug that contains buprenorphine and naloxone. It is used to treat patients who have an opiate addiction. Buprenorphine is an opioid medication that is similar to other drugs such as morphine and heroin; however, it is easier to stop taking because it creates a lesser high. Naloxone is added to block the opioid effects.

Suboxone Abuse

The main point of taking Suboxone is to aid in the treatment of opiate addiction. Suboxone is supposed to be taken by placing the one or two tablets (depending on what your doctor prescribes) under the tongue and left to dissolve. This is the only way to properly and safely administer the drug. When it is taken properly, the naloxone does not affect the job of the buprenorphine and everything works accordingly. However, when Suboxone is abused everything works differently. If someone abuses suboxone by injected or chewing, the naloxone will block the effects of the buprenorphine and if the user has an opioid addiction, they will experience withdrawal symptoms. The desired effect for the medication is completely reversed.

Suboxone abuse also leads to drug dependence. The body will start to need the drug and will experience withdrawal symptoms when it does not receive the drugs. Often these addictions happen accidentally by patients unknowingly abusing their prescription or they may know they are abusing their prescriptions, but did not realize the consequences. When a dependence is formed, the user will need to go through the necessary detox and rehab steps if they decide to stop taking it.

Suboxone Help

If you or a loved one would like more information on Suboxone abuse or recovery, please call our toll free number at (888) 371-5712. Help is just a phone call away.

Types of Suboxone Treatment Centers

People need to find out which Suboxone treatment center fits their needs.

Breaking Suboxone Physical Dependence

No matter what path is taken, breaking the physical dependence to Suboxone is the first step. This step is often the most physically painful or uncomfortable. During detox the body rids itself of the drug and any other unwanted toxins that may be associated with the addiction. For some, this is the only action taken in breaking the addiction. This works for some, but for others there are more issues lying underneath.

Holistic Treatment Centers

Holistic treatment would be recommended for those with long-term or highly intense addictions. These centers will also provide detox programs, but they go beyond the physical dependence. There is a wide range of centers that each offer unique services and activities (yoga, pilates, sports, team building activities, etc.), so it is important to do research and find which suits you best. Holistic treatment offers counseling for their patients which provides many advantages:

• Help patients make lifestyle changes
• Teach abstinence skills
• Develop coping tools
• Help learn to manage feelings
• Identifying relapse warning signs and learning ways to prevent relapse

After Suboxone Treatment Centers

After successfully completing the rehabilitation process, many are ready and able to dive back into reality and flourish. However, some need to make baby steps. For these patients, many centers offer sober living. Sober living provides patients with a safe environment to gradually re-enter society.

Suboxone Help

If you would like more information on Suboxone treatment centers and programs, please call our toll free number at (888) 371-5712.

• Outpatient programs: Obviously outpatient programs will be among the less expensive categories. It may cost anywhere from $3,000 to $12,000. The large price range is due to several factors.
  • Length of your particular program is taken into consideration. The longer you stay, the more expensive it will be.
  • Also, major cities like Los Angeles and New York usually cost more.
  • Certain programs may also offer extra services (yoga classes, pilates classes, rock climbing, etc.) that would bump up the price.
• Inpatient programs: Inpatient programs are where the big bucks are spent. These programs will definitely run more expensive than outpatient. A person could spend anywhere from $7,500 to $35,000. These costs will be based on:
  • Staff: If there are well-known professionals working at the facility, it will be more expensive.
  • Meals: Certain places will offer high-end food. Also, food alone makes this program more expensive because the patient will be eating most every meal at the facility.
  • Activities: Certain facilities offer special activities: rock climbing, yoga, swimming, water sports and skiing.
  • Location: Again, larger cities will be more expensive
  • Type of facility: If it is a well-known facility that treats celebrities, it will be a great deal more expensive.

Although it is a good deal more expensive, it offers a better chance for successfully completing the program and living a drug-free lifestyle. Inpatient programs provide 24-hour care.

Suboxone Treatment

At first glance, Suboxone treatment seems to be too expensive. However, think about how much you spend to keep up your addiction. Think about all the lost opportunities at your job that has kept you from making money. The good thing about drug treatment is that it will eventually pay off. Once you do not have to worry about keeping up your expensive addiction and are able to function in society again, the treatment will begin to be paid off.

Suboxone Help

If you or a loved one is tired of your addiction and would like more information on Suboxone treatment centers and costs, please call our toll free number at (888) 371-5712.

Standard Detox Programs

Success rates of traditional detoxification procedures in the past have been abysmal. It required patients to go through and suffer the painful effects of withdrawal for days, weeks even months at a time. Many recovering addicts, in instances like that, tend to relapse, convincing themselves that life was more manageable and peaceful while on drugs. Statistics show that it only took one year following detoxification for the vast majority of patients to relapse. These standard detox programs have a success rate of less than 10 percent after the first year. These statistics are even grimmer two years after treatment. Treatment entails a grueling detoxification and withdrawal suffering that can be followed by intense physical and psychological cravings, lasting months.

12-Step Recovery

Groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous, help patients by developing a step by step process in helping recovering addicts to achieve personal success. These particular groups have helped addicts find the path to recovery for over 60 years. By connecting with other addicts and offering a fellowship that spans the world, patients discover a support system they never thought possible. By integrating a strong12-step recovery program with evidence-based psychotherapy and a strong support system like this can be invaluable to one desiring to break the cycles of drug addiction.

Suboxone Help

If you or someone you know is struggling with an addiction to Suboxone, please call our toll free number at (888) 371-5712. Someone is available 24 hours a day to answer any questions and help you determine the best treatment option.

Types of Treatment

There are inpatient and outpatient options for suboxone abuse treatment.

After detox, rehab is a very important step in Suboxone treatment as well. Not all addictions are merely physical. Many are psychological as well. Often, the user does not even realize there is an underlying problem and will likely relapse without learning how to cope with their problems. Rehab provides foundations to re-enter society and live a drug-free life. Counseling also helps the patients learn warning signs of relapse so they may prevent themselves from relapsing.

Suboxone Abuse Help

Addiction is a difficult thing to handle on your own. If you would like more information on suboxone abuse treatment, please call our toll free number at (888) 371-5712.

• “Losing” prescriptions often so they have to go to the doctor to get a new one
• Getting prescriptions from more than one doctor
• Taking higher doses despite warnings
• Stealing prescriptions
• Forging prescriptions
• Selling prescriptions
• Excessive mood swings

Symptoms of Suboxone Drug Abuse

Opioid painkiller symptoms and complications of abuse are:

• Constipation
• Depression


Do you have the signs and symptoms of Suboxone abuse?

• Low blood pressure
• Decreased respiration rate
• Confusion
• Increased risk of choking
• Loss of menstrual periods and fertility
• Slowed breathing rate

Buprenorphine (Suboxone) Signs of Addiction

Buprenorphine, one of the active ingredients in Suboxone, is an addicting opiate drug with agonist/partial agonist and receptor agonist/antagonist actions. The antagonist action is not useful and has no effect when a person uses this drug sublingually (under the tongue). The naloxone (antagonist) in this medication is only activated when the buprenorphine (suboxone) is delivered by injection.

Like full agonist opiates, buprenorphine can cause:

• Addiction
• Drowsiness
• Vomiting
• Respiratory depression

Buprenorphine reactions are similar to those of other opiates but nonetheless should be made aware when diagnosing an addiction.

• Nausea and vomiting
• Drowsiness
• Dizziness
• Headache
• Itchy skin
• Dry mouth
• Orthostatic hypotension
• Male ejaculatory difficulty
• Decreased libido
• Urinary retention

Constipation and CNS effects are seen less frequently than with other opiates. Hepatic necrosis and hepatitis with jaundice have been reported with the use of buprenorphine, especially after intravenous injection of crushed tablets.

Suboxone Dependency

Suboxone is a highly dependent drug. Often, Suboxone addictions happen accidentally by patients unknowingly abusing their prescribed medication. When used for a prolonged amount of time, the body becomes used to the amount of drugs administered. When this happens, the user has to take more to receive the initial effects. This is a dangerous thing to do because when a user does not take the medication, withdrawal symptoms will occur. When taking this Suboxone, the patient needs to do exactly as the doctor says to stay clear of addiction. It is important to talk to your doctor before getting off of Suboxone to ensure withdrawal symptoms do not occur.

Suboxone Abuse Prevention

It is important to:

• Keep your prescription medications clearly labeled and away from children and those with a history of drug abuse.
• Keep all medications in a locked cabinet.
• Dispose of all unused pills properly. The federal government suggests flushing opioid painkillers down the toilet.
• Other unused medications can be mixed with coffee grounds or kitty litter and thrown away.

Failure to follow the steps can lead to becoming dependent on prescription drugs.

Suboxone Facts

Suboxone is an approved opioid medication to aid in the treatment of opiate addictions. It contains a combination of buprenorphine and naloxone. Buprenorphine is an opioid medication that is similar to other opioids (morphine, codeine, heroin). However, it produces a less euphoric effect, which makes it easier to discontinue use. Buprenorphine is a partial opioid agonist, which means its effects are limited compared to drugs like oxycodone or heroin because they are full opioid agonists.

Suboxone also contains naloxone; which is an opioid antagonist. The naloxone is used to discourage users from abusing Suboxone. If injected, the naloxone will reach the bloodstream and cause the user to almost immediately go into withdrawal. However, when Suboxone is placed under the tongue (as directed), very little naloxone reaches the bloodstream. Therefore, the patient only feels the effects of buprenorphine. Suboxone is beneficial to the patient because it reduces opioid use and helps patients stay in treatment by suppressing symptoms of opioid withdrawal and decreases cravings for opioids. Suboxone is a highly dependent drug; therefore, withdrawal symptoms may occur if you stop taking the medication too quickly.

Suboxone Addiction Help

If you or a loved one is addicted to Suboxone, it is important to seek help. Suboxone is a highly dependent drug. Once addicted, the effects are devastating. But, there is hope. If you are interested in receiving information on Suboxone detox or rehab, please call our toll free number at (888) 371-5712.

Opioids, for instance, are commonly prescribed because of their effective analgesic, or pain-relieving, properties. Medications that fall within this class-referred to as prescription narcotics-include morphine (e.g., Kadian, Avinza), codeine, oxycodone (e.g., OxyContin, Percodan, Percocet), and related drugs. Morphine, for example, is often used before and after surgical procedures to alleviate severe pain. Codeine, on the other hand, is often prescribed for mild pain. In addition to their pain-relieving properties, some of these drugs, codeine and diphenoxylate (Lomotil) for example, can be used to relieve coughs and diarrhea.

Unfortunately, these particular types of drugs have a high rate of addictive qualities that, if not closely monitored, can result in abuse.

What Does Suboxone Treat?

Suboxone has been deemed as the opiate cure. It’s being used instead of methadone because of its safer and more convenient means of therapy for an opiate abuser. It’s a form of maintenance therapy for opiate dependence.

The active ingredient in Suboxone is buprenorphine. Buprenorphine is an opioid, which means it is a synthetic or man-made opiate. It is approved by the FDA for use as replacement therapy. It can also be used to detoxify or remove opiate dependence. This is done by substituting the medication for the opiate that is being abused, weaning the medication over a period of time and then discontinuing the medication with a reduction in the severity of withdrawal symptoms. These withdrawal symptoms can then be treated for 7-10 days and naltrexone can be administered orally by injection or pellet after a naloxone (Narcan) challenge.

How is the Suboxone Treatment Administered?

The Suboxone treatment walk-through presents a basic overview of office-based treatment for opioid dependence. Inevitably, the protocols will be adapted to fit the individual needs and strengths of each physician’s practice. The clinical pathway for office-based treatment of opioid dependence with Suboxone can be broken down into six phases:

1. Pretreatment Screening
   The goal of pretreatment screening is to determine whether office-based treatment is the best course of action for a particular patient. Pretreatment screening usually consists of a brief interview conducted either over the phone or in person. Patients who are accepted for treatment (ie, whose needs are suited to an office-based treatment regimen) are scheduled for their intake. (Physicians may prefer to perform intake and induction during the same visit.)

   Through a series of forms, pretreatment paperwork is helpful for treatment to proceed for everyone: Completed forms facilitate prompt care, while the patient handouts are a convenient reference tool and help to manage treatment expectations and adherence.

2. Intake
   The primary objective of the intake is to establish a medical record of a patient’s suitability for office-based treatment of opioid dependence. To this end, the intake should document the following:
   • Opioid dependence (through a comprehensive substance dependence assessment)

   • Absence of any significant untreated psychiatric conditions that might interfere with treatment (through a basic mental status evaluation)
   • Presence of psychiatric co-morbidity should not exclude patients from Suboxone treatment. Untreated or inadequately treated psychiatric disorders can interfere with the effective treatment of substance abuse. Alternatively, substance abuse can mimic, exacerbate, or precipitate psychiatric symptoms and disorders. Assessment is fundamental to determining whether symptoms reflect primary psychiatric disorder or substance-induced condition.

   The intake is also a good time to discuss the pros and cons of Suboxone treatment, patients’ treatment expectations, and any other issues or questions related to treatment.

3. Induction
   The goal of induction is to safely suppress opioid withdrawal as rapidly as possible with adequate doses of Suboxone. When a patient’s first induction visit is scheduled, it is important to remember that mild-to-moderate opioid withdrawal symptoms will occur. (otherwise, treatment may have to be postponed). The induction phase usually averages two to five days. To avoid any possible delay of treatment, physicians frequently begin induction immediately following the intake, rather than scheduling the induction for a separate visit.
4. Induction dosing
   Suboxone should be dosed to levels that produce the desired clinical effect: suppressing the withdrawal symptoms and cravings that trigger opioid use. Under-dosing during induction does not offer any clinical benefits. In fact, under-dosing may actually increase the risk of treatment failure because it fails to adequately control patients’ withdrawal symptoms and cravings. Patients whose symptoms and cravings are not suppressed may try to self-medicate with opioids or other substances. Patients who test positive for supplemental drug use may need their Suboxone dose titrated upward.

   When considering the safety of higher doses during induction, physicians should be aware that Suboxone can reduce respiratory rate. However, because buprenorphine is a partial opioid agonist, when taken alone it exhibits a “ceiling effect” on respiratory depression—unlike full opioid agonists with which respiratory depression continues increasing as the dose increases. This “ceiling effect” means Suboxone by itself is unlikely to cause death in the event of an overdose.

5. Upon leaving the office
   Some physicians prefer to prescribe enough Suboxone so that patients can take additional doses at home as needed. In such instances, physicians may ask patients to document their withdrawal symptoms and Suboxone.
6. Stabilization
   Induction is completed when the patient:
   • Experiences no withdrawal symptoms
   • Experiences minimal to no side effects
   • Has no uncontrollable cravings for opioids
   • Is not using additional opioids

   During the next phase, stabilization, the patient’s Suboxone dose is “fine-tuned.” The objective is to find the minimum dose necessary to hold the patient in treatment, suppress opioid withdrawal effects, and suppress other opioid use (this dose can be anywhere from 4 to 24 mg per day, depending on the individual).

   Psychosocial counseling usually begins during stabilization. The length of the stabilization phase will vary depending on the needs of the patient. Some patients elect to proceed directly from stabilization to medically supervised withdrawal. However, unless there is a compelling reason to avoid all opioid use, longer-term buprenorphine treatment (ie, maintenance) is usually recommended because of the higher likelihood for treatment success.

7. Maintenance
   The goals of the maintenance phase are:
   • Preventing opioid withdrawal symptoms
   • Suppressing opioid cravings
   • To greatly attenuate the use of self-administered opioids
   • To have Suboxone therapy and psychosocial counseling continue. Treatment compliance and progress are regularly monitored and may entail urine screening tests and other laboratory evaluations as appropriate.

   As the patient moves further along in treatment and their condition improves, the need for frequent monitoring generally abates. The duration of the maintenance phase depends on the individual needs of the patient and can range from weeks to years.

Suboxone Addition Help

If you or someone you know is struggling with a suboxone/opiate addiction, we can help. Please call our toll free number at (888) 371-5712. We are available 24 hours a day to answer your questions on suboxone/opiate addiction and treatment.

From Methadone to Suboxone

President Nixon formed the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in 1973 – the same year The Methadone Control Act was introduced. For about 10 years prior, physicians could prescribe methadone which was discovered to help addicted patients stay off heroin and other opioids.

A person addicted to heroin must inject about every four to six hours to prevent withdrawal. Some users would run out of money and commit crimes to support their addiction. Methadone, a synthetic opioid, allowed for 24 hour dosing. Doctors saw this as life-saving and crime reducing. Then the Methadone Control Act was introduced and limited doctors from this practice.

Some say it was a way for the Nixon Administration to somehow take credit for the doctor’s discovery of treating addicted patients with methadone. The Act imposed conditions requiring patients to go to a clinic for dispensing of methadone daily. They could no longer get a prescription from their doctor, but instead forced together with other addicted people to get treated at the same place and at about the same time. No thought was given to the implications of connecting thousands of people with addictions with each other or requiring daily trips to get medication. No other disease in history had been subjected to such a system nor has any since.

Recognition of the urgent public health need for opioid-dependence treatment alternatives was one of the reasons Suboxone was developed in cooperation with the National Institute of Drug Abuse.

What is Suboxone and how was it Developed?

In 2001, opioid dependence accounted for 18 percent of all substance abuse treatment admissions, exceeding cocaine admissions for the 5th consecutive year. At present, the number of untreated opioid-dependent patients in the United States is believed to be at least 1.2 million.

The primary ingredient in Suboxone is buprenorphine which is a semi-synthetic opiate with partial agonist and antagonist actions. Buprenorphine hydrochloride was first marketed in the 1980s by Reckitt & Colman (now Reckitt Benckiser) as an analgesic, available generally as sublingual tablets, and as an injectable formulation. In 2000, Congress approved the Drug Addiction Treatment Act (DATA 2000), giving physicians the right to use approved opioids to treat opioid dependence in their offices. Prior to DATA 2000, this was illegal to do outside a hospital or clinic.

Use of Suboxone Worldwide

In October 2002, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Suboxone and Subutex, buprenorphine’s high-dose sublingual pill preparations for opioid addiction, and as such the drug is now also used for this purpose. France approved buprenorphine for the treatment of opioid dependence in 1996. Australia followed in 2001.

Now approved in more than 30 countries, buprenorphine is marketed in the United States under the brand names Suboxone and Subutex (buprenorphine HCl sublingual tablets).

In the European Union, Suboxone and Subutex, buprenorphine’s high-dose sublingual pill preparations were approved for opioid addiction treatment in September 2006. In the Netherlands, buprenorphine is a List II drug of the Opium Law, though special rules and guidelines apply to its prescription and dispensation. In the USA, it has been a Schedule III drug under the United Nations’ Convention on Psychotropic Substances since it was rescheduled from Schedule V just before FDA approval of Suboxone and Subutex. In recent years, buprenorphine has been introduced in most European countries as a transdermal formulation for the treatment of chronic pain.

Get Help for Suboxone Addiction

If you or someone you know is struggling with a Suboxone/opiate addiction, we can help. Please call our toll free number at (888) 371-5712. We are available 24 hours.