A life-saving medication can cause harm if misused.
Suboxone is a medication used to treat opioid addiction. This semisynthetic opioid contains buprenorphine, a partial opioid agonist, and naloxone, an opioid antagonist. These two substances work to activate opioid receptors in the brain to relieve cravings while blocking the effects of opioids.
While Suboxone can help individuals recover from opioid addiction, using this medication still comes with risks. Although it’s not very common, there is still some potential for misuse of Suboxone when not taken as directed.
This risk shouldn’t discourage those wanting to treat opioid addiction with the help of Suboxone. When taken exactly as directed and medication-assisted treatment protocols are in place, most patients make vast improvements in recovery.
What Is Suboxone Treatment Used For?
When used as prescribed, Suboxone treatment can play an essential role in treating opioid addiction. Because of the way opioids minimize pain while activating the brain’s reward centers and releasing endorphins, quitting can be difficult. This factor, coupled with the intense cravings and withdrawal symptoms that are so common, can make recovery challenging.
To make recovery more manageable and increase the rate of long-term success, Suboxone was approved to treat opioid addiction. By incorporating it into medication-assisted treatment (MAT), individuals can avoid cravings and withdrawal symptoms.
Patients taking Suboxone benefit from having take-home medication filled at any pharmacy of their choice. They will self-dispense the medication daily as advised by their provider for the duration of their treatment. Along with monthly check-ins with their provider, patients will also engage in substance use counseling. Counseling is a vital part of the recovery process and increases the chances of long-term recovery.
How does Suboxone Misuse Occur?
Suboxone comes in pill or film form. Patients swallow the pills while the films dissolve under the tongue. Injecting, smoking or snorting Suboxone can be detrimental to one’s health and recovery.
Some patients take a dosage far higher than they should to achieve a high. Since the medication is take-home and self-dispensed, medical providers will know if this is occurring. When a patient finishes their medication before their projected end date, they may lose take-home privileges and switch to a different medication.
Other people who are misusing Suboxone often don’t have a prescription for the medication. Suboxone is sold illicitly on the street, sometimes from patients, but other times from other nefarious sources. Someone who is not dependent on opioids can achieve a high by using the medication simply by taking it as otherwise prescribed.
To enhance the effect of this medication and create a high, some users will crush the pill in attempts to snort, smoke or inject it. When crushed, Suboxone enters the bloodstream and reaches the brain much faster than if taken orally.
If crushed and snorted, Suboxone can become especially dangerous. The ingredients inside the tablets should not come into contact with nasal tissue. Intense stinging, burning and bleeding may occur. Users prescribed Suboxone will experience precipitated withdrawals when the naloxone comes into contact with opioids in the bloodstream.
Suboxone insufflation effects can be severe — ranging from involuntary tremors and shaking to tightness in the chest. Overdoses even have the potential to become fatal, especially when the respiratory system is damaged.
When a prescribed user takes the drug intravenously, the naloxone will activate and the buprenorphine in the medication will no longer work. As a result, the individual can enter precipitated opioid withdrawal, just like with snorting.
Precipitated withdrawal is highly uncomfortable, and the reason the naloxone component of Suboxone is a deterrent for misuse. The person misusing Suboxone through any means will have a difficult time dealing with precipitated withdrawal without seeking out help from medical professionals.
Long-Term Effects of Suboxone Misuse
Experts associate a wide range of adverse side effects with Suboxone misuse. Whether prescribed or not, the person using Suboxone illicitly will most often have a negative experience. Misusing this medication can also lead to symptoms such as:
- High blood pressure
- Increased heart rate
- Muscle spasms
- Anxiety
- Nausea and vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Muscle and bone pain
Misusing Suboxone can also lead to serotonin syndrome, which can cause a wide range of serious physical and mental side effects, including:
- Agitation
- Confusion
- Hallucinations
- Loss of coordination
- Rapid heart rate
Serotonin syndrome is a life-threatening condition caused by drug misuse that causes too much serotonin in the synapses of the brain. If left untreated, it can become deadly. If the drug user seeks treatment promptly, the symptoms can dissipate within 24 hours. Even with treatment, serotonin syndrome can cause permanent organ damage.
Suboxone Overdose
Although Suboxone contains naloxone, which is known to reverse overdose, overdose can still happen if it’s misused. Those who have a lowered opioid tolerance and do not have opioids in their system can be in danger. With reduced dependence on opioids, even a medicinal dose of Suboxone could cause them to experience onset overdose symptoms.
Those without a Suboxone prescription should never ingest it. Specific Suboxone dosages are for people who have already built up a high tolerance to opioid drugs. Additionally, patients who have leftover Suboxone medication must be aware of the dangers. Taking Suboxone after stopping the use of the medication and all other opioids can also be potentially fatal.
Medication-Assisted Treatment at AppleGate Recovery
Here at AppleGate Recovery, we offer Office-Based Opioid Treatment (OBOT) for those over 18. Patients benefit from Suboxone as part of our individual treatment plans, along with counseling and other recovery services.
With the treatment and support of our physicals and professionals, we’ll work with you to achieve long-term recovery. Contact us today to get started.