It is a combination drug that contains two active ingredients:buprenorphineand naloxone.
Buprenorphine is a partial opioid agonist, while naloxone is an opioid antagonist.
Suboxone has two active ingredients that work in different ways.
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This practice is known as off-label prescribing.
The film may be placed against the inside of your cheek or under the tongue.
Generic drugs are typically less costly than brand-name versions.
Note that these drugs cause different effects when they are given individually.
The effects also differ depending on the route of administration.
Healthcare providers prescribe these drugs to treat pain or OUD respectively.
Naloxone hydrochloride nasal spray is currently available by prescription and over-the-counter, under different brand names.
OTC options include Narcan (4 mg/spray) and ReVive (3 mg/spray).
Not everyone starts on Suboxone; in some cases, your provider may initiate treatment with a buprenorphine-only regimen.
For instance, heroin is considered short-acting, while methadone is long-acting.
Suboxone film comes in four different strengths:
Be sure to follow the personalized instructions from your healthcare provider.
Theyll help determine the dosage that best manages your symptoms.
Suboxone begins working rapidly after it dissolves under the tongue or against the inside cheek.
It reaches its full effects within one to three hours.
The onset of action is similar for the film and dissolving tablet versions.
There is no set limit on how long it’s possible for you to take Suboxone.
Continue taking it as long as you and your healthcare provider feel that the medication is beneficial for you.
Side Effects and Precautions
Like other medications, Suboxone may cause side effects.
As such, healthcare providers may not prescribe the drug in certain situations.
They may monitor you very closely if you have certain conditions or factors.
Note that other forms of buprenorphine have different dosing schedules.
For example, with the buprenorphine transdermal patch, you apply the patch to your skin every seven days.
Regardless of the form you take, be sure to follow the exact directions from your healthcare provider.
Dont cut, swallow, or chew the film.
Wait to eat any food or drink anything until the film dissolves entirely.
And be sure to wait at least an hour after taking Suboxone to brush your teeth.
People taking Suboxone should not drinkalcohol.
Consuming alcohol with Suboxone is dangerous and should be avoided due to the serious risk of severe side effects.
In a clinical trial, participants received buprenorphine/naloxone or placebo over four weeks.
These results reflect buprenorphine/naloxones short-term effectiveness in quickly reducing withdrawal symptoms and helping combat relapses.
Longer trials have also shown buprenorphine/naloxones efficacy.
Its used to treat opioid dependence, also known as opioid use disorder or OUD.
Suboxone works by easing the symptoms of opioid withdrawal.
Suboxones buprenorphine ingredient helps reduce cravings while limiting the withdrawal symptoms associated with this transition.
Healthcare providers commonly prescribe Suboxone for pregnant people with OUD.
However, newborns may develop Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome (NOWS).
Your healthcare provider can tell you more about how theyll monitor and treat your baby for NOWS.
The buprenorphine component of Suboxone does pass into breast milk and could cause sedation in the breastfed child.
Talk to a healthcare provider to determine the safest way to feed your baby during Suboxone treatment.
Suboxone must be securely kept at room temperature (68-77 degrees F).
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