Can I Become Addicted to Suboxone?
If you’re addicted to opioid substances, Suboxone is a great medication to help you curb your addiction. It’s one of the few medications that can be used to help people slowly and painlessly wean themselves off of their addiction. However, since it is a drug, you might be wondering… can I become addicted to Suboxone? Replacing one drug for another seems like a bad move, so this is a valid question to ask.
Luckily, we’re here to answer your questions. Our hotline is open at all times and can be reached at 888-646-0865 (Who Answers?) to provide you with answers and help you find the right treatment for your opioid addiction.
How Suboxone Works in Your Body
Suboxone prescriptions are highly monitored to prevent abuse.
Suboxone is composed of two main ingredients: buprenorphine and naloxone. Buprenorphine is actually a partial opioid, while naloxone is an opiate antagonist that neutralizes the effect of opioids. The two work together to produce the effects of opioids without letting you overdose or take too much.
Because buprenorphine is an opioid, it helps to reduce your withdrawal symptoms and satisfy your physical dependency on them as you stop taking opioids. It tricks your brain into thinking it is receiving a full dose of opioid, satisfying your physical cravings for the drug and reducing cravings.
How a Normal Suboxone Treatment Plan Works
In order to obtain Suboxone, you must first visit an accredited doctor for a prescription. After reviewing your drug abuse history, the doctor will prescribe a dose and frequency. They might also perform a few tests to make sure you are healthy enough to take the drug.
Usually, most patients take a low dose of Suboxone once a day at first. This helps to stop withdrawal symptoms. Depending on your reaction, the doctor may lower the dose to once every other day after a period of time.
Eventually, once you are stable in your recovery and feel that you won’t relapse back into opioids, you can begin tapering off your dose under your doctor’s supervision. This can take a period of weeks or months, depending on how strongly you are addicted to opioids.
Why You Can’t Get Addicted to Suboxone
While Suboxone does contain opioid substances, it is very hard to become addicted to. Because buprenorphine is only a partial opioid, it can never produce the strong and lasting high of true opioids. Even if you increase how much Suboxone you are taking, it will not heighten the euphoric side effects.
The naloxone contained in each dose also works extremely well to reduce the overall side effects of the drug, meaning it may not even be comparable to true opioid use. This also prevents people from inhaling or injecting the drug to create a deeper high. Therefore, there’s no real reason to take the drug more than you have to.
Additionally, because Suboxone must be prescribed by a doctor rather than a simple visit to a clinic, it makes it much harder to obtain and abuse. The doctor will constantly be monitoring your dose and frequency. If they notice you are out of your prescription too early, they can limit you from getting a refill.
While some patients may have to be on Suboxone for years until they feel comfortable enough to stop taking it, there is still a minimal chance of actually being addicted to the drug. As with all drugs, however, it does take some time to wean off the medication so you don’t go through withdrawal effects.
So the next time you are wondering, can I become addicted to suboxone? Fret not. Your chances of developing an addiction to the drug are practically non-existent. If you’re ready to take the next step toward detoxing and getting clean, please give our hotline a call at 888-646-0865 (Who Answers?) . Our experts can talk with you more about how Suboxone works and if it is right for you.
