Suboxone Addiction Treatment for Dependence, Tapering, and Recovery

Suboxone misuse can be initially hard to recognize if someone is taking it as part of legitimate opioid addiction treatment. This means the concern is not simply that someone is taking Suboxone, but in how they are taking it and whether it is helping or harming their recovery.

Below are some signs of Suboxone to watch for:

• Taking more Suboxone than your doctor prescribed
• Running low on your medication before you are supposed to
• Taking Suboxone without a prescription
• Buying, selling, or trading your medication
• Taking Suboxone to prevent withdrawal from another opiate without consulting a doctor first
• Mixing Suboxone with alcohol, benzodiazepines, sedatives, or other substances
• Finding yourself unable to function without Suboxone
• Continued use of Suboxone even though it is having negative consequences for work, relationships, legal standing, financial, physical and mental health, or progress in recovery

Suboxone misuse can also produce unwanted side effects such as headaches, nausea, constipation, sweating, insomnia, drowsiness, and dizziness. The risks increase if buprenorphine is taken together with other depressants like benzodiazepines or alcohol; it increases the chance of respiratory depression.[2]

Suboxone abuse treatment should be tailored to meet each client’s unique needs. While some clients need assistance tapering from Suboxone after extended periods of time on the medication, others need treatment for their broader opioid use disorder involving fentanyl, oxycodone, heroin, or other opiates. Many clients may also need help for their own reasons because they have been using Suboxone outside of a legitimate treatment program.

Potential treatment options for Suboxone abuse may include:

It can be hard to know how to react when you suspect a loved one is misusing a medication designed to help them overcome another addiction.

Suboxone may be less dangerous than going back to using fentanyl or other opioids, but the risks associated with using it without proper medical supervision are real and could result in another cycle of dependency.

Try to approach the conversation with your loved one without shaming or berating them. Instead, ask open-ended questions such as “what are you currently taking”, “was it prescribed to you”, “are you using any other substances”, and “do you have control over this?” If your loved one is unwilling to get assistance, encourage them to contact a licensed healthcare provider instead of discontinuing use abruptly.

If your loved one is extremely drowsy, difficult to wake, breathing slowly, or mixing Suboxone with alcohol, benzodiazepines, opioids, or sedatives, seek emergency help.