How Do You Take Suboxone?

Suboxone is a prescription medication used for the treatment of opiate dependency and opiate withdrawal symptoms. Suboxone works by attaching itself to empty opioid receptors in the brain, thus suppressing withdrawal symptoms and helping to reduce opiate cravings. By substituting suboxone instead of opiates, a physically dependent person can start to wean themselves off of their opiate addiction, while feeling little to no withdrawal pain in the process. Suboxone works similarly to methadone, but is widely considered a safer alternative that is less addictive, and has fewer side effects. However, if suboxone is not taken properly, or if it is abused, it can result in serious side effects including severe and immediate opiate withdrawal symptoms.

First Step

Before starting off on your suboxone regimen it is vital that you abstain from all other opiates long enough to be experiencing the beginning symptoms of opiate withdrawal pain. In order for suboxone to be effective, the patient must be experiencing opiate withdrawal symptoms at the time of administering the drug. If you are not currently in withdrawal and you take suboxone, you will suffer from what is known as precipitated withdrawal, which is immediate, and severe detox pains and withdrawal symptoms.

Your First Dose

While suboxone is the only opiate pain medication that can be taken from the comfort of the patient’s own home, the first dose must be administered at the prescribing physician’s office. This is to check if the suboxone is causing any adverse effects to the patient and if the medicine is properly stabilizing the withdrawal symptoms. Normally patients will be started off with an initial dosage of around 8mg on the first day, with an increase of around 2mg every subsequent day until an optimal dosage has been discovered. This can take several days or several weeks depending on the severity of the patient’s symptoms and how they are reacting to the drug. Once this stabilizing dosage has been decided, the patient will be able to take the medication at their own discretion.

How to Take Suboxone

Prior to taking suboxone, it is important for the patient to drink a lot of water so that it makes it easier for the suboxone tablet to dissolve in the mouth more easily. Once your mouth is wet, place the suboxone tablet or film under the tongue, lean your head forward until all of the medicine dissolves. If you are taking two tablets put one under the left side of the tongue and one under the right side, until completely dissolved. If you are taking more than two tablets, wait until the first two are dissolved before taking subsequent doses.

Remember never to chew or swallow suboxone tablets and allow about 5 to 10 minutes for the drug to fully be absorbed. Never sniff or inject crushed up suboxone tablets as that will cause the patient to go into immediate precipitated withdrawal.