Suboxone

A drug you do when you're out of all your other drugs.

Suboxone is the trade name for a medication that contains buprenorphine and naloxone. A very similar medication, Subutex, contains buprenorphine without naloxone. Both are manufactured and sold by a British company, Reckitt-Benckiser, and are scheduled to lose their patent protection in 2009. Both medications are indicated for treatment of opiate dependence, and both are also used 'off label' to treat chronic pain.

The active substance, buprenorphine, has effects at the mu opiate receptor that are different than effects of pain pills or methadone. Oxycodone, methadone, and hydrocodone are all 'agonists', meaning that the more drug, the more effect at the receptor. Naloxone and Naltrexone are mu 'antagonists'-- they will block the effects of pain pills and have no stimulating effect at the receptor. Buprenorphine is a 'partial agonist'-- in between the two. It will activate the mu receptor and relieve pain up to a certain point, where it has a 'ceiling' to it's effect. Beyond that point, any increases in dose of buprenorphine will have no extra effect. Buprenorphine becomes an 'antagonist' at that point, blocking the receptor so that any other opiate medications will be ineffective.

The result is that treatment with buprenorphine virtually eliminates cravings for opiates in opiate addicts who use it properly. It can be taken once per day, and will also block the effects of any other opiates the addict may take. Because of these effects, buprenorphine is considered a 'remission agent'-- it will induce remission of opiate addiction, but it is NOT a cure. When an addict stops buprenorphine, all of the prior features of his/her addiction will return if the addict does not do something to replace the buprenorphine-- such as become involved in 12 step groups.

While not a cure, there is no truth to the oft-heard comment that buprenorphine is only 'replacing one drug with another'. Opiate addiction consists of the obsession for opiates; the addict's mind is taken over by the singular concern for finding the next dose. Buprenorphine effectively treats addiction by eliminating the obsession far beyond what occurs with taking an opiate agonist.

More and more addictionologists are recognizing that buprenorphine and Suboxone should be considered long term treatments.

The suboxone can only be properly dosed if you are smack dab in the middle of your withdrawal, so the doctors can see the level of dependence. They say stop taking everything 48-72 hours before your appointment. You should be dosed right there in the office that day. I have had many friends with success but some had relapses too because if you stop your suboxone therapy too soon the craving returns as intense as before the treatment. We all have our struggles and demons. If you're reading this considering suboxone therapy, please know you're not alone. I start in two weeks. I'm scared, but I'm ready.

Suboxone is a medication that was approved in 2000 to treat opioid/heroin dependence. It contains the medication Buprenorphine which is a medication that blocks other opiates from reaching the receptors in your brain (basically saying that if you take a Suboxone you can not get "high" from heroin or any other opiates). Suboxone also contains a medication containing Naloxone. Naloxone is used to reverse overdoses of opiates. Naloxone does not interfere with buprenorphine's effects when Suboxone is taken sublingually (dissolving under your tounge) as prescribed. The naloxone is there to deter people from dissolving Suboxone and injecting it, b/c the naloxone can cause severe withdrawal symptoms very rapidly. Suboxone comes in 8mg & 2mg strengths. They are stop sign shaped and are orange and taste like lemon-lime. There is also Subutex which is only buprenorphine, w/o naloxone and these may be used to start people on treatment for opioid dependency.

An orange tablet containing Buprenorphine and Naloxone in a 4:1 ratio, used for detox or maintenance treatment of opiate addiction (to heroin or other narcotic painkillers). Methadone is used for the same purposes. Pills come in 2 and 8 mg dosages. Subutex is similar to Suboxone, but has only Buprenorphine and no Naloxone. The Naloxone is an opiate antagonist, and is put in Suboxone in order to prevent the tablets from being injected. Naloxone is not active when the pill is used sublingually, orally, or insufflated. Not commonly used recreationally, because it won't get someone with any tolerance high like Vicodin, Oxy, or Heroin would. It is valued on the street by some opiate addicts who want to have something to keep them from withdrawing if their dope supply runs short.

If you take Suboxone too soon after an opiate, you will go into withdrawal. If you take an opiate too soon after Bupe, the bupe will block the effects and you won't get high.

Suboxone is buprenorphine and naloxone in a 4:1 ratio. Buprenorphine itself is a partial opioid agonist and partial antagonist at the same time. It has a blocking effect against other full mu- agonists ( I.E hydrocodone, oxycodone, diacetylmorphine, morphine etc etc ) in sufficient doses, yet produces typical opioid effects. It is meant to help opioid dependant people with a maintenence or taper programn to allieviate withdrawl symptoms and give the user time to get thier head straight before getting completely clean from the opioids.

The naloxone is supposed to be a blocking agent to deter use from IV, but in all reality the addition of naloxone was a marketing ploy to get it scheduled lower and thus be easier prescribed. The buprenorphine itself binds much higher to the opioid receptors, even higher than the naloxone. The claim that suboxone does not work when injected is not real....but if you're trying to get clean ( and given suboxone's cost and hassle to go find a doctor and deal with him ) what's the use of injecting it, you're just perpetuating the same behavior and might as well just go score a full agonist with more euphoria to inject.

The other entries for Suboxone don't really go into recreational use, so I'll shed some light on it as a recreational Suboxone user of two years.

The pills (and god forsaken sublingual strips) contain 8mg of buprenorphine. A typical (insuflated) recreational dose for someone who doesn't otherwise use opiates is 2 milligrams, simply referred to as "a quarter", because it's a quarter of the pill/strip. First time users should begin with 1mg, or "an eighth".

Suboxone doesn't need to be insuflated, although it is most common among recreational users. Taking it orally/sublingually, as medically intended, does not yield great results as the bioavailibility with these routes of administration are very low.

Shooting it yields the best results. Despite people saying that Naloxone (present in Suboxone) prevents people from administering it intravenously, it works best. Only an eighth is needed to get high, even for fairly tolerant users, and effects are felt in as little as ten minutes.

Always begin with an eighth of a sub when trying it for the first time, and take Dramamine or Benadryl with it, as the high is unusually long and can cause nausea.

Always use sterile rigs when shooting up, and don't share.