Not only is alcohol risky on its own, but as a depressant, it can amplify the effects of medications with sedative properties, including Suboxone. If you’ve been wondering whether the occasional drink is okay while taking Suboxone, here’s what you need to know about how these eco sober house substances interact and can affect you. Suboxone is a combination of two drugs, namely buprenorphine and naloxone.
This might sound like a drawback to using any substance, even a medication, but that belief tends to be rooted in stigma surrounding drug use in general. Over time, the body can struggle to regulate normal functions, which also increases the risk of falling into a comatose state. The combination of Suboxone and alcohol increases the risk of overdose. During the induction phase, the drug decreases withdrawal symptoms while you stop or reduce opioid use. During the maintenance phase, the drug keeps withdrawal symptoms and cravings in check as you complete your treatment program.
- Therefore, if you are on this treatment regimen, it is always good to avoid taking other drugs, including alcohol.
- To understand why taking these two substances together is dangerous, it’s important to know how each affects your body.
- Suboxone can slow or stop your breathing, and may be habit-forming.
- However, the people taking methadone were more likely to stay in their treatment program.
- Combining alcohol with Suboxone could slow down brain functions that regulate decision-making.
Poor Physical Health
Certain medications that block an enzyme called cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) can decrease how fast the body breaks down Suboxone. Taking these drugs with Suboxone can increase the risk of side effects. Suboxone and Bunavail contain the same drugs and are used in the same way to treat opioid dependence.
Misuse and dependence
When mixing alcohol with maverick house sober living Suboxone, these symptoms are only worsened, which can put an individual at greater risk of bodily injury. Our science-backed approach boasts 95% of patients reporting no withdrawal symptoms at 7 days. We can help you achieve easier days and a happier future. Combining alcohol with the opioids in your system can lead to life-threatening sedation. Without prompt treatment, you can die during these episodes.
Brain damage (not a side effect)
Suboxone sublingual tablets should be placed under the tongue until they dissolve. Talk with your healthcare provider which option would be best suited to you. You must adhere to your doctor’s recommendations and embrace the psychosocial support and therapy offered as part of the treatment plan. Combining Suboxone and alcohol can significantly affect your breathing rate leading to an increased risk of suffering a cardiac arrest. Whether you are taking prescription Suboxone or abusing it, you need to familiarize yourself with drugs that are most likely to have an adverse reaction with it. This post discusses everything you need to know about mixing Suboxone and alcohol, highlighting some of the dangers involved.
The combination of any two substances is known as “polydrug use,” and it’s hard on the body. It also puts an individual at an increased risk of overdose. Mixing Suboxone with drinking alcohol is a method of substance abuse that’s particularly dangerous. Alcohol intensifies the effects of Suboxone and can lead to the rapid development of dependence and tolerance. If someone is showing signs of alcohol poisoning or drug overdose after mixing these two substances, call 911 for help right away.
Suboxone for pain
That’s why it’s meant to be used only after the effects of opioids begin to wear off and you start to have withdrawal symptoms. The dangers of mixing alcohol with Suboxone are rooted in the fact that Suboxone multiplies the effects of alcohol and alcohol multiplies the effects of Suboxone. This combination can rapidly lead to tolerance, dependence, and a very dangerous situation for the individual due to the heightened side effects of drug and alcohol use. Since Suboxone is not very strong compared to true opioid agonists like morphine or heroin, a fun activities for substance abuse groups person may combine it with alcohol in order to intensify its effects and get high. However, this can worsen both drug addiction and alcohol abuse.
These symptoms can be avoided by slowly tapering the dose of the medication before completely stopping. Opioid overdoses can be potentially fatal, so quick medical attention can save lives. Understand how to recognize the signs & symptoms of an opioid overdose. Alcohol can function much the same way, even before someone experiences the social consequences of addiction. The physical dependency starts to have other consequences, including an inability to stop the behavior. During recovery, polydrug use increases the risk of relapse.
Taking too much of this medication can increase your risk of severe side effects. Yes, when Suboxone is used to treat opioid dependence, it’s often used long term. In one clinical trial, constipation occurred in about 12% of people taking Suboxone. If this side effect doesn’t go away or becomes severe, talk with your doctor.
The helpline at AddictionResource.net is available 24/7 to discuss the treatment needs of yourself or a loved one. This helpline is answered by Legacy Healing Center, an addiction treatment provider with treatment facilities in California, Florida, Ohio, and New Jersey. Both alcohol and Suboxone are depressants that can cause drowsiness, slower breathing, and cloudy thinking. Drinking alcohol while taking Suboxone can enhance these side effects. This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. If you switch between medicines containing buprenorphine, you may not use the same dose for each one.
Taking Suboxone with benzodiazepines can increase the risk of severe side effects such as severe sedation (sleepiness), breathing problems, coma, and death. There’s no generic version of Zubsolv sublingual tablets. However, Suboxone is only appropriate for induction in people who are dependent on short-acting opioids such as heroin, codeine, morphine, or oxycodone (Oxycontin, Roxicodone). Some of these tests, including the tests often used in those who take Suboxone for opioid dependence, can detect the presence of Suboxone and other opioid drugs. When certain opioids are used long term for treating pain or for a “high,” tolerance to those effects can happen over time. This means your body gets used to the drug and you need higher and higher doses to get the same effect.
Suboxone should be stored at room temperature, at about 77°F (25°C). The current stance of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is to avoid using expired medications. If you have unused medication that has gone past its expiration date, ask your pharmacist how to correctly dispose of it. If you can become pregnant or are breastfeeding, it’s important to consider whether Suboxone is a safe choice for you. After Suboxone film dissolves completely, swish some water around your teeth and gums and swallow it.
If you ever mix Suboxone with alcohol, the first thing you need to do is call 911. Don’t call your substance treatment center because they may not be able to send emergency services to your location promptly. If you notice that your breathing is slowing, stop drinking and seek medical attention immediately.