The history of Suboxone is short but of great importance. In 2000 Suboxone became the first opioid medicine approved by the U.S. government to be used in office settings for the treatment of dependency on other opioids. The FDA gave its broader stamp of approval in 2002.
According to government statistics, by 2003 the number of Americans dependent or abusing heroin or other such painkillers reached a number somewhere between 1.6 and 2.4 million. That same year Suboxone entered the marketplace as a treatment for opioid dependency. It can be prescribed for use at home, just as other medicines are.
Suboxone’s main ingredient is buprenorphine. This partial agonist helps decrease receptor activation in the brain so that a person can be eased off of powerful addictives like heroin. Both heroin and oxycodone, for example, are full opioid agonists.
The second major ingredient in Suboxone’s formulation is naloxone. This is an opioid antagonist. The buprenorphine and naloxone together help put a ceiling on the level of euphoria, the high, that Suboxone can bring the user. When the medicine gets taken as prescribed by letting the tablet dissolve under the tongue, little naloxone goes into the bloodstream.
The patient gets the full effects of the buprenorphine when Suboxone is taken properly. Injecting the medicine can release more of the naloxone which cuts down on the effectiveness of the buprenorphine. People who are already dependent on a drug such as heroin may go into sudden withdrawal.
People who abuse Suboxone may be getting access to higher doses through faked prescriptions or multiple prescriptions from different doctors. They may be stealing from friends or family members. Others will buy Suboxone on the streets.
All these methods of obtaining the prescription medicine are illegal and punishable by fines and imprisonment. People hooked on strong drugs carry powerful monkeys on their backs. They often act irrationally or with bad judgment in order to try to keep feelings of withdrawal at bay.
Those who cannot obtain heroin or oxycontin may turn to Suboxone as a substitute. This medicine works differently, however, and the users who expect the same kind of effect the other drugs bring may not only be disappointed but put themselves in danger. They may take higher than recommended amounts in an effort to get high.
They may overdose instead of feeling the euphoria they expect. Injection is especially dangerous with Suboxone. Uninformed, desperate people may shoot it up to simulate the effects of heroin. They do not realize that Suboxone was created partly to discourage abuse by injection.
Its effects are reduced instead of increased when injected. This can lead to overdose and the danger of debilitating effects and possible death. Word needs to get out on the street that Suboxone is dangerous when not taken under medical supervision.
At appropriate doses Suboxone has proven very helpful in treating patients addicted to other drugs. It helps reduce illegal use of opioids. It can help patients stay in addiction treatment programs.
Suboxone reduces symptoms of withdrawal from opioids. It shrinks people’s cravings for drugs such as heroin. Used correctly, Suboxone is a great weapon in the arsenal against drug addiction.
When injected, however, Suboxone can prove deadly. A user may already have other substances in the system such as alcohol. Combinations like this can depress breathing to such a low level that death results.
Suboxone can be abused in spite of the manufacturers’ efforts to stem that possibility. Users can become dependent on it the way they would on other opioid type drugs. Suboxone withdrawal is milder, however, than that from drugs such as heroin.
One side effect of Suboxone used to treat addiction is hepatitis sometimes accompanied by jaundice. More minor but bothersome side effects include headaches, insomnia, nausea and constipation. Health professionals can explain ways to cope with such reactions.
Pregnant women should avoid taking the medicine since there have not been well-controlled studies done of its effects on pregnancy. Driving cars and operating machinery should be avoided while taking Suboxone. Common sense dictates that vehicle operation be approached with great caution when taking any powerful drug.
At home Suboxone needs to be stored out of reach and sight of other residents, especially children. Experimenting with Suboxone is very hazardous. Its inappropriate use can lead to addiction and other health hazards. That is another reason to destroy any unused medicine.
Although the manufacturer, Reckitt Benckiser Pharmaceuticals Inc, is doing all it can to reduce the possibilities for Suboxone abuse, it cannot completely eliminate it. The company has committed itself to education and intervention in order to decrease abuse and increase the therapeutic effects of Suboxone. It is also working to improve standards for patient care.
It conducts an ongoing Risk Management Program that teaches the safe, effective use of Suboxone. It aims to reach patients and their families as well as doctors, counselors and pharmacists. The company wants to educate anyone whose lives touch Suboxone use whether in the administration of its use or in the taking of it. Although on the market for a relatively short time, Suboxone has proven its worth in easing drug abusers off other powerful substances.
