bookreader

My AS (opiates) has had a relapse. Just found out today while he was at work, so I don't yet know how much or how long. But I have seen him take his suboxone - just half a strip so small dose, but I'm confused. I thought you would get sick if you used while taking sub...? Usually am on the parents board, but I thought someone here might be able to explain this to me. Thank you very much.
b.

PSomniferum

People can still use while taking Suboxone. It will just take an increased amount in order to get high. Probably double to triple the amount someone would need to use in order to get high. The danger of doing so is that although the euphoria is diminished while on Suboxone, the other affects af the drug are still present, such as CNS depression. CNS depression is what causes people to OD. The other thing to worry about is precipitated withdrawals. That happens when someone uses an opiate and resumes Suboxone treatment. If the person is not careful and resumes Suboxone therapy too soon they will get very, very sick and go into precipitated withdrawal. It's like normal withdrawals amplified by ten. Usually it lasts only a short amount of time, but sometimes lasts as long as a day or so. Suboxone is not to be played around with. Good luck and God Bless

Stopdropburn

Hi book. As PS said, one way it could go is that they don't get the high from the DOC they're using so they use more and more and the negative effects increase while they aren't getting the high they're seeking, eventually leading to respiratory distress or OD. The other way, as you were wondering, is some people become sick when they try to use an opiate while on Suboxone. The idea is that being on Subs, the user, if they use, will experience nothing or become sick, thus discouraging use. But a lot of people are actually prescribed breakthrough pain meds while being on Suboxone, which I've yet to fully understand, when others are prescribed higher doses of Suboxone for pain.....so there's more than one path in that puzzle. But it's definitely not good to be mixing them IMO. Good luck.

albeitslowly

From my experience, taking an opiate while suboxone is already in your system will just waste the opiate, unless the suboxone dose is extremely low, but it sems that there will barely be any (if any at all) euphoria or use for the other opiate since buprenorphine has such a high affinity for the receptors.

But! After taking another opiate while on suboxone, the next time you gonto take your new suboxone dose without both drugs fully leaving your system, you will find yourself in precipitated withdrawals which, while different in intensity and duration for everyone, is pretty unpleasant, althougn generally short (in comparison with regular withdrawals).

So if you observe him taking his next suboxone dose, keep an eye on him to see if he displays withdrawal symptoms after it is absorbed/dissolved/however he takes it. That should answer your question better than speculating, since precipitated withdrawals come on so quickly and strongly, it will likely be obvious.

Good luck to you