beegee

I have seen this mentioned a few times but I don't know what that is. I mean I am sure it is some kind of a sub for a drug but can someone enlighten me. And why would you take that or who would suggest taking it? Thanks

Done_With_It

Subutex and Suboxone
Questions and Answers

1. What are Suboxone and Subutex?

Subutex and Suboxone are medications approved for the treatment of opiate dependence. Both medicines contain the active ingredient, buprenorphine hydrochloride, which works to reduce the symptoms of opiate dependence.

2. Why did the FDA approve two medications?

Subutex contains only buprenorphine hydrochloride. This formulation was developed as the initial product. The second medication, Suboxone contains an additional ingredient called naloxone to guard against misuse.

Subutex is given during the first few days of treatment, while Suboxone is used during the maintenance phase of treatment.

3. Will most prescriptions be for the Suboxone formulation?

Yes, Suboxone is the formulation used in the majority of patients.

4. How are Subutex and Suboxone different from the current treatment options for opiate dependence such as methadone?

Currently opiate dependence treatments like methadone can be dispensed only in a limited number of clinics that specialize in addiction treatment. There are not enough addiction treatment centers to help all patients seeking treatment. Subutex and Suboxone are the first narcotic drugs available under the Drug Abuse Treatment Act (DATA) of 2000 for the treatment of opiate dependence that can be prescribed in a doctor’s office. This change will provide more patients the opportunity to access treatment.

5. What are some possible side effects of Subutex and Suboxone?

(This is NOT a complete list of side effects reported with Suboxone and Subutex. Refer to the package insert for a more complete list of side effects.)

The most common reported side effect of Subutex and Suboxone include:

* cold or flu-like symptoms
* headaches
* sweating
* sleeping difficulties
* nausea
* mood swings.

Like other opioids Subutex and Suboxone have been associated with respiratory depression (difficulty breathing) especially when combined with other depressants.

6. Are patients able to take home supplies of these medicines?

Yes. Subutex and Suboxone are less tightly controlled than methadone because they have a lower potential for abuse and are less dangerous in an overdose. As patients progress on therapy, their doctor may write a prescription for a take-home supply of the medication.

7. How will FDA know if these drugs are being misused, and what can be done if they are?

FDA has worked with the manufacturer, Reckitt-Benckiser, and other agencies to develop an in-depth risk-management plan. FDA will receive quarterly reports from the comprehensive surveillance program. This should permit early detection of any problems. Regulations can be enacted for tighter control of buprenorphine treatment if it is clear that it is being widely diverted and misused.

8. What are the key components of the risk-management plan?

The main components of the risk-management plan are preventive measures and surveillance.

Preventive Measures include:

* education
* tailored distribution
* Schedule III control under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA)
* child resistant packaging
* supervised dose induction

The risk management plan uses many different surveillance approaches. Some active methods include plans to:

* Conduct interviews with drug abusers entering treatment programs.
* Monitor local drug markets and drug using network areas where these medicines are most likely to be used and possibly abused.
* Examine web sites.

Additionally data collection sources can indicate whether Subutex and/or Suboxone are implicated in abuse or fatalities. These include:

* DAWN—The Drug Abuse Warning Network. This is run by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) which publishes a collection of data on emergency department episodes related to the use of illegal drugs or non-medical use of a legal drug.
* CEWG—Community Epidemiology Working Group. This working group has agreed to monitor buprenorphine use.
* NIDA—National Institute of Drug Abuse. NIDA will send a letter to their doctors telling them to be aware of the potential for abuse and to report it if necessary.

9. Who can prescribe Subutex and Suboxone?

Only qualified doctors with the necessary DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency) identification number are able to start in-office treatment and provide prescriptions for ongoing medication. CSAT (Center for Substance Abuse Treatment) will maintain a database to help patients locate qualified doctors.



10. How will Subutex and Suboxone be supplied?

Both medications come in 2 mg and 8 mg strengths as sublingual (placed under the tongue to dissolve) tablets.

11. Where can patients get Subutex and Suboxone?

These medications will be available in most commercial pharmacies. Qualified doctors with the necessary DEA identification numbers will be encouraged to help patients locate pharmacies that can fill prescriptions for Subutex and Suboxone.




» What are the ingredients of SUBOXONE and SUBUTEX?


SUBOXONE
Active Ingredients: buprenorphine hydrochloride and naloxone hydrochloride dihydrate
Inactive Ingredients: lactose, mannitol, cornstarch, povidone K30, citric acid, sodium citrate, FD&C Yellow No.6 color, magnesium stearate, and for flavoring, Acesulfame K sweetener and a lemon-lime flavor Please note that the naloxone in the above drug is not absorbed orally. It is only there so that someone cannot inject the liquefied form of this tablet and get high.

The naloxone in Suboxone is not absorbed orally or sublingually. It is in the tablet to discourage people from injecting the liquified tablet of Suboxone.


SUBUTEX
Active Ingredients: buprenorphine hydrochloride
Inactive Ingredients: lactose, mannitol, cornstarch, povidone K30, citric acid, sodium citrate and magnesium stearate

peaceteach

My son takes it. He got started on this program due to an addiction to oxycotin/pain pills. His explanation to me is that it blocks the receptors in the brain for opiates and as a result it takes away his craving for the drug but does not make him high. I'm sure others will be around to give you links to more medical explanations.

I connect it with these new quit-smoking drugs, that block the part of the brain that receives that good feeling from nicotine but also takes away your cravings and helps you quit.

marle

What awake said is true. My daughter used subs when she could not get her heroin. So she already knew that it would help with the physical withdrawals. When she decided to get off the heroin she went on Suboxone. But she needs to work a program and she knows it. I also like what Awake said about recovery "the sobriety stage is much harder than active addiction - for both the addict and family member(s". I am finding that to be so true. Hugs, Marle

Chino

My daughter went through a 'dry drunk' stage when she first started subs and it was frustrating for both of us. Now that she's off them she's dealing with PAWS and fighting depression, which is frustrating her. She knew it was coming so she caved in and got an antidepressant. I knew it was coming too and what to expect so I'm fine.

beegee

I was about to ask what Paws was and then I read Awakes post. Well it doesn't look like anything is easy here does it. I thank everyone for your posts and information.

ladyamalthea

Something else to consider is that, if an addict is not serious about working a program and saying clean, the suboxone can be sold to other addicts for money to purchase his or her doc. In fact, when my sister was on it, the pharmacy would not tell her over the phone whether or not they had any there AND they kept very small amounts of it in stock, all because it is apparently that high risk of an item for them.

I don't mean to scare you, but like you said, there is nothing that is easy in all of this. If the addict is ready to get clean and stay clean, and the suboxone is used for its intended purpose inconjunction with a program, whether it be 12 steps, counseling, or both, it can be beneficial. It just depends on the addict's state of mind.

butterfly19

Well it seems most people here have negative things to say about suboxone. Personally, I can say that it has been a lifesaver for me. Of course everyone has different experiences with such medications. I only want to tell you of mine.

I was a 5 year opiate addict who had tried quitting both cold turkey and by tapering off. However, due to other physical health conditions, mainly severe IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome), I could not come off the opiates without some help. My withdrawals would be so bad, I would qualify for admission to a hospital due to such severe dehydration. So for me, when I found out suboxone was an option, I researched it heavily and found a psychiatrist who is also an addiction specialist. After making my first appt. with him, I was inducted into a program where I receive a week's supply of suboxone, get urine drug tested every week, and receive one on one counselling. I do agree with what some others have said above counselling is a MUST. Until you resolve what issues caused you to start using in the first place, you are not accomplishing much at all.

So, I was started on sub on 4/21 and am still on it. Because of my health problems I am undergoing a very slow taper. I've not really revealed this to anyone yet, but there have been a few times that I tried skipping a day to see if I would indeed go into w/d. Surprisingly I didn't. So this makes me feel a little better about tapering off of it and finally coming totally off of it one day in the near future.

Like I said, everyone is different. Some may go through w/d. However, it's my suspicion that people who go through severe w/d when tapering off of it, possibly weren't taking it correctly in the first place. Just a hunch I have, but seems a likely possibility.

Hopefully, others who are just starting on suboxone or are interested in trying it don't read just the negative aspects of this medication. It has many benefits, at least it does for this drug addict. A great website I commonly recommend is Buprenorphine (Suboxone Subutex) treatment and opioid addiction resources from The National Alliance of Advocates for Buprenorphine Treatment - NAABT - Home page
It is how I found my physician and how I received detailed information about the medication. I don't believe anyone should have to suffer unnecessarily from alcohol or drug withdrawal. Good luck to those who are on it and always remember to take it correctly!!

butterfly19

:ghug2

marle

I agree with Butterfly. There is a lot of negative things on the net about Suboxone. I have told my daughter to not pay attention to them because when she is ready to get off the subs she will be so much stronger if she continues to work her program. For right now it is keeping her away from the heroin, but she really was ready for something other than the 24 hour business of being an addict. Hugs, Marle

Chino

I'm positive it was a life saver for my daughter as well. It helped her keep needles out of her veins and removed her from a very dangerous environment.

Wishing you all the best butterfly!

leadam123

Suboxone will compete with opioid molecules and replace them in receptor site in your brain. It mimics and opiate and has opiate qualities like euphoria, etc.....It is a narcotic so keep that in mind. It is for use for people who abuse opiates and want to stop and cannot possibly deal with the withdrawal symptoms, trust me, I lasted a day! When coming off opiates, taking sub will make you feel better within 30 minutes. It comes in 2mgs and 8mgs. You take is sublingually. When starting the drug, you should take at least one day off work just to see how your body reacts to it. You also should be having moderate to severe withdrawal symptoms before starting sub.
So basically it boils down to a narcotic approved by the FDA for treatment of substance abuse. It is not for long term use and should not be. You do not need to be in an inpatient treatment facility to obtain this drug either. Your medical doctor or psychiatrist can prescribe it for you. Just remember, no opiates at all on this med. Hope this helps a little
GOOD LUCK AND GOD BLESS

lethlap

Wow PAWS sounds terrifying! I kinda wish I had not seen that. O well damned if you do damned if you dont! lol

shockozulu

The style of the post makes it clear to me that Done-With-It was posting from another source. She never attempted to disguise the fact she did not write it.

Since the topic of the thread is Sub, why should it be emailed? I think it belongs here.

Just IMO of course.

cassandra2

How can you abuse subs? I thought that they didnt provide the high only the ability to mimic that to the receptors and make them think they are getting the opiate and thus prevents the withdrawal. Am I wrong?

I just dont understand how they can abuse. And if they can then how come they are regulated like methadone?

I am almost positive the treatment center that my ex is in gives him his meds and then only supplies him with enough to last for the days he doesnt go. Arent all programs like that?

jerect

I think you can abuse them by taking more then what is prescribed to you... also by chewing them instead of letting them disolve under the tongue as directed.. drinking alcohol while taking them.. (i'm thinking if you are taking subs to begin with for a drug problem, you prob shouldent be drinking either)

My AH is on Subs and has been since October 25th 2008. At first I was very against him taking the subs because he was abusing opiates all the way to the day he started taking the suboxone. I just knew that this was just a quick fix for him and that as soon as he was weened off he would be back to using again.. For the first couple of weeks it seemed like my fears were justified.. He was abusing the subs by chewing them and drinking alcohol with them and the thought of working a program probably never entered his mind.

Fast forward a month and a half later and he is attending AA meetings and even told me that he was not going to drink anymore because it was affecting his sobriety.. (I wanted to say so bad, well Yeah, but I kept my mouth closed)..

My AH says he feels good and that he does not crave opiates anymore.. The Dr. also put him on seroquil for depression.. For the first few weeks he was on subs and seroquil he did some really off the wall crazy things but that seems to have passed and he is actually more pleasent to be around.. it's almost like I have my husband back.

My AH has to see his Phychiatrist every two weeks and she writes him out a script for his subs.. we asked her if she could write him out a months worth because paying the copayment twice a month instead of once a month is eating into our budget.. she said she couldent do that because subs were a controlled substance.. so that made me feel a little better about him taking these drugs.. at least his Dr. is monitoring the situation.

The only drawback I see from this drug so far is the cost... Thank Goodness our insurance covers this med.. but we are still paying 60.00 a month for the script and thats not counting his script for the seroquil and other medication that my AH has to take... but still 60.00 a month is a heck of a lot cheaper then what he was spending on pills every month..

marle

You abuse them by not taking them everyday. You use your DOC and then when you are out, you use the subs to stop the withdrawals. It is kind of like playing Russian Roulette because if you are not careful, you can go into what is called precipitated withdrawal and addicts say it is more miserable than regular withdrawals. A good site to go to to learn about Suboxone treatment is Buprenorphine treatment and opioid addiction resources from The National Alliance of Advocates for Buprenorphine Treatment Lots of good info about Suboxone. Hugs, Marle

Alaia

Good post. My ex-abf used subs...but not in the right way. He thought they were a quick fix for him. Once he relapsed, he used them when he couldn't get heroin, so he wouldn't get sick. He was just replacing one with the other. Now i see why...he didn't address the problems under the addiction. He never has. He can stop and do good for awhile, but he can't stay clean because he doesn't address why he started using in the first place. I see a lot of me in him. I used to have low self esteem and be really depressed so I went to therapy and got put on anti-depressants and now I am much better than before. I tried to tell him this but it went in one ear and out the other (cause he's not ready to be clean). I only hope that someday his HP will guide him to the road of recovery.