What Happens if You Take Drugs While on Suboxone?

What is Suboxone?

Suboxone is a brand-name prescription medication that contains a combination of buprenorphine and naloxone. This drug is used for the treatment of opioid dependency and is often part of a comprehensive recovery program for opioid addiction referred to as medication-assisted therapy.

How Buprenorphine & Naloxone Work

The buprenorphine component allows the drug to bind opioid receptors and prevent withdrawal symptoms once the user stops taking opioids. The drug has a “ceiling effect” that limits the person’s reaction to the drug, even with an increased dose. This produces much weaker effects, like euphoria, when compared to other opioid drugs.¹ As a result, there is a decreased risk of dangerous side effects such as slowed or stopped breathing. These properties of buprenorphine lower the potential for misuse and lower the effects of physical dependency to opioids, which helps the user slowly wean off opioids safely.

The naloxone component works as a misuse deterrent that is activated if Suboxone is injected or snorted. Since naloxone is an opioid antagonist, it may trigger precipitated withdrawal if someone uses the drug in a way other than prescribed.²

Through its actions, suboxone can effectively prevent or reduce withdrawal symptoms and cravings, and allow individuals with opioid addiction to transition back to a healthy life of sobriety.

Suboxone Interactions

If you are taking Suboxone or your doctor is considering prescribing this medication to you, it is important to fully understand if the drug will react negatively when taken with other drugs. This is especially true for drugs that act on the central nervous system.

Suboxone and Benzos

It is extremely dangerous to take benzodiazepines, like Xanax or Valium, while receiving suboxone treatment. Benzodiazepines and suboxone both depress the central nervous system and can cause impairment, unconsciousness, respiratory failure, coma, or even death if taken together.³

According to data reviewed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, during the period of 2004-2011 the combined misuse of opioids and benzodiazepines significantly increased the rate of emergency department visits and nearly tripled the number of overdose deaths.⁴ The dangers of mixing these drugs were also demonstrated in findings from a recent study that showed 82% of buprenorphine overdose deaths involved the use of benzodiazepines.⁵

Cocaine and Suboxone

People are also warned against mixing Suboxone and cocaine. There is evidence that combining these drugs can reduce the effectiveness of suboxone.⁶ People who combine these drugs demonstrate low motivation to stay clean and are at increased risk for developing a multi-drug addiction.

Alcohol and Suboxone

Alcohol is a depressant, and when mixed with Suboxone, it can cause increased depression of the central nervous system. The effects of mixing alcohol and suboxone can include:³

• Low blood pressure
• Slowed breathing
• Deep sedation
• Coma
• Death

The findings from one study looking at opioid-associated deaths showed that alcohol was involved in more than half of all buprenorphine poisonings that resulted in overdose death.⁵

Treatment Options for Opioid Use Disorder

Suboxone can be a highly effective treatment for individuals suffering from opioid addiction. However, Suboxone works best when combined with other forms of treatment like behavioral therapy and peer support. Common levels of care used in opioid addiction treatment include:

• Medical detox.
• Residential treatment or inpatient treatment.
• Partial hospitalization programs (PHPs).
• Intensive outpatient programs (IOPs).
• Standard outpatient care.
• Sober living.

Combined with proper treatment plans from addiction specialists, Suboxone can be an effective part in helping those dependent on opioids overcome their addiction. It is important to ensure your treatment and use of Suboxone are monitored closely to ensure long-term success.

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