Everything You Need to Know about Suboxone

Many times, watching a loved one struggle with addiction, or for the individual battling the disease, it can feel like a helpless time. Whenever the waters of addiction get murky, it helps to know that no one is alone in their fight and there are options available to ease the process.

Once a person makes the decision to seek recovery from an opioid addiction, they require ongoing monitoring and treatment. To set a patient up for success in transitioning to leading a healthier lifestyle, it is most effective to utilize a combination of therapy techniques and medication to support their journey. 

You may have heard of the prescription medication Suboxone before but have some questions about it. What is it? How does it work? What are the side effects and what can be expected as an outcome?

Whether you’re researching Suboxone as a possible treatment for you or a loved one, Great Salt Plains Health is here to cover everything you need to know about the medication.

What is Suboxone?

Suboxone is a medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid addiction that works to decrease the severity of withdrawal symptoms and reduce a person’s dependence on opioids.

Suboxone is a prescription drug and is available in a tablet or a sublingual film, both of which are designed for ease of use and to dissolve in the mouth.

What is Suboxone Made of?

Suboxone is a combination of two drugs - buprenorphine and naloxone. Buprenorphine is an opioid medication, sometimes called a narcotic. Naloxone blocks the effects of opioid medication, including pain relief or feelings of well-being that can lead to opioid abuse.

How Does Suboxone Work?

Manages Withdrawal Symptoms

Suboxone reduces withdrawal symptoms without producing the full effect aka ‘high’ of other opioids, such as heroin, fentanyl, oxycodone, hydrocodone, etc.

Reduces Cravings

With Suboxone reducing withdrawal symptoms, it in turn reduces cravings which can make it easier for the patient to stop using their drug of choice.

Deters Misuse of Other Opioids

In addition, the medication is also intended to deter the misuse of other opioids by blocking the opioid receptors, preventing them from being activated by other opioids.

Is it Habit-Forming?

Suboxone can result in physical dependence with long-term use due to the inclusion of buprenorphine, which is an opioid. However, dependence is not the same as addiction—though a patient could experience withdrawal symptoms if they were to abruptly stop using it.

Suboxone use should not be stopped unless directed to do so by a doctor. When the time is right to quit taking Suboxone, a physician will guide the patient to taper off Suboxone by gradually reducing the dose over time.

Common Misconceptions

Unfortunately, within the addiction community and among the public at large, certain myths about Suboxone persist for those unfamiliar with medication-assisted treatment (MAT), and these misconceptions add a further barrier to treatment for people suffering from opiate addiction.

Suboxone Just Substitutes One Drug for Another

If used as directed, Suboxone is a medication, not a substance. It is a stable, safe, long-acting medication. It is prescribed for the specific effect of improving patients' physical and mental health and preventing HIV, hepatitis C, other infectious diseases, and death. 

It is not merely substituting one addiction for another. Instead, Suboxone helps people control their previously compulsive and harmful opioid use, allowing them to resume a normal, more healthy life.

Treating Addiction with a Medication is a “Failure of Willpower”

Addiction is a medical disease, not a moral failure. Treatment with a prescription medication allows stabilization of opioid receptors so that patients are able to make changes in lifestyle, behaviors, and psychiatric conditions, to allow ultimate recovery rather than cycles of relapses. 

One of the main obstacles to getting lifesaving treatment for addiction is the stigma people face. Fortunately, our society's perception is slowly starting to transform away from an outdated view of addiction as a moral failing toward a more realistic, humane view of addiction as a complex disease that needs to be addressed with compassion, as well as modern medical care.

Who Can Suboxone Help?

Suboxone should not be used if a person is allergic to buprenorphine or naloxone.

To make sure Suboxone is safe for a patient, the doctor should be alerted if they have ever had:

  • tooth problems

  • breathing problems

  • sleep apnea

  • enlarged prostate

  • urination problems

  • liver or kidney disease

  • abnormal curvature of the spine that affects breathing

  • problems with the gallbladder, adrenal gland, or thyroid

  • a head injury, brain tumor, or seizures

  • alcoholism or drug addiction (other than opioid)

Possible Side Effects

As with any medication, Suboxone can have some possible side effects, even when taken as prescribed.

Common Side Effects:

  • Headache

  • Nausea

  • Vomiting

  • Sweating

  • Insomnia

  • Constipation

  • Swelling in arms or legs

Less-common Side Effects:

  • Adrenal changes

  • Sleep-related breathing issues

  • Allergic reactions

  • Impaired liver function

  • Low blood pressure

Serious Side Effects:

If a patient experiences any of these symptoms, they need to call their doctor at once or seek emergency medical services.

  • any problems with teeth or gums

  • weak or shallow breathing

  • breathing that stops during sleep

  • a light-headed feeling, like you might pass out

  • confusion, loss of coordination, extreme weakness

  • blurred vision, slurred speech

  • liver problems - upper stomach pain, loss of appetite, dark urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice

  • high levels of serotonin in the body - agitation, hallucinations, fever, sweating, shivering, fast heart rate, muscle stiffness, twitching, loss of coordination, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea

  • low cortisol levels - nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, dizziness, worsening tiredness or weakness

  • opioid withdrawal symptoms - shivering, goosebumps, increased sweating, feeling hot or cold, runny nose, watery eyes, diarrhea, muscle pain.

How Long Are Patients on Suboxone?

How long a patient is prescribed Suboxone depends on their needs. However, Suboxone therapy commonly progresses through three phases: induction, stabilization, and maintenance. 

Treatment should begin in the early stage of withdrawal, be adjusted once the patient is stabilized, and when the individual maintains a steady dose, should be weaned off over a period of time by decreasing the dosage until they no longer need it.

Maintenance durations may vary, and many people stay on Suboxone maintenance doses for months to years.

Does Insurance Cover the Cost of Suboxone?

Suboxone is typically covered by health insurance, but the extent of coverage can vary depending on your specific health insurance plan and benefits. It is recommended to verify specific coverage with your insurance carrier if you have insurance. 

Here at Great Salt Plains Health, our services are available to patients with and without insurance. Qualifying uninsured patients can be seen for as little as $20 utilizing our income-based sliding fee scale. Please reach out to our office to discuss details so you can determine what to expect.

Next Steps

If you or your loved one is ready to take the next steps to treat opioid addiction, specifically if you’re interested in MAT or Suboxone, Great Salt Plains Health is here to help on the path to recovery.


Please contact one of our Oklahoma Medication Assisted Treatment Providers and schedule an appointment today.

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