Effects of Suboxone

Naxolene is the added ingredient on a variation of subutex which is called suboxone. This is the normally given to patients. Its effects are the same as Subutex. Like subutex, it is used as a pain reliever and a medication drug in treating opioid addiction.

In determining the effects of suboxone to it’s users, numerous studies have been made. Suboxone tablets have been studied in 575 patients, Subutex tablets in 1834 patients and buprenorphine sublingual solutions in 2470 patients. A total of 1270 females have received buprenorphine in clinical trials. Dosing recommendations are based on data from one trial of both tablet formulations and two trials of the ethanolic solution. All trials used buprenorphine in combination with psychosocial counseling as part of a complete addiction treatment program. There have been no clinical studies conducted to assess the effectiveness of buprenorphine as the only component of treatment.

In a double blind placebo and active controlled study, 326 heroin-addicted subjects were by chance assigned to either Suboxone 16 mg per day, 16 mg Subutex per day or placebo tablets. The main study comparison was to assess the efficacy of Subutex and Suboxone individually against placebo. The percentage of thrice-weekly urine samples that were negative for non-study opioids was statistically higher for both Subutex and Suboxone, than for placebo.

Since suboxone is a mixture of two presently marketed medications, buprenorphine and naloxone, it offers a combination of a weak narcotic (buprenorphine) and a narcotic antagonist (naloxone). The later is added to stop addicts from injecting the tablets intravenously, as has happened with tablets only containing buprenorphine; because it contains naloxone, Suboxone is extremely likely to produce intense withdrawal symptoms if misused intravenously by opioid-addicted individuals. Buprenorphine is a partial agonist at the mu-opioid receptor and an antagonist at the kappaopioid receptor. Naloxone is an antagonist at the mu-opioid receptor.

Like most addictions, suboxone or subutex addiction is quite unavoidable. The drug is not supposed to be used occasionally. It must be used as a nonstop treatment method and thus, may become hazardous if usage is stopped too quickly. Like heroin, suboxone could result to a “euphoric” feeling. Undeniably, the person who is continuously taking the drug has a very high risk of becoming dependent and addicted to the drug. It has a mechanism that mimics the actions of unsurprisingly occurring pain-reducing chemicals called endorphins. Endorphins are found in the brain and spinal cord and lessen pain by combining with opioid receptors. However, opioids also act in the brain to cause feelings of euphoria and hallucinations. This greatly explains their addictive tendencies among people who are taking them in a long-term basis.

Moreover, in taking in suboxone, one should be very careful. As much as possible this should be taken with great supervision by a medical expert. This medication may cause drowsiness. If affected, do not drive or operate machinery. Drowsiness will be made worse by alcohol, tranquilizers, sedatives and sleeping tablets such as benzodiazepines. Taking these in mixture with buprenorphine can also cause potentially dangerous problems with breathing and so should be avoided while taking this medicine. The liver function should be often monitored while receiving treatment with this medicine.

Drugs like these are very useful and helpful in battling with drug addiction. However, there has never been a substance that has been found to be an effective medication for addiction that is at the same time non-addictive. Science may have been in the route of trying to find the perfect drug that would provide us with the two benefits.

Drugs, therefore, should be taken with caution and appropriate supervision from medical professionals. In addition, it is the liability of the person himself to look after his in-take of a drug. He should be the one controlling the drug, not the other way around.