Suboxone Abuse

Jump to:

1. Why Suboxone Is Necessary
2. How Suboxone Works
3. Abuse Potential
4. Spotting Abuse

People who are addicted to heroin are often given medications as part of their rehabilitation programs. In the past, these medications were only distributed in liquid form in clinics, so the addicts had to keep appointments to receive their drugs, and these appointments were often considered stigmatizing. In addition, some addicts managed to sell their medications, or hoard their doses so they could abuse them. This all changed in 2002, with the introduction of Suboxone. This medication comes in a pill form, so doctors could prescribe the medication and allow the addict to take the drug at home. Addicts could then work, live at home and otherwise go on with a normal life, all while taking medications for addiction in a private manner. In addition, the medications in Suboxone were supposed to be impervious to abuse. In fact, the manufacturer came close to suggesting that Suboxone actually couldn’t be abused. This made doctors feel even better about giving the addicts the drug in an unsupervised manner.

Unfortunately, some people have discovered ways to abuse Suboxone, and that abuse is on the rise. According to a 2004 bulletin from the National Drug Intelligence Center, users are crushing and snorting the drug and successfully achieving a high. Some users are also selling their medications for prices as high as $25 per pill. Some news reports suggest that doctors are responding to this abuse by refusing to prescribe the medication to anyone, including people who need it in order to deal with heroin addiction. This could be the true tragedy of Suboxone abuse. Since the medication truly can be abused, some addicts may be forced back into stigmatizing addiction programs. The manufacturer is working hard to reduce the risk of abuse, but by getting help for people who are addicted, families can help turn the tide of addiction and allow those who need the medication to access it and take it properly.

Why Suboxone Is Necessary

People who take heroin or some forms of prescription medications for long periods of time do severe and long-lasting damage to their brains. When these drugs enter the bloodstream, they travel to the brain and attach to specific receptors. This attachment causes a series of chemical reactions, essentially flooding the brain with signals and creating a feeling of euphoria. Over time, the body becomes accustomed to being flooded, and when the user stops taking drugs, the brain simply cannot function properly. The addict might experience:

• Nausea
• Involuntary twitching of the legs
• Cold sweats
• Depression
• Hallucinations

Some users feel variants of these symptoms for months after they stop drug use, and they may relapse in order to make the symptoms stop. In a way, this makes perfect sense. People who feel a crushing sense of depression, who know they can make it stop with one simple shot, often cannot see why taking that shot is detrimental. Medications work by easing symptoms, so the addict isn’t faced with this difficult choice. In short, medications can help ease these symptoms and keep a relapse from occurring. People who use heroin face significant risks, as they’re never quite sure of the strength or purity of the drugs they’re taking. They might overdose, due to pure doses they’re unaccustomed to, or they might become poisoned if they take in tainted batches. In addition, people using street drugs tend to share needles, have unprotected sex and engage in other risky behaviors that could put their lives at risk. While they’re taking medications with a doctor’s supervision, by contrast, they aren’t at risk for impure drugs, and they can be counseled to stop engaging in risky behavior. The medications have been proven to work. According to an article published in PsychCentral, fewer than 25 percent of people are able to prevent a heroin relapse within one year without medication. By contrast, Suboxone and medications like it have a 40 to 60 percent success rate. It’s clear that, when used properly, Suboxone truly can help addicts through the recovery process.

How Suboxone Works

Suboxone contains two separate medications: buprenorphine and naloxone. One of these medications, buprenorphine, works in much the same way as heroin or prescription painkillers. When it enters the bloodstream, it attaches to the same receptors and produces a mild sensation of euphoria. The brain is fooled into believing that it’s in a state of flood, and the user feels no sense of withdrawal. Buprenorphine stays attached to these receptors for up to 24 hours, so if the user takes in another drug such as heroin, the drug has nothing to attach to, and it will cause no effect. When given alone, however, buprenorphine can be abused. According to a study published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence, more than 75 percent of addicts reported that they had injected the drug. At high doses, the drug can cause a high. This is why the second medication was included in the Suboxone formula.

Naloxone works a bit like a bouncer at a bar. If a user takes in naloxone, it bumps all medications from their receptors. The user goes into a severe and serious withdrawal. This medication is sometimes given to people who have overdosed on heroin, as it stops the drug from working. Addicts who take in naloxone alone will feel quite ill from a sudden withdrawal.

According to information published by the manufacturer of Suboxone, when a user takes a Suboxone tablet, very little naloxone reaches the user’s system. By contrast, if the user chose to crush the tablet and inject it, a large amount of naloxone would reach the user and the person would feel quite sick as a result.

This reaction has been reported in studies of addicts who have attempted to abuse Suboxone by injecting it. According to a study published in the journal Addiction, addicts reported mild and unpleasant reactions when they injected Suboxone. As a result, most said they would pay much less for the drug than they would heroin or buprenorphine alone.