Suboxone: its usage and side effects

Suboxone: an overview

Addiction to opioids is very dangerous for one’s life. Nowadays it’s common if you see someone suffering from opioid addiction. It’s called opioid use disorder (OUD) in medical language. It’s a chronic disorder. It leads to mental distress and people crave for more opioids.Sometimes it may lead to overdose. To treat this doctors prescribe suboxone. It is a combination of two drugs. It contains buprenorphine and naloxone. It targets and binds the opioid receptors. It helps in reducing intoxication and cravings. It is available in sublingual table form.

Suboxone addiction

It is not very addictive as compared to other medicines. It’s made to overcome opioid addiction thus has very less potential for addiction but it’s important to use it in the required amount. It may cause harm to one’s body. If it’s used for longer run it may lead to various side effects. It may work as a sedative and hypnotic drug if mixed with other nitrates based drugs.

Side effects

Some of the major side effects are

• Dizziness
• Nausea
• Allergic reaction
• Inflammation of face
• Body ache
• Constipation
• Fatigue
• Sweating
• Agitation
• Redness and discomfort in the mouth lining etc

FDA guidelines

1. Do not use alcohol along with it.
2. There is no strict dosage of suboxone for daily usage. It’s up to a certified doctor to prescribe the dosage according to the situation.
3. It may cause respiratory depression,misuse etc if not taken under proper doctors guidance.
4. A pregnant woman can take suboxone under doctor’s supervision.

Conclusion

Suboxone is one of the best medications till date for OUD patients. Though one should never overdose. It’s not considered very harmful but can be addictive and may lead to various side effects. It is generally not prescribed to underaged children until and unless it’s an emergency.