If you’re struggling with opioid addiction, medications like Suboxone can be an effective part of your recovery. However, when not used as prescribed by a doctor, Suboxone itself can become problematic. Like many powerful prescription drugs, it carries the potential for misuse and dependence, even when intended to support addiction treatment. If you develop a dependency on Suboxone, detoxification becomes necessary, just as it would with any other opioid. One of the biggest challenges during this process is managing Suboxone withdrawal symptoms, which can be both physically and emotionally taxing. Understanding the Suboxone withdrawal timeline and having medical support in place can make a significant difference in safely and successfully moving forward in your recovery journey.
What Is Suboxone?
Suboxone is a prescription medication commonly used to treat both severe chronic pain and opioid addiction. It combines two active ingredients: buprenorphine and naloxone. While effective when used as prescribed, Suboxone can become problematic if misused due to its potential for addiction. Naloxone is an opioid antagonist, meaning it blocks and reverses the effects of opioids in the body and is not addictive.
Buprenorphine, on the other hand, is a partial synthetic opioid. It was specifically designed to have a lower potential for abuse and psychological dependence than traditional opioids, thanks in part to its ceiling effect, which limits the intensity of the euphoria it can produce. However, because it is still an opioid, buprenorphine can cause opioid-like effects, including a sense of euphoria, which makes Suboxone a controlled and closely monitored medication. While buprenorphine should only be obtained legally through a licensed healthcare provider, it is sometimes diverted and used illicitly for recreational purposes.
How Does Suboxone Work?
Suboxone works on your system by acting on the same opioid receptors that opioids act on. Yet, Suboxone provides opposite results so instead of pleasurable symptoms, you experience symptom reversal. This is why Suboxone includes the opioid buprenorphine, along with naloxone: they work to block and reverse opioids. As a result, Suboxone also reduces withdrawal symptoms in people who are trying to quit using opioids. At Sound Recovery, we offer Suboxone as a valuable comfort medication during the medical detox stage. Additionally, many people benefit from long-term Suboxone medication. Because the desire to return to opioids will stay present in your life, long-term Suboxone use helps reduce relapse.
Is Suboxone Addictive?
Unfortunately, yes, Suboxone can be addictive if used under certain parameters. Because it contains an opioid (buprenorphine), it is possible for Suboxone to create a high. However, it will be far less than the result produced by other natural and synthetic opioids, like methadone or fentanyl. If you have a history of opioid abuse, it’s possible that Suboxone won’t lead to any pleasurable effects in you. This would be the case if your tolerance is too high, so you won’t feel anything from buprenorphine. But if you’re a first-time or early opioid user, you will likely feel the effects of buprenorphine. But of course, another parameter of whether you can become addicted to Suboxone is if you also misuse it. Overall, individuals who are new to opioid use and misuse Suboxone recreationally for a high are likely to experience one. They can even develop a dangerous addiction. Therefore, monitoring your Suboxone use is very important for your safety.
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Suboxone Withdrawal Symptoms
If you form a dependency on Suboxone, quitting will look like the process of detoxing from any opioid. As such, you will first experience withdrawal symptoms when you stop giving your system what it’s craving. Withdrawal symptoms can be painful and uncomfortable, making you feel a strong pull to take more of the substance. How long does Suboxone withdrawal last? Typically, withdrawal spans between 4 and 14 days, with about 4-8 days being more average. However, the exact timeline really depends on your unique situation, like how long you’ve been abusing Suboxone and how often. You might experience different Suboxone detox symptoms at different points in the process.
Early Suboxone Withdrawal Symptoms
When you first deny your system more Suboxone because you’re quitting, it will go into a state of chaos. Some of the typical early withdrawal symptoms commonly include any of the following:
- Aches and pains
- Runny nose
- Fever
- Chills
- Nausea
- Stomach cramps
- Vomiting
- Lethargy
- Sweating
- Diarrhea
- Loss of appetite
- Trouble sleeping
- Cravings
Early symptoms can set in as soon as eight hours after your last dose. It’s important to be prepared for the intensity of early symptoms by not going through Suboxone withdrawal at home. Instead, our professional detox facility is a safe and secure place to undergo the entire detox process.
Peak Symptoms of Suboxone Withdrawal
After the initial symptoms, be prepared to have your withdrawal symptoms heighten in severity. Peak opioid symptoms usually hit around 24 hours to four days after your last dose. Again, the exact timeline will depend on a lot of personal factors. These include your size, genetics, and history of Suboxone abuse, like how much you took and how regularly. Because the withdrawal process can be uncertain, it’s best to go through detox at a professional center. When the peak symptoms set in, they can be debilitating. Some of the symptoms may include:
- Cravings
- Dizziness
- Fainting
- Stomach pains
- Nausea
- Clammy skin
- Heavy limbs
- Exhaustion
- Trouble focusing
- Vision blurriness
- Agitation
- Hallucinations
- Anxiety
- Depression
Protracted Suboxone Withdrawal Symptoms
It is also possible for some symptoms to re-arise after you’ve completed detox. These are called protracted symptoms. They don’t occur in everyone, but when they do, you experience cravings for your old substance. It is certainly possible to have protracted Suboxone withdrawal symptoms, but it is less likely than with more potent opioids than buprenorphine. If you do face delayed symptoms of withdrawal, medication management can help. Don’t try to self-medicate your symptoms; instead, reach out to us for help.
Why Does Suboxone Cause Withdrawal Symptoms?
Simply put, Suboxone can lead to withdrawal symptoms for the same reason it leads to addiction in the first place: it contains an opioid. Opioids are potent painkillers that have a strong impact on the brain. Regular misuse of opioids can quickly lead to dependency on them as your brain actually adapts to their presence. So, when you try to quit using any opioid, your system starts to reset itself back to normal.
Is Suboxone withdrawal dangerous? It can be. In fact, all opioid withdrawal has health risks, because you’re ridding powerful substances from your system. You should never attempt to detox at home. For one thing, you are likely to fall back into drug use because it’s challenging to hold yourself accountable through the severity of withdrawal. For another thing, detox symptoms can be dangerous and lead to dehydration, mental health symptoms, nutrient deficiencies, and seizures.
Who Can Help with Suboxone Withdrawal Symptoms?
Rather than taking the risk of trying to detox at home, professional substance abuse treatment centers offer medical detoxification services. You don’t have to look any further than Sound Recovery in Washington. We offer opioid detox, including Suboxone withdrawal treatment. Our medical staff knows how to ease Suboxone withdrawal and will monitor you around the clock to ensure your health and safety.
The Benefits of Professional Addiction Treatment
When you complete detoxification at our professional rehab center, you get through the process more smoothly. Plus, afterwards, you can move directly into the next level of care, called residential inpatient treatment. All in all, although you’ve just removed opioids from your system, you don’t yet have the skills to avoid relapse. Rather than risk falling back into addiction, you can work through our drug addiction treatment to build a strong foundation for your sobriety. Therefore, not only does professional addiction treatment help with managing Suboxone withdrawal, but it also helps with the deeper healing work.
Finding Professional Help for Suboxone Detox and Withdrawal
At Sound Recovery, we are capable of helping you with all parts of Suboxone addiction, including withdrawal and post-detox. Suboxone detox is a critical component of medication-assisted treatment (MAT) designed to treat opioid addiction safely and effectively. Conducted in a licensed treatment facility under the supervision of healthcare professionals, the detox process helps individuals gradually taper off Suboxone while minimizing withdrawal symptoms and drug cravings. As part of a comprehensive treatment plan, behavioral therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy play a key role in addressing the psychological aspects of addiction and supporting long-term relapse prevention.
Successful treatment for opioid use disorders often involves a combination of MAT, therapy, and personalized treatment programs tailored to the individual’s needs. Taking Suboxone can be an effective short-term strategy in treating opioid dependence, but detoxing from it is a vital step on the path to recovery. With the right clinical support and dedication to a structured plan, individuals can achieve lasting progress in their addiction recovery journey. If you want to achieve lasting recovery and prevent relapse, you need to complete inner addiction healing. Through therapy and counseling services, we can walk you through your addiction and out to the other side. Don’t wait to start the process. Give us a call right now to start your Suboxone detox.
