Overdose is far more likely if someone is drinking alcohol while taking buprenorphine (Suboxone®). When a doctor prescribes buprenorphine (Suboxone®), they’re not assuming that someone is drinking while taking it. They’re providing you with an effective dose for your particular condition.
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Buprenorphine (Suboxone®) has been tested on AUD in the past, but it wasn’t as effective as other medications. If you’re living with AUD and you’re wondering what medications are typically prescribed, buprenorphine (Suboxone®) doesn’t make the list. People in AUD detox are usually prescribed benzodiazepines, Acamprosate, or disulfiram. In both alcohol and opioid detox centers, individual or group therapy is also recommended in conjunction with medications.
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- Combining Suboxone and alcohol can significantly affect your breathing rate leading to an increased risk of suffering a cardiac arrest.
- Seizure medications like Lamictal and Lyrica can interact negatively with alcohol, too.
- Alcohol can enhance potential side effects of Suboxone, including headache, dizziness, fainting, nausea, and vomiting.
- Sometimes, users will try to increase the effects of the drug by taking more of it.
It can make people feel buzzy and energized when they first take a drink. This substance has a depressant effect on the central nervous system. Suboxone is typically dispensed through an opioid treatment program, so anyone using the drug is likely to already be in treatment.
However, Suboxone can also be abused, and it has the potential to cause addiction and dependence. The effects of mixing Suboxone and alcohol can be very uncomfortable. When mixing suboxone and alcohol they’re using Suboxone and alcohol, people may become dizzy, faint, or have heart palpitations.
Dangers Of Mixing Suboxone And Alcohol
We can provide supervised medical detox from substances like alcohol and opioids. After detox, many clients are ready to progress to traditional inpatient rehab. Following that, people may want to continue in our outpatient program. We also make it easy for our clients to keep getting the support they need.
Like many colleges, we have an alumni network that makes it easy for people to stay in touch and continue to help one another. Some people will go so far as to mix alcohol and Suboxone for long periods of time. For example, both alcohol and Suboxone depress the respiratory system. Long-term use of these drugs together can cause tissue damage, respiratory infections, and even brain damage. That’s one reason that operating heavy machinery after drinking is so dangerous.
Heavy drinkers place their pancreas and liver at risk for inflammation and degradation that is irreversible. The effects of Suboxone can be reversed with naloxone, but it will not counter the effects of alcohol. Because of the alcohol, the person may require supportive care in the hospital for several days. Suboxone is a drug containing the active ingredients buprenorphine and naloxone. Mixing alcohol with Suboxone increases the risk of accidental opioid overdose due to its complementary effects on the central nervous system.
Instead, people who mix these substances often experience stronger intoxication symptoms while drinking an amount they once considered safe. When Suboxone is abused it may cause chemical dependency and addiction. A person may experience withdrawal symptoms from Suboxone when they stop taking the medication and detox from the drug. At Granite Recovery Centers, we’re able to help people through every phase of recovery.