Author: Alex Thompson

Alcohol-Medication Interactions: Potentially Dangerous Mixes National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism NIAAA

If you’re concerned about any food or drinks interacting with Suboxone, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. Suboxone may have other interactions, such as with supplements, foods, vaccines, or even lab tests. Keep in mind that the following information does not include all other possible interactions with Suboxone.

Yes, you can likely take varenicline (Chantix) with Suboxone. Chantix is a medication that’s used to help people stop smoking. There aren’t any known interactions between the two drugs.

1. Suboxone works as a partial opioid agonist (weak opioid) and locks itself onto the brain’s opioid receptors.
2. For more information about this interaction, see “Opioids” in “Drug interactions in depth” above.
3. Below are comparisons between Suboxone and several medications.
4. You nor your loved one are under any obligation to commit to an Ark Behavioral Health treatment program when calling our helpline.

However, it’s possible that interactions with vitamins could be recognized in the future. Because of this, you should talk with your doctor or pharmacist before taking any vitamin product with Suboxone. Before you start treatment with Suboxone, tell your doctor and pharmacist which supplements, herbs, and vitamins you take.

Starting Suboxone

If you can become pregnant or are breastfeeding, it’s important to consider whether Suboxone is a safe choice for you. You can take Suboxone on an empty stomach or after a meal, since it’s absorbed in your mouth and not your stomach. However, you should not consume food or drink anything while the film is in your mouth. It’s important to practice good oral hygiene while you’re taking Suboxone.

Most people know that Suboxone is a drug used to treat abusers of other substances. The problem is that Suboxone itself shows addictive potentials, requiring patients to undergo another detox. This makes people become wary about the ability of Suboxone to end the vicious cycle of addiction. However, mixing alcohol with Suboxone only aggravates the situation.

You could experience a life-threatening overdose by combining these drugs. Suboxone and alcohol are both central nervous system (CNS) depressants, which means they slow breathing and heart rates. You should never mix alcohol and Suboxone, under any circumstances. If you are abusing any of these substances, it is clear that you need urgent treatment, especially if you were using Suboxone to treat opioid overuse disorder. If you have been combining these substances behind your doctor’s back, then it is time to take action and reassess your treatment program. Since Suboxone has an opioid, albeit weakened, taking other drug substances while on Suboxone treatment can be life-threatening.

Here are some frequently asked questions about Suboxone and possible interactions. If you have a liver problem, your doctor will likely check your liver function. This helps determine whether your liver is healthy enough for you to take Suboxone. If you already have a liver problem, the medication may worsen your condition. Before taking Suboxone, tell your doctor if you have any adrenal gland problems, such as Addison’s disease.

Long-term use of Suboxone can lead to physical and psychological dependence and drug-craving and drug-seeking behavior. It’s only available in its generic version, buprenorphine. There are no brand-name sublingual forms of buprenorphine available that are used to treat opioid dependence. Some of these tests, including the tests often used in those who take Suboxone for opioid dependence, can detect the presence of Suboxone and other opioid drugs.

These symptoms can be avoided by slowly tapering the dose of the medication before completely stopping. If you have an allergic reaction to this drug, call your doctor or local poison control center right away. If your symptoms are severe, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. The government has created special rules for how Schedule III drugs can be prescribed by a doctor and dispensed by a pharmacist.

Suboxone overdose

The biggest risk from drinking alcohol when on Suboxone is clearly stated in the drug’s literature. Mixing Suboxone and alcohol can lead to a high chance of respiratory and central nervous system depression. This CME/CE credit opportunity is jointly provided by the Postgraduate Institute for Medicine and NIAAA. The government has created special rules for how schedule III drugs can be prescribed by a doctor and dispensed by a pharmacist. Suboxone and anesthesia used for surgery may interact and increase your risk of serious side effects. Before having surgery, talk with your doctor about your treatment with Suboxone.

Talking to a healthcare provider is something not to be taken halfheartedly. Mixing Suboxone with alcohol can also cause the body’s tolerance and dependence to further increase. As such, the body will require progressively higher dosages of Suboxone to adjust itself to the amplified effect.

Why Drinking Alcohol on Suboxone is Ill-Advised

The key to safe and sustainable recovery from opioid overuse disorder is deciding to treat your body and mind better and committing to the plan. The simple answer is that there is no time when it is safe to mix drugs. Consequently, it will never be safe to mix Suboxone and alcohol. The list of harm that alcohol causes to your body is pretty long and ranges from detrimental to fatal.

Examples of Potentially Deadly Interactions

You can ask your doctor whether Suboxone or a different treatment is right for you. Cannabis (often called marijuana) and cannabis products, such as cannabidiol (CBD), have not been specifically reported to interact with Suboxone. However, as with any drug or supplement, talk with your doctor before using cannabis in combination with Suboxone. The impact of cannabis may affect how well you stick to your Suboxone treatment plan. Your doctor will also likely want you to watch for symptoms of serotonin syndrome.

Understanding Suboxone’s Effect on the Body

If you’re dependent on other opioids and misuse Suboxone by injecting it, it will block the effects of any opioids in your system. This could lead to immediate opioid withdrawal symptoms. In addition, methadone is approved for treatment during opioid detoxification.

Drinking alcohol while taking Suboxone can enhance these side effects. If you ever mix Suboxone with alcohol, the first thing you need to do is call 911. Don’t call your substance treatment center because they may not be able to send emergency services to your location promptly. If you notice that your breathing is slowing, stop drinking and seek medical attention immediately. Slow breathing is a clear sign that you are in real danger, and you need to act quickly. When combined, Suboxone and alcohol can accelerate the side effects of each substance on your respiratory system.