5 Potential Dangers of Taking Suboxone and Alcohol Together

The combination of buprenorphine and naloxone bonds to opioid receptors in the brain without producing the pronounced high of other drugs (important safety information). It’s an effective treatment for OUD, but like any other medication, it requires some lifestyle modifications. Suboxone is abused by people outside of opioid treatment programs who may try to mix Suboxone with alcohol thinking it will enhance the effects of the substances. The presence of naloxone will make drinking alcohol uncomfortable and dangerous.

The physical dependency starts to have other consequences, including an inability to stop the behavior. If you or your loved one experience one of Suboxone abuse symptoms, that doesn’t require emergency treatment, please don’t hesitate to ask for our help. At the Center for Network Therapy, we are dedicated to helping people recover from prescription medication and alcohol abuse. We encourage you to admit for treatment and return to your family, workplace, and community as soon as possible. Sadly, suboxone users mix the prescribed medication with alcohol, trying to reach the same high as the opioid agonist.

Mixing Suboxone and Alcohol: Consequences, Risks, and Safety

It can also be used as a standalone medication to treat people who are overdosing from heroin and other opioids. If someone attempts to abuse Suboxone, which is, of course, a risk when prescribing any prescription drug to an addict, the Naloxone is activated to offset the dangers of potential abuse. While also removing any opioids that were already there before treatment. Studies have shown that over a 12 week period, 49% of people taking Suboxone reduced or completely eliminated their use of painkillers and other commonly abused drugs. Alcohol is most commonly abused in the form of beer, wine, or hard liquor. Ethanol, a type of alcohol created by the fermentation of sugars, leads to intoxication.

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When mixing alcohol with Suboxone, these symptoms are only worsened, which can put an individual at greater risk of bodily injury. Like other narcotics, mixing Suboxone with alcohol can be dangerous. However, it takes up to 8 days for it to completely clear from the body. As such, it is not recommended you have alcohol until 8 days after you have completed treatment to avoid side effects.

As a central nervous system (CNS) depressant, alcohol can worsen the side effects of Benadryl. You might not notice the effects of alcohol as much as when you have no other substances in your system. This could lead to you drinking more than your body is capable of handling. Combining alcohol and Suboxone might cause alcohol poisoning or overdose as a result of your decreased inhibitions.

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Individuals who are prescribed Suboxone are typically prescribed the drug as an opiate replacement drug to help them recover from an opiate use disorder. Drinking alcohol with Suboxone is counterproductive to engaging in a healthy and successful recovery and may result in severe long-term consequences. For those battling anxiety, the temptation to supplement prescribed Xanax with alcohol for additional relief creates a slippery slope toward physical dependency on both substances. This dual dependency requires specialized treatment approaches and significantly complicates recovery.

Who is at Risk of Mixing Suboxone and Alcohol?

This is a serious condition that can be life-threatening with emergency treatment. Suboxone is typically dispensed through an opioid treatment program, so anyone using the drug is likely to already be in treatment. The use of Suboxone outside of a treatment program is considered abuse because the drug’s only approved use is for the treatment of opioid dependence. Suboxone is a drug containing the active ingredients buprenorphine and naloxone. Mixing Suboxone and alcohol can also cause liver damage, which can be challenging to detect in the early stages. Some of the symptoms of liver damage include abdominal pain, fatigue, jaundice, and loss of appetite.

THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF COCAINE ADDICTION

While buprenorphine reduces craving and soothes withdrawal symptoms, naloxone prevents drug abuse at high dosages. Both Suboxone and alcohol are nervous system depressants, meaning they affect the body in similar ways. Alcohol can enhance potential side effects of Suboxone, including headache, dizziness, fainting, nausea, and vomiting. Some people may also experience heart palpitations, changes in blood pressure, and an increased risk of a heart attack. Alcohol by itself can affect motor function, reasoning, and judgment, and these effects can be more intense with Suboxone in the mix.

Taking alcohol and Suboxone® may increase the sedative effects of both substances, making it easier to take too much and overdose accidentally. The soothing effect may slow respiratory and cardiac function, leading to unconsciousness and even death. Many drug addiction treatment programs will discourage the use of alcohol as a general rule.

People who take buprenorphine don’t get the same euphoric feeling that comes from opioids like heroin or oxycodone. It binds to opioid receptors, preventing opioids from attaching to them. More than mixing suboxone and alcohol that, it can force opioids from receptors they’re already attached to. One of the most effective ways to prevent mixing Suboxone and alcohol is to seek support and resources for substance abuse and addiction.

• Remember that it takes some time before the alcohol is fully absorbed into your bloodstream, which makes it easy to consume much more than what you intended.
• Alcohol, on the other hand, is a legal and widely consumed substance that is often used for social purposes.
• Both Suboxone and alcohol are nervous system depressants, meaning they affect the body in similar ways.
• Roughly 88,000 people die from causes related to alcohol use in America per year.
• Or, women who have been assaulted by men in the past may not be comfortable sharing with them.

Many fatalities occur not during wild partying but during what appears to be peaceful sleep afterward. Medical professionals consistently rank Xanax and drinking alcohol among the most treacherous substance combinations. Emergency rooms nationwide treat thousands annually who misjudged this interaction, often believing “just one drink” wouldn’t matter while taking their prescribed benzodiazepine.

A properly managed Suboxone treatment plan has the potential to save a person’s life. Medical and psychological support is needed to overcome withdrawal symptoms and to prevent relapse after treatment. Intensive outpatient program is the most ideal setting for medical opioid abuse.

Alcohol is a depressant, which creates the possibility for someone to develop depression when consuming it. Trent Carter, FNP-BC, CARN-AP, is a seasoned nurse practitioner with over a decade of experience in addiction medicine. You may be required to undergo dual diagnosis care to help you overcome both addictions. Keep in mind that trying to overcome the abuse by yourself will only derail your chances of success. Furthermore, alcohol interferes with how your brain operates, causing changes in your behavior and mood.

This risk is even higher for individuals with a history of respiratory problems or COPD. The combination may also cause more severe depression of the respiratory centers in the brainstem, further increasing the risk of respiratory failure and death. It is essential to understand the potential dangers of taking Suboxone® and alcohol together to make informed decisions about their use. If you are abusing these substances, it’s a sign that you need treatment, particularly if you were using Suboxone to address an opioid addiction. People with a history of substance abuse should be extremely careful when drinking alcohol at all. People who mix CNS depressants – most commonly, opioids, alcohol, and/or benzodiazepines – are at great risk of overdosing.

Mixing Suboxone with alcohol also heightens the risk of increasing the body’s tolerance and dependency on both substances. It will only hinder the recovery process, trigger cravings and increase the chances of relapse. All doctors and medical professionals advise against mixing Suboxone with alcohol or any other drug. If you or a loved one is suffering from opioid or alcohol addiction, treatment is widely available. Inpatient drug rehab centers are recommended especially for people in the late stages of addiction. Other risks of combining Suboxone with alcohol include decreased motor function, altered thinking processes, severe nausea, constipation, dizziness, slurred speech, and increased sweating.