Suboxone 8 mg

Overview

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Suboxone 8 mg for treating a disorder which is caused by using opioids. This disorder is also called opioid use disorder or OUD. In this, there is a desire to use opioids and after discontinuation of opioids, the patient experiences withdrawal symptoms. This medicine consists of two components, such as buprenorphine and naloxone. Both of these act as generic variants and active ingredients in the branded medication known as Suboxone.

It is a combination drug with a fixed dose in which naloxone is an opioid antagonist and buprenorphine is a half-opioid agonist. This medicine falls under the class of medicines known as opioid or narcotic pain relievers and is categorized as a controlled substance of Schedule III. It may cause dependency and misuse of the medicine. It is a prescription-only medicine that can be taken after a prescription from a doctor.

Note: This medicine is approved for treating narcotic addiction and not be used as a pain analgesic.

The Function of Suboxone 8 mg Medicine

In medication, buprenorphine is considered as a partial opioid agonist that binds with the mu-opioid receptor (high affinity) and has less affinity to bind with the kappa-opioid receptor as the antagonist. Whereas Naloxone is a pure antagonist, after binding to the mu-receptor, it blocks the craving, stabilizing and withdrawing opioid receptors. This medicine shows a ceiling effect which reverses and prevents the effects of other opioids. Suboxone helps to treat opioid abuse.

Dose Forms & Dosage Strength

The drug has two forms, such as a sublingual tablet and sublingual and buccal film. This medication can be taken by placing the medication beneath the tongue or between the cheek and gum.

• Suboxone 8 mg tablet is imprinted with N8 (logo), orange-colored, and hexagonal-shaped (six-sided).
• Its sublingual film has a rectangular shape, is orange-colored, and has an imprint of N8 on it.

Suboxone has  the following dosage strengths:-

• 2 mg buprenorphine and 0.5 mg naloxone
• 4 mg buprenorphine and 1 mg naloxone
• 8 mg buprenorphine and 2 mg naloxone
• 12 mg buprenorphine and 3 mg naloxone

The dose for a patient is administered by a doctor after examining one’s medical condition and severity of opioid addiction.

Uses of Suboxone 8 mg:

Suboxone is used to treat opioid use disorder, which is caused by using opioids. It is the mixture of opioid agonist and antagonist which helps to alleviate the strong feeling of having opioids and its withdrawal symptoms. Those patients have a high risk of dealing with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder(ADHD). So, Suboxone 8 mg is also used to treat ADHD in those opioid disorder patients.

Side Effects of Suboxone N8 Medication:

Common Side Effects

• Stomach upset (constipation)
• Drowsiness
• Nausea
• Anxiety
• Vomiting
• Headache
• Dizziness
• Backache
• Difficulty in sleeping

Serious Side Effects

• Fever
• Inflammation or redness on the lining of the digestive tract
• Reduced sensation or hypoesthesia
• Hands or legs get swollen
• Diarrhea
• Abnormal heartbeat
• Sleeping Disorder
• Pain in the body, stomach ache, etc. (opioid withdrawal symptoms)
• Hallucination
• Extreme sweating, neither without doing any physical workout nor due to hot temperature)

Safety Measures

• There are some precautions that have to be followed before and during treatment. These are given below:-
• Never consume alcohol with this drug, it may cause drowsiness and dizziness.
• If an individual is allergic or hypersensitive to this combination medication the patient should stop taking the drug.
• This medicine may cause drug interaction with benzodiazepines, Serotonergic medication, CYP3A4 inhibitors and antiretrovirals. It is advised not to take all these medications with Suboxone.
• Before starting the treatment, one should inform a healthcare expert about their medical history to avoid any health-related complications in individuals.
• A person should not take this drug if he or she has a renal, or hepatic, injury in the head, heart and lung disorder.
• Do not abruptly stop the medicine, the dose of the drug should be tapered to minimize the risk of withdrawal symptoms.