What are the withdrawal symptoms of Suboxone?

With the opioid epidemic showing no sign of subsiding anytime soon, it’s up to medical experts to come up with lasting solutions. 

Many Americans develop a dependence on prescription painkillers after they get treatment for severe injuries. Depending on the level of dependence and other individual circumstances, fighting opioid addiction can be a near-impossible task without professional help. 

Medications like Suboxone are some of the best defenses against painful physical withdrawal symptoms. In addition to providing physical trauma relief, wellness clinics also provide counseling and help patients address the root causes of their addiction.

Suboxone is composed of naloxone and buprenorphine. Naloxone blocks the effects of prescription opioids and ensures that you don’t feel the high or euphoric feeling that people typically chase. Buprenorphine, on the other hand, is also an opioid medication.

When used under expert supervision, Suboxone can help people with opioid dependence get their lives back on track. If misused or abused, however, the drug is addictive. If a person then tries to come off Suboxone, they are likely to experience some painful withdrawal symptoms. What are the withdrawal symptoms of Suboxone?

Some of the most common Suboxone withdrawal symptoms include nausea, increased heart rate and blood pressure, anxiety, dilated pupils, insomnia, stomach cramps, sweating, diarrhea and/or vomiting, as well as flu-like symptoms, such as a runny nose, fever, and body aches. While these symptoms can be harsh, they are rarely dangerous, especially if you’re tapering off Suboxone under expert supervision. Let’s explore the withdrawal symptoms of Suboxone in greater detail. 

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Symptoms of Suboxone Withdrawal

When you’re coming off a Suboxone treatment, your body is doing a lot of work. So you’re likely to experience a lot of unpleasant physical and psychological symptoms as you journey back towards a safe, drug-free life. If you have any undiagnosed underlying mental health issues, they may emerge. 

Suboxone clinics (like Premier Health and Wellness, The Woodlands, TX) provide expert assistance on how to handle opioid withdrawal symptoms. Such treatment centers strive to make the detox process as comfortable and stress-free as possible. They also address any underlying psychological issues that may result in relapses.

Some of the most common symptoms of Suboxone withdrawal include:

• • Drug cravings – As buprenorphine has similar effects to pure opioids, you may experience physical and mental cravings for Suboxone.
  • Sweating – Suboxone has dehydrating properties. Sweating, particularly night sweats are, therefore, a common withdrawal symptom. Your body may also sweat to expel Suboxone from your system.
  • Insomnia and Anxiety – Suboxone withdrawal causes anxiety, which may make it difficult to sleep properly. As insomnia can develop into more severe problems, recovery facilities prioritize good sleep. They can also prescribe sleep aids to help you get a lot of rest. 
  • Irritability and Depression – Once you stop taking an opioid, your brain stops receiving its usual dose of dopamine. You can become irritable or moody, especially in the early stages of detox. If these unpleasant feelings continue, they may develop into depression. In the worst cases, people who are going through Suboxone detox can become suicidal. This is especially true if you had other underlying mental health concerns that were being numbed by Suboxone use. 

• Abnormal skin sensations – It’s common to feel intense heat or coldness all over your body when you’re detoxing from Suboxone. You may also feel tingly or as if bugs are crawling on your skin. 

• Diarrhea and Vomiting – Diarrhea and vomiting aren’t just uncomfortable, but also dehydrates your body. Suboxone detox, therefore, requires patients to drink a lot of water. 

• Tiredness and Appetite Loss – As your body gets rid of the Suboxone in your system, it’s expected to feel extremely fatigued. You’re also likely to lose your appetite. Going through detox in a treatment center ensures that you get proper rest and nourishment throughout the process. 

How Long Do Suboxone Withdrawal Symptoms Last?

Sure, Suboxone withdrawal symptoms sound nasty, however, these symptoms don’t last forever. When do Suboxone symptoms start and how long do they last? How bad the symptoms will get and how long they’ll subsist depends on several factors, such as how much Suboxone you’ve been taking and how long you’ve been using the drug. Your age and state of mental and emotional health also matter. If you’ve been taking other drugs along with Suboxone, then the withdrawal symptoms are likely to be more severe and last longer. The level of support that you receive throughout the detox process is one of the most important factors that affect the length of Suboxone withdrawal. By tapering off the drug, your doctor ensures that your withdrawal symptoms are significantly less intense. 

For most people, physical Suboxone withdrawal symptoms may last for a month or two. The first 3-5 days tend to be the worst. After the first week, the physical symptoms will gradually subside. Psychological symptoms such as depression may, however, continue for weeks or months. 

Coping with Suboxone Withdrawal Symptoms

In addition to visiting a Suboxone clinic to taper off your drug use under expert supervision, there are several other things you can do to cope better with Suboxone withdrawal symptoms. 

Eating healthy and staying hydrated will keep your body nourished, and a willingness to explore any underlying psychological issues you may have during counseling will reduce the risk and intensity of depression. 

Also surrounding yourself with positive motivational content will help keep you in high spirits. You may also need to create new hobbies, routines, and environments to hang out in. Attending group support sessions, such as Narcotics Anonymous also helps to cope with Suboxone withdrawal. 

Conclusion

Suboxone offers a great deal of physical withdrawal symptom relief to people who are recovering from prescription opioid painkiller dependence. Some patients may, however, end up getting addicted to Suboxone. 

When you’re getting off Suboxone, you may experience withdrawal symptoms like sweating, drug cravings, depression, and diarrhea. 

By reaching out for professional help at a Suboxone clinic, you can get free from opioid addiction with significantly less discomfort. In addition to creating a taper schedule, addiction specialists will help you deal with psychological withdrawal symptoms, such as depression.