Suboxone (naloxone and buprenorphine) is an opioid agonist that binds to the same receptors in your brain as opiates, increasing its abuse potential. Alcohol (ethanol) is a central nervous system depressant that affects your brain chemistry. Taken together, especially intravenously, Suboxone and alcohol intensify each other’s effects and can wreak havoc on your respiratory system and mental state.
It is also important to mention that those who drink alcohol while taking Suboxone® are most likely doing so against the clinical provider’s advice, some even secretly. Beyond the physical side effects of consuming alcohol, there is also the risk of using alcohol as a substitute for the opioid addiction from which you are trying to recover. 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. Some people will go so far as to mix alcohol and Suboxone for long periods of time.
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If you believe you or someone you love may be struggling with addiction, let us hear your story and help you determine a path to treatment. For informational purposes only, a link to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Open Payments web page is provided here. Slow breathing deprives brain cells of the oxygen they need to survive and thrive—this is called hypoxia and can cause brain damage. At South Coast, our experts are dedicated to providing comprehensive information to help you make well-informed decisions for your health and happiness in recovery. MATClinics therapies are personalized to meet your individual needs to help you achieve positive change for the long haul. Contact us today to learn more about the benefits of medication assisted therapy and how we can best help you.
- In other words, while Suboxone works to reduce the likelihood of an overdose, when combined with alcohol, this may no longer be the case.
- Suboxone doesn’t dampen the effect of alcohol like it does with other opioids.
- Most people know that Suboxone is a drug used to treat abusers of other substances.
Common side effects of Suboxone include constipation, drowsiness, vertigo, and lethargy. You, nor your loved one, are under any obligation to commit to a Treatment X treatment program when calling the helpline. If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, out-of-date, or otherwise questionable, please contact at
If the medication is injected or snorted, naloxone is activated. This also applies to those with hypersensitive reactions to alcohol that lead to bronchospasms, rashes, hives, and anaphylactic shock. We know that everyone is different, and everyone came to their problem differently. They may have negative and highly stressful experiences on the job.
Suboxone is commonly used to help individuals recover from opioid addiction by easing withdrawal symptoms and reducing cravings. It’s essential to understand these risks and avoid alcohol while undergoing treatment with Suboxone. MixingSuboxone, an opioid agonist, andalcoholcan have severe — and even fatal — consequences. To understand why taking these two substances together is dangerous, it’s important to know how each affects your body.
That’s why it’s sometimes recommended that people eat something before drinking. Having some food in the way can slow absorption and help prevent feelings of drunkenness. As a replacement for opioids, Suboxone helps people deal with cravings and withdrawal symptoms. This use of Suboxone is a type of medication-assisted treatment. There’s evidence for the effectiveness of medication-assisted treatment.
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Beyond the mentioned risks, drinking alcohol while taking Suboxone is likely to contribute to a setback in sobriety. Suboxone is a combination of the drugs buprenorphine and naloxone. It is used to treat opioid addiction, reducing the effects of withdrawal and the user’s craving for opioids. Its use can often be the extra help a person addicted to drugs needs to avoid relapse.
The Effects of Mixing Suboxone and Alcohol
It is essential to be aware of these symptoms to take prompt action. When Suboxone and alcohol are mixed, it can increase the risk of overdose. This is because both substances can depress the central nervous system, which can lead to a decrease in breathing and other vital functions. This can be particularly dangerous for individuals who have a low tolerance to either substance. Mixing Suboxone and alcohol can also lead to respiratory depression, which can be life-threatening. This occurs when the central nervous system is depressed, and the body is unable to regulate breathing properly.
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Once this component of the drug is activated, individuals will immediately go through an opioid withdrawal syndrome. Individuals can live at home suboxone mixed with alcohol and attend regular therapy and counseling sessions one to three times a week. This allows people to attend to their daily responsibilities at work and with their families. It’s a good option for those whose suboxone and alcohol addictions are less severe or who have already completed inpatient treatment. Detox, short for detoxification, is the process of removing harmful substances, like drugs or alcohol, from the body.
It is probably the most likely to be abused with Suboxone, accidentally or otherwise, and it can significantly affect breathing rates. Buprenorphine is where the bulk of Suboxone’s danger comes from. While Suboxone is not at high risk for abuse (due to naloxone, as noted above), it can be abused in some situations.
Can You Drink Alcohol While Taking Suboxone?
With all that said, the true key to sustainable recovery from opioid addiction is deciding to treat your body and self better. Proper adherence to one’s MAT program guidelines, along with solid psychosocial support and therapy, is essential to one’s long-term success. For one, alcohol interferes with how the brain operates, causing changes in behavior and mood, as well as limiting one’s ability to move with coordination and think rationally. It has also been linked to many heart-related problems, including high blood pressure, stroke, and irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia). Those who drink heavily also place their livers and pancreas at risk for various inflammations and degradations, many of which are irreversible.
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Acting as a partial agonist, it works by altering brain receptors to reduce the user’s cravings for opioid substances and tone down withdrawal symptoms. When it comes down to it, both Suboxone and alcohol act as depressants on the central nervous system (CNS). This means they both slow breathing and heart rates—which, when these two substances are combined, can lead to respiratory depression or even a coma. Below, we explore the dangers of combining Suboxone and alcohol in further detail. It should not be used in place of the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider. People who struggle with addiction are more likely to die from acute or chronic complications, and combining substances like alcohol and Suboxone increases this risk.
This is a concern because many opioid-addicted people use other substances as well (known as polysubstance abuse). The effects of mixing Suboxone and alcohol can be very uncomfortable. When they’re using Suboxone and alcohol, people may become dizzy, faint, or have heart palpitations. Drinking while taking Suboxone increases the risk of having a heart attack. The combination also increases the risk of overdose and dangerous long-term health consequences.
