subutex

What is SUBUTEX?

• • SUBUTEX is a prescription medicine used to treat adults who are addicted to (dependent on) opioid drugs (either prescription or illegal) as part of a complete treatment program that also includes counseling and behavioral therapy.
  • SUBUTEX is most often used for the first 1 or 2 days to help you start with treatment.
    SUBUTEX is a controlled substance (CIII) because it contains buprenorphine, which can be a target for people who abuse prescription medicines or street drugs. Keep your SUBUTEX in a safe place to protect it from theft. Never give your SUBUTEX to anyone else; it can cause death or harm them. Selling or giving away this medicine is against the law.

• It is not known if SUBUTEX is safe or effective in children.

How to use Subutex Tablet, Sublingual

Read the Medication Guide provided by your pharmacist before you start using sublingual buprenorphine and each time you get a refill. If you have any questions, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

Use this medication as directed by your doctor, usually once daily. Place the medication under your tongue for 5 to 10 minutes and let it dissolve completely. If you are prescribed more than one tablet each day, you may place all of the tablets under your tongue at once or place two tablets at a time under your tongue. Do not swallow or chew this medication. It will not work as well.

buy Buprenorphine alone is usually used for the first 2 days after you have stopped all other opioids. It is usually given in your doctor’s office. Your doctor will then switch you to the combination buprenorphine/naloxone medication for maintenance treatment. The combination with naloxone works the same way as buy Buprenorphine alone to prevent withdrawal symptoms. It is combined with naloxone to prevent misuse (injection) of the medication.

Buprenorphine works best when the first dose is started after signs of opioid withdrawal have begun. Buprenorphine can cause withdrawal symptoms if started too soon after your last opioid use. Follow your doctor’s instructions for your treatment plan.

The dosage is based on your medical condition and response to treatment. Do not increase your dose, take the medication more frequently, or take it for a longer time than prescribed. Properly stop the medication when so directed.

Use this medication regularly in order to get the most benefit from it. To help you remember, use it at the same time each day.

Suddenly stopping this medication may cause withdrawal, especially if you have used it for a long time or in high doses. To prevent withdrawal, your doctor may lower your dose slowly. Tell your doctor or pharmacist right away if you have any withdrawal symptoms such as restlessness, mental/mood changes (including anxiety, trouble sleeping, thoughts of suicide), watering eyes, runny nose, nausea, diarrhea, sweating, muscle aches, or sudden changes in behavior.

Do not inject (“shoot up”) buprenorphine. Injecting it is dangerous and may cause severe withdrawal symptoms (see Side Effects section). Consult your doctor or pharmacist for more details.

EFFECT  OF SUBUTEX

Drowsiness, dizziness, constipation, or headache may occur. If any of these effects persist or worsen, tell your doctor or pharmacist right away.

To prevent constipation, eat dietary fiber, drink enough water, and exercise. You may also need to take a laxative. Ask your pharmacist which type of laxative is right for you.

To reduce the risk of dizziness and lightheadedness, get up slowly when rising from a sitting or lying position.

Remember that your doctor has prescribed this medication because he or she has judged that the benefit to you is greater than the risk of side effects. Many people using this medication do not have serious side effects.

Severe (possibly fatal) breathing problems can occur if this medication is abused, injected, or mixed with other depressants (such as alcohol, benzodiazepines including diazepam, other opioids).

Tell your doctor right away if you have any serious side effects, including: interrupted breathing during sleep (sleep apnea), mental/mood changes (such as agitation, confusion, hallucinations), stomach/abdominal pain, signs of your adrenal glands not working well (such as unusual tiredness, weight loss).

Get medical help right away if any of these rare but serious side effects occur: fainting, fast/irregular heartbeat, severe dizziness, slow/shallow breathing, unusual drowsiness/difficulty waking up.

Although this medication is used to prevent withdrawal reactions, it may rarely cause opioid withdrawal symptoms, including diarrhea, severe mental/mood changes (such as anxiety, irritability, trouble sleeping), muscle stiffness or shakiness. This is more likely when you first start treatment or if you have been using long-acting opioids such as methadone. If such symptoms occur, notify your doctor or pharmacist right away.

This drug may rarely cause serious liver disease. Get medical help right away if you have any symptoms of liver damage, including: dark urine, persistent nausea/vomiting, loss of appetite, yellowing eyes/skin, severe stomach/abdominal pain.

A very serious allergic reaction to this drug is rare. However, get medical help right away if you notice any symptoms of a serious allergic reaction, including: rash, itching/swelling (especially of the face/tongue/throat), severe dizziness, trouble breathing.

This is not a complete list of possible side effects. If you notice other effects not listed above, contact your doctor or pharmacist.

DOSAGES  OF SUBUTEX

• SUBOXONE is preferred for maintenance treatment.
• Where SUBUTEX is used in maintenance in patients who cannot tolerate the presence of naloxone, the dosage of SUBUTEX should be progressively adjusted in increments/decrements of 2 mg or 4 mg buy Buprenorphine to a level that holds the patient in treatment and suppresses opioid withdrawal signs and symptoms.
• After treatment induction and stabilization, the maintenance dose of SUBUTEX is generally in the range of 4 mg to 24 mg buy Buprenorphine per day depending on the individual patient. The recommended target dosage of SUBUTEX is 16 mg as a single daily dose. Dosages higher than 24 mg have not been demonstrated to provide any clinical advantage.
• When determining the prescription quantity for unsupervised administration, consider the patient’s level of stability, the security of his or her home situation, and other factors likely to affect the ability to manage supplies of take-home medication.
• There is no maximum recommended duration of maintenance treatment. Patients may require treatment indefinitely and should continue for as long as patients are benefiting and the use of SUBUTEX contributes to the intended treatment goals.

Method Of Administration

SUBUTEX must be administered whole. Do not cut, chew, or swallow SUBUTEX. Advise patients not to eat or drink anything until the tablet is completely dissolved.

SUBUTEX should be placed under the tongue until it is dissolved. For doses requiring the use of more than two tablets, patients are advised to either place all the tablets at once or alternatively (if they cannot fit in more than two tablets comfortably), place two tablets at a time under the tongue. Either way, the patients should continue to hold the tablets under the tongue until they dissolve; swallowing the tablets reduces the bioavailability of the drug. To ensure consistency in bioavailability, patients should follow the same manner of dosing with continued use of the product.