Signs Your Suboxone Dose Is Too Low

Suboxone can be a vital element of care for people who are receiving medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for addiction. When you first enroll in an MAT program, it can take some trial and error to determine which dosage level is best for you. When you know how to recognize the signs your Suboxone dose is too low, you can work with your doctor to find the right level.

How Does Suboxone Work?

Suboxone is the brand name of a medication that has two active ingredients, buprenorphine and naloxone:

• Buprenorphine is a synthetic medication that functions as a partial agonist opioid. This means that it interacts with the same receptors in the central nervous system (CNS) that are affected by heroin, morphine, and other opioids. However, buprenorphine does not cause the disorienting high that these other commonly abused opioids do. 
• Naloxone is an opioid antagonist. If a person has opioids in their system, naloxone will separate the opioid molecules from the CNS receptors that they are attached to. Naloxone will also prevent these molecules from reattaching. Also sold on its own under the brand name Narcan, naloxone can quickly reverse the effects of opioids, even if a person has overdosed.

When someone who is dependent on opioids takes Suboxone, buprenorphine allows them to stop using the drug they have become addicted to without experiencing the intense withdrawal effects that would typically occur. 

While taking buprenorphine, patients can work, attend school, drive a car, and otherwise engage in a full and productive lifestyle.

The naloxone that’s included in Suboxone prevents a person from getting high if they misuse the medication or abuse other opioids. As noted above, naloxone reverses the disorienting and dangerous impact of opioids by, in effect, pushing people into immediate withdrawal. 

Signs Your Suboxone Dose Is Too Low

When you enter a MAT program, two important early decisions involve which medication you should receive and what your daily dosage should be. 

At this phase of your treatment, it is vital to understand the signs your Suboxone dose is too low, so that you can inform your doctor and they can adjust how much you take each day.

Potential signs your Suboxone does is too low can include:

• You are continuing to struggle with intense cravings for opioids.
• Your cravings are accompanied by other common symptoms of opioid withdrawal, such as abdominal cramping, nausea, diarrhea, and excessive perspiration.
• You frequently feel anxious, restless, or irritable.
• You have dramatic, unpredictable swings in mood, attitude, and motivation. 
• You have begun to experience significant pain. (Many people develop opioid use disorder after using prescription painkillers. In addition to helping them avoid withdrawal symptoms, Suboxone should also alleviate the pain that they had been treating with opioids.
• You’ve been having difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep, which may be due to withdrawal symptoms, the reemergence of your chronic pain, or both.
• Even if you do get to sleep, you continue to struggle with fatigue and exhaustion.

• You have difficulty functioning at work, in school, at home, or in other significant areas of your life. 

What to Do if Your Suboxone Dose Is Too Low

If you have been experiencing signs your suboxone dose is too low, you should discuss this with the doctor who prescribed the medication to you. You may also want to address the matter during the therapy sessions that are part of your medication-assisted treatment program.

After reviewing your symptoms and assessing your overall health, your doctor may adjust your Suboxone dosage or switch you to a different medication. 

Most likely, the first choice will be to try a higher dosage level – but if you continue to struggle even after taking a larger dose, you may be better served by an alternative med.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved three medications for use in MAT programs for opioid addiction. 

If Suboxone isn’t working for you, your other options are:

• Methadone: This medication has incorporated into addiction treatment programs since the 1960s. For decades, it was the only FDA-approved medication for this purpose. It wasn’t until 2002 that the FDA authorized a second option, buprenorphine.
• Vivitrol: This medication contains naltrexone, which is not the same as naloxone. Naltrexone cannot reverse an overdose as naloxone, but its effects last longer than the other approved meds. If you are prescribed methadone or Suboxone, you need to take the medication every day. With Vivitrol, you may only need to receive one injection every month.

In addition to knowing what to do if your Suboxone dose is too low, it is also important to know what not do to. You should never change your dosage without consulting with your doctor, nor should you ever simply stop using it and attempt to self-medicate with another substance.

Decisions about Suboxone or other medications should always involve discussions with your doctor and possibly other members of your treatment team. Medication is just one aspect of comprehensive MAT programming for opioid addiction, but making unplanned changes in this area can undermine your recovery experts an put you in danger of relapse.

Learn More About Treatment for Opioid Addiction in the San Francisco Bay Area

Live Oaks Wellness is a trusted source of personalized care for adults who have become dependent on opioids and other addictive substances.

Programming options at our opioid addiction treatment center near San Francisco, CA, include medical detox, residential treatment, and dual diagnosis services for individuals who have co-occurring mental health concerns. We also offer medication-assisted treatment for those who are attempting to end their use of opioids or alcohol.

To learn more about how we can help you or a loved one, or to schedule a free consultation, please visit our Admissions page or call us today.