It is important to seek medical attention immediately if you or someone you know is experiencing any of these effects as a result of mixing Suboxone and alcohol. It is crucial to understand the dangers of mixing Suboxone and alcohol and to avoid doing so. Suboxone has been a gamechanger for many patients, and mixing it with alcohol is simply not worth the risk.
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Other measures that can help prevent mixing include setting clear boundaries, having a plan in place for managing cravings or triggers, and seeking professional help if needed. Mixing Suboxone and alcohol can also increase the risk of addiction, making it challenging to quit. Some of the symptoms of addiction include compulsive drug seeking, loss of interest in activities, and continued use despite adverse consequences. It’s essential to seek help from a medical professional if you suspect addiction. When Suboxone and alcohol are mixed, it can increase the risk of overdose.
- Your doctor will work with you to ensure you withdraw from alcohol use and focus on your Suboxone treatment.
- Finally, there can also be gastrointestinal effects from mixing Suboxone with alcohol.
- According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Association, there are approximately 30,000 suboxone-related emergency room visits every year.
Examples of Potentially Deadly Interactions
In some cases, they may even be able to provide an alternative medication that will not interact with alcohol. If not, they can at least give you an idea of the risks of mixing substances. To understand why not to combine alcohol and Suboxone, it’s important to know how each of these drugs works. Remember that any drug has the potential to interact with other substances.
The Dangers of Mixing Suboxone and Alcohol
Drinking while taking Suboxone increases the risk of having a heart attack. One of the most effective ways to prevent mixing Suboxone and alcohol is to seek support and resources for substance abuse and addiction. This can include enrolling in a treatment program, attending support groups, and finding a sponsor. It is also important to be mindful of triggers that may lead to substance use and to develop healthy coping mechanisms to manage stress and anxiety. Fortunately, educating patients about the risks of combining medications with alcohol may help them avoid negative outcomes. Here, we describe briefly how alcohol and medications can interact, and we provide a few examples of common medications that could interact negatively with alcohol.
Since drinking lowers your inhibitions, you may believe that one dose of opioids or other drugs is not only safe but reasonable. If you attempt to maximize this lapse by bingeing, you could overdose on these drugs and die. Mixing alcohol with opioids like buprenorphine or Suboxone can be very dangerous due to the risk of oversedation, respiratory arrest, overdose, coma, hypoxia, brain damage and more. While Suboxone is a safe and effective treatment of opioid dependence and opioid withdrawal, misuse of this medication may lead to chemical dependency and addiction. When a person takes Suboxone with alcohol, they are going against medical guidelines of safe use. Mixing these substances together may lead to respiratory depression, coma, and death.
Although the drug has assisted a significant number of individuals struggling with opioid overuse disorder, the drug isn’t 100% risk-free. It is important to take proactive steps to prevent the risk of mixing Suboxone and alcohol. This may include avoiding social situations that involve alcohol or having a support system that understands and respects that need for sobriety.
Substance use disorder is a treatable condition, and the professionals at The Recovery Village Ridgefield can help. It is important to note that anyone who mixes Suboxone and alcohol is at risk of serious health complications, regardless of their demographics or addiction/mental health factors. Therefore, it is crucial to seek help mixing suboxone and alcohol and support for substance abuse and addiction. In an alcohol detox center, buprenorphine (Suboxone®) isn’t typically used to treat alcohol use disorder (AUD) or withdrawals from alcohol.
Although Suboxone is formulated to limit its abuse potential, the body can become dependent on having a certain amount present to achieve the desired results. This might sound like a drawback to using any substance, even a medication, but that belief tends to be rooted in stigma surrounding drug use in general. When mixed with the common pain reliever aspirin, alcohol can increase irritation in the GI tract.