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What is Suboxone®?

Suboxone® contains two medicines, buprenorphine and naloxone. Buprenorphine is the therapeutic opiate that is given for opiate dependence. Naloxone is a narcotic blocker that is added to reduce the likelihood of abuse of Suboxone®. However, only buprenorphine is absorbed in the body. Naloxone gets into the bloodstream if someone tries to crush Suboxone® and injects it into a vein to try to get high from the buprenorphine. The naloxone will block the buprenorphine from the opiate receptors in the brain and will knock off any other narcotics that are in the brain. This will cause the person to go into immediate withdrawal. As they say “people only inject Suboxone® one time”. Naloxone is normally used in the ER if a person is brought to the emergency room unconscious and about to stop breathing.

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IV naloxone causes the person who has taken a narcotic overdose to start breathing better and wake up. It throws them into severe withdrawal so that they wake up very angry and usually not grateful that they have just been spared death by overdose.

Buprenorphine in the Suboxone® is only absorbed in the mouth. That’s why we tell patient’s to hold the Suboxone® under their tongue until it dissolves. This usually takes 5 to 10 minutes and the person knows it’s all absorbed when they feel no more granules. If the tablet or the saliva with the Suboxone® granules in it is swallowed, it just passes through the body and there’s no benefit.

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Important Safety Information

Do not take SUBOXONE Film if you are allergic to buprenorphine or naloxone as serious negative effects, including anaphylactic shock, have been reported.

SUBOXONE Film can be abused in a manner similar to other opioids, legal or illicit.

SUBOXONE Film contains buprenorphine, an opioid that can cause physical dependence with chronic use. Physical dependence is not the same as addiction. Your healthcare provider can tell you more about the difference between physical dependence and drug addiction. Do not stop taking SUBOXONE Film suddenly without talking to your healthcare provider. You could become sick with uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms because your body has become used to this medicine.

SUBOXONE Film can cause serious life-threatening breathing problems, overdose and death, particularly when taken by the intravenous (IV) route in combination with benzodiazepines or other medications that act on the nervous system (ie, sedatives, tranquilizers, or alcohol). It is extremely dangerous to take nonprescribed benzodiazepines or other medications that act on the nervous system while taking SUBOXONE Film.

You should not drink alcohol while taking SUBOXONE Film, as this can lead to loss of consciousness or even death.

Death has been reported in those who are not opioid dependent.

Your healthcare provider may monitor liver function before and during treatment.

SUBOXONE Film is not recommended in patients with severe hepatic impairment and may not be appropriate for patients with moderate hepatic impairment. However, SUBOXONE Film may be used with caution for maintenance treatment in patients with moderate hepatic impairment who have initiated treatment on a buprenorphine product without naloxone.

Keep SUBOXONE Film out of the sight and reach of children. Accidental or deliberate ingestion of SUBOXONE Film by a child can cause severe breathing problems and death.

Do not take SUBOXONE Film before the effects of other opioids (eg, heroin, hydrocodone, methadone, morphine, oxycodone) have subsided as you may experience withdrawal symptoms.

Injecting the SUBOXONE Film product may cause serious withdrawal symptoms such as pain, cramps, vomiting, diarrhea, anxiety, sleep problems, and cravings.

Before taking SUBOXONE Film, tell your healthcare provider if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. If you are pregnant, tell your healthcare provider as withdrawal signs and symptoms should be monitored closely and the dose adjusted as necessary. If you are pregnant or become pregnant while taking SUBOXONE Film, alert your healthcare provider immediately and you should report it using the contact information provided below. *

Opioid‐dependent women on buprenorphine maintenance therapy may require additional analgesia during labor.

Neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS) is an expected and treatable outcome of prolonged use of opioids during pregnancy, whether that use is medically-authorized or illicit. Unlike opioid withdrawal syndrome in adults, NOWS may be life-threatening if not recognized and treated in the neonate. Healthcare professionals should observe newborns for signs of NOWS and manage accordingly.

Before taking SUBOXONE Film, talk to your healthcare provider if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed your baby. The active ingredients of SUBOXONE Film can pass into your breast milk. You and your healthcare provider should consider the development and health benefits of breastfeeding along with your clinical need for SUBOXONE Film and should also consider any potential adverse effects on the breastfed child from the drug or from the underlying maternal condition.

Do not drive, operate heavy machinery, or perform any other dangerous activities until you know how SUBOXONE Film affects you. Buprenorphine in SUBOXONE Film can cause drowsiness and slow reaction times during dose-adjustment periods.

Common side effects of SUBOXONE Film include nausea, vomiting, drug withdrawal syndrome, headache, sweating, numb mouth, constipation, painful tongue, redness of the mouth, intoxication (feeling lightheaded or drunk), disturbance in attention, irregular heartbeat, decrease in sleep, blurred vision, back pain, fainting, dizziness, and sleepiness.

SUBOXONE® and SUBUTEX® are registered trademarks of Indivior UK Limited. 
INSUPPORT is a trademark of Indivior UK Limited. 
SUBOXONE Film is manufactured for Indivior Inc., North Chesterfield, VA 23235 by MonoSol Rx LLC, Warren, NJ 07059. 
This site is sponsored by Indivior Inc. and intended solely for residents of the United States only. 
© Indivior PLC | INDIVIOR is a registered trademark of Indivior UK Limited | All rights reserved 

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