Can drinking alcohol with Suboxone use lead to a Suboxone overdose?

Suboxone contains buprenorphine, which is both a partial opioid agonist and an opioid antagonist. As an opioid agonist, combining Suboxone with alcohol use is potentially dangerous.

Any opioid drug taken while consuming alcohol can lead to respiratory depression and Suboxone overdose. Respiratory depression is one of the dangers of mixing alcohol and Suboxone.

Suboxone treatment is an effective addiction treatment for opioid dependence and opioid addiction. One reason why the treatment is such a well accepted therapy for opioid use disorder is that Suboxone abuse and Suboxone addiction are rare.

While Suboxone does activate the opioid receptor, it is different from other opioid drugs. While it does cause physical opioid dependency, it blocks the effects of opiate addiction.

Medication assisted treatment with buprenorphine and naloxone, the ingredients in Suboxone, is quickly becoming the gold standard of care for substance abuse involving heroin, fentanyl, oxycodone, and other opioid drugs. Buprenorphine provides a unique form of opioid agonist treatment that is both safe and effective.

If you take Suboxone and you are wondering, “why is Suboxone making me feel worse?“, consider the possibility that drinking alcohol with Suboxone can increase the risk of side effects. When you stop all alcohol intake, you may notice that Suboxone works better, and with less side effects.

Do Suboxone doctors warn their patients not to drink alcohol?

Usually, during the very first visit with a Suboxone specialist, the patient is instructed to avoid alcohol consumption. Suboxone interactions with alcohol are not the only reason for this direction.

In order for a person to make progress in recovery from addiction, it is important to learn how to live without depending on mind or mood altering substances. Psychotherapy during Suboxone therapy is important, because it helps patients to learn how to live without drug abuse and alcohol abuse.

Of course, there is also the issue of interactions between Suboxone and alcohol. Consuming both substances increases the risk for alcohol poisoning and opioid overdose.

While overdose on Suboxone alone is rare, because of a unique ceiling effect, when Suboxone is combined with alcohol, it becomes a more dangerous opioid drug. A person who takes buprenorphine does not have to worry much about respiratory depression, unless they also drink alcohol or take other sedating drugs.

For patients who have an issue with alcohol addiction in addition to opioid addiction, their rehab center may choose to implement a different type of treatment plan. In fact, Suboxone treatment may not be the best course of action for such a patient.

What is the best treatment for a person who has both an opioid addiction and an alcohol addiction?

Fortunately, there are alternative treatments for both opioid use disorder and alcohol use disorder. For example, naltrexone is approved by the FDA for treating both conditions.

Naltrexone daily tablets are prescribed for helping patients to cut back on drinking alcohol. There is also a monthly naltrexone injection, Vivitrol, which can be used to treat both alcoholism and opiate addiction.

Naltrexone is an opioid antagonist, which means it blocks the opioid receptors. It has been proven to be an effective treatment for both alcohol abuse and drug addiction involving opiates and opioids.

Because of the unique properties of this opioid blocker, it is a treatment best started during the course of a residential rehab stay. After a period of days or weeks, when it has been determined that all opioids have been detoxed from the patient’s system, naltrexone may be started by the rehab doctor.

Taking naltrexone too soon after opioid ingestion may lead to precipitated withdrawal. Precipitated withdrawal is caused by taking an opioid blocker too soon, and it can lead to severe opioid withdrawal symptoms.

A major advantage of naltrexone over Suboxone is that naltrexone does not interact with alcohol in the same way. Naltrexone combined with alcohol typically does not lead to respiratory depression and overdose.

Additionally, naltrexone treatment can be completed easily when the patient is ready to stop. There is no risk of Suboxone withdrawal after quitting naltrexone therapy.

Is it safe to have a glass of wine with Suboxone?

Suboxone patients start Suboxone therapy due to problems caused by misusing opioids. Their drug of choice is an opioid drug, usually heroin, fentanyl, or pain pills.

An opioid addict may abuse alcohol in an attempt to get high, or overcome opioid withdrawal symptoms, when opioids are not available. However, there are Suboxone patients who feels as if an occasional glass of wine with dinner should be allowed.

Why would a patient overcoming an addiction think that it is fine to drink a moderate amount of wine or beer? While the strict abstinence-based philosophies of Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous forbid alcohol use during recovery, many people in treatment for opioid addiction believe that alcohol is not a problem for them.

If a patient taking Suboxone is able to drink a small amount of wine with dinner without getting carried away, should it be allowed? Is there a danger in drinking just a glass of wine while on Suboxone treatment?

In fact, there are two issues to consider here. One is that alcohol can have long-term dangers for anyone who drinks, even in moderation. There is no safe amount of alcohol for anyone.

Another issue is that even small amounts of alcohol may trigger a reaction with Suboxone in some people. It is not worth the risk to drink alcohol, even in moderation, while on Suboxone treatment.

Should a Suboxone doctor kick a patient out of their program if they test positive for alcohol?

Many Suboxone doctors are strict in their practices. They do not tolerate relapses or urine tests that reveal the use of drugs or alcohol.

When a patient tests positive for any drug other than their treatment drug, buprenorphine, they risk being discharged from the practice. The Suboxone doctor who has no tolerance for alcohol or drug use in their patients is simply trying to protect their practice from risky patients.

However, relapse does occur during Suboxone therapy. A patient may have a slip and then want to get back on track in their recovery.

Or, a patient may reveal that they have had a small amount of alcohol, such as a glass of wine with dinner, because they did not think it would be a problem. Maybe they did not hear, when the Suboxone doctor instructed them not to drink, or they thought it did not apply to them.

Should the doctor discharge the patient from the program for having a beer or glass of wine? The problem with kicking a patient out of the program is that they may quickly return to dangerous opioid use.

The patient may become discouraged with Suboxone treatment and dealing with unforgiving doctors. When a patient decides that they are not comfortable with the Suboxone treatment programs, they may be less likely to return when they most need help.

Education is the key to success in treating opioid use disorder.

Ideally, if a Suboxone patient presents to their doctors office and reveals that they have been drinking while on Suboxone, the doctor has an opportunity to educate. It is very possible that informing the patient of the risks of mixing Suboxone and alcohol will help them to make better decisions in the future.

A patient who breaks the rules of their medication assisted treatment program may respond well to kind and thoughtful guidance from their doctor. Though there is a short term problem with noncompliance, they may become one of the best patients in the future, with respect to treatment compliance.

While a Suboxone doctor does have the right to refuse treatment if they are not comfortable with a particular patient, they may also decide to work more closely with patients who are having difficulties. By discharging a patient for one offense early on in treatment, the doctor may miss out on working with someone who has incredible potential for change and improvement.

Patients who seek help for opioid addiction deserve our respect. They are human beings with a medical condition, and they have had the courage to show up at a doctor’s office, asking for help.

The dangers of alcohol are now better understood than ever before. What may have seemed safe in the past is now known to be unsafe.

Alcohol is a dangerous drug with many possible consequences. Alcohol mixed with Suboxone is dangerous. Doctors must educate their patients, but they should also consider practicing effective harm reduction, providing patients with the opportunity to continue treatment for opioid addiction, even if they are not always perfect in following the program. Now you know why taking Suboxone with alcohol is a bad idea. For more information regarding addiction treatment contact us.