Signs Your Suboxone Dose Is Too Low
Recognizing the signs your Suboxone dose is too low is essential for effective treatment and long-term recovery from opioid addiction. Symptoms like cravings, withdrawal discomfort, and irritability may indicate your dosage needs adjustment. Identifying these signs early allows you to work with your doctor to ensure your medication is optimized for your recovery journey.
If you or a loved one are struggling with your Suboxone dosage, our medication-assisted treatment program can help. Call us today or visit our admissions page to take the first step toward recovery.
What Is Suboxone?
Suboxone is the brand name of a prescription medication that is often used in medication-assisted treatment (MAT) programs for people who have become addicted to heroin, prescription painkillers, and other opioids.
Suboxone Ingredients
The two main active ingredients in Suboxone are buprenorphine and naloxone:
- Buprenorphine is a synthetic drug that functions as a partial opioid agonist. This means that it interacts with the same receptors in the central nervous system that opioids do, but it doesn’t cause the extreme disorientation that would occur if you took morphine, heroin, fentanyl, or other frequently abused opioids.
- Naloxone is a full opioid antagonist that can reverse the effects of opioid overdose. It is the same medication that is sold as Narcan. Naloxone’s presence in Suboxone prevents patients from abusing the medication. Taking a large amount of buprenorphine could trigger effects similar to those of more powerful recreational opioids. Naloxone helps to ensure that anyone who tries to achieve a recreational high with Suboxone will not be successful.
Working together, buprenorphine allows people to stop using opioids without developing the painful physical and psychological symptoms that are characteristic of opioid withdrawal, while naloxone guards against the abuse of Suboxone and other opioids.
Suboxone and Therapy
While Suboxone can prevent or alleviate withdrawal symptoms, medication alone cannot fully address the psychological, behavioral, and social aspects of addiction and recovery. This is why effective MAT programs also include therapy.
During the therapeutic component of an MAT program, you can learn about the disease of addiction, get help for co-occurring mental health concerns, and begin to develop the skills that will support your sustained recovery. Learn more about medication therapy management and how it plays a role in comprehensive care.
Signs Your Suboxone Dose Is Too Low
The ideal dosage of Suboxone can vary from one person to the next depending on a variety of individual factors. So when you enter an addiction treatment program, it may take a bit of trial and error to determine the exact amount that’s best for you.
This is one reason why it is so important to be aware of the signs your Suboxone dose is too low. When you know what to expect, you will be better prepared to report dosage-related adverse effects to the doctor who prescribed the medication to you.
Common Signs to Watch For
You cannot begin to take Suboxone immediately after your last opioid use. Depending on which type of opioid you’ve been using, you may need to wait 12-48 hours before you can use Suboxone.
Your body will have already begun to go into withdrawal when you take your first dose of the medication, but taking Suboxone should quickly alleviate any symptoms you’ve developed.
The most common signs that you’re not taking an appropriate amount of Suboxone are the continuation or worsening of withdrawal symptoms such as:
- Powerful cravings for opioids
- Abdominal cramping
- Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea
- Tremors or shakiness
- Excessive perspiration
- Anxiety
- Agitation and irritability
These symptoms may overlap with withdrawal-related challenges, including those associated with post-acute withdrawal syndrome (PAWS). Understanding how PAWS affects the recovery process can help you and your healthcare provider address lingering symptoms effectively.
Tips for Adjusting Your Suboxone Dose
The first thing to know about altering your Suboxone dose is that you should never do so on your own, without consulting with the doctor who prescribed the medication to you.
This shouldn’t be a problem, because when you begin to take Suboxone as part of a comprehensive opioid addiction treatment program, you will only receive one dose per day. But if you illicitly acquire additional Suboxone in an attempt to self-medicate, that decision could undermine your health, threaten your recovery, and even put your life in danger.
Instead, you should work with your doctor to find the right dosage. They can gradually and safely increase the amount you’re taking until the symptoms you were experiencing have subsided.
Short and Long-Term Use
Some people use Suboxone on a relatively short-term basis, primarily to help them get through withdrawal and establish a solid foothold in early recovery.
Others continue to take the medication for several months or years to help them maintain abstinence from opioids and make progress in their recovery.
Neither of these approaches is “right” or “wrong.” What’s most important is finding the approach that works best for you.
Continued Vigilance
If you take Suboxone for an extended period, your body will adapt to its presence in your system.
Over time, the medication may not have the same effect that it did when you first started to take it, so you may need to make additional adjustments.
As with virtually every part of the recovery process, proper Suboxone use requires continued vigilance. In other words, once you and your doctor have identified the optimal initial amount for you to take, you can’t simply forget about the signs your Suboxone dose is too low.
Learn More About Medication-Assisted Treatment for Opioid Addiction in Atlanta
The Retreat of Atlanta is a trusted source of medical detox and residential rehab services to help adults who have become addicted to prescription painkillers, heroin, and other opioids. Our inpatient drug rehab services are designed to provide the support and structure necessary for successful recovery.
When you choose our opioid addiction treatment center in Atlanta, Georgia, we’ll work closely with you to identify the full scope of your needs, so that we can select the therapies and services that are most appropriate for you. This may include prescribing Suboxone or another medication to help you end your opioid use and start building a foundation for successful, long-term recovery.
To learn more medication-assisted treatment at the Retreat of Atlanta, or to schedule a free consultation, please visit our admissions page or call us today.

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