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How to Get Off Suboxone

Suboxone is a prescription medication used to treat opioid use disorder (OUD), also known as opioid addiction.1 It is commonly used as part of a treatment program in conjunction with behavioral therapy and counseling.1 At a certain point, people might wonder when it’s time to stop taking Suboxone. Keep reading to learn more about how to safely stop taking Suboxone and how to find treatment if you’re still struggling with opioid dependency.

What Is Suboxone?

Suboxone is a prescription medication used to treat opioid use disorder (OUD), also known as opioid addiction.1 It contains a combination of buprenorphine, which is used to alleviate opioid withdrawal symptoms and cravings, and naloxone, which is a misuse deterrent.2 Suboxone comes as a sublingual film or tablet that can help people sustain recovery from opioid dependence.1, 3

When Should I Stop Taking Suboxone?

If you’re considering stopping Suboxone, it’s important to talk to your doctor first.1, 3 Abruptly reducing or stopping the medication can cause you to feel sick and experience withdrawal symptoms.1, 3

Your doctor will consider several factors before adjusting your dosage or helping you stop Suboxone, such as your individual progress and treatment goals.2

Stopping Suboxone Safely

It’s important to avoid stopping Suboxone without first consulting your doctor.1, 3 As mentioned, abruptly reducing or stopping the medication can cause you to feel sick and experience withdrawal symptoms.1, 3

If you want to know how to get off Suboxone as comfortably and safely as possible, consider the following steps.

Step 1: Consult Your Doctor

You should first speak to your doctor about stopping Suboxone. You should not try to detox or self-treat at home—it’s never a good idea to stop any substance cold turkey.1 You should also consider whether you have the appropriate support in place to assist in your lifelong recovery.

Together, you and your doctor can discuss whether stopping Suboxone is a good idea for your needs and current situation. Your doctor can advise you on the safest way of stopping Suboxone. For example, they may want to gradually reduce your dose to prevent and monitor withdrawal symptoms.3

Step 2: Have an Aftercare Plan in Place

An aftercare plan consists of strategies to support your ongoing recovery.4 There are many ways you can participate in aftercare, such as engaging in individual counseling or group therapy, attending support groups like Nar-Anon (NA), remaining in touch with your counselor from rehab, attending alumni events, having brief check-ups, or using telehealth services.4

Aftercare is both a form of treatment that follows an initial stage of more intensive treatment (e.g., inpatient rehab), as well as a form of post-treatment monitoring.4 An effective aftercare plan can help monitor and support the progress you’ve already made in treatment. It can also address relapse and connect you with medical, behavioral health, community, and recovery support services.5

Regardless of the form of aftercare you choose, it’s important to know that people who are recovering from opioid addiction are typically encouraged to receive regular follow-up care to ensure that they’re where they want to be on their recovery journey.5

Find Opioid Addiction Treatment

If you or a loved one are struggling with opioid dependency, you should know that help is available. Even if you’ve already completed another treatment program, it’s important to understand that recovery is an ongoing effort that can entail multiple attempts at treatment.6 This doesn’t indicate a failure of previous treatment nor a failure on your part, it just means that you might need a different type of treatment or an adjustment to your treatment plan.6

Different types of treatment can involve:

  • Detox, which can address acute intoxication and withdrawal.7
  • Inpatient treatment, which involves living onsite at a rehab for the duration of treatment.8
  • Outpatient treatment, which means you can live at home, but you’ll travel to a treatment center to participate in treatment.8

If you or a loved one is struggling with opioid addiction, contact a caring admissions navigator with American Addiction Centers (AAC) for free at to learn about treatment options near you. You can also check your insurance coverage online now to determine whether your health insurance provider will cover rehabilitation.

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