A counselor had asked me how Suboxone might be abused. I e-mailed a couple docs who have experience with it in practice. One maintained that for someone already on his preferred maintenance regimen, simply taking more Suboxone would produce nothing resembling a ‘high’. If you didn’t have a tolerance, however, you’d probably feel some euphoriant effect.
The other physician noted that Suboxone clients could and did get high by taking the drug along with other intoxicants– benzos, stimulants, or alcohol. “Same as a methadone client might do– take the medication, then keep going.”
Here’s an article from one user.
The intertoobz were (as usual) a font of questionable information. For instance: “… put the sub under your tongue, and put maybe a quarter of a shot of vodka in your mouth with it and let it dissolve as normal. then after its done dissolving SPIT it out. Spitting out suboxone was recommended to me by a dr btw…”
“I use an oral syringe,” claimed another poster. “.3ML of water,sometimes .2 per 1mlg of Bup.” From someone else: “I mix it in a spoon, draw it up, put the needless syringe in my nose tilt my head back and snort the soluton LIGHTLY. ” Spelling mistakes not mine.
You never know how seriously to take such reports. I fully expect that at least half the time, it’s urban rumor that the writer pretends is based on personal experience. Still, it sure sounds like somebody’s found a way.
That’s important info because so much prescribed Suboxone is being diverted to the streets — for resale, often to persons in treatment facilities or correctional institutions. I’m sure some is used to suppress withdrawal, but if it’s possible to get high, then you have to figure people are doing that, too.
It does appear that users have developed ways to incorporate Suboxone into the addiction pattern. Reminded me of a phrase I’d heard before, from an old Jane’s Addiction album: “Ritual de lo Habitual.”
