Dosing information

Usual Adult Dose for Opiate Dependence – Maintenance:

SUBLINGUAL Tablets: Following a 2-day induction:
-Adjust dose in 2 to 4 mg increments/decrements to a level that holds patient in treatment and suppresses opioid withdrawal signs and symptoms
-Target dose: 16 mg sublingually once a day; range 4 to 24 mg/day
-Maximum dose: 24 mg/day; higher doses have not shown a clinical advantage

Comments:
-Buprenorphine with naloxone is the preferred drug for maintenance treatment; unsupervised maintenance treatment with buprenorphine should be limited to those who cannot tolerate buprenorphine-naloxone.
-When determining prescription quantity for unsupervised administration, consider the patient’s level of stability, the security of his or her home situation, and other factors likely to affect the ability to manage supplies of take-home medications.

-Monthly doses should allow for a minimum of 26 days between doses; occasional delays in dosing of up to 2 weeks are not expected to have a clinically significant impact on treatment effect.

Usual Adult Dose for Opiate Dependence – Induction:

Subutex 8mg sublingual side effects

Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction to Subutex: hives; difficult breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Opioid medicine can slow or stop your breathing, and death may occur. A person caring for you should seek emergency medical attention if you have slow breathing with long pauses, blue colored lips, or if you are hard to wake up.

Call your doctor at once if you have:

• any problems with your teeth or gums;
• noisy breathing, sighing, shallow breathing, breathing that stops during sleep;
• problems with thinking, blurred vision, slurred speech, a light-headed feeling, like you might pass out;
• chest pain, trouble breathing, slow heartbeat or weak pulse;
• opioid withdrawal symptoms – shivering, goose bumps, increased sweating, feeling hot or cold, runny nose, watery eyes, diarrhea, muscle pain;
• low cortisol levels – vomiting, dizziness, worsening tiredness or weakness; or
• liver problems – nausea, upper stomach pain, itching, loss of appetite, dark urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes).