True or False: When it comes to Suboxone, "Less Is More"?

Why do some people believe that a lower Suboxone dose will be more effective? Dana Forman, a nurse practitioner, discusses the reasoning behind this prevalent misconception.

Suboxone is a medicine that combines two drugs: buprenorphine and naloxone. The buprenorphine part of the drug acts by displacing other opioids from mu receptors in the brain. It then binds strongly to these receptors, preventing other opioids from occupying them. By attaching to and inhibiting opioid receptors, the naloxone component reverses opioid overdose. To discourage injection and diversion, naloxone was added to buprenorphine. When it comes to buprenorphine, there is a thought that "less is more" (Suboxone). There are many various perspectives on this, as with anything in medicine.

The premise of "less is more" is just incorrect. Buprenorphine, on the other hand, has a "ceiling" effect. What exactly is the ceiling effect? It means that raising the dose once a particular point has been reached has no influence on the effects. We know that 97 percent of the mu receptor sites are occupied at 16 mg of buprenorphine. As a result, if we increase the dose of buprenorphine from 16 mg to 24 mg, there aren't many more receptor sites that will become occupied. Nonetheless, our therapeutic goal is to reduce cravings. We want our patients to have few to no cravings, so we gradually increase their dose until they reach the desired level. As a result, if a patient is still suffering cravings after 16 mg of buprenorphine, it is appropriate, in my professional judgment, to increase the patient's dose, which is consistent with current recommendations and standards of treatment.

Our goal is to utilize as little medication as possible to obtain the desired result. So whether it's 2 mg or 24 mg of buprenorphine per day for our patients to have minimal to no cravings, we do it. We recognize that each patient is diverse and unique, and that treatment is not one-size-fits-all. We personalize each patient's treatment to meet their specific demands. Because of the ceiling effect, we do not prescribe more than 24 mg of buprenorphine per day in our practice. Keeping the maximum doses of buprenorphine at 24 mg lowers the danger of diverson and lessens the chance of overdosing. We know that when buprenorphine is mixed with alcohol, benzodiazepines, or other opioids, the risk of overdose rises dramatically.

Suboxone Dose Warning Signs. suboxone doctors near me accepting new patients

One of the most telling symptoms that your Suboxone dose is too low is that you're taking it to relieve pain that isn't effectively managed. This is the time to up your Suboxone dosage.

What is the ceiling effect, and how does it work? suboxone doctors near me accepting new patients

Suboxone's beneficial effects rise with each dose, but at a moderate dose, they plateau. This is certainly a one-of-a-kind outcome of suboxone treatment.

suboxone doctors near me accepting new patients

True or False: When it comes to Suboxone, "Less Is More"?
True or False: When it comes to Suboxone, "Less Is More"?