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Suboxone and sleep

Discussion in 'Opiate Withdrawal Treatment' started by Ttirb, Aug 28, 2015.

  1. Ttirb

    Ttirb Active Contributor

    Anyone that may know from experience personally or if you know someone who has been on suboxone, have you noticed if they are able to sleep or not? From my experience anytime I've taken suboxone so I didn't withdraw(which would cause me to also get no sleep but be really uncomfortable and sick on top of not sleeping) I haven't been able to sleep until it completely wears off. However I've seen other people take it and go right to sleep and sleep like a baby. Anybody know why it affects some peoples sleep differently?
  2. deanokat

    deanokat DrugAbuse.com Community Organizer Community Listener

    My son was on Suboxone for over a year, and he had absolutely no trouble whatsoever sleeping. In fact, I think it made him sleep more. Maybe check with your doctor to see if he has any insight? I'm sorry for your trouble. There's nothing worse than not being able to sleep, IMO.
  3. kgord

    kgord Community Champion

    It is possible that other things might be causing your sleep disturbance. I think like deanokat says it might be be best to check with your prescribing physician to see if the dose can be altered or something could be substituted in place of the suboxone. It could be another medication would be equally effective and not cause the sleep difficulties you are currently experiencing. It is worth checking out.
  4. pstrong1969

    pstrong1969 Community Champion

    I was on Suboxone for a while. It caused me severe Insomnia. I would stay up for days. If i took a benzo with it i could sleep but i dont recommend that. Bad Combo. I think it excites too many brain receptors that affects sleep. Hope this helps.
  5. Ttirb

    Ttirb Active Contributor

    Yeah if I take any type of benzo I can sleep for days. However I don't take them cause even after I sleep for hours I'm groggy, out of it and angry. I can sleep after I take any type of opiate but obviously I would be taking Suboxone so I don't abuse opiates. It just sucks not being able to sleep when you're tired and just laying there. Do you by chance have any knowledge of Subutex? I believe it is the same as suboxone without the naxalone, I was wondering if that would make a difference.
  6. pstrong1969

    pstrong1969 Community Champion

    In your case Subutex isn't going to alleviate your not sleeping. It's the buphenorphine in Suboxone causing the sleep disturbance. Sorry to give u the bad news.
  7. Ttirb

    Ttirb Active Contributor

    Well thank you for that information, I'm going to try to take a lower dose and see if that helps in any way.
  8. abacabb

    abacabb Member

    I honestly think it varies from person to person. I was taking suboxone for quite some time, and it made me sleep like an absolute baby at any time of the day whatsoever. Seriously, I would be falling asleep at my desk, on the couch, in the car, at the checkout line at the grocery store. Of course I chalked it up to taking a large amount at first, but even weaning down to 1mg/.5mg, it was like I had a superpower, and that power was falling asleep.
  9. johnyork

    johnyork Active Contributor

    No Suboxone No sleep !!!!! I only take .75mg of Suboxone per day, I take .5mg of it 2 hours before I hit the hay... I've been like this since I started self medicating myself with my only DOC Tramadol... I also needed tramadol on my recepters to sleep.. I guess Suboxone like Tramadol has me my by the ____s.. Before my C6-C7 spinal fusion I would have never slept without the Tramadol because the pain shooting down my right arm was so bad.. After the surgery I realilized I was hooked.. Insomnia issues was my main reason for abusing the Tramadol.. I'm so glad I got down to .75mg when I did, I really dont know if I could do it again, Tapering off Suboxone will add a few yrs to you life, Good Luck.
  10. Jack Wallace

    Jack Wallace Senior Contributor

    Оpiоids rеduсе thе bоdy’s rеspоnsе tо саrbоn diоxidе, thе primаry stimulus thаt drivеs rеspirаtiоn. This аffесt оn rеspirаtiоn is why thе usuаl саusе оf dеаth during оvеrdоsе is frоm саrdiас аrrеst sесоndаry tо rеspirаtоry fаilurе. Thе drivе tо brеаthе is rеduсеd tо suсh аn еxtеnt thаt thе lеvеl оf оxygеn drоps tо lеvеls thаt саusе а hеаrt аttасk оr а lеthаl аrrhythmiа.Pеоplе with сеntrаl оr оbstruсtivе slееp аpnеа аrе аt inсrеаsеd risk оf dеаth whеn tаking оpiоids, аs thеrе аrе thеn twо fасtоrs thаt intеrасt tо impаir rеspirаtоry drivе.
  11. BBarnett22

    BBarnett22 Member

    I have taken suboxone off and on for over four years now.
    Most of the time when I took my suboxone it was when I was just starting to feel my withdrawal symptoms.
    Suboxone helped me to sleep which is what would normally happen to someone who is going through withdrawal. Sleep is hard to come by when you are detoxing.. Nearly impossible.
    I could see some side effects from buprenorphine if you have a tolerance to it and you take more than you are prescribed (or just keep taking it and taking it) as suboxone has a ceiling effect unlike most other opiates.
    More then likely there is some other cause that is disrupting your sleep. Do you take any other medications?
  12. Tryingtoquit

    Tryingtoquit Member

    Dont stay on the suboxone. I am trying to come off of it now. Its the worst withdrawl ever. I uses it for 6 years. Way too long. I am an addict an still withdrawling bad after 6 days now. I used xanex to sleep but then ended up abusing that too and now i am withdrawling from both. Suboxone turned on me an made me lethargic. Lazy. Somebody i didnt reconize or even know anymore. Please dont use suboxone as a crutch. If your in active use. You wont sleep good till your clean. I havent slept in 6 days. Creepy crawlies prevent me from doing so. An they only get worse day by day till breaking point which i have yet to reach. I pray u get clean hun. Substituting suboxone is still using.
  13. Pugmom

    Pugmom Member

    I was on subs for 6 years also. Slept like a baby! Now that I'm off and clean sleep does not come as easy. Suboxone is poison and extremely hard to get off of. You can not stop cold turkey.
    deanokat likes this.
  14. Tryingtoquit

    Tryingtoquit Member

    I quit cold turkey. No its not easy. Had every withdrawl symptom you can think of. But i did it. I withdrew for a total of 28 days. Thats when the dts finally stopped. I sleep a bit better now with the help of over the counter unisom. But sleep is still choppy at best. Lol. But im glad to be off the ****. So glad. Going to meetings an working the 12 steps with a sponsor. It sucked bad. No lie. Wish i would have withdrew from the pills. Suboxone withdrawl is much harder but in the end i have close to 50 days clean an im happy i did it. I have so much energy an finally starting to enjoy life again. Best of luck to everybody going on this journey.
    Airways.757 likes this.
  15. deanokat

    deanokat DrugAbuse.com Community Organizer Community Listener

    @Tryingtoquit... Thanks again for sharing your experience. You are an inspiration, my friend! :)