I'm currently taking 3mg of Xanax daily for my anxiety disorder, and have an opiate addiction to OxyContin. My doctor wants to give me Suboxone to get off the OxyContin and I've heard that taking Xanax and Suboxone together was dangerous and could have adverse side effects. I was just wondering if anyone knew if it was safe or dangerous to combine the two drugs? And if so, what are the side effects of taking them together, if any?
Are Xanax (Alprazolam) and Suboxone safe to take together... are there any adverse side effects?
Question posted by Derek23 on 18 July 2009
Last updated on 10 April 2023
44 Answers Page 3
Yes taking xanax n suboxone could kill you
When I first went to see the doctor for suboxone detox he told me that if I were on Xanax he could not treat me with the suboxone. A friend of mine who is on suboxone had a benzoid show up in his urine test and his doctor, who is always quiet, calm and collected, got very upset about it. His doctor said it can be very dangerous! You can stop breathing and die. I know a woman who told me she took Xanax while on Suboxone and went into convulsions. I once took a 5 or 10mg Xanax and about 40 min. to an hour later I took 2mg suboxone and felt awful for about 30 min. It felt like needles and pins with feelings of withdrawal. I think I had forgotten about taking the Xanax. Mixing those two drugs is not a good idea and can be very dangerous, even deadly.
there is no 5 or 10 milligram xanx there is .5,
1.0,2.0 (which is a bar as they call it)they do have 3 mlgram xanx but its called nervan and is very expensive and drs are afraid to give it 2 just anyone,i have been on suboxone for 8 yrs i was on vicodin first,then oxy then methadone and yes i graduated to heroin,its a battle i deal with everyday the suboxone will help through withdraws but it has made my hands swell irregular heartbeats im on blood pressure and i feel like i was a guinee pig for them,ive had NOTHN BUT DEPRESSION ANXIETY,i hate it but its better then the heroin(not to feel good but to get off)anyway a new law was passed in indiana where they cannot prescribe you more then 1.0 milligram of any benzo with suboxone,my best friends dads a dr he wouldnt lie to me and actually he helps me cas most drs wont give benzos w suboxone,anyway if u have a high tolerence to benzos u can seize out and die so u cant quit cold turkey,but i find that i (MYSELF)can take benzos w no problem w suboxone but i have a hard tolerence,its a rough world out here and i feel for every single one of u nobody knows what we go through and everyone is different,i pray that one day we can live in a society that either legalizes it or drs dont keep handin it out like candy,if i knew 12 yrs ago what i know now my life would be alot happier i never have even smoked a ciggarrette,but yet copped dope in the worst neighborhoods in indpls,life is what we make it and i dont judge anyone i leave that up 2 god... BUT I WILL WARN ANYONE SUBOXONE HAS A LONG TERM AFFECT ON MY LIVER PLUS THERE IS A THING CALLED P.A.W.S and it stands for post acute withdraw symptons from suboxone so when u think all is good u might be sittin there one day and feel like total crap,ITS THE SUBOXONE,but what else do we have methadone yeah right goin everyday and its worst withdraws then heroin u r a prisoner to it 4 life... read my story on my facebook chrissygoodmon and then go to my link i was front page called NARCOTIC SLAVERY then go to pages 14,15,16 and its been hell since..i pray 4 everyone ONE LUV 2 you ALL keep ur head up!!!
a 5 or 10 mg would have been valium, its a benzo; but NOT xanax; it is offered in 0.25, 0.50, 1 mg, and 2mg pills; designed to be broken in 1/4ths. 10 mg of xanax is the highest legal dose allowed by law i know this as ive been on 6 mg for over a year. just trying to help not fight, but the wrong info in the right hands could become a tragedy. im new here; im jeremy the born again ex junkie. God bless.
HI... I was put on Dilaudid for 1 year due to spinal cord surgery and my body was dependent on it thus i had a "rebound" effect meaning i wasn't mentally addicted but my body produced MORE pain all of a sudden that didnt' let up till I got off of Dilaudid and switched to SUBOXONE!!!
I take a small amount of Xanax which tremendously helped. The only side effect is sleepiness in the beginning HOWEVER i went from 5 pills a day to 1 pill a day in 3 weeks on Suboxone. MY withdrawal lasted ONLY 2 weeks and then i stayed on 1 pill a day.
I KNOW that Suboxone works... whether you take the film strips or pills.
Once you get used to suboxone you are less sleepy, more alert, and get mentally alert again feeling like you have a new life. FOR ME Suboxone is USED as pain management BUT another family i know has their daughter on Suboxone to stay off of opiods and oxycontin which has helped her stay clean for 16mos and her anxiety attacks also allievated especially when she found a full time job thus she got off any anti-anxiety meds
I am now only taking 1 mg of xanax a day with 1 pill a day of Suboxone and am fine. YOU can take your Xanax say an hour or two AFTER suboxone in order to reduce the sleepiness but i am usually ultra sensitive to meds along with allergies, this works with Xanax.
GOOD LUCK! HOPE it goes well for you and you may find your anxiety meds will go down in dosage given time with Suboxone. :)
i am currently taking suboxone to get off a heroin addiction i had and also take xanax for panic attacks i haven't noticed any problems when i take the two medications together but i only take a football a day which is 1mg of xanax but if you take xanax with it no matter the dose you can have respiratory failure from the research i've done on it cause i was curious about it myself so if you do take them together just monitor your breathing and suboxone works really well it stops the cravings for opitaes and all the symptoms of withdrawal if you're lookin to take it to gett off the oxycontin i strongly suggest it, it will help you out alot and i strongly suggest using it to anyone that wants to get off of opiates
Derek 23 - Xanax and Suboxone can be very dangerous when taken together. Depending on the dosage, your body's ability to break down the medications, you could actually go into respiratory distress. You could stop breathing, which is generally not good for your health! I would find a Dr. who specializes in addiction treatment and be 100% truthful with him/her about your addiction to both meds and let them monitor your levels of both meds. It may take some trial and error, hopefully err on the side of caution if there is an error, but you can probably find a level that will not be life threatening. I would imagine you should try to beat one at a time also, but I am not certain. At the very least, when combining the two meds, you will have a tough time just staying awake. I hope this helps. Good luck to you man ... you are at the right place if you want help. Tbone
it is not dangerous iof you are use too them and been taking them.i am on klonipin for seizures 1mg 2 times a day.im sorry it is dangerous but only if you are abusing the xanax taking more than needed,if you take as prescribed you are ok but it can be deadly so please be careful and take the right dose.goodluck
i take 2 mg of suboxone a day but i take 3 mgs of benzos every once and a while but i do not feel the benzos one bit for some reason . i am prescribed to suboxone but not prescribed to xanax i just like the way it makes me feel but rite now its doing nothing for me can somone please help i dont understand why i dont feel the benzos and im scared to take more plzz help me
NOOOOOO. Dont do that! Suboxone is used to go thru the bloodstream... hince, dissolveable suboxone/sublingual strips! The combo is deadly, like that at least!
You obviously need some serious counseling as well as the suboxone. You need someone to give it to you and watch you take it every day because you know you are not supposed to snort it. cmon man. You are obvioiusly still in the mindset of a full blown addict to even think about snorting them, you are still seeking to get high, suboxone should help you live a normal life and funciton like a normal peson. you need help bro. I have been on suoxone for almost 2 years, I shot heroin for 8 years and tried every other type of rehab and therapy that is out there. Use it like you are supposed to. good luck
Philly, PLEASE be very careful. It is NOT SAFE to snort anything, much less Suboxone. It is also very very dangerous to mix Benzos with Suboxone, it does cause resp. depression, and you could stop breathing. Do some research and see for yourself. Keep your head up, my friend.
I was taking suboxone,when I stopped I started xanax to help with withdrawls and sleep! Ended up in hospital with respritory depression! Stopped breathing a few times in my sleep and had very hard breathing when awake. Be careful! Make sure your Doc. knows
I am on suboxone 8 mgs 3 times a day and take 2 2mg bars of xanax also. I have noticed that if i take them to closesly together. I really don't feel the xanax. i usually take the xanax first and then the suboxone 2-3 hrs later or vice versa. I love suboxone, it has litterally saved my life. i was on 200 mgs of methadone for about 3 yrs at a clinic. now i feel normal and my depression has been lessening up from this possitive change. WORD TO THE WISE though. please please please wait at least 40 or more hrs before taking the suboxone after your last dose of methadone. my doctor gave me 8 30mg roxy's per day to help with the methadone withdrawal. they say your to get down to 30mgs of methadone for about 2 weeks before the transition. I however did not do that and i was fine taking the suboxone. for the first twenty mins after taking my first 8 mg sub i felt like i was getting sicker but the i started to get better.
yes, suboxone is a god send for people getting off of herion, or oxycotin or perks which i was on. I finally found a doctor that perscribed subs and normally u should only take it for a month that is enough time to get it out of your system. 200mg of methadone wow! methadone is horrible, i wish they would stop giving that to people,and give subs,but even subs some doctors will continue to give it to you after you dont need it. when u do start subs, the doctor does tell you , you need to stay off everything for 24 hours. The subs helps you better when he gives the first doses of whats it called the 2mg tabes in their office. but , yes! i agree, wow! that would of either killed u or made u completely sick! my doc gave me 90 perks a month and 90 xanax a month. He was a horrible doctor. Thats why i stopped. Hes an wisconsin doctor that should be sued, and out of business with his license taken away,he screwed up my life. but, i was taking it for back pain.
they should of gave u 2mg of the first pills that u sit in the office and t hey watch u take it. u wouldnt of gotten sick, and they wouldnt of let you leave until u were confortable and not in withdraw anymore.. but yes, it works! and im glad it worked for u. but i suggest that u take it for a month and ween off it. all drugs such as mentioned are bad for u!
Suboxone saved me from three really tough detox situations. Each time for neck injections post prosidure I was given the "BLUES'" I guess the stro ngest oxi which I had no clue what I started, I won't BS and say I didn't know they where not painkillers, I just didn't realize that the doctor would soon become my dealer. Oxi's should never be prescribed unless your in the hospital post op and they prescribe three and then to something that won't risk you becoming an instant junky. Thank God for Subox, it works great and you can seen off overtime, I was stupid enough to go it alone three times before I was the able to be human again. That doctor should be bitch slapped for giving me that devil drug oxycodone. I still have some flashbacks of that crappy extreme zombie fatigue, but I know I will never touch that crap again, I was one of the lucky ones. Alot of people I know where not. Now I stretch and exercise to deal with the disc pain, cervical.
That will cause crazy precipitated withdrawal and that is the worst :-/.
I have been on Suboxone for about 6 six years after being on Methadone for over 20 years; when i switched over to Suboxone i was in immediate withdrawal that same day yet I hung in there and within a week I began to feel much better; I became much more alert and other noticed a change in my appearence. In the past couple years alot of stress has entered my life, loss of spouse and recently problems with elderly parents. I started taking benzos to deal with the stress and anxiety yet lately I feel that I am becoming addicted to Xanax now; My doctor will not prescribe any benzos to me therefore I am forced to find them other ways. I did not really think that it was dangerous to take them both yet I feel that it does really help me through this stressful time in my life. I am worried about trying to stop taking them yet hopefully someday I can do this.
I am a functioning and productive, working individual who takes care of my elderly parents, one of whom has late stage alztheimers disease. I work in the health care field and try to keep myself aware of this issue. I don't think that i have any side effects from taking both other that it gets me through the day. Maybe when the stress and anxiety in my life tapers down so can I taper off of the xanax. We do what we have to do to get through the day; Good luck
Hey there just... I feel like you and i have lived the same life!!! I was dealing with the same issues you were and having horrible anxiety
I had the same problem and am currently taking xanax and subutex, suboxone without the naltraxene, and am now addicted to both. I'm sure you can do it but you have to be really motivated to stop. Which I thought I was but really wasn't. Now I have to have both together or have bad withdrawls. Also alot of dr.'s won't prescribe both together you have to look around and tell them up front what's up, not lie to get high.
I was originally on Lorcet/Soma and have been clean offf those for 10 mos. My doc put me on 8/2mg suboxone strips. ( 6 halves per day). Im now on only a quarter of 1/2. So basically, not much. I feel great, a little tired. Now, Ive been put on Prozac/Xanax .5 mg 2x day. I quit the strips but feel tired. I can function fine on the XANAX and PROZAC but want my little bit of energy back. I cant drink coffee/energy drinks??? Could a tiny pc of Suboxone hurt with the meds Im now prescribed???
And I also forgot to add the severe anxiety Ive dealt with for years. It finally is causing stomach problems. not liver. The prozac/xanax I just started and I feel a lil relief. .5 mg 2x day. What to do. Im tired without the Suboxone. Even this little tiny piece!
Jesus Christ! Can anyone please tell me why this society needs so many crutches???
My daughter was addicted to Vicodin, and for the last 2 years, she has been taking Soboxone. Now it seems she is also abusing Xanax. she is a *&)(* mess!
Add to the mix that she also has a 3 year old and a fiancee that is clueless. Needless to say she is in denial and claims that her dr. prescribed Xanax for her recently acquired disease called "Social Anxiety Disorder".
I am obviously deeply concerned for my grandson's welfare! What can i do? any comments/suggestions will be most welcome!
destiny, i have the same problems with the stomach problems. ask them to do an upper scope to look in ur stomach. U need to eat before and after taking any of these meds.
If you're taking them together at the same time it's probably not a good idea, or else spread out the time between you take them. I was on Suboxone 16 mg's a day (8mg's 2x a day) and never mixed them together. I did take a klonopin or xanax a few weeks ago and the next day took 4 mg sub and you can feel the effect but if you're taking major amounts I'd be careful or not do it all. Very dangerous combination when they're taken at the same time.
yea very true,but i have gotta so immune to the subox its ridiculous i donteven feel it. but thanx im surprised soemone responded... oro i think they did cause it came after mine.but i dont think im going to take the temazapam cause it is strong and some people say its better than an actually xanax and ive heard other stories too that its not as good, but yea thanx alot.
More people have died from mixing heroin and benzos or methadone and benzos together than suboxone. People get into trouble when they abuse the subutex and inject it and take or inject benzos with it. the lower the benzo dose the better but tolerance ane how long one has been on it also makes a difference. Everyone knocks xanax but it is one of the most effect anti-panic and anti-anxiety medications out there. Taking klonopin over 2mg a day can deplete serotonin and xanax is a triola-benzodiazipine with anti-depressant properties. The problem was it was too short acting. I take the xr version and it works great. i take 2mg xr xanax in the morning along with 2mg of suboxone and at night i take the same and i have had no problems. i love the fact i take my meds just twice a day and dont go thru the ups and downs of the immediate release version of xanax. I got up to 8mg of the ir version and was able to cut it in half because the xanax xr works so well.
if your doctor is reluctant tell him about the xr version ans as far as the suboxone I would rather get a prescription than stand in line 7 days a week for methadone or pay $80 for an 80mg oxycontin. suboxone along with the xanax has made my life manageable and I want to go out again and no panic attacks.
The only contraindication with Suboxone are Benzodiazepines. Some say it's ok, others strictly oppose it.
Frankly I'm Sick of hearing all the NON-sense about Xanax With Suboxone and I've followed this closely since the very beginning as an addict of 20 years now.
When Sub first was available in the U.S. I researched this for literally Months, all day & night... & this is what I found.
Xanax ONLY got a bad rap with Suboxone due to ONE female in Northern Europe, I think it was either Amsterdam or Denmark, who Injected the Xanax WITH Buprenorphine & due to this she died...
Other than that, I couldn't find ONE single problem anywhere, BUT it soon became a folk-legend type of "Worry" rumor that apparently Everyone keeps spreading, even trained professionals are now so confused that they don't even know what to believe. This was the source of every rumor you hear.
I've been taking 16 mg of Suboxone & sometimes up to 24 mgs of Suboxone and at Least 3-4 mgs of Xanax with it, but I only take the Xanax maybe 4-6 days per month when I really Need it, and Plus this prevents me from developing a true withdrawal creating addiction to the Xanax as I can easily go without it for weeks, then take it when I get more once a month. I'm supposed to take Xanax 1 mg a day, BUT IF I did that I'd Never be able to go without it, so I take it as needed and responsibly. I'd also never take them both together. Also, avoid Grapefruit juice as it will extend the Xanax effect. I only used grapefruit when I was on vacation and only had 4 left for the plane trip.
I've been doing this for many years. I'd never recommend that Alcohol EVER be used with Benzos or ANYTHING else other than Sub that slows breathing so I don't drink. This sub/benzo IS a well tolerated combo, but Everyone is different & has a tolerance/attenuation factor...
Just Never Inject Bupe with Xanax or any Benzo with an Opiate as that is as deadly as drinking a lot & suddenly taking Oxys or dope... people Only get away with this combo from having a Tolerance so this IS Russian Roulette & deadly. Be safe and KNOW how dangerous this is.
Never recommend to others what THEY should take.
People all NEED to do their OWN extensive research and don't just take a docs 1st opinion either.
Derek,
I can provide you with information from a first-hand perspective; that is, when I first began Suboxone, I was also on 2mg of Xanax daily. The best advice I can offer to you regarding the use of both medications is to make sure that you do not take them at the same time (or one right after the other). If you are taking the Suboxone on a 3-times-a-day basis as well, I would take your Xanax two hours before (assuming you take your first dose of Xanax right when you wake-up). This will not cause any problems for you as far as the Suboxone is concerned, because its half-life is around 36 hours, and it was originally prescribed on an "every-other-day" basis. I never had any problems while taking both medications, but every person is different.
Also, the fact that Xanax is "supposed" to be prescribed only as a short-term solution until an anti-depressant with anxiolytic effects has had enough time to "kicks-in" should hopefully help to convince you that any continuing anxiety that you may be experiencing is likely being caused by the long-term use of Xanax (there have been many studies showing that its anxiolytic effects do not last for more than 4-6 weeks at the most). Because Xanax has such a short half-life, it is notorious for causing interdose withdrawal (primarily rebound anxiety)--so, when your previous dose starts to wear off around 3-4 hours, you immediately feel the urge to take it again. Furthermore, in order to get to the root of your anxiety, it is recommended that people with anxiety issues seek help ultimately from talking with a therapist. However, benzodiazepines blunt your anxiety (and your other emotions and "feelings"), as well as negatively affect your normal cognitive abilities... in short, being on Xanax hinders the growth process one normally is trying to achieve through cognitive therapy.
I highly suggest that you read some books about benzodiazepines... there are too many of them out there to choose from, so I will recommend the two that I think will especially give you more insight and offer very good information. I highly recommend "The Benzo Book," by Jack Hobson-Dupont and, "Benzo Blues," by Edward H. Drummond, M.D. The first book is a very informative autobiography of the author's own personal experience of tapering off of 3mg of Xanax using The Ashton Method (type "the Ashton Manual" into a search engine such as Google... it is available online for free, and it is by far the best--and to-date, the ONLY--structured and experimentally-based method that has proven to be highly effective for people attempting to come off of any benzodiazepine... so, you can be assured that it is extremely informative). The first book will also provide you with a better understanding of the entire process and experiences involved in bezodiazepine withdrawal; it is honestly one of the most difficult experiences for a lot of people, and the more that you know and understand, the better prepared you will be. Tapering off of 3mgs of Xanax a day is not something you should attempt to accomplish within a month or two, and since the majority of physicians and psychiatrists are often unfamiliar with The Ashton Method, I hope that you will read through the entire document (which is not that long, I promise) and use it to help formulate your own plan (with the help of your doctor) to taper off of Xanax. Also, as The Ashton Manual advises, it may be important to provide your doctor with a copy of the manual and explain to him your goal and tapering schedule. By no means should you attempt to discontinue Xanax by following a rigid schedule that is enforced upon you by your doctor (particularly if he advocates a plan that is too short... withdrawing too quickly can lead to significant discontinuation symptoms, including permanent cognitive and neurological impairments, as well as the serious risk of having seizures). The second book that I mentioned provides more in-depth information than the first, and will likely prove to be very "eye-opening." I think that you will feel very motivated to begin your tapering process as soon as possible after reading this material, as you will learn of the many negative effects that Xanax is likely causing while you remain on it. Everything you will need to know about the potential hazards of long-term use and later withdrawal from benzodiazepines can be found in these 2 books and in The Ashton Manual... by educating yourself about the subject, you will know exactly what to do when the time comes to discuss the options with your doctor.
Back to my personal experience with the two medications real quick: Once I was stabilized on Suboxone, it turned-out to be an outstanding (and by far the best) anti-depressant and anti-anxiety medication for me. Thus, I then began my taper off of Xanax using the methods provided in The Ashton Manual with the help of a physician who was fascinated with the copy I gave to him... as a doctor, the process made perfect sense to him (having been established by another doctor--Heather Ashton--who has dedicated her life to studying benzodiazepine withdrawal). It wasn't as difficult as "The Benzo Book" had prepared me for, and I was able to successfully discontinue my 4-year-long "prescribed" dependence on Xanax by following the protocol. Since then, the techniques I have learned through sessions of cognitive therapy, my own further readings, and Suboxone have provided all of the anxiolytic effects that I required for GAD (oh, and yeah, they are all right when they say that the best thing you can do is regularly exercise... ha).
I hope that this helps you out, and I apologize for writing a short novel. Anyway, please feel free to ask me any other questions you might have.
Good luck!!
Kiera
I've been off and on xanax for many years, and that may be the reason I've never had a problem with, because I definitely do have an addictive personality. I was started on Suboxone therapy because I was diagnosed with pancreatitis and it was very painful. The doc started me at 20mg. t.i.d. and had have me at 80mg. t.i.d. within 3 months. I understand that the bodies tolerance develops very quickly with this drug, but I believe only but people are worthy of that dosage, i.e. terminally cancer patients. I have to tell you the withdrawal from oxycontin was beyong words. People think the physical part of it is difficult, but the emotional distress and the fact that you look at life differently in every was, it's indescribable. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy.
Then I was introduced to Suboxone, which was a life saver, not only because it all but got rid of all the withdrawal symptons, but it was supposedly nowhere near as difficult to come off of, but I had the luxury of only taking it once a day, which was a blessing. There were a couple of days I forgot to take it, and there was no problem. However, I've been on it 2 years, which seems to be a lengthy time, but I'm deathly afraid of the withdrawal from that, because it is a partial opioid. But I have to say it saved my life. Please wish me luck in coming of the Suboxone.
I have been taking suboxone for 9 months. It really does help cause we all know that the stuff on the steerts id horrible. It keeps ur mind off and u dont have cravings. but i would like to say that i take about 2 mgs of xanax, because after awhile its hard to go to sleep on sunboxone for me,my doctor told me about it and i think i read about it on internetbuts atleast, but im not sure tahts the problem yet because i have always had sleeping probless and anxiety but i told my docotor and he gave me temezapam, which is a benzo and it does help. I have severe insomnia and i have to take atleast two 30 mgs tablets, ithnk because of my highdoes to xanax. So to answer one s question about xanx and suboxone. i think its ok to take 3 mgs but im not a doctor and i worry to about how many i take becuase i really dont wanat to not wake up the next day. but all i know is ive taken xanax with subs and its great and it really helps,it helps me sleep.
But i was wondering if i could have a question asked. does anyoe know if taking xanax and taking a restoril(temezapam) and hour or two after 1or 2 mgs of xanx to help me sleep. I really do have bad insomnia so i dont know what to think but thought id just ask
Hey Derek,
I had all the anxiety and insomnia stuff as well. If fact, I was also simultaneously taking Suboxone, Xanax (during the day), and--at one point in time--temazepam for insomnia. I went through a number of different meds for insomnia, and now I stay away from any... they seem to work for only about 3 nights, then nothing. I certainly agree with the post below (e.g., mixing the benzos will only exacerbate your fears... and the actual possibility of taking too many sedative medications that will interact). One thing that did cross my mind, however, was when you are taking your Suboxone during a given day. That is, after you have been on it for a while, Suboxone actually becomes pretty stimulating. I had to switch from t.i.d. to taking it just once (in one full dose) in the morning or early afternoon, as I began to be unable to sleep if I took it before bedtime. Sorry if this was mentioned already, or if you already do this, but its the only thing I can think of.
Lastly, if it is of any interest to you, the way in which I finally ended my insomnia was by reading (and following... strictly) some material I found online regarding good "sleep hygiene." If you can't find anything on it, let me know and I will send you some stuff.
Hope all is well, and take care!
Best,
Kiera
james, i had a bad xani/benzo habit to the point of 16mg a day.. yes 16mg.
and that was on top of heroin and methadone. I am know down to 2mg just by weening. I have hed seizures from stopping abruptly. It scared me really bad!! Benzos are very, very addictive and xanax is by far at the top of the list. Are bodies are amazing at curing themselves. This is true and i believe we all can go back to living a GREAT life too. We will heal ur not broken to popular belief. your damaged and your right where u need to be and talk about whatever u need too. good luck! sickntyred
i am taking subs and xanax also. it works 4 me. i feel normal now, but i know some day im gona hafta give them both up... im young with no children yet and would love 2 someday have a family. i hear these drugs r very bad 4 unborn babys so im def gona quit way b4 i decide 2 get preggers.thanx 4 asking such a good question and thanx 2 kiera 4 all the great info. i will def save this in my profile and im sure i will be hanging on every word kiera saz here... when i do quit.
I have been taking suboxone for about 2 1/2 years.. I know I cannot take it forever but it has changed my life mentally and physically.. I started on 16mg daily and now Im down to around 2mg or less daily.. I can take very little and it get me through the day.. Im also scared of the withdraw there are times where I try not to take any until late in the afternoon.. And at times I start the diareah and cannot eat or sleep.. And I have anxiety issues and of course I have bought xanax off the street at times.. I would like my dr. to prescribe them to me or even colodopin.. Which Im in the process of changing Drs. do to the cost of my suboxone visit.. I want to know if taking a small amount of suboxone for awhile with 2mg of xanax but obviously I want to know if its goin to hurt me an any way.. I) know I cant take suboxone forever and Id honeslty like to take 1mg a day until I can stop.. Im afraid of withdraw from it and wonder if there is any way to decrease withdraw even from a small amount daily???
Hi Kiera, I don't know what date you posted this, but I need some advice. My husband is going to start to take Suboxone. He has an opiod dependency and is addicted to Xanax. The doctor told him to stop his Vicodin while taking the Suboxone but to keep taking the Xanax as prescribed. I will tell him not to take them close together. I need some encouragement. From what I've read it sounds dangerous and I don't want him to all of a sudden stop breathing.
glendola , 80 mg of suboxone isent even an amount the doctor should be giving you. That amount can kill you! I can understand if it was oxycotion but suboxone??? wow! I would like to know who your doctor is, they need to be turned in for giving such a large amount! I understand the pain you are in for it. but suboxone isent the answer for the pain. Oxycotin typically is given, so this boggles me that they would give you this. Not a normal doctor, or a pain speciallest would give you this, a theropist would give you this that has a medical license just for this. After reading that i was like wow! No way in hell did this doctor give you that! He is only causing you more problems in life. suboxone is to get off oxycotion, opiot meds. But, back in the day they did make it to help with pain.but , 80 mg, they dont even make that amount! Its goes up to 8mgs only .. t hey start you with 2mgs, then 8mgs! Thats all they make of that drug.
Like i said, i would like to know what doctor is giving you suboxone and that much.. unless u take umteen 8mg tabs a day.. which of any person can not handle that without ob'ing! so , i will stay in s hock at t hat amount. Im currently becoming a RN and this just amazes me shockinly! wow@! sorry to hear about your pain and what u have tho- there are other meds that can help other then suboxones..
Its always hard on anyone trying to get off this crap the goverment has made for us, as the doctors feed it to us. xanax yes, if u take it for a long period of time can cause respitory failure. same for oc's and methodone. i will not touch methodone its worse the suboxone. whoever says that methodone is better is nuts! Its way harder then suboxone. secondly, when u are put on subs to get off opiots its s uppose to be for a short period of time. so , your doctor knows that from day one. if they give you more , its because they get paid for killing people with these meds! sorry to say but its true.
I have been on it, only to get off the oxycotion, i was put on it for artheritis, and ive been in a car accident which pretty much i will deal with the pain my whole life, as it gets worse until i get an operation, after 3 sessions of pain theropy! so, my advice is stay away from oc's, if your doctor gives u anything with opiots tell t hem NO! There are other pain meds out there! and not oc's of subs! The doctors get a percentage of scrips t hey put out there ... remember that! I wish the best for everyone. and yes, any med a doctor gives u can kill u, if not taken t he right way. never take more then 1 med at a time..and make sure u g ive a hour or two (distance from the other med) before adding other meds.
So exercising helps with withdrawal. When your high blood pressure will be high up to the sky. Not good idea for people who suffer from high blood pressure
There is a moderate risk of adverse drug interaction resulting in respiratory depression. You can stop breathing to be blunt.
Moderate risk means your dr definitely needs to be aware of what is going on. It's a real possibility and not some far off distant extreme circumstance. It happens too often to ignore it.
I hate to see anyone taking both meds together. If you're already dependent on the xanax and have to get off RX opiates they can be taken together if there aren't other pre-existing prohibitive health conditions but it needs to be closely monitored by someone knowledgeable regardless. Be careful. I hope that helps.
Thanks for answering my question. I knew that in severe cases that reperitory arrest can occur but I'm addicted to both OxyContin and Xanax, and want to quit both. I also know that you cannot safely just stop taking the Benzo's without severe adverse reactions. So I was wondering if I could take the Suboxone for about 5-7 days while slowly weening myself off of the Xanax? I know there are precautions but if anyone has first hand experience, I wanted to know if I could do this, or if it was a very good possibility that I woudl have problems doing so?
I hate to be plainly obvious with you, but both oxycontin and xanax are very hard to withdraw from. What I IMPLORE you to do is find a doctor who prescribes Suboxone. This is a drug that allows you to withdraw from opiates (oxycontin), and it isn't like methadone that has to be administered every day, and that itself has horrible withdrawal. I've been on it for 2 years, which is an extended period of time, but that's because I'm afraid of what might happen if I were to come off of it. I've been reassured by many people that the withdrawal is insignifcant. I have to tell you that Suboxone has all but gotten rid of all my side effects and has increased my mood. The only problem you may have is that not all doctor's can prescribe this medication. You would have to look on line and find a doc close to you. I can't impress enough how beneficial this drug has been. PLEASE give it a try. You'll be amazed.
The only thing is I don't know if it's helpful in coming off xanax.
If you have any questions, call me 732-364-0837.
Best of luck.
Glen Daly
To add to my previous comment, I somehow didn't realize that your doctor has already been reluctant to give you Suboxone considering your xanax use. I've been taking clonazepam, which is in the same family as xanax, and I have had no problems, and as I said I'm been taking Suboxone for 2 years, and since I was having anxiety the doctor prescribed Clonazepam. Mabye that is the safer of the 2, and I have to say that clonazepam is effective much longer than xanax. It seemed every time I took xanax, I was needing to take more within 3 hours.
Here I am again, I think that if you titrate down slowly from the xanax you might not have a problem. I don't know the dosage of xanax you are on, but If they ween you off slowly, as slowly as it takes, theres no rush here, I don't see a reason that couldn't be effective in doing so. I know that coming off a drug such as xanax can sometimes be fatal to the system, not to scare you, but there's no reason to come off so slowly, and as far as coming off the oxycontin, you won't die from it, you will just wish you were dead because of the wicked physical and moreso mental anguish.
Just to add to all of the comments listed on this first response: Both Xanax and Klonopin are BZDs that will lead to the same level of addiction; the only difference between the two is that Klonopin has a longer half-life... which as you mentioned, when you were on xanax, you felt like you needed more every 3 hours or so (Xanax has a half-life of roughly 4-6 hours, Klonopin's is ~12 + or - considerable variability).
Anyway, anyone who wants to come off of a BZD would be best to find a doctor who would help them taper off using the Ashton method (you can find the full version of the Ashton Manual online simply by searching for it... it will provide you with detailed info. regarding BZDs in general, as well as clear-cut schedules for how to taper off of specific doses of both Xanax and Klonopin). Anyone who is in this dilemma should check it out ASAP.
Also, just as a note, it has been shown that patients who have been on Klonopin for an extended period of time generally find it much more difficult to taper off under the Ashton method (in contrast to those using the shorter acting BZDs such as Xanax and Ativan). I'm not completely sure as to why this has been the case, but my best guess is that it is directly related to the extended relief a person receives from the longer acting Klonopin. In fact, there are doctors who actually switch patients from Xanax to Klonopin in order to taper them off of BZDs altogether without knowing that this is, in fact, actually doing more harm than good.
If anyone needs help finding the site, let me know... but I am pretty sure I have posted it in a number of my previous posts--as have others--and it should be fairly easy to find just by searching via Google.
Take care-
Kiera
I just wanted to add to this comment, Im not sure when it was posted but for future info, unless u overdose u wont have to worry about this problem, yes it can happen if u dont take with doctor approval, and take what he/she says then u can have a problem, if u have a problem taking to much of xanax then I recommend telling ur doctor cuz he may not want to give u a Rx for xanax, I have been on suboxone for 2 years now, and it works well for me, when I have to get my shot in my back, or a MRI they give me xanax, and I dont have any problem, just be careful when taking any medicine like these, if u have a problem just get help, and check out heretohelpprogram.com there are people woh can help, and of course suboxone.com gives product info for you... good luck, hope this helps :)
I have been on suboxone for 2 yrs and have been on xanax for 12 yrs. I take 24mlg of suboxone a day and 4mg of xanax a day and i see a counsler also. She wants me to get off the xanax, but my anxiety would be through the roof, she is now saying my levels arn't matching and moving up and down. I talked to the doctor about it, and he said that was natural. What does anyone know about this? She also wants me to stop the suboxone also. Isn't that dangerous? Just need some input. thanks
I have been on Suboxone for 2 years the 8mg/2 , at first I was prescribed 3 pills a day ... this was when I didn't know any better and had no idea of how high of a dosage this was... After about a year and a half I was so speeded up on Suboxone my heart always pounding, talking non stop, cleaning non stop, It was like being on speed... My drug taken previous to Suboxone was percocet and vicoprofen oxycontin and a morphine pill opana my doctor prescribed of course not all at once, but over about three years he gave me precriptions of these painkillers... then switched me to suboxone. Along with this I told him they make me jumpy, so he gave me .25 which is 1/4 of a miligram of xanax and a ambien to sleep... Well when you are on Suboxone even one 8mg a day it takes about 4mg of xanax to even feel the xanax and calm yourself down ...
This is me, I always took the suboxone under the tongue never misused it, actually I under used it ,because of the extreme jumpiness, I was constantly interrupting people... So I began using family members xanax so I would have enough to calm down and took 2 ambien just to sleep... when I ran out of xanax I began these bouts of shakes, tics, vomiting, even with an empty stomach, I would just dry heave... I went to the hospital, they gave me an abdominal cat skan, endiscope , showed nothing... the nauseau would not go away it took reglan and dilauid to stop the discomfort after three days of vomiting ... finally it calmed down but after being on suboxone for 1 1/2 years just getting shots of dilaudid which is like heroin I became instantly addicted... every 8hours I would be hanging off the bed waiting for the nurse to come down the hall to give me my shot, then I finally could relax and sleep, after about 4 or 5 hours I would count down to the 8 hour when I could get my shot again... I didnt have pain, but it was the only thing that stopped the nauseau . ALong with the reglan... Then they stopped and sent me home, I could not wait to get to my suboxone which I had at home thank GOD and took it... Felt better, in the hospital they cut down my xanax to 1/2 mg three times a day, which just barely stopped me from possibly having a seisure . IT was torture... Getting the pain pill shot was a bad idea... I turned into a instant major drug addict for that shot . I was never like that in my life... wow, that was scary... But my point is the suboxone when I got home just one 8mg pill made me feel normal... Now I am 2years on suboxone just taking a half of a pill a day so 4mg and I still need the xanax and a sleeping pill... Doctor just cut down to the smaller suboxone the 2mg pills he said take 2 a day... which equals 4mg . So we shall see, I am going to run out early because i can tell they do not work like the 8mg cut in half , they take really long before they work so I take 4 instead of 2 because I cannot feel anything for hours and cannot get out of bed. Usually by 4pm I need to start taking the xanax so I can relax and wind down... Guess I am on an Elvis ride... never meant to be... Have to get off... that is what I am doing but has to be really really slow. Have to have that xanax or I would be wired. Never want to take pain pills again ever. so I have experienced the shakes ,
hey there, I'm glad you asked you that question. I'm in the same position, I'm down to taking 2 .5 xanax a day now, but it was the oxycodone that I needed the suboxone for. I've been on the suboxone for 3 days now and honestly haven't stopped taking my xanax. I'm afraid if I don't take my usual xanax I'll feel even worse! I guess I'm taking a chance, not so smart I guess.
Just remember take it slow and we all can get thru it... I was told talk subs for two weeks and ween ur self off and u should be good a lot is mental..in jail they give u nothing and u go in cold turkey and in three days ur fine I seen it..so it can be done put ur heart and soul in it
I had been taking Lortab10mg, and some Percocet10mg, on average 4-6 a day, being prescribed 6. Of course I would run out and become very sick,my legs would ache and twitch,my stomach was a mess, and my whole world was turned upside down. As a Christian, I have really struggled with this, I kept telling myself that since it was prescribed I could take the meds and it not be an addiction (or a sin). But God revealed to me that my abuse of this was wrong. So I have been praying for help, I am also prescribed Xanax 1mg daily, I have been taking that dose for 5 years. I have a friend who told me about Suboxone, so I set my mind and my prayers on this working for me. I called a local pharmacy and had them check the drug interactions and they told me there were no interactions, but their would be a greater risk of stopping the Xanax, than there would be to combine the two. So I have been taking 2-5 mg Suboxone a day for 3 weeks now, with my 1mg Xanax.
I get some anxiety about an hour of so after my first dose during the morning, but then I feel fine, I have no withdrawal symptoms from the painkillers now, and I break my 1mg Xanax in 2 peices and take one in the morning and one closer to bedtime. This seems to be working for me. I am wondering how long I should stay on Suboxone, and what will my withdrawal symptoms be when I quit taking it. Due to my ongoing anxiety, I don't abuse that med. only the painkillers. So, I want to be free from those"chains of sin" that I feel are hindering my closeness with God. Please talk with me about your experiences and if you know God personally please pray for and with me while I try to overcome this battle in my life.
I have been on suboxone therapy for about a year now, and I also take 1mg of xanax at night (only) and have not experienced any adverse reactions. I am however, under the care of an Addictions Specialist Physician who manages all my medications. Hope this helps.
I am on suboxone and currently taking my prescribed xanax and triazolam, which both are benzos and I have had no problems so far and it's been a been a blessing to me to come off my opiate addiction and still have my prescribed meds helping me through it!!! Wish you the best of luck!!!
I have been addicted to oxycontin as well and suboxone not only helped me with the withdrawals, but also the cravings. I would also encourage you to find someone certified in addiction diseases and get a prescription, but I will warn you, it's not cheap.
in july,2008 i was prescribed suboxone, my drug of choice was any kind of opiate.i stayed clean for 2 1/2 years.never did i think of taking another opiate. this medicine saved my life.yes there were friends if mine, they told me that i would get addicted to suboxone. june 1,2011,i got a new job, on the 10th of june i moved into an apt on my own,finally,because i was living with a roomate who was an alcoholic.that was a bad choice,but anyway on june 17,2011, i was on my way to help out a homeless person. i wrecked,they said i ran a red light,but i'm such a carefull driver, i thought the light was green,i was wrong. some one hit me,and all i remember was being in the emergency room. i ended up with 4 broken ribs and rt lower leg was broken really bad, and i was referred to an orthopedic surgeon.just starting my job, i had no insurance(health),so i had to go to a charity hospital.and they prescribed me my drug of choice.LORTAB. so i knew i had to take the pain med.
and also i did not tell the dr that i am a drug addict.i didnt know what to say because i was in so much pain.so the dragon was back in my life. for a while i was taking it as prescribed but about a month later,i found my self going to different emergency rooms, buying off the streets,and calling dr for more.being that i had no income, i started begging from anyone i knew just to get more. i was taking 20+ a day and felt like they didnt work anymore.then one day i woke up feeling like shit because i was out of pain meds. i tried calling the dr that had prescribed the suboxone and his nurse said the he was not in the drug abuse clinic any more, that i would have to find a private dr. the clinic is a state mental health clinic.which i didnt have to pay for any services,just pay for the suboxone, then i got into the suxoxone help program. i got the prescription for free for one year. boy, was that a blessing from god.so here i am with no money and i found a dr that charges 400.00 for the first visit plus the price of suboxone.i was not close to my family anymore due to my addiction years ago.it took me two days detoxing to call my brother that could afford to help me.and he did, i am back in my families life. and it was about 8 years that my family disowned me. as of today i am clean and sober, but am having alot of anxiety concerning my bills. i did call that same dr about xanax and she explained about the drug interacting together. so i took her advice and not take any benzos. im feeling great and i put my anxiety aside trying to do other things. i do have God in my life,and i give my problems to him.actually i have been blessed throughout my whole ordeal.yes i could cry and break down, but i have come so far, i will not lose my apt, and i am always late in paying my bills,but you know what? i am a blessed child of God. he will prevail. God bless all addicts out there struggling, there will come a day when you say"i'm sick and tired of being sick and tired".
Who ever said thinks they won't be just as sick DT-ing from Suboxone obviously hadsbt done it yet! I know first hand that 8mg a day for 7 months about killed me. It's wasn't even close to kicking 120mg of Methadone (2 years... roughly) but it was just a bad and LONGER than ANY dope DT... & I'm not just some kid who did oxys or whatever. I was a hardcore North Philadelphia Badlands junkie for over a decade... I know what I'm talking about, I've been dope sick thousands of times... nothing is close to Methadone except Suboxone (which is horrible if not tapered VERY easily), I got to the point of dry heaving &/or blood vomiting for about 12-14 hours on day 6 or 7. If you are doing the right thing, odds are you won't go to jail an be forced to DT without tapering and you will avoid it being as intense. BTW to answer the main topic (which I squandered away from) mixing Xanax & Suboxone Fu*k's you up like mixing Methadone and Suboxone.
Therefore it will KILL you the same way... respiratory failure. Hope everyone who posted here with addiction problems is doing well, everyday is a struggle... but things can get better!
I agree with Robert 100%. There can be adverse reactions.
Im not sure about taking suboxone & xanax together, but I do know a little about taking suboxone. I have only been taking it for the past two weeks & everyday It gets easier & easier! I have been dependent on opiates... Opana ER & Percocet for the last 4 1/2yrs. The problem was, was that I was no longer getting ANY pain relief from either drug! I basically begged my doc to send me to a pain specialist, so he finally gave in & referred me! The pain specialist came up with Suboxone... but instead of doing it on my own I was admitted to a regular hospital for 6days & went through a medical detox! I tell the truth when I say it wasnt easy! I was given a dilaudid pump for the first 24hrs & when that was over it was taken away & was not given the Suboxone(shot form) until I started to go through withdrawl(no earlier than 6hrs)...
leg cramping/pain/aching plus nausea & vomiting! As soon as I felt nauseated & an increase in pain I was able to start the Suboxone! For most the first shot begins to take effect & the DT's slowly go away! Not for me though... it took the 5th shot for it to start working but thats because the drug Opana I was taking was so strong it had completely taken over my whole body!!! (If you are ever prescribed it I beg you NOT to accept it!!) I know this is just the begining for me and have a long road ahead but I am so thankful to be off the opiates & have a little more pain relief!! I am so thankful God helped me through this because I truely believe if it wasnt for him I would not have made it!!! I pray that everyone will be successfull detoxing, just dont forget to have a pain specialist on board before trying to do anything on your own!
U r so true. I have been on it for 4 yrs an d I have prolonged it because it works for me. It stops my cravings and I feel normal. Of course everyone tells me the withdraw will be so little in my head I don't even want to go threw that ... I've been threw enough withdraws... I do have horrible anexity so I'm doing both and for now its working for me... Just wanted to let ya bk I'm here going threw the same.
I have been taking xanax approx 4 mg every nite for my sleep/anxiety disorder but have recently within the last year, became addicted to opiate pain meds. I am going to be starting a suboxone tx tomorrow and am deathly afraid of what might happen. I cannot handle anymore withdrawl sx and i realize that i cannot just stop taking my xanax or i will have seizures. is this possible to continue my xanax use (or at least taper it down) while starting this new tx for opiate addiction. Im desperate to get off the opiates but not yet prepared to completely go off my xanax yet. any suggestions would be helpful especially from a doctor with a degree in substance abuse addiction. I currently have no medical insurance so i am not under any care of a doctor to monitor me however, i just recently began seeing a psycholigist who prescribed me the suboxone (to be taken sub-ligually half of an 8mg tablet twice daily.
is this enough and the proper way to do this (my psychologist is a very expensive out of my pocket visit and hes not as helpful as i thought he was going to be. ) Any comments or suggestions would be helpful... thanks opiate/xanax user
Suboxone works wonders! I've been on it for a year and a half, however, I wish that I had just take a fourth a day to ease the withdraws from OxyContin. I was spending $120.00 a day at minimum on the drup but am now more addicted to suboxone. My advice to anyone wanting to get on "subs" is to go to the dr once and take 1/4 of an 8/2 mg of bupronorphine and naloxone to wing yourself off. Because suboxone withdraws are aweful. When you get off you experience extreme fatigue for over 2 weeks and it's almost as bad as withdrawing from OxyContin. To save you guys time and money, even though I am NOT a dr, please PLEASE, take a fourth a day for a week, a fourth a day every other day for a week, a fourth every three days the third week, and so on, and so forth. Hope I can atleast get to one person through this!
Ive been reading all the post and coments, I myself have been on suboxone for 4 years now, I take 8mg strips 2x daily, there have been events when I have run out a day early before I can get my new script from my addiction speciallist, and I can honestly say that withdrawals from suboxone if a walk in the park compared to coming off of pain pills and benzos. However, as far as taking suboxone and xanax together, I would strongly advise against this, I took 1 blue xanax while on my suboxone without even thinking, 12 hours later I woke up in the ER on a ventilator in full respritory failure simply by taking 1 pill. So all I can say is be careful. Make sure your Dr. is aware of all medications you take, Just be safe and dont die'
I most defeniatly agree this medication has benn an amazing help for me.i have heard it is very dangerous to mix these drugs and i personalyy know of ppl who have overdosed from combining the two medications. Both drugs are addicting and need to be administered by a physician who has knowledge in the area of addiction.
it depends on how long u have been on it. if u are switching to suboxone, ur doctor first will give u 5 pills, which u sit in their office while taking it, then they write u out a different script for the real stuff. Its very cost worthy, and if u are on like public aid or have personal insurance , some wont pay for it. public aid for instance ur doctor has to fill out papers for a 4 month program, ( they approve it for 4 months, and will pay for it only for 4 months. ) tip- getting off it only should be for 1 month, xanax does cause withdraw as well. u get anxiety attacks alot. If u go to groups ( ask your doctor about it that gives the suboxine) they have no choice but to suggest it anyways. and it helps talking out your problems while getting off xanax. all meds are different. i heard people would go to t he hospital, and be sudated for a few days which is like 5-7 days so they dont have to go t hrough the withdraw from oc's/. its a horrible drug.
You need support, family friends, and support from drug abuse groups. even though u havent abused the drugs, they still help. I am living proof of getting off the oc's while i have to be in pain for the rest of my life, bc i have artiritis and i was currently in a car accident that causes massive muscle spasems and have to go to pain management for it. i refuse to go back to opiot pain kills! because whats the word again PAIN KILLERS! KILLER IS THE KEY WORD! and like i said, people on it , if t hey cant get it or enough they will go to herion alone... which is bad. because my brother was on herion for about 5 years. he went cold turkey which i give him mad props because i couldnt get off oc's w ith out suboxone. read the history on suboxone as well. It orginally was for pain. it has pain meds in it, opiots, but if u try taking opiots while on it, you get sick. and it wont work. its like a blocker, on ur brain and will not work if u try to take both. I only hear this from the doctor that prescriped me the meds. Hes against all medications but helps people get off opiots, but mine for some reason likes to keep people off. I went off it after awhile because i didnt need it. Like i said. i would rather have back pain then be on drugs. but i do take xanax due to massive aniety and verbal abuse from my husband, and things going on with family. I will soon ween myself off.and yes, u can ween urself off just like u said..sorry for talking so much! just trying to educate people, because i wish these drugs were never invented and we never have to have anxiety/ depression, pain... god bless..
methadone is way worse then suboxone.. methadone is a killer if taken the wrong way. and yes, ur doctor needs to monitor u while on it. indeed becareful. god loves u!
Thanks.
Thanks.
Related topics
oxycontin, suboxone, xanax, anxiety, generalized anxiety disorder, alprazolam
Further information
- OxyContin uses and warnings
- Suboxone uses and warnings
- Xanax uses and warnings
- Alprazolam uses and warnings
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