Patients use Suboxone to treat OUD (opioid use disorder). The medicine is a combination of naloxone and buprenorphine, which is delicate. In itself, buprenorphine is known as a partial opioid drug, and naloxone freezes the effects of pain management medicines. It blocks all the effects that opiates generate, whether they are feelings of pleasure or pain relief.
The two substances are combined to help people treat their opioid dependence. Even though the medicine has worked for several patients, there’s a dark side to it. Many people develop dental issues after using this medicine. Also, Suboxone has been linked with sleep disorders. Patients who’ve faced these problems have filed their lawsuits.
As of June 2024, the total number of Suboxone lawsuits is 358 and pending in MDL. In this article, we will discuss how this medicine affects sleep quality. We will also focus on the corrective measures that can resolve this issue.
Can Suboxone Disturb Sleep Quality?
Most users have filed a Suboxone tooth decay lawsuit because that is what they have suffered from. The complaints revealed people who didn’t have any dental health issues before had gum issues and tooth loss. However, the medicine does have other side effects that can affect a person’s daily life. One of them includes sleep issues.
Suboxone can make patients develop insomnia, which is trouble falling asleep. It happens when you take the medicine and even withdraw from it. The latter is a primary cause of insomnia. There are many reasons for this.
First, your body is trying its best to re-adjust itself by not depending on opiates during withdrawal. It can cause stress, anxiety, restlessness, and irritability, all of which translate to poor sleep quality.
Second, withdrawal can also result in hormonal fluctuations that disturb the natural sleep cycle. Lastly, some people can’t sleep in pain. Here, opiate withdrawal can seem to be challenging.
Additionally, suboxone also results in insomnia. The buprenorphine in it is an opioid partial agonist. Its very nature hurts the natural sleep pattern, thereby leading to daytime fatigue, insomnia, sleep stage distribution, and disturbed sleep.
A study conducted by the National Library of Medicine states that buprenorphine does affect a person’s sleep quality. It reveals buprenorphine can reduce REM sleep time, lower sleep quality, and make it difficult for a person to fall asleep. However, it’s encouraging to know that this issue can go away with time if you take proper measures.
Does Suboxone Intake Time Affect Sleep?
The answer is yes. If you take the medicine late at night, it can adversely affect your sleep quality. It’s because buprenorphine stays in the bloodstream for almost 24 hours. Therefore, taking the medicine right before going to sleep is not the best practice. On the other hand, taking the medicine early can also have the same effect.
Hence, during the initial days, you need to arrive at the correct balance of your medicine intake. That way, it will not get in the way of your sleep quality. The ideal time for taking suboxone will vary from one patient to the next. It’s important to observe your patterns and decide what works for you. Also, get in touch with your doctor, who can help you arrive at the correct consumption time.
The other aspect that disturbs the sleep cycle is the number of times you take the medicine. Hence, it’s always best to use the medicine once a day to reduce sleep issues. The medicine dosage also has a role to play in sleep issues. People who take a smaller dose will be less vulnerable to insomnia. Speak to your doctor about this. They will help you arrive at the right dose and the correct time of medicine intake.
Subscribe to For The Love To!
Get updates on the latest posts and more from For The Love To straight to your inbox.
By submitting your information, you’re giving us permission to email you. You may unsubscribe at any time.
TorHoerman Law states that the lawsuits filed so far claim that the company failed to warn users about tooth decay. Patients weren’t aware of the acidic nature of a Suboxone film, which weakens tooth enamel. Finally, the company added a warning label pointing out tooth decay only in 2022.
That means most people know Suboxone can cause tooth decay. They aren’t aware of the sleep issues the medicine can cause. Hence, their doses and the time of medicine intake remain unmonitored.
How To Sleep Better When You Are Taking Suboxone?
Good sleep is necessary for a patient to recover from any ailment. Hence, when you are using Suboxone, you must sleep uninterrupted for better recovery. Not sleeping well can affect your life in the following ways:
- It leads to confusion and brain fog.
- It causes stress and negative emotions.
- It disturbs how you carry out your daily tasks and affects work productivity.
- It can cause a hormonal imbalance.
Therefore, you need to work on a sleep routine when you are on Suboxone. You should start by preparing yourself to sleep. That means ensuring you complete all your computer and mobile work a few hours before you sleep. Refrain from seeing texts or answering emails right before you go to bed. Your brain shouldn’t be in alert mode when you are planning to sleep.
Also, ensure that the room you sleep in is clean, dark, and cool. Often, people sleep with lights on, which affects the circadian rhythm and aggravates the sleep cycle. If the temperature is high, try to use the AC in such a way that you don’t feel uncomfortable while sleeping.
Last but not least, speak with your doctor if you need further help. Maybe they will reduce the dose or ask you to make a few lifestyle changes to sleep better.
Also Read: The Dangers Of Leaving Prescription Drugs Unattended In The Home
To sum up, often patients don’t realize that their sleep issues can be an aftereffect of using Suboxone. Now that you are aware of it, ensure you are on the correct dose and fix the best intake time. Other than that, allow your doctor to guide you on how to sleep better while using this medicine. That way, you can arrive at a practice that benefits you and speeds up the recovery process.
Thank you for supporting my blog! Please note that this post contains affiliate links, and I may receive payments for clicks, purchases, and/or registrations made through these links. It’s important to mention that ForTheLoveTo.com is a proud participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Your support enables me to continue creating valuable content, and I genuinely appreciate it.
