Suboxone and Subutex are each prescription medicines used primarily within the therapy of opioid use dysfunction. The elemental distinction lies of their composition: Subutex comprises solely buprenorphine, a partial opioid agonist. In distinction, Suboxone combines buprenorphine with naloxone, an opioid antagonist. This distinction in formulation dictates how the medication work together with the physique and influences their potential for misuse.
The incorporation of naloxone into Suboxone serves as a deterrent to intravenous misuse. When taken sublingually as prescribed, naloxone has minimal impact. Nonetheless, if injected, naloxone precipitates opioid withdrawal signs, discouraging people from trying to abuse the remedy. The introduction of naloxone was meant to reinforce the protection profile of buprenorphine-based therapy by lowering the probability of diversion and injection drug use. Traditionally, Subutex was initially extra broadly prescribed, however Suboxone ultimately turned the popular formulation resulting from considerations about abuse potential.