SUBOXONE and SUBUTEX are prescription medicines used to treat adults addicted to opioid (narcotic painkillers) medicines and drugs, such as morphine and heroin. SUBOXONE and SUBUTEX take the place of these medicines and drugs and may help you stop using and abusing them. SUBOXONE and SUBUTEX are part of a complete addiction treatment program that also includes counseling or behavioral therapy. SUBOXONE is a tablet that contains 2 medicines.1. The first medicine is called buprenorphine (BYOO-pruh-NOR-feen). It is like painkiller medicines such as morphine, street drugs like heroin, and addiction treatment medicines like methadone. Buprenorphine may give you less of a “high” than these other prescription medicines and street drugs. Withdrawal or stopping buprenorphine may be easier than stopping other prescription medicines and street drugs.

2. SUBOXONE also contains naloxone (nal-OX-own). When naloxone is injected, it blocks the effects of medicines and drugs like methadone, heroin, and morphine. Naloxone is added to SUBOXONE to stop people from injecting ("shooting-up") SUBOXONE tablets. When you use SUBOXONE under your tongue (sublingually), as prescribed, the naloxone in SUBOXONE should not stop the medicine’s effects. However, if you inject SUBOXONE, the naloxone can give you bad withdrawal symptoms.

SUBUTEX is a tablet and it contains only the medicine buprenorphine (see "What is SUBOXONE?" for a description of buprenorphine). SUBUTEX is different from SUBOXONE because it does not contain naloxone. It is usually used under a doctor’s direct supervision.

Who Should Not Take SUBOXONE or SUBUTEX?

Do not take SUBOXONE or SUBUTEX if
• your doctor did not prescribe SUBUTEX or SUBOXONE for you.
• you are allergic to buprenorphine, or any of the inactive ingredients in the medicines.
• you are allergic to naloxone or buprenorphine.

Your doctor should know about all your medical conditions before deciding if SUBOXONE or SUBUTEX is right for you or what dose is best.

Tell your doctor about all of your medical problems, especially the ones listed below:
• trouble breathing or lung problems
• head injury or brain problem
• liver or kidney problems
• gallbladder problems
• adrenal gland problems, such as Addison’s disease
• low thyroid (hypothyroidism)
• enlarged prostate gland (men)
• problems urinating
• a curve in your spine that affects your breathing
• severe mental problems or hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that are not really there)
• alcoholism

If any of these conditions apply to you, make sure you tell your doctor about them before taking SUBOXONE or SUBUTEX. Tell your doctor:
• if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. SUBOXONE or SUBUTEX may not be right for you. It is not known whether SUBOXONE or SUBUTEX could harm your baby.
• if you are breast feeding. SUBOXONE or SUBUTEX will pass through your milk and may harm your baby.

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and nonprescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. They may cause serious side effects when taken with SUBOXONE or SUBUTEX. Sometimes, the doses of certain medicines and SUBOXONE or SUBUTEX need to be reduced if used together.

Do not take any other medicine, herbal, or over-the-counter medicine while using SUBOXONE or SUBUTEX unless your doctor has told you it is okay.

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