If you or a loved one is struggling with a Subutex addiction, you may feel as though your life is spinning out of control. If you are wondering can you get high off of Subutex, the answer is yes. Addiction is classified as a mental illness because it changes the functioning of the brain. You may have originally used Subutex to help with opioid withdrawal symptoms when you began detoxification treatment. According to recent statistics, more than 2.5 million people living in the United States are struggling with substance abuse including prescription painkillers, opioids and heroin.

The high you get from using Subutex disorients your cognitive senses in a manner similar to morphine and heroin. The short-term effects of abuse include decreased pain, euphoria and sedation. This drug also results in a wide range of undesirable side effects. If you notice any side effects, you should immediately go to the emergency room and contact your physician. This includes yellow in the whites of your eyes, dark urine, severe stomach pain, bowel movements of light color and yellow skin since all of these symptoms can result from serious liver damage.

Most people abusing Subutex crush the tablets, then snort or inject them. This results in a similar euphoria to morphine and heroin. If you believe a loved one is abusing Subutex, you can look for the most common signs of abuse. These signs can include:

• Symptoms similar to the flu
• Nosebleeds
• Sudden changes in friendships
• Financial issues
• Changes in sleep patterns
• Mood swings
• Loss of interest in hobbies and activities
• Signs of taking injections including injection points and bruising
• Poor performance at home, work or school
• No longer interested in sex

Symptoms of Subutex Withdrawal

Withdrawal symptoms and signs are often present once someone has become dependent on Subutex. This may include:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Restlessness
• Anxiety
• Muscle aches
• Consistent yawning
• Sweating
• Body aches
• Insomnia
• Dizziness
• Goosebumps
• Dilated pupils
• Mood swings

If you or a loved one is snorting or injecting Subutex, you should know the long-term effects can be extremely severe. Injecting this drug can result in blood diseases such as HIV or abscesses. If you snort Subutex, it can lead to a perforated nasal canal. Subutex is no different than abusing any other drug because you are taking a risk you will overdose or suffer from severe complications including slowed breathing. Every time you abuse this drug to get high, you are risking death. Even if you were initially given Subutex to help you recover from opioid drug addiction, it is dangerous when abused.

The purpose of this drug is to prevent the reoccurrence of withdrawal symptoms during withdrawal, not to get high. Unfortunately, people sometimes buy Subutex on the street for the high under a variety of different names such as Subs, Stop signs, Sobos, Bupe and Oranges. Regardless of the name, when Subutex is purchased on the street it is usually to abuse the drug to get high. The euphoric effect is achieved through the opioid receptors in your brain and your dopamine level is significantly increased. The high is not as intense as opioids but it can be dangerous and last longer.

Although Subutex is used as a part of drug treatment programs, it must be monitored closely due to the potential for abuse. Subutex should only be taken in conjunction with treatment for addiction including ongoing support and counseling. Subutex is not meant to be abused for a high due to the severity of the potential dangers. Unfortunately, many people choose Subutex for this reason. Abuse has become common in prison and the drug is smuggled in on coloring pages and stamps by embedding film strips directly onto the pages. The tablets are also crushed to create a paste that is spread onto the back of a stamp or page.

Approximately 12 percent of all contraband confiscated in state prisons include Subutex. Between 2005 and 2011, visits to the emergency room due to this drug have increased more than five times. This means over 20,000 people have gone to the emergency room due to side effects and serious medical issues caused by Subutex. The problem is some people are not dependant or able to tolerate other opioids and prefer the mellower high from Subutex. The reason you have become addicted to Subutex is not nearly as important as getting the help you need.

If you are ready to stop using Subutex, call us today at 833-497-3812. Our counselors are available to help you 24 hours every day.