Buprenorphine

Introduction

• Buprenorphine is a semi-synthetic opioid that is used in the field of medicine to treat opioid addiction, to control moderate to acute pain. It can even treat chronic pain and severe cancer pain since it has analgesic effects.
• Because of its euphoric effect  it has a great demand in the illegal drug market and has potential chances of abuse.
• Its overdose cannot be reversed and combining it with alcohol can increase the risk of overdose manifolds even fatal.

Routes of consumption

• Recreational users crush the tablet and snort it to experience Euphoria similar to other opioid.
• Insufflations have slightly higher effect than taking the pill orally.
• The high potency of tablet forms of buprenorphine, only a small amount of the drug need to be ingested to achieve the desired effects.
• The illegal and potentially dangerous of self-dosing of Buprenorphine is deemed by many users as a less risky alternative to what an addict may do on the streets to obtain money for their addiction, and less dangerous than quitting cold-turkey.
• Sublingual
• Intra-arterial
• Intravenous
• Intrahepatoportal
• Intraduodenal
• Buccal

Short term effects

Some of the immediate and short term effects on consumption of BUPRENORPHINE are:

• Mitosis
• Confusion
• Euphoria or dysphasia
• Relief in pain
• Sedation
• Nausea
• Vomiting sensation
• Dizzy feeling
• Severe Headache
• Acute Constipation
• Profuse Sweating
• Insomnia
• Urinary retention
• Drowsiness
• Dry mouth

Long term effects

• Buprenorphine has lot of unpleasant withdrawal syndromes.
•  Buprenorphine withdrawal symptoms can linger for a few months to few years.
• Depression/ dysphonic mood
• Muscle aches and cramps
• Insomnia
• Rhinorrhea
• Drug craving
• Memory loss
• Cognitive and neural inhibitions
• Itchiness
• Mitosis
• Orthostatic
• High blood pressure
• Decreased sex drive
• Male ejaculatory difficulty
• Hepatic necrosis
• Hepatitis with jaundice
• Respiratory depression

Street names/slangs

• Buprenorphine is usually used for recreational purpose by opioid users often by insufflation
• Some commonly used slangs are Suboxone, saboxin, sobos, sibbies, sibs, subbies, bupe, Stops, Stop signs, Box, Oranges, Texas toast, Subs, White Bupe, Tecs and Whites for Subtex.
• In UK, it is reffered to as Bupey, Subs, Xone, Subway, Subbies, Tems, Gesics.
• In Australia, Silverbacks, Bupe, poor man’s smack and S Box are some common street names.

Conclusion

• Like any other addiction, alcohol too affects a person’s social life, education, career, psychological and physical health.
• Early detection and treatment can prevent a lot of damage.
• As a responsible parent or an employer, if one is suspected of using alcohol, the doubt can be cleared by simply using the “Alcohol test card”.