Does Suboxone Make You Tired?

Your Guide To Suboxone Fatigue and MAT Treatment Options

If you feel tired or sleepy shortly after your suboxone dose, you may be asking: Does suboxone make you tired? For some, the tired feeling comes from the buprenorphine in the medication, one of the active ingredients, which acts quickly after taking suboxone. Suboxone may make you feel sleepy, and the fatigue persists for up to three hours after the dose.

Purpose Healing Center supports people who are struggling with Opioid Use Disorder, mental health problems, and other drug or alcohol challenges. Our licensed, accredited addiction treatment centers in Scottsdale and Phoenix offer fully customized treatment plans to clients from the Phoenix Valley and throughout the Grand Canyon State.

If you or someone you love is wondering about fatigue caused by suboxone, this page is for you. It will explain how and why Suboxone drowsiness happens. We’ll also provide healthy tips for managing Suboxone-induced tiredness.

Suboxone = Buprenorphine and Naloxone: An Opioid Use Disorder Tool

Suboxone is a combination prescription drug used in medication-assisted treatment (MAT) of Opioid Use Disorder.

The medication contains two active ingredients:

• Buprenorphine, a partial opioid agonist
• Naloxone, a partial opioid antagonist

The two-drug approach helps to reduce cravings and withdrawal symptoms from Suboxone by interacting with the same brain receptors that other opioids do. But there’s a catch. The active ingredients don’t interact with the opioid receptors in a way that produces the same euphoric high.

This very mild opioid effect makes Suboxone treatment safe and effective in those struggling to end opioid substance abuse.

Why Buprenorphine Makes You Feel Tired

Buprenorphine only partially activates the brain’s opioid receptors. That means it doesn’t stimulate the brain in the same way heroin or medications for chronic pain usually do. Despite that, it can slow brain function and cause light sedation in some people.

A short adjustment period sometimes takes care of the Suboxone-related fatigue and sleepiness, especially if the previous drug of choice is a short-acting opioid. Speak with your doctor if your energy levels continue to lag after a few weeks of starting Suboxone. After discussing this with you, the prescribing physician may decide to offer a different medication or adjust your Suboxone dosage.

It’s also helpful to know that doctors usually start Suboxone doses at higher doses, tapering down as the client continues to progress in therapy and the other opioid symptoms subside. As the dosage decreases, the Suboxone side effects will also begin to diminish.

Potential Side Effects of Suboxone

Like other medications, Suboxone can have a few side effects. Here are a few things you may experience with Suboxone use:

• Fatigue or drowsiness
• Awake but with lowered energy levels
• Nausea
• Constipation
• Mild to moderate muscle aches and pains
• Sweating
• Headaches
• Trouble sleeping
• Mild sedation
• Slow reaction times
• Low blood pressure (infrequent)

Suboxone affects each person differently, with some never experiencing any of the above side effects of Suboxone. These symptoms usually improve after the body adjusts to taking Suboxone. While many people report methadone making them tired, even after months of being on the medication, far fewer report lasting fatigue as a side effect of taking Suboxone.

Suboxone Impact Fatigue Is a Tradeoff for Ending Opioid Dependence For Many

Many clients have found that taking Suboxone, even with Suboxone-induced drowsiness, was preferable to going through the typical opioid withdrawal symptoms. Remember that Suboxone is a prescription taken under medical supervision and approved by the FDA to maximize client safety.

Medical Conditions that Make You Feel Sleepy When Taken with Suboxone

When assessing if Suboxone makes you tired, or if it’s something else lowering your energy levels, it’s important to know that other health issues and medications can also disrupt your sleep routine or cause daytime drowsiness:

• Sleep apnea or insomnia
• Depression
• Anxiety or panic disorders
• Thyroid disorder
• Kidney or liver disease
• Low iron levels (anemia)
• Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or fibromyalgia
• Using other sedatives, even legal prescription drugs

The sleepiness effect can increase if you drink alcohol or attempt to self-medicate. Replacing opioid use with other substance abuse will not fix the problem. Instead, have an honest discussion with your care provider about how Suboxone makes you feel.

How to Combat Fatigue When Taking Opioid Addiction Medication

It doesn’t necessarily mean you’re taking too much Suboxone if the Buprenorphine makes you tired. While Suboxone fatigue is common in the earliest days of treatment, you can often fight fatigue by following these healthy strategies:

Limit Caffeine to Strategic Times of Day

Drinking coffee or sports drinks may feel like an easy fix when you feel tired from taking Suboxone. But too much caffeine, especially in the late afternoon, may interfere with your sleep. You’ll actually feel tired the next day! Limit your caffeine intake in the morning and drink water or herbal tea to stay well-hydrated later in the day.

Discuss Your Suboxone Dosage and Timing with Your Doctor

If the sleepy side effects of Suboxone continue, even as your body adjusts, talk with the prescribing physician about when and how you are dosing. Some people find taking Suboxone at night instead of in the morning. Remember that you should never change your Suboxone treatment schedule on your own, only under your doctor’s orders.

Look to Improve Sleep Quality at Night to Reduce Daytime Sleepiness

Getting high-quality sleep is a priority during recovery from opioid abuse. In fact, it’s one of the most important things you can do if Suboxone makes you tired. That can involve:

• Setting and maintaining a regular sleep schedule
• Limiting screen time before bedtime
• Removing electronic devices from the bedroom, because of the blue light
• Avoid eating a heavy meal at night. Replace heavy foods with nuts, crisp raw veggies, or high-protein snacks.
• Limiting caffeine to the morning hours
• Creating a cool, darkened sleeping space (use room-darkening curtains if you work at night and sleep during the day)

These tips can help you get sufficient rest to help power through the day, even when Suboxone feels exhausting.

Stay Active to Keep up Your Energy Levels

This advice may sound counterintuitive at first. We all know that exercise can be physically tiring. However, trying 10 minutes of a brisk walk, yoga, or calisthenics can boost your body’s natural energy. Besides the burst of energy, exercising will help improve your sleep cycle, mood, and overall well-being. Start small and stay consistent—you’ll make great gains in no time at all.

Boost Energy Levels with Breathing Exercise

Deep, mindful breathing techniques can improve oxygen flow to the brain and fight sluggishness. When you feel the first pangs of Suboxone-related fatigue, pause for a few moments and focus on your breathing. Inhale deeply through the nose for four counts, and exhale for four. Repeat this for a quick, anytime, anywhere pick-me-up. You can also check YouTube for more advanced breathing techniques.

Break Opioid Abuse and Live a Life of Renewed Purpose

Suboxone is an excellent tool for people in recovery from opioid abuse. Yes, this medication can cause some side effects, most notably drowsiness.

Purpose Healing Center is here to help you through opioid rehab and recovery, providing medical detox, peer support groups, behavioral and psychological therapy, and aftercare planning to avoid relapse.

Contact our admissions staff today to explore a personalized treatment plan. We’ll be here to support your health, healing, and long-term recovery.