Suboxone and Constipation: What Users Say

• Nik...
• December 28, 2019

For Opioid Use Disorder "I've been on Suboxone for about a year but only took half of the 8mg a day. I heard horror stories, its withdrawals are horrible if you take a lot. I wanted to get off them because my sex drive is non-existent, and I have a boyfriend, so that's a big issue. Also, they make me sleep long, long hours. On my days off, I could sleep all day if I wanted to, they make me constipated. I'm on day 2 of not taking any. I am withdrawing: restless nights, body aches, yawning non-stop, and nausea, but it's not unbearable, it's just annoying. I'm pretty much laying around waiting to feel normal again. Anyone out there that doesn't take the whole strip, you guys can get off it, it's not that bad. Good luck!"

• IfI...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• June 24, 2016

For Opioid Use Disorder "You know, nothing in life is perfect, and as addicts, we should know. Suboxone, like any medication, has its ticks. Constipation, sleepiness, that's my side effects. However, would I trade that for the lying, stealing, anxiety, OCD, withdrawal worries, etc.? My answer is NO. Hell NO. I struggled and fought on my own, thinking I could manage my addiction myself for 10 long years. Through two births, my husband's 12 deployments, that was the hardest 10 years of my life. It's nice to know life doesn't have to be that difficult, and that with Suboxone as a tool, not a fix-all thing, I'm gonna make it. Life with Suboxone is much better than life without it. Period. (bought off friends during those 10 years as a detox, but been on maintenance 21 months)"

• Dec...
• May 3, 2018

For Opioid Use Disorder "For 5 years, I was taking up to eight 30 mg Roxicodone daily. I've been researching Suboxone for almost 2 years, but was always too scared to make the switch. Well, in January of this year, I decided to go for it, and so far it was the best decision I ever made. On the day of my induction, I waited 24 hours from my last Roxy dose and took a full strip. I waited about 10 minutes and didn't feel much relief, so then I took another one, and within 5 minutes I felt great. I think I needed two strips because of the high amount of Roxy I was on. Anyways, less than 5 months later, I'm taking 4 mg a day, and SO FAR I FEEL GREAT!! I am more motivated, I got most of my libido back, I'm not as constipated, I HAVE ZERO WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS. I feel much better, and my mind is much clearer than it's been in a long time. So for anyone who has agonized over taking Suboxone and is scared to make the switch, all I can say is DO IT. If you don't like it, you can always go back, but you gotta try."

• Dis...
• September 11, 2019

For Opioid Use Disorder "Without Suboxone, I would likely be dead or in jail. Also, all the drama that goes along with jail. I choose to stay on the medication. It keeps me stable and from relapsing. I take 8 mg a day. The negative effects are constipation."

• Gol...
• November 12, 2015

For Opioid Use Disorder "Wow... I was addicted to Lortab, which increased to hydromorphone 30 mg 2 times a day to start and then progressed steadily over 4-5 years to about 20 of those damn little blue pills a day just to try to not be sick from withdrawal! Then I went to long-acting 80s icy and then couldn't afford enough mess just to not be sick each day. That's when I ordered some heroin to try just to not be sick every damn day! Suboxone, it literally saved my life! Was it easy? No! Was it worth it? Hell yes! Does it have side effects? Yes, constipation. Is there withdrawal? Yes! I've been on it almost 3 years without relapsing ever. Miracle drug for me and my family! Highly recommend for opiate addiction and to treat pain!"

• Jam...
• June 7, 2017

For Opioid Use Disorder "From day one, the very first dose of Suboxone, I was able to quit my habit. No withdrawals at all - even the mental depression and lack of energy the Suboxone had that covered too! Never missed a moment from work (except to make my Subs appointments). I feel great and am living again. Now I'm into month #2 of Suboxone maintenance: 16 mg a day, as one daily dose. The best news is my insurance covers the 'program'. So instead of chasing a high every 4 hours and wasting $300-400 a month, I take one single Suboxone dose each morning and just $8/month (!) in copay. For me, a win-win situation. Side effects: urinary hesitation and constipation - that's all."

• Joh...
• November 27, 2016

For Opioid Use Disorder "Suboxone has completely turned my life around. I feel healthier, I'm excelling at my job, and I always have money in my pocket and my savings account. I had none of those before Suboxone and spent years abusing OxyContin. My paycheck was already spent by the time I got it, and I started resorting to scheming and stealing to fund my addiction. All that is history. If you're ready to stop, there's a good chance that Suboxone will put you on the path to a great life again. I have found the side effects to be minimal compared to OxyContin. I'm actually sleeping better. Slight constipation is about it for me. It truly is amazing. The cost pales in comparison to what I spent on OxyContin."

• MrS...
• August 25, 2015

For Opioid Use Disorder "I turned my life around after 35 years of the hell of opioid/methadone dependence. Vietnam Vet and I had been shot and injured. It started with Percocets and Percodan, Dilaudid, and all related drugs. After back surgery, my Dr. stopped my pain meds after 2 years. NONE. I had a profitable business and could buy off the street for about 2 years, but chasing drugs and the costs took all my money. On methadone for 30 years. Tried repeatedly to detox with no luck. A VA sadistic Dr. decided to completely stop my meth dose (100 mg) with no taper. After 11 days of hell, a friend gave me 8 mg Suboxone. Except for a bit of constipation, my life is NORMAL. A wonder drug in my case. Many Drs. with just an 8-hour class are able to prescribe from their office."

• Chi...
• June 23, 2016

For Opioid Use Disorder "Works great to kick an opiate habit, but a f**king nightmare to get off of. I've had to stop because I'm pregnant, and I haven't slept more than 2 hours a night in a week, going back and forth with having diarrhea and being constipated from being so dehydrated. My skin won't stop crawling. It's a nightmare, and I've only been taking it for about 3 or 4 months and was down to a 1/4 of a strip, skipping days when I could. I wish I just would have detoxed the hard way for a few days."

• Wys...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• March 31, 2016

For Opioid Use Disorder "This drug saved my life. All complaints aside, this time is a miracle drug, BUT long-term results vary depending on one's commitment to sobriety. I've been taking Sub's on/off for five years. This MED had 2 basic functions for me: kept me 'well' until more opiates are refilled/acquired & gave me the opportunity to shuffle my priorities so that opiates were no longer a priority. It took time for me to mature and commit to the lifestyle changes I needed so badly. Bottom line, this drug alone won't keep you clean, but if you combine a regimen of support groups, commitment, and this medication, I truly believe anyone can get off opiates. Good luck. Side effects: constipation, long-term reduced energy."

• PWa...
• October 12, 2019

For Opioid Use Disorder "I got into opioids thanks to a doctor overprescribing me when I got my boobs done. That turned into heroin, and that eventually turned into fentanyl, since there is no more heroin! I detoxed myself about 12 times in less than a year and couldn't stay sober. Finally, I listened to the doctors and went on Suboxone. It was a miracle drug. Took away all my withdrawals. On 32 mg, and they switched me to the generic brand, and I had no issues switching. I'm now addicted to Suboxone, but I have my family, I'm in school, gym, not depressed, anxiety is gone, don't have to use every 20 minutes, I have ZERO cravings for ANYTHING including liquor, feel like a normal person, more confident, everything is better. Bad things about it are: mornings I feel a little sore and slight withdrawal until I take Suboxone, I'm constipated and have to use Ex-Lax, and I have not had my period, so not sure how I will have more kids, and reading the experiences people had coming off of Suboxone is TERRIFYING to me. The pros outweigh the cons."

• ari...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• April 16, 2013

For Opioid Use Disorder "I saw opioids taking over my life, and figured I had two options: continue using and wind up dead or imprisoned, or get help. Suboxone was the help I got. My cravings to get high on anything keep going down and down. Now, I barely remember why I started doing all these in the first place. So why the 6 out of 10? It constipates me way worse than any other opioid has. That means lots of fiber, stool softeners, and Activia for me. I dislike the orange taste and the way the strips numb my taste buds. I also wish it was scored, so you could accurately measure out half doses."

• Not...
• January 21, 2014

For Opioid Use Disorder "Man, I was a slave to my back pain for so long because it was a constant reminder of my need for opiates, my constant craving. I finally did something for myself and sought help and was introduced to Suboxone. All I can really say is that after three days, it feels like a miracle. I feel like I have a solution, a way out now... Great drug for people who are serious about changing their lives. One and only downside is constipation. Thanks, Suboxone!"

• Rae...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• November 21, 2019

For Opioid Use Disorder "Was a heavy opiate/heroin user for 8 years. I got on Suboxone in a MAT program, was on Suboxone for 16 months. I will say it saved my life and stopped cravings. I had an old drug case, in the meantime, I was facing a few months in jail. I tried to wean down as much as I could but failed at doing so. I jumped to zero from 16 mgs in jail. I experienced withdrawal but wasn't horrendous. I am now 77 days without Suboxone, I still experience post-acute withdrawal. While I was on Suboxone, I did experience constipation and sometimes it was hard to breathe towards the last few months. Also, my teeth were falling apart. I don't recommend long-term use of this medication."

• jdh...
• November 2, 2009

For Opioid Use Disorder "I started Suboxone 2 months ago. Prior to this, I had been abusing painkillers for over ten years and have been to jail about 5 times over fake prescriptions. Suboxone is a miracle. I don't think about getting high anymore, period. I take two 8 mg's a day, and I'm happy at that dose. The only side effects I have are a little constipation and increased sweating. This is how I feel about taking a drug like Suboxone to treat addiction: I believe that opioid dependence is a medical disease and that therefore it will respond to the right medication. I think an opioid-dependent person using Suboxone is no different than a diabetic person using insulin. I can't imagine why I wouldn't just take Suboxone the rest of my life."

• ser...
• July 19, 2013

For Opioid Use Disorder "Suboxone treatment saved my life! After 3 years of praying to get off Vicodin (2-4 pills daily), I found Suboxone. I had no withdrawal symptoms, felt great the whole 4 months of taking it. I only needed to use 2 mg per day (1 mg in the a.m., 1 mg in the p.m.). I did experience extreme constipation, but that orange fiber drink helped a lot. I am so grateful for this and feel so sorry for those who had stressful stories about it."

• Mau...
• November 14, 2016

For Opioid Use Disorder "My experience taking Suboxone was the complete opposite of what I thought it would be. I always viewed Suboxone as the lesser of two evils between methadone because Suboxone contains naloxone, so you technically can't get 'high.' Not that I have anything against people who choose methadone as their recovery route; I have actually tried methadone in the past to actually get high and, well... I succeeded, lol. When I started taking Suboxone, I got really bad side effects after the first month of taking it. I would severely sweat to the point I wanted to bash my head through a wall. It was so rough on my body. But my maintenance program doctor just said it was 'withdrawals' because when you take the pill every day, I guess you're technically withdrawing from the one you took the day before due to the long half-life on Suboxone. So his idea was to up my dose to 12 mg to see if the sweating would go away (I didn't see the logic in that idea too). Anyway, it didn't, so he tossed me some clonidine, which helped a little. But the side effects kept adding up, such as headaches, severe constipation to the point I had to use daily enemas (not normal), abdominal pains came too along with nausea and vomiting (every day). It just got to the point where my mind and body couldn't be on the medication anymore. I was on it for 7 long months, even trying to wean myself down on my own. That was a struggle too, seeing how the withdrawals from Suboxone are supposedly worse than heroin sickness, which my doctor and counselor kindly reminded me after I was already hooked. It was a messy time in my life. Suboxone gave me severe anxiety, which left me buying benzos off the street just to mellow me out. I went to a weekly Suboxone maintenance program on purpose. To get piss tested weekly and to have a doctor and counselor help me move forward. But instead, I felt I was moving 10 steps back. My only option to get off the Suboxone (which was my choice, obviously) was to get the vivitrol shot and have 3 bad days of sickness but be off Suboxone. It took me a week to build myself up to do it because I was terrified of how bad the sickness was going to be. Choosing the vivitrol shot had to be the best worst idea I have ever made. I did get violently sick after it, but it went away. Plus, my doctor who gave me the shot helped me out with some comfort meds, so it wasn't all that bad. That was in December 2015 that I received the shot and have been clean since. So my advice for any addict who's struggling on which route to take for recovery: just get the shot. They'll give comfort meds for the first couple of days, then after that, you'll be shackle-free from drugs. I'm telling ya, choose vivitrol if you need to detox. For others who take Suboxone for other reasons, such as pain or etc., power to you; but if y'all are struggling out there and want to get sober quick, vivitrol's the answer. Methadone and Suboxone will just make you sicker down the road."

• Bob...
• May 1, 2012

For Opioid Use Disorder "It works. No more cravings, no more stealing. The best part is I do not even miss the heroin. It does have side effects, I have a problem concentrating when I am on it. It also gets me constipated. I take Mylax daily to prevent that. It is amazing how I no longer crave opiates! None! Thank God for this, as my life was spiraling out of control."

• kik...
• April 25, 2010

For Opioid Use Disorder "I have been drinking and doing various drugs since the age of 13. I am 38 now, with three great kids and a husband who, thank goodness, has never kicked me out. My latest thing has been Percocet, Vicodin, and Oxy. Then, after a while, that stops working, so you go to the needle...dilaudid and morphine for over a year. This week, I finally said enough! I went to detox and got this amazing drug, Suboxone. I left that detox on the smallest dose I could handle, 4 mg daily. This drug is going to save my life! I have a sense of peace, a feeling of mental clarity, and NO desire to use anything, including alcohol. Get on Suboxone if you need it...It can save your life! PS. No side effects except mild constipation, but who cares! I finally feel HUMAN!"

• Ash...
• September 26, 2011

For Opioid Use Disorder "I had it all. Everything people dream of was mine, but I lost it all when I started doing Roxy's. Once was all it took for me to take as many oxycodone 30s as I could get my hands on for 3 years. I tried to stop by myself, went to rehab, meetings, counseling, everything. During these 3 years, I went from being a loving daughter, sister, and friend to a monster. I have been on Suboxone since 4/20/11, and that was the day my life changed. I feel like a normal person again. There is a price to my happiness, though, I have headaches, am tired very often, and experience extreme constipation from the Suboxone. If that's all I have to go through to be the person I am now, then that's fine. Suboxone literally saved my life."

• Bre...
• November 10, 2010

For Opioid Use Disorder "I was addicted to heroin and saw no way out. I couldn't go a day without using, no matter who I stole from or who I lied to, I just needed my fix. I went to a 5-day detox that the state paid for, and I got Suboxone. Within 30 minutes, I was out of bed, the vomiting stopped, the pain stopped, my anxiety decreased. It truly is a miracle that I can sit here today and have the option to use heroin but choose not to. The only negative side effect I am currently dealing with is constipation."

• kur...
• November 16, 2008

For Opioid Use Disorder "I have been on Suboxone for almost a year. I was using 80 mg Oxy's for almost 6 months prior to this drug. Suboxone has saved my life, my marriage, my sanity, etc. I do have some side effects, but I am used to them. The side effects are constipation, sweating, and sometimes mild headaches. I also had trouble urinating at first. I am ready to taper the dose. I recommend this medicine to all who suffer with opiate dependence like I do. It truly helped me get in a program without being 'dope sick' first, and it helps with cravings. Good luck to all."

• Fee...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 8, 2021

For Opioid Use Disorder "I am on 12 mgs of Suboxone and have been for almost 3 months. While I'm so thankful to be off of painkillers, I have lost over 50 pounds. I constantly feel sick with nausea even though they have me on a nausea pill as well (I did buy some Ensures a week ago to at least get vitamins and nutrients in me). Another big problem I'm having is constant constipation, which may be causing the nausea. The doctor has put me on 3 different constipation meds, and still no luck. The doctor suggested I do an enema, and I was finally able to use the bathroom, but I don't feel like it completely emptied me out. I mean, I'm lucky to be able to go once a week, and only if I give myself an enema. I was never even constipated this much on pain pills. I have my next appointment in a few days and am contemplating asking my doctor to wean me off the Suboxone. I have researched a lot on the internet to see if anyone else experienced these problems on Subs and wasn't able to find much information. Has anyone else had these problems?"

• Lu-...
• June 10, 2011

For Opioid Use Disorder "I have found that taking this medicine for 3 years has helped me move mountains to help myself. I do experience very few side effects. Constipation is the only side effect I experience on a regular basis, and with that said, I would much rather deal with a little constipation than still be buying pills off the street and being unhealthy. I have recommended it to every person I know with drug addiction. The few that were ready to stop have also sung its praises to me and anyone they recommended it to. Even with the word of mouth, it has helped so many people in my community."

• JD1...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• December 1, 2021

For Opioid Use Disorder "Best drug ever invented, no cravings for painkillers, no more constipation. I take one strip a day for 5 years now and I will not come off them. I don't drink or smoke, just had blood work. The Suboxone is not affecting any of my organs. I go to work not worrying when and how I can get my next pill so I don't get sick. I'll be on this drug till death. Literally saved my life."