Can Suboxone make me tired?
By
Dr Natalia Marceli Stephanes (PhD)
Author bio
Dr Natália Marcéli Stephanes PhD is a Pharmacist with expertise in Drugs Administration and Toxicity; Discovery of New Drugs; Cancer Treatment; Biochemical Analyzes and Hematological Analyzes. She writes and reviews content on these topics.
Dr Natália Marcéli Stephanes’ Highlights:
- Pharmacist at the Department of Health of Santa Catarina State, Brazil
- PhD with a focus on oncology treatment
- Years of experience in commercial pharmacy
- Bachelor, Master and PhD degrees in Pharmacy at the Federal University of Santa Catarina
Professional Experience:
From her undergraduate studies to her Master’s and Doctorate degrees in Pharmacy, Dr Natália Marcéli Stephanes has participated in numerous scientific studies in the field of oncology and onco-hematology at the University Hospital of the Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil. Her research has focused on understanding the molecular and biochemical bases of malignant neoplasms and investigating safer and more effective therapeutic alternatives.
Dr Natália Marcéli Stephanes has also served as an assistant professor of haematology for undergraduate students at the Federal University of Santa Catarina. Additionally, she held the position of professor of Hospital Pharmacy at the Qualificar Technical School in Brazil, where she developed instructional materials for use in the Pharmacy Postgraduate Program at the Leonardo Da Vinci University Center.
In addition to her academic experiences, Dr Natália Marcéli Stephanes possesses a strong expertise in commercial pharmacy, with in-depth knowledge of medications, their routes of administration, desired effects, adverse effects, and toxicity.
Currently, Dr Natália Marcéli Stephanes works as a Pharmacist at the Health Department of Santa Catarina State, where her role entails providing pharmaceutical scientific consulting services to judges.
Education:
- 2016 Bachelor in Pharmacy at the Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil
- 2018 Master in Pharmacy at the Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil
- 2023 PhD in Pharmacy at the Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil
The main publications of Dr Natália Marcéli Stephanes are:
Falchetti M ; Delgobo M, Zancanaro H, Almeida K, Das Neves RN, Dos Santos B, Stefanes NM, et al. Bishop Omics-based identification of an NRF2-related auranofin resistance signature in cancer: Insights into drug repurposing. Comput. Biol. Med [Internet]. 2023; 152:106347.
Feuser PM, Matos dos Santos PC, Cordeiro AP, Stefanes NM, Walter LO, Maioral MF, Santos-Silva MC, et al. Antineoplastic activity of free 4-nitrochalcone and encapsulated in poly(thioether-ester) nanoparticles obtained by thiol-ene polymerization in two human leukemia cell lines (Jurkat and K562). J Drug Deliv Sci Technol [Internet]. 2022; 67:102924.
Jacques AV, Stefanes NM, Walter LO, Perondi DM, Efe FL, Souza LFS, Sens L, et al. Synthesis of chalcones derived from 1-naphthylacetophenone and evaluation of their cytotoxic and apoptotic effects in acute leukemia cell lines. Bioorg. Chem [Internet]. 2021; 116:105315.
Duarte BF, Vieira DSC, Lisboa ML, Stefanes NM, Grando LJ, Santos-Silva MC. Características clínico-epidemiológicas de pacientes portadores de carcinoma de células escamosas de boca. Arquivos Catarinenses de Medicina. 2021; 50(2): 232–245.
Machado V, Jacques AV, Stefanes NM, Santos-Silva MC, Biavatti MW. Anti-leukemic activity of semisynthetic derivatives of Lupeol. Nat. Prod. Res. 2021; 35(22):4494-4501.
Bigolin A, Maioral MF, Stefanes NM, Mascarello A, Chiaradia-Delatorre LD, Nunes RJ, Yunes RA, et al. A novel sulfonamide derivative as a strong and selective apoptotic agent against hematological malignancies. Chem. Pap. 2020; 74:2965–2976.
Bigolin A, Maioral MF, Stefanes NM, Zatelli GA, Philippus AC, Falkenberg MB, Santos-Silva MC. Cytotoxic mechanisms of primin, a natural quinone isolated from Eugenia hiemalis, on hematological cancer cell lines. Anticancer Drugs. 2020; 31(7):709-717.
Maioral MF, Stefanes NM, Neufeldt PD, Chiaradia-Delatorre LD, Nunes RJ, Santos-Silva MC. Aldehyde biphenyl chalcones induce immunogenic apoptotic-like cell death and are promising new safe compounds against a wide range of hematologic cancers. Future Med. Chem. 2020; 12(8):673–688.
Perondi DM, Jacques AV, Stefanes NM, Maioral MF, Sens L, Pacheco LA, Cury NM, et al. A novel thiosemicarbazone as a promising effective and selective compound for acute leukemia. Anticancer Drugs. 2019; 30(8):p 828-837.
Rengifo AFC, Stefanes NM, Toigo J, Mendes C, Argenta DF, Dotto MER, Santos-Silva MC, et al. PEO-chitosan nanofibers containing carboxymethyl-hexanoyl chitosan/dodecyl sulfate nanoparticles loaded with pyrazoline for skin cancer treatment. Eur. Polym. J. 2019; 119:335-343.
Rengifo AFC, Stefanes NM, Toigo J, Mendes C, Santos-Silva MC, Nunes RJ, Parize AL, et al. A new and efficient carboxymethyl-hexanoyl chitosan/dodecyl sulfate nanocarrier for a pyrazoline with antileukemic activity. Mater. Sci. Eng. C [Internet]. 2019; 105:110051.
Maioral MF, Stefanes NM, Bigolin A, Zatelli GA, Philippus AC, Falkenberg MB, Santos-Silva MC. Miconidine acetate, a new selective and cytotoxic compound with synergic potential, induces cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in leukemia cells. Invest. New Drugs. 2019; 37:912–922.
Srefanes NM, Toigo J, Maioral MF, Jacques AV, Chiaradia-Delatorre LD, Perondi DM, Ribeiro AAB, et al. Synthesis of novel pyrazoline derivatives and the evaluation of death mechanisms involved in their antileukemic activity. Bioorg. Med. Chem. 2019; 27(2):375-382.
Maioral MF, Bodack CN, Stefanes NM, Bigolin A, Mascarello A, Chiaradia-Delatorre LD, Yunes RA, et al. Cytotoxic effect of a novel naphthylchalcone against multiple cancer cells focusing on hematologic malignancies. Biochim. 2017; 140:48-57.
You can view some of Dr Natália’s work below and links to her professional profile below.
Research Gate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Natalia-Stephanes
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nataliamarceli/
Can Suboxone make me tired?
Suboxone may or may not make you feel tired. It’s not common in every individual, but Suboxone can cause tiredness or fatigue in some cases, especially during the early course of the treatment.
This usually happens when your body is trying to adjust to the medication. Once it is completely adjusted to the effects of Suboxone, tiredness will no longer be a side effect.
This is why most healthcare providers recommend not engaging in any activity that requires your full mental alertness as long as you don’t know how the medication makes you feel.
Once you have taken it a couple of times and you know what side effects are common in your case, you can adjust the timing accordingly.
Why does Suboxone cause tiredness?
Suboxone is a partial opioid agonist and is used to treat opioid addiction and manage the withdrawal symptoms associated with it (1). Suboxone also binds to opioid receptors in your brain but it’s not as strong as Opioids and does not cause addiction or other harmful side effects.
This is why the medication can make you feel a little tired and drowsy during the first few days of your treatment.
Clinical studies on Suboxone and tiredness
Tiredness or fatigue is a common side effect of Suboxone use. According to a study published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence, fatigue was reported by 19.3% of participants who were treated with Suboxone for opioid dependence (2).
Another study published in the Journal of Addiction Medicine found that fatigue was reported by 17.2% of participants taking Suboxone (3).
If fatigue is a persistent or concerning side effect of Suboxone use, it is important to discuss this with a healthcare professional. In some cases, the doctor may adjust the dose or switch to another medication. Suboxone may also cause weight changes by reducing activity and energy levels in some cases.
Should you be concerned about Suboxone-induced tiredness?
If you’re a new Suboxone user, you shouldn’t worry too much about feeling tired or drowsy.
Although it is not a common side effect, people do respond to medications differently and side effects can vary with differences in age, weight, dose strength, the severity of symptoms, and overall physiological functioning.
So if you’re feeling tired but someone else who’s also taking the drug doesn’t feel that way, don’t worry or think you’re being unusually affected by the drug. Just hold on to it and be patient.
Your tiredness will eventually subside once your body adjusts to the medication. However, if you continue to feel this way or if your tiredness increases, talk to your healthcare provider right away.
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References
1.-
Buprenorphine and naloxone (oromucosal/sublingual route) – Drugs and Supplements – Mayo Clinic [Internet]. [updated 2021 Jul 1; cited 2023 Jan 5]. Available from: https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/buprenorphine-naloxone-oromucosal-route-sublingual-route/description/drg-20074097
2.-
Eibl JK, Gauthier G, Pellegrini D, Daiter J, Varenbut M, Hogenbirk JC. The effectiveness of telemedicine-delivered opioid agonist therapy in a supervised clinical setting. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2017;176:133-138. doi:10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2017.02.013
3.-
Arfken CL, Johanson CE, di Menza S, Schuster CR. Expanding treatment capacity for opioid dependence with office-based treatment with buprenorphine: National survey of physicians. J Addict Med. 2010;4(2):81-86. doi:10.1097/ADM.0b013e3181c8166b
