Josie Desmarais, PMHNP-BC 
Can You Take Gabapentin with Suboxone? Reviewed by Josie Desmarais, PMHNP-BC · Board-Certified Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner · Last updated August 2026 Taking gabapentin while on Suboxone is medically possible and sometimes clinically appropriate — but it requires active prescriber oversight, not patient self-management. Both are CNS depressants. Combined, they amplify sedation and significantly increase … Read more
How to Maximize Suboxone Absorption Reviewed by Josie Desmarais, PMHNP-BC · Board-Certified Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner · Last updated August 2026 Suboxone only works as well as what your body actually absorbs. Poor technique — rushing the dissolve time, drinking coffee beforehand, eating immediately after dosing, swallowing the medication before it fully dissolves — can … Read more
Can a Regular Doctor Prescribe Suboxone? Reviewed by Josie Desmarais, PMHNP-BC · Board-Certified Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner · Last updated August 2026 Yes — since the Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment (MATE) Act of 2023, any DEA-licensed prescriber can prescribe buprenorphine for opioid use disorder. The X-waiver that previously restricted prescribing to specially trained providers is gone. … Read more
How Long After Suboxone Can I Take Opiates? Reviewed by Josie Desmarais, PMHNP-BC · Board-Certified Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner · Last updated August 2026 Do not change your Suboxone dosing or time opioid use around it without speaking to your prescriber first. This is a safety-critical question — and the answer depends on your dose, … Read more
Is Suboxone Addicting? Reviewed by Josie Desmarais, PMHNP-BC · Board-Certified Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner · Last updated August 2026 The honest answer requires separating two concepts that most people — including many outside the medical field — conflate: physical dependence and addiction. Taking Suboxone daily will produce physical dependence, meaning stopping abruptly causes withdrawal. That … Read more
How Long Does Suboxone Stay in Your System? Reviewed by Josie Desmarais, PMHNP-BC · Board-Certified Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner · Last updated August 2026 Suboxone (buprenorphine/naloxone) stays in your system for 5–8 days on average after your last dose. Urine tests detect it for 3–7 days — up to 14 days at high doses. Hair … Read more
What Is Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) for Opioid Use Disorder? Reviewed by Josie Desmarais, PMHNP-BC · Board-Certified Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner · Last updated August 2026 Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) is the use of FDA-approved medications, combined with counseling and behavioral support, to treat opioid use disorder (OUD). MAT is the evidence-based standard of care — not … Read more
How Does Suboxone Work? Reviewed by Josie Desmarais, PMHNP-BC · Board-Certified Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner · Last updated August 2026 Suboxone works by combining two medications — buprenorphine and naloxone — to eliminate opioid withdrawal symptoms, suppress cravings, and block the reinforcing effects of other opioids. Buprenorphine partially activates the brain’s opioid receptors to create … Read more
Does Suboxone Help with Alcohol Withdrawal? Reviewed by Josie Desmarais, PMHNP-BC · Board-Certified Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner · Last updated August 2026 No. Suboxone is not approved or effective for alcohol withdrawal, and using it as a substitute during alcohol detox is dangerous. Alcohol withdrawal is driven by the brain’s GABA system — not opioid … Read more
Does Suboxone Get You High? Reviewed by Josie Desmarais, PMHNP-BC · Board-Certified Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner · Last updated August 2026 The honest answer: it depends on who is taking it and why. For people with opioid use disorder (OUD) taking prescribed doses in MAT, Suboxone does not produce a meaningful high — they take … Read more