Caregivers

When opioid addiction is affecting someone you care about.

It’s important to know that this disease physically changes the brain. And over time, these changes can trap the person you know in a powerful cycle, which is what makes quitting so hard.

Learn how opioid addiction changes the brain.

Learn How

What you can do

Prepare for a conversation

It can be really hard to start a conversation if you think someone you care about is addicted to opioids. Before you do, make sure you understand the disease and possible symptoms.

Common symptoms:

  • Strong desire for opioids
  • Inability to control or reduce use
  • Continued use despite interference with major obligations or social functioning
  • Use of larger amounts over time
  • Spending a lot of time getting and using opioids
  • Withdrawal symptoms after stopping or reducing use

Only a healthcare provider can diagnose this disease. Reaching out to a healthcare provider or counselor can also help you learn ways to talk to a loved one about opioid addiction.

Talk about treatment

Opioid addiction needs to be diagnosed, treated, and monitored. There are healthcare providers who are trained to treat opioid addiction.

Share this site

You can also talk to a loved one or friend about this website to learn more about SUBLOCADE.

If the person you care about decides to get help, there may be setbacks such as relapses, but treatment can be restarted at any time. Don’t give up.

Get counseling

If you’re trying to help someone who is struggling with opioid addiction, it’s important to take care of yourself too. Talking to a counselor who understands addiction may help.

If you need help finding support, try a resource like the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or call at 1-800-622-HELP. This free service in English and Spanish is for individuals and family members facing addiction.

Find a SUBLOCADE treatment provider

For more information on how to find a facility, call INSUPPORT® at 1-844-467-7778.

Want information?

Find out more about opioid addiction and treating it.

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IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION AND INDICATION

What is the most important information I should know about SUBLOCADE?

Because of the serious risk of potential harm or death from self-injecting SUBLOCADE into a vein (intravenously), it is only available through a restricted program called the SUBLOCADE REMS Program.

SUBLOCADE contains an opioid medicine called buprenorphine that can cause serious and life-threatening breathing problems, especially if you take or use certain other medicines or drugs.

Talk to your healthcare provider about naloxone, a medicine available to patients for emergency treatment of an opioid overdose. If naloxone is given, you must call 911 or get emergency medical help right away to treat overdose or accidental use of an opioid.

SUBLOCADE may cause serious and life‐threatening breathing problems. Get emergency help right away if you:

Do not take certain medicines during treatment with SUBLOCADE. Taking other opioid medicines, benzodiazepines, alcohol, or other central nervous system depressants (including street drugs) while on SUBLOCADE can cause severe drowsiness, decreased awareness, breathing problems, coma, and death.

Death has been reported in those who are not opioid dependent who received buprenorphine sublingually.

Who should not take SUBLOCADE?

Do not use SUBLOCADE if you are allergic to buprenorphine or any ingredient in the prefilled syringe (ATRIGEL® Delivery System, a biodegradable 50:50 poly(DL-lactide-co-glycolide) polymer and a biocompatible solvent, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP)).

Before starting SUBLOCADE, tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you have:

Tell your healthcare provider if you are:

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins and herbal supplements.

What should I avoid while being treated with SUBLOCADE?

What are the possible side effects of SUBLOCADE?

SUBLOCADE can cause serious side effects, including:

These are not all the possible side effects. Call your healthcare provider for medical advice about side effects.

To report pregnancy or side effects associated with taking SUBLOCADE, please call 1-877-782-6966. You are encouraged to report negative side effects of drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

Indication

SUBLOCADE® (buprenorphine extended-release) injection, for subcutaneous use (CIII) is a prescription medicine used to treat adults with moderate to severe addiction (dependence) to opioid drugs (prescription or illegal) who have received an oral transmucosal (used under the tongue or inside the cheek) buprenorphine-containing medicine at a dose that controls withdrawal symptoms for at least 7 days. SUBLOCADE is part of a complete treatment plan that should include counseling.

For more information about SUBLOCADE, see the full Prescribing Information including BOXED WARNING, and Medication Guide or talk to your healthcare provider. For REMS information visit www.sublocadeREMS.com.