Zubsolv Vs. Suboxone For Opioid Addiction Treatment

Zubsolv and Suboxone are both brand names for the combination of buprenorphine/naloxone. Both drugs are also FDA-approved for the treatment of opiate/opioid dependence and addiction. 

Additionally, both drugs are classified as Schedule III controlled substances. This means that while they’re approved for treating addiction, they also have potential for abuse and addiction themselves.

Which medication is right for your opioid addiction recovery depends on differences like dosage, cost, and formulation. However, both Zubolv and Suboxone are effective for treating opioid use disorder.

Zubsolv Vs. Suboxone: Active Ingredients

Suboxone and Zubsolv share two active ingredients: buprenorphine and naloxone. 

Buprenorphine is an opioid drug approved to treat opioid dependence and has weak euphoric effects. Naloxone is approved to treat and reverse opioid overdose, and can put the body in opioid withdrawal if buprenorphine is abused. 

While buprenorphine has a moderate potential for abuse, the addition of naloxone reduces that potential even more. And, both drugs share similar side effects such as constipation.

How They Work

The two prescription drugs both work by binding to opioid receptors in the brain. Buprenorphine occupies the same receptor as other opioids to ensure you don’t feel opioid withdrawal symptoms or opioid cravings. 

The naloxone in Suboxone and Zubslov is an opioid antagonist that blocks the opioid receptor and puts the body immediately into withdrawal if you try to abuse another type of opioid. 

Risks

One of the main risks of these medications is mixing them with other substances like alcohol, benzodiazepines, SSRIs, sleeping pills, and migraine medications. 

Alcohol and these other drugs should not be taken with Suboxone and Zubsolv as they can increase the chance of an overdose and even lead to death if an overdose is left untreated by professional healthcare providers.

Zubsolv Vs. Suboxone: Medication-Assisted Treatment

Suboxone and Zubsolv are also both used in medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorder. This treatment is used in inpatient and outpatient treatment programs and includes therapy, group therapy, case management, and counseling. 

Research suggests that at least 16 mg of buprenorphine is needed to address opioid addiction in a MAT program. Both Zubsolv and Suboxone can be dispensed and prescribed by a wide-range of healthcare professionals if qualified by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

With therapy and medication, MAT is found to be more effective than just therapy or medication on its own, and both Suboxone and Zubsolv are good options for MAT.

Zubsolv Vs. Suboxone: Potency & Dosage

Suboxone is available as a sublingual film or a tablet while Zubsolv is available in sublingual tablet form. Both formulations are designed to dissolve under the tongue but potency and dosage differs.

Potency

Zubsolv has a higher bioavailability than Suboxone. This means that it’s easier for the body to absorb Zubsolv, making Zubsolv more potent than Suboxone. This also means that a smaller dose of Zubsolv can achieve the same effects as a higher dose of Suboxone.

Dosage

Suboxone has fewer dosage options than Zubsolv, including:

• 2 mg buprenorphine/0.5 mg naloxone
• 4 mg buprenorphine/1 mg naloxone
• 8 mg buprenorphine/2 mg naloxone
• 12 mg buprenorphine/3 mg naloxone

Zubsolv comes in smaller doses than Suboxone that include:

• 0.7 mg buprenorphine/0.18 mg naloxone
• 1.4 mg buprenorphine/0.36 mg naloxone
• 2.9 mg buprenorphine/0.71 mg naloxone
• 5.7 mg buprenorphine/1.4 mg naloxone
• 8.6 mg buprenorphine/2.1 mg naloxone
• 11.4 mg buprenorphine/2.9 mg naloxone

Suboxone film/tablets also have a lemony or citrus flavor while Zubsolv tablets are said to have a menthol flavor.

Zubsolv Vs. Suboxone: Cost

Suboxone is available in several generic forms, including in both pill and the film form. As a result, Suboxone is less expensive than Zubsolv. Zubsolv, on the other hand, has no generic form and is therefore more expensive.

If you or a loved one live with opioid addiction, Ark Behavioral Health is here for you. We offer a wide variety of substance abuse treatment options, including medication-assisted treatment with either Suboxone or Zubsolv. 

For more information, please call our helpline today.