There’s a problem called constipation, and it can happen when you take Suboxone. This medicine makes your stomach work slower, and your body doesn’t make as many things that help with digestion. So, the food you eat stays in your body longer, and it’s not easy to get rid of it. This might make your tummy feel full and you might need more time in the bathroom to try to poop.
Constipation:
When you have a hard time pooping for a long time, it’s called chronic constipation. This means you either don’t poop very often, or when you do, it’s really hard to do. Some people might only poop less than three times a week.
Sometimes, it’s normal to not poop every day. But for some people, chronic constipation makes it hard for them to do their usual things. They might also have to push really hard to poop.
Doctors can help treat chronic constipation. They’ll try to find out why it’s happening. But sometimes, they might not find a clear reason.
Suboxone:
Suboxone is a strong medicine that can help with problems caused by using too many opioids. But like other medicines, it can have some effects on your body. One of these effects is constipation.
When you take Suboxone, your digestive system slows down and your body makes less of something called digestive enzymes. This can make it harder for your body to get rid of food, and you might feel like your stomach is full. It can also make going to the bathroom more difficult.
Don’t worry, there are things you can do to feel better. You might need other medicines or just make a few changes in your daily routine to feel more like yourself.
Symptoms of Constipation:
How Chronic Constipation Feels
If you have chronic constipation, you might notice:
- Not pooping more than three times a week
- Poop that’s really hard or looks like lumps
- Pushing hard when you try to poop
- Feeling like something is blocking your bottom and stopping you from pooping
- Feeling like you can’t completely get all the poop out
- Needing to use your hands or fingers to help you poop
If you’ve had two or more of these things happening for the past three months, it could be chronic constipation.
Does Suboxone Cause Constipation?
Suboxone has something called buprenorphine that helps with treating problems caused by using too many opioids. It helps reduce things like feeling sick when you stop using opioids and makes it less likely you’ll start using them again. But opioids, even ones like buprenorphine, can mess with your stomach.
Opioids can do things like:
- Slow down the release of hormones that help you digest food.
- Make it harder for your stomach to push food through your body.
- Slow down your stomach, which can make poop harder.
- Make the muscle that helps you poop not work well, which can lead to having trouble going to the bathroom.
- Slow down the stuff your body needs to digest food.
So yes, Suboxone can make it harder to poop because of how it affects your stomach.
A research looked at people with cancer who took pain-relief pills called opioids. They found that around 40% to 60% of these people had a hard time pooping because of the medicine. This medicine made it difficult for them to poop comfortably, and they had to push really hard when they went to the bathroom.
How to Make Constipation from Suboxone Better?
If you’re having trouble pooping because of Suboxone, it’s important to talk to your doctor. But there are also things you can try at home to feel better:
1. Drink Enough Water
Drinking more water is a simple way to help with constipation. People often don’t drink the recommended amount of water, which is about eight glasses a day. If you’re having trouble pooping, trying to drink more water can be helpful.
How much water do you need? Some people might need more than eight glasses, especially if they are bigger, live in hot places, or exercise a lot.
Related Article……………How Much Water Should You Drink Per Day?
2. Eat More Fiber
The food many people eat might not have enough fiber, which is important for pooping regularly. Adults need around 21 to 25 grams of fiber if you’re a woman and 30 to 38 grams if you’re a man. Eating lots of fresh fruits, veggies, whole grains, and beans can give you more fiber and help with constipation.
3. Take a Fiber Supplement
You can get something called fiber supplements from the store. These can be things like Metamucil or psyllium husk fiber.
4. Use a Stool Softener
If drinking more water and eating more fiber doesn’t help with constipation, you can try using something called a stool softener. You can get these as tablets or powders that you mix with water or another drink. Stool softeners make your poop softer, so it’s easier to go to the bathroom. Some products, like Miralax, also help you poop more often.
Eating more fiber and drinking enough water can not only help with constipation from Suboxone, but also keep you healthy. Remember to talk to your doctor about any problems you have with Suboxone. They might need to change your dose to make you feel better.
What Suboxone Does to Your Body?
Suboxone is made up of two things: buprenorphine, which is a kind of medicine that works a bit like opioids, and naloxone, which helps block the effects of opioids. These things work in your brain to help you stop feeling bad when you don’t use opioids anymore. But they can also cause some changes in your body that you might not like.
Apart from making it hard to poop, Suboxone can also cause other things like:
- Not having enough water in your body (dehydration)
- Having runny poop (diarrhea)
- Having a dry mouth
- Feeling very tired (fatigue)
- Getting a headache
- Feeling sick to your stomach (nausea)
- Having very small pupils in your eyes
- Sweating more
These things can happen even if you take Suboxone just like your doctor said. But they might happen more if your doctor needs to change how much Suboxone you’re taking. If your dose is too small or too big, your body might react by making these side effects worse. If you’re not feeling good because of your Suboxone, it’s important to talk to your doctor. They can help you understand what you should do.
When Should You Ask for Help?
If you have a hard time pooping or worry about it while taking Suboxone, there are things you can do to feel better. Try these tips:
- Eat more foods like whole grains, fruits, and veggies that have fiber.
- Take a pill with extra fiber.
- Drink more water.
- Move around more, like doing exercises, to help your stomach and body work better.
If you still have problems with pooping even after trying these things, it’s important to talk to your doctor. They can help you. Here are some signs that mean you should talk to your doctor:
- The things you tried at home didn’t help.
- You see blood in the toilet when you poop.
- You have to push really hard to poop, even if it’s a small amount.
- You feel sick along with the poop problems.
Your doctor will talk to you about your Suboxone treatment and how it might affect your stomach and body. They might also check you by doing a physical exam, which could include checking inside your bottom. This is especially important if you have pain or bleeding.
In most cases, your doctor will suggest things to make your stomach and body work better. They might give you pills called laxatives that can help you poop.
Some types are:
- Senna: This is a pill you take once a day. It’s often given to older adults who take opioids for a long time to manage pain. It helps stop constipation from happening but doesn’t fix it if you already have it.
- Saline laxatives with magnesium citrate: These work about 30 to 180 minutes after you take them. They help you poop in the short term.
- Relistor: This is a pill that helps with constipation. It doesn’t affect your Suboxone dose, but it removes opioids from your stomach so they don’t cause problems.
- Amitiza: This pill helps your stomach make more fluid, which helps you poop better.
You might also find pills for constipation at the store, but it’s good to ask your doctor before using them, especially for a long time.
