Suboxone tablets are designed to dissolve under your tongue, not to be swallowed like a regular pill. Placing them correctly and letting them fully dissolve is what allows the medication to absorb into your bloodstream. Swallowing the tablets significantly reduces how well the drug works. Here’s exactly how to take them, step by step.
Before You Place the Tablet
Start by drinking some water to moisten your mouth. A dry mouth slows dissolution and can make the process less comfortable. You should also avoid eating, drinking, or smoking for at least 15 minutes before your dose.
Where to Place the Tablet
Place the tablet under your tongue, near the base on either the left or right side. Keep your tongue relaxed and down so the tablet sits flat against the tissue underneath. This area is rich in blood vessels, which is how the medication enters your system. Do not chew, crush, or move the tablet once it’s in place. Let it sit and dissolve completely on its own.
Dissolution typically takes several minutes. During this time, try not to talk, swallow excessively, or shift the tablet around. Saliva will build up in your mouth, and that’s normal. Resist the urge to swallow it until the tablet is fully gone, since swallowing carries the medication into your stomach where it’s far less effective.
If Your Dose Requires Multiple Tablets
If your prescribed dose calls for more than one tablet, you have two options. You can place all the tablets under your tongue at the same time, or you can place two at a time if fitting them all at once is uncomfortable. If you’re doing them in batches of two, wait until the first pair dissolves completely before placing the next set. Regardless of the approach, the rule stays the same: keep all tablets under your tongue until they’re fully dissolved.
What to Do After the Tablet Dissolves
Once the tablet is completely gone, take a large sip of water, gently swish it around your teeth and gums, and swallow. This step matters more than most people realize. The FDA issued a safety warning about dental problems linked to buprenorphine medicines that dissolve in the mouth, including severe tooth decay, cavities, and tooth loss, even in patients with no prior dental history. The mouth rinse helps clear residual acidity from your teeth.
Wait at least one hour before brushing your teeth. Brushing too soon can damage enamel that’s been temporarily softened by the medication’s acidity. After that hour, brushing is fine and encouraged as part of your regular dental routine.
You should also wait at least 15 minutes after the tablet dissolves before eating, drinking anything other than that initial water rinse, or smoking.
Dealing With the Taste
Suboxone tablets have a bitter, somewhat citrusy taste that many people find unpleasant. You can’t do anything about it while the tablet is dissolving, since eating, drinking, or using mouthwash during that time interferes with absorption. But once the medication has fully dissolved and you’ve done your water rinse, there are several ways to clear the flavor.
Sour candies like Warheads or lemon drops work well because their strong flavor overpowers the bitterness and they stimulate saliva production, which helps wash the taste away. Strong mints like Altoids or Icebreakers create a cooling sensation that distracts from the aftertaste. Dark chocolate can mask residual bitterness effectively. On the beverage side, coffee, citrus juice, and milk are all commonly used. One important rule: never use alcohol to chase the taste. Mixing alcohol with Suboxone is explicitly warned against in the medication guide due to serious safety risks.
What Happens If You Accidentally Swallow It
If you swallow the tablet before it fully dissolves, the medication won’t work as well. Buprenorphine absorbs poorly through the digestive tract compared to the tissue under your tongue. You won’t experience a dangerous reaction from swallowing it, but a significant portion of the dose will be lost. If this happens, don’t take an extra tablet to compensate. Follow your next dose as scheduled and focus on keeping the tablet in place next time.
Storing Your Tablets
Keep Suboxone tablets at room temperature, away from moisture and direct heat. Don’t store them in a bathroom medicine cabinet where humidity from showers can degrade the tablets. Leave them in their original packaging until you’re ready to use them, and keep them in a secure location out of reach of children or anyone else in the household.