Please read the section on methadone and pregnancy. Most of this applies to Suboxone as well. Suboxone has not been around as long as methadone so there is not quite as much data from studies however the use of buprenorphine in pregnancy and during breast feeding is still recommended.

Most physicians experienced with pregnant opiate dependent patients feel Suboxone is probably OK, however the official policy is that patients that become pregnant on Suboxone (buprenorphine and naloxone) should be switched to Subutex (buprenorphine) because there is insufficient data to support naloxone in pregnancy even though naloxone is not absorbed orally. BMC follows the practice of switching patients that become pregnant from Suboxone to Subutex.

We must access Subutex through a federal program that allows doctors to bring in drugs in special situations that are not licensed in Canada . It takes about 2 weeks and we continue the patient on Suboxone during this time.

It is OK to breast feed while on Suboxone or Subutex.

Interestingly, one study showed that compared to babies born to mothers on methadone, babies born to mothers on Subutex had less NAS (withdrawal).