MAT Clinic Support
Buprenorphine / Suboxone 2 mg strip low-dose start schedule
This guide is only for patients following instructions from their clinic.
If you feel severely unwell, confused, or have trouble breathing, seek medical care immediately.
This plan uses a method sometimes called microinduction or a low-dose start. You take small amounts of Suboxone at first, then slowly increase the dose throughout the week while your body adjusts.
During the early part of this schedule, you may continue taking your usual opioid if that is what your clinic instructed.
As the Suboxone dose increases each day, the other opioid becomes less necessary.
By Day 7, the Suboxone dose should be high enough that you can stop taking the other opioid.
This gradual process helps reduce the risk of precipitated withdrawal — sudden, severe withdrawal that can happen if buprenorphine is started too quickly.
Suboxone attaches very strongly to opioid receptors in the brain.
If another opioid is still strongly attached, Suboxone can sometimes push it off too quickly. This can cause precipitated withdrawal.
This schedule starts with very small doses so your body can adjust slowly.
Do not stop Suboxone once you begin the schedule unless your clinic tells you to.
Current Day
Day 1
Morning Dose
Evening Dose
Total Daily Dose
Instructions
You're getting started. Take things slowly.
Select symptoms above to see suggestions.
Take your first dose about 10–15 minutes before using other opioids if this is what your clinic instructed.
Whole strip
Half strips
Quarter strips