What Is Suboxone Treatment for Addiction?
Question by Bryan: What is suboxone treatment for addiction?
Best answer:
Answer by Kaiser
Suboxone® (contains naloxone & buprenorphine) is the first opioid-based medication used to treat dependence on opiates such as heroin, oxycodone, morphine, Vicodin® and codeine. Suboxone was introduced on the market to reduce illegal opiate use and to help ease individuals off of opiate addiction with a partial opioid agonist, generating a milder effect.
Nearly 40% of Americans struggle with opiate addiction. While Suboxone is prescribed in order to help individuals stabilize and gradually wean off of opiate dependence, it can be habit-forming and does carry the potential for abuse. Suboxone is designed to dissolve under the tongue for maximum effect. It contains naloxone, an opiod antagonist that counteracts the effects if the tablet is chewed or dissolved and injected. Withdrawal symptoms can occur immediately if Suboxone enters the bloodstream too quickly. Symptoms can also occur at the start of treatment due to it’s milder narcotic potency.
As with most opiates, Suboxone abuse is associated with tolerance, dependence and addiction. The signs and symptoms of Suboxone abuse have no fundamental differences from those that can be found accompanying the abuse or addiction to any other opioid like morphine or heroin, but can also include the following:
• Disobeying the prescription orders as written by the doctor. This might mean taking Suboxone tablets for reasons not prescribed (for sleep, for relaxation, to get high etc) or taking them more frequently than the prescription dictates, causing them to run out sooner than expected. In these events, the patient should consult the prescribing doctor
• Aggressive drug-seeking behavior like doctor-shopping, going from one doctor to another in order to secure more Suboxone.
• Frequent periods of illness and irritability. Opioid dependence and withdrawal can make a person ill for a day or two until they can find more, which restores them to seeming normalcy until they run out again.
Suboxone is a category C narcotic and is not for occasional or recreational use. It can be harmful to an unborn or nursing child. If you are taking Suboxone in order to withdrawal from a more potent form of opiates, it is imperative to follow the doctor’s orders exactly. Failure to do so can result in either continued opiate dependency or withdrawal symptoms. Side effects of Suboxone include headache, sleeping problems, nausea, sweating, stomach pain and/or constipation.
Over the past few years SouthCoast Recovery has been on the forefront of treating Suboxone abuse more then ever before. Over this past year alone, clients that come to SCR for Suboxone Addiction treatment have also been found to have abuse issues with other drugs such as alcohol, marijuana, amphetamines, or narcotic drugs. SouthCoast’s program helps all addicts that are dealing with addiction, but young people are the biggest population that we are treating in the past years. Finding a place that will approach a young person’s outlook on life, as an addict is something that we do not take lightly. It is important for families looking for help with Suboxone Addiction to look at various rehabilitation solutions and make sure that a Suboxone specific program is available.
As with any new experience in life, the decision to enter treatment can be frightening. There are thousands of treatment centers available across the nation and many offer similar treatment modalities. The difference is that at SouthCoast the level and quality of care offered by our staff is the best in the nation. Most of our staff members have made the journey to treatment themselves and are uniquely qualified to identify with those who are just beginning on the path to recovery. We truly care and are committed to providing a safe, nurturing environment that encourages one-on-one communication and a 24/7 open door policy. SouthCoast Recovery, It’s About LIving!
Answer by Barbara
Suboxone is an opoid/opiate agonists used to treat opiate addiction. It can be used just to detox or long-term. It works great for detox. The only issue is you have to wait 12-24 hours after your last opiate use to take it or it will throw you into acute withdrawal. After your first dose, you can pretty much get through withdrawal with little discomfort. It can also be used long-term. This would be done for two main reasons. First, it lessens cravings for opiates. Second, if you take it as prescribed – once a day- it will block the high from any opiate you take after. It’s not like Antabuse, which makes you sick if you use alcohol. You won’t get sick if you use an opiate after taking Suboxone, you just won’t get high. It’s differs from
Methadone in that you can still get high if you take an opiate on top of methadone. However, the biggest and best difference from
Methadone isnthat it can be prescribed I’m a doctors office where u can get a months supply. So unlike methadone u don’t have to go to a clinic every day. The downside is u r responsible for taking it so if u skip a few doses you can go back on heroin or whatever u were using. I’ve been on it for about 6 months and find it very useful.
Suboxone and the Disease Concept of Addiction – Addiction shares features of many other diseases, including a treatment that will hold the disease in remission. Suboxone is not a cure, but medicine offers …
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