For people who are desperate to stop using opioids but are unable to tolerate withdrawal symptoms and cravings, Suboxone can be an extremely viable alternative to methadone. While any drug used to treat opioid withdrawal is habit-forming by nature, Suboxone offers people a chance to lead a functional life as they gradually taper down their use. While you may have had mixed results at other Maryland Suboxone clinics, Addiction Medication Clinic offers 15-minute in-and-out appointments and a professional support team.
What Is Suboxone Used For?
When taken orally, Suboxone is effective at preventing symptoms of opiate withdrawal. It also is less likely to impair cognitive functioning than methadone, oxycodone, and tramadol. That said, Suboxone is not a miracle drug. And it does not work for everyone. Effectively tapering off Suboxone is difficult because the medication is extremely habit-forming. Suboxone can be deadly when taken in combination with alcohol, other opioids, or benzodiazepines due to its effects on respiration and heart rate.
What Are The Ingredients in Suboxone?
The two ingredients in Suboxone are buprenorphine and naltrexone. Buprenorphine is a partial opioid agonist with mild opioid effects that has been used since the 1970s to ease the symptoms of opioid withdrawal. Buprenorphine maintenance therapy, when combined with medication-assisted treatment, has proven to be one of the most effective interventions available for the treatment of opioid addiction. When taken orally, the effects of buprenorphine are less pronounced than the effects of opioids like fentanyl, heroin, and methadone. However, like any drug, buprenorphine can be abused.
In order to deter people from injecting buprenorphine, doctors began combining it with naloxone, an opioid antagonist that reverses the effects of opioids when given intravenously. The buprenorphine-naloxone combination, approved by the FDA in 2002, is administered on a strip that dissolves on the tongue. When taken as prescribed, the naloxone does not interfere with the effects of the buprenorphine. This combination, known as Suboxone, is the drug we prescribe at Addiction Medication Clinic.
Does Suboxone Show Up on a Drug Test?
Suboxone will not cause a person to test positive for opioids unless the panel specifically tests for buprenorphine and naloxone. Even though Suboxone does not give a strong high like fentanyl, heroin, or oxycodone it has powerful suppressive effects on the respiratory system, so it is possible to overdose while taking Suboxone.
Can a Suboxone Clinic Cure Opiate Addiction?
Despite what your loved one may have told you, Suboxone does not cure drug addiction. A person who uses opioids to cope with unhealed trauma, mental health issues, or underdeveloped occupational skills can continue to use other drugs while taking Suboxone. As discussed, combining Suboxone with any other drugs can be deadly, so it is important to monitor your loved one. Warning signs of continued drug use include:
- Social withdrawal
- Extreme lethargy
- Tinfoil or other paraphernalia
- Phone calls at odd hours
- Unexplained outbursts
- Refusal to take a drug test
- Inability to function
Until buprenorphine was developed, people with severe opioid dependency had only one psychopharmacological option to treat their addiction: a methadone clinic. Unfortunately, methadone has a strong supressant effect on the respiratory system, which can cause people to overdose. Suboxone offers a safer, more convenient approach to the medical management of opioid withdrawal.
Find a Suboxone Clinic Near You
Suboxone should only be prescribed to people with treatment-resistant opioid use disorder (OUD). It should not be prescribed to treat chronic pain. If your other attempts at overcoming opioid dependence have fallen short, finding a Suboxone clinic near your home may be the first step to effectively tapering opioid use. Contact 833.360.0061, or contact us online to schedule an appointment with a Suboxone doctor.