Submitted by: Corey Shader
Suboxone treatment is a treatment for opiate addiction that involves the use of Suboxone (bupremorphine with naxolone). This medication keeps opiate addicts from feeling drug cravings and withdrawal symptoms. Naloxone is added to the formulation to deter intravenous misuse and reduce the symptoms of opiate dependence. Suboxone treatment is intended for use in adults and adolescents more than 16 years of age who have agreed to be treated for addiction.
How Suboxone Treatment Works
When an individual tries to quit opiate addiction, the opiate receptors in his/her brain become empty, resulting in opiate withdrawal symptoms. Suboxone works by filling these opiate receptors in the brain therefore ending feelings of drug withdrawal and drug cravings.
When you take Suboxone as recommended (dissolving it under the tongue), the naloxone in the drug is not activated therefore produces no effect. But if you try to inject Suboxone, the naloxone enters your brain and immediately stops the effects of any opiate drug. This can send an individual with an opiate tolerance into a sudden opiate withdrawal. Suboxone has a significantly lower potential for abuse and diversion due to the addition of naxolene. For this reason, doctors are permitted to prescribe the medication in take home doses of up to a month.
Administration of Suboxone
Suboxone is available as a tablet which is always administered sublingually. The pill is placed underneath the tongue until it is fully dissolved. Swallowing or sucking on the pill does not offer any therapeutic benefit. When placed underneath the tongue, the pill dissolves and is absorbed in 10-20 minutes.
Duration of Suboxone Treatment
Suboxone is often used as a type of opiate substitution maintenance treatment where a patient takes the drugs until he/she demonstrates readiness to quit. Suboxone treatment allows an opiate addict to get their life back on track, develop helpful support systems, re-engage in school or work as well as reconnect with a life outside of drug abuse. Many people who get off opiates once they start working from this stable foundation of sobriety have a high likelihood of staying off opiates.
Generally, there is no recommended duration of Suboxone treatment. Some people will take the drug for days, some for months and others for years or even indefinitely. Probably you may feel ready to start tapering down after a few weeks from starting the medication, or take much longer. There is no right or wrong answer; the right answer lies with you, and probably with your body. You take Suboxone for as long as you need to, and get off when you’re ready to.
Side effects of Suboxone Treatment
Just like most prescription medications, Suboxone can sometimes cause side effects to the user. Some of the side effects sometimes associated with Suboxone use include:
– Feelings of weakness
– Headache
– Constipation
– Nausea or vomiting
– Lethargy
– A reduction in sexual desire
– Dizziness
When on Suboxone treatment, you should read the information that comes with the drug to know about the signs and symptoms of more serious but rarely occurring drug effects or any allergic reactions.
Safety Issues With Suboxone
Since it is a partial opiate agonist, Suboxone is a much safer drug than methadone for treatment of opiate addiction, especially when used appropriately. However, there are some instances where Suboxone treatment can be dangerous. These include:
– When Suboxone is mixed with alcohol or benzodiazepines
– When used by people who are allergic to the medication
– By injection administration
Withdrawal Symptoms of Suboxone
When someone on Suboxone treatment suddenly stops using the drug they suffer a withdrawal syndrome. Suboxone users often try to minimize the severity of this syndrome by tapering down their daily dosage gradually, over a prolonged period of time. Although the withdrawal symptoms of Suboxone are very uncomfortable, withdrawal of methadone is considered to be more severe. In fact, many methadone users transition onto Suboxone when trying to quit opiate addiction.
Suboxone treatment withdrawal symptoms can include:
– Restless Legs
– Vomiting and nausea
– Sweatiness
– Diarrhea
– Muscle aches and pains
– Anxiety
– Headache
– Restlessness
– Yawning
– Insomnia
These symptoms can last with moderate severity for a week or so after quitting, and disappear after that time over additional weeks. However, the experience people have in withdrawing off Suboxone treatment may vary significantly.
Can Suboxone Treatment Work For Everyone?
While many people will find that Suboxone provides sufficient withdrawal symptoms relief, some may not. Such people will need to take methadone to feel relief from withdrawal pains. Suboxone has “ceiling effect”. When a person increases the dosage of Suboxone, the effects will increase until the ceiling is reached. increasing the dosage has no considerable effects and above this ceiling. If the opiate addiction is severe, Suboxone treatment may not be effective.
About the Author: Check out more great information on Suboxone and Subutex from Treatment Center Finder at
treatmentcenterfinder.org/suboxone-treatment-risks-and-benefits/
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