If you’re currently in treatment for opiate addiction, you may have heard about the medication suboxone. Suboxone is a drug that contains a combination of two different drugs: buprenorphine and naloxone. It’s used to help treat people who suffer from opioid addiction by easing withdrawal symptoms and reducing cravings for opioids in order to prevent relapse.
Suboxone is not another word for methadone or any other narcotic drug. Despite the similarities between these substances, they all have very specific uses, dosages, and effects on the body. Let’s take a look at more details about suboxone and how it works to help individuals get clean from opiates so that they can live happy and healthy lives once again.
Table of Contents
What is Suboxone?
Suboxone is a prescription medication used in the treatment of opioid addiction. It contains naloxone, an opioid receptor antagonist, and buprenorphine, which is a partial opioid agonist.
Naloxone is what makes the medication helpful for people in addiction treatment because it helps prevent someone from abusing the drug by blocking the effects of any opioids. Buprenorphine is what eases withdrawal symptoms and cravings when someone is trying to get clean from opioids.
Suboxone comes in two forms: sublingual tablets and sublingual strips. The strips are also available in a concentrated form. Suboxone is only available through a doctor’s prescription and has to be prescribed according to the individual’s needs. A doctor will assess a patient’s current level of opioid intake, medical history, and any other factors that may contribute to the treatment to fully understand how the person should take suboxone.
How does Suboxone work?
Suboxone contains two drugs, buprenorphine and naloxone. Buprenorphine is a type of opioid agonist that attaches to receptors in the brain and spinal cord. It reduces cravings for opioids and helps combat withdrawal symptoms.
Naloxone is an opioid antagonist that blocks the effects of other opioids in the body. If someone tries to abuse suboxone by taking more than the recommended dosage or by mixing it with other drugs, the naloxone blocks the “high” that abusing an opioid would produce. This helps prevent abuse of the medication.
Suboxone is typically used in two different ways: As a maintenance therapy and as a detoxification therapy. Maintenance therapy is when someone is using suboxone to stay clean. Detoxification therapy is when someone uses suboxone to help ease withdrawal symptoms while getting clean from opioids.
Side Effects of Suboxone
The most common side effects of suboxone include:
- Dry Mouth: This is usually treated with chewing sugar-free gum or drinking water to stay hydrated.
- Headaches: This can be treated with over-the-counter painkillers such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen.
- Constipation: Drinking water and eating more fiber can help prevent constipation while taking suboxone.
- Anxiety: It may feel like anxiety or side effects are getting worse when first starting treatment. Talk to a doctor about adjusting your dosage if you feel this way.
- Nausea: Drinking juice or eating foods with a high sugar or complex carb content can help with nausea.
When and how is it used?
Suboxone is used as part of an addiction treatment program to help ease withdrawal symptoms, reduce cravings for opioids, and allow people to stop abusing opioid drugs. It should not be used as the only form of treatment for opioid addiction, but rather as a supplement to therapy.
Suboxone is usually used as a detoxification therapy with a tapering program to ease withdrawal symptoms. It’s also used as a maintenance therapy where someone is taking the medication on a long-term basis. A suboxone doctor will help a patient decide which method is best for their situation.
Who Can Use Suboxone?
Anyone who is addicted to opioids and wants to get clean can use suboxone. It’s important to know that suboxone is not the same thing as methadone. Methadone is another drug that’s used to treat opioid addiction and stay clean.
Suboxone is for people who are currently addicted to opioids and want to get clean. It can also be used to treat opioid addiction in pregnant women. People who are in treatment for opioid addiction and have been stable for a while can use suboxone to ease withdrawal symptoms and reduce cravings for opioids.
Who Should Not use Suboxone?
Individuals who are currently in a coma or are not breathing are not in a state to take suboxone. It should also not be used by pregnant women, as it can be harmful to fetuses.
Other people who should not use suboxone include those who have severe respiratory issues, are dependent on other drugs, have a low blood volume, or have an allergy to naloxone.
Suboxone should not be used as the only form of treatment for opioid addiction. It’s important to work with a doctor who will help you use suboxone as a supplement to therapy like therapy groups and counseling.
Conclusion
Suboxone is a medication used to help treat opioid addiction by easing withdrawal symptoms and reducing cravings for opioids in order to prevent relapse. Suboxone contains a combination of buprenorphine and naloxone, which are opioids that help ease withdrawal symptoms and prevent opioid cravings.
Suboxone can be used as a maintenance therapy or a detoxification therapy to best suit a person’s needs. Suboxone is not to be used as the only form of treatment for opioid addiction, but rather as a supplement to therapy.
It’s important to work with a doctor who can help you decide if suboxone is right for you and help you get treatment.
