Buprenorphine News

Suboxone is mostly known as a drug given to treat opiate addiction. It is one of only two medications approved by the FDA to treat opiate addiction. The main active ingredient of the drug is buprenorphine. Treatment is done in phases. These phases can consist of an introductory phase, a stabilization phase, and a maintenance phase.
During the introductory phase, the doctor gets information such as the patient’s medical history and assesses symptoms. It is very important that the patient gives accurate information in this phase. In order to be treated with Suboxone, the patient must be actively going through withdrawal. If not, Suboxone may make symptoms worse. Also in this phase, the first dosage of Suboxone will be given. This phase can last up to one week. It is not uncommon for the patient to be assessed on a daily basis. The doctor may also prescribe other medications to help supplement the Suboxone treatment. The doctor will assess the patient’s symptoms and adjust the dosage accordingly.

The stabilization phase occurs when the patient has begun to show fewer withdrawal symptoms. Adjustments to the patient’s dosage are still an ongoing process. During this phase, the patient has shown to have fewer cravings for the drug of choice. It is in this phase that the doctor and patient will discuss plans to move forward. This can mean moving on to the next phase of maintenace or medically supervised withdrawal.

A patient has reached the maintenance phase when an appropriate dosage has been found and the patient has shown to be in a better state. The maintenance phase can last for weeks or years. It depends on the individual. Some doctors even recommend that the patient participate in some form of counseling. Counseling can help aide in the success of treatment. If after the stabilization phase the patient has not continued to improve, the patient may go into the phase termed a medically supervised withdrawal. During this phase, the doctor will slowly decrease the medication dosage. This is done until the patient begins to show improvement. Medication dosage will be increased if the patient is unable to withstand the lower dosage.

Each phase of treatment is greatly dependant upon each individual. No two courses of treatment may be the same. Some doctors have more or less phases than the other. Again, an important part of treatment is the accuracy of information given by the patient to the doctor.

Suboxone is the brand name for the generic drugs buprenorphine and naloxone. It is used to treat opioid dependence in both inpatient and outpatient facilities. Used properly it will reduce opioid use and help patients to stay in treatment. It suppresses symptoms of opioid withdrawal and decreased cravings for the opioids.

Opioid dependence is more and more being accepted as a disease and the stigma attached to it is somewhat lessening. Repeated use of opioids causes receptors in the brain to become less tolerant to the opioids. More and more of the drug is needed to create the same effect. It doesn’t matter if the drug is used “recreationally” or not. There is both a physical and psychological dependence to opioids that develops over time.

Suboxone is a sublingual tablet (taken and dissolved under the tongue) that is a partial agonist and antagonist on the opioid receptors in the brain. It is given as a single daily dose.

There are three ways that opioid dependence and addiction is treated and it depends on the level of addiction and the patient’s personal circumstances which is best. There are inpatient options. This is where the detox procedure is done in a detox hospital of facility under the direct care of doctors and nurses. This is usually best for those who have along history or addiction or are taking large qualities of the drugs. There are many withdrawal side effects that a person will experience when detoxing from opioids. They can be mild to serious.

These include early symptoms which include agitation, anxiety, muscle aches, insomnia, runny nose, sweating and yawning. Later states of withdrawal include abdominal cramping, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, dilated pupils and goose bumps. These are all very uncomfortable yet not life threatening. Symptoms of withdrawal usually start within 12 hours of last usage.

Medication, usually over the counter, can be used to treat these side effects. This along with the suboxone will usually get someone through the physical withdrawal phase.
The next step is overcoming and treating the psychological addiction to the opioids. This can be done on and inpatient basis where after the physical detox is over the patient stays at an inpatient rehab center for anywhere from 30 to 90 days. During this time they will continue taking their suboxone and they will attend one on one sessions frequently with psychologists or counselors and group sessions daily. They may also be introducted to 12-step meetings. After this period they may choose to move to sober housing or to attend an outpatient program. Outpatient programs usually meet anywhere from one to four or five days a week. They consist of group therapy, and one on one meetings with counselors. This is the best way to treat a person with a heavy dependence and/or long history of use.

The other option for treating opioid dependence/addiction is by a person taking the suboxone as prescribed and attending outpatient detox. This includes meetings one to five days a week at the outpatient detox facility. There is group and one on one sessions attended and the person may also attend 12-step meetings in their community if they so choose. Many people find these very helpful for the support they provide.

Find a doctor prescribing Suboxone.

Suboxone is a drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2002 for the treatment of opioid addiction. It is very effective in decreasing or eliminating altogether the withdrawal symptoms associated with opioid addiction.

This drug is taken sublingually (dissolved under the tongue). Taken properly it can reduce opioid use, help people stay in drug rehab treatment, and depress the symptoms of opioid withdrawal.

Suboxone is frequently used in outpatient drug treatment programs now. It is very effective and helps greatly to allow the patient to have a more comfortable opiate detox and maintenance program. There are many of these programs in every state. There are a few things you should look for when choosing an outpatient program.

Make sure you get a visit with a physician who specializes in withdrawal. This should be mandatory, as it is necessary to speak to a doctor about your other health problems and medications you may be taking. This doctor will then decide on the appropriate dose for your case.

Some outpatient facilities like you to spend the first 24 – 72 hours on site, as this is the critical period of opiate withdrawal. This really is up to you. If you think, you will be able to go it alone, or with help at home while making daily visits to the outpatient facility speak to the doctor about trying this first.

Most outpatient programs want frequent visits during the period following this. Over the next 30 days programs will recommend you come in for medication management, group and individual therapy as much as 4 days a week to as few as one day a week. These programs usually decide on this on a case-by-case basis.

The next two to six month continues with physician visits for medication management, group, and individual therapy on a slowly decreasing basis.

Some programs recommend you stay active in their program for anywhere from a year to three years. Again, each patient is different and this decision is usually left up to the physician and patient.

All good outpatient programs should have and education portion to their program, one that teaches about addiction, prevention, causes etc. There also should be a relapse prevention portion to the program that teaches a patient the triggers that caused him to become addicted in the first place.