Suboxone Detox Treatment
November 7th, 2009 by admin
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.
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