Suboxone Treatment
October 24th, 2009 by admin
The Food and Drug Administration approved Suboxone in October of 2002 for use in the treatment of opioid addiction. The generic name for Suboxone is buprenorphine and naloxone; it is a combined form of these two generic drugs.
Naloxone is used to block the effect of opioids. Buprenorphine is similar in make up as opioids (it works on the same receptors in the brain) but it does not produce a euphoric “high” effect. This makes it easier to stop taking. Buprenorphine is a partial opioid agonist; it stimulates opioid receptors but does not produce the same effects as an opioid would.
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 must be prescribed by a doctor who will take a full medical and social history before giving it to you. Make sure to tell your doctor if you have lung, kidney, gallbladder, adrenal gland, thyroid, or prostate problems. Also, be sure to tell him if you have a history of a head injury, mental problems of any type, hallucinations or alcoholism. You may still be able to take Suboxone for your opioid addiction you just may require a dosage adjustment or extra monitoring. You should not under any circumstances take it if you are or think you may be pregnant. Do not take it if you are currently breastfeeding also.
Suboxone can cause a dependency just like an opioid can. If you are not weaned off of it properly, (too quickly for example) you will experience the same withdrawal symptoms as you would from opioid withdrawal. There for do not suddenly stop taking it, speak to your doctor about how to gradually reduce the dose.
Suboxone can cause some serious side effects but they are very rare. If you notice any that you are experiencing dizziness, confusing, slowed breathing, allergic symptoms (itch, swelling of lips, tongue face or hives), or liver problem symptoms (yellowing of the skin/eyes, dark urine, light stools, nausea, stomach pain or decreased appetite) contact your doctor immediately.
Suboxone can cause some other mild side effects that are simpler to deal with such as headache, nausea, sweating, constipation or problems sleeping. Speak to your doctor if any of these become bothersome. He may recommend some over the counter medications to treat them.
If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember. Make sure you tell any medical professionals treating you for any reason you are on the drug and have a history of opioid dependence.
Some drugs may interact with Suboxone adversely. Be sure to speak to your doctor and/or pharmacist before taking any other drugs with your Suboxone.
Further information is available from your doctor and pharmacist. There is also a patient resource kit available from the manufacturer of the drug that contains educational material and more information about opioid dependence/addiction and treatment of it.
This entry was posted on Saturday, October 24th, 2009 at 10:06 am and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
October 31st, 2009 at 10:56 am
[...] it is a partial opiate. It seems to be similar to the methadone treatment for heroin addiction. The suboxone treatment is used at a low dose to wean an addict off of the harder opiate or opiates for which he/she seeks [...]