Suboxone treatment is a medication-assisted therapy used for opioid addiction. It combines buprenorphine and naloxone to safely transition the body off of opioid drugs. Men and women who are addicted to heroin, morphine, fentanyl, OxyContin and other prescription pain killers have good success rates with Suboxone treatment (or methadone). Stopping cold turkey has a low probability of success, and a high chance for relapse. Suboxone treatment works because buprenorphine suppresses opioid withdrawal symptoms and cravings without causing euphoria. The naloxone reverses or eliminates the effects of the opiates. It’s called an ‘opiate antagonist.’ Therefore, if a person takes an opioid such as heroin within 24 hours of taking Suboxone, he or she won’t be able to get a high from the drug. Antioch, located in Northern California, is just one place where people addicted to opioids can find help for a healthier life.
What to expect from Suboxone treatment
Suboxone is a long-acting drug that may stay in the body for 24 hours up to three days. Because of that, the effects are disbursed over time. Suboxone treatment has an almost immediate short-term effect such as a feeling of relaxation, well-being and relief of pain. Like other treatments, it’s important when first taking Suboxone to be monitored by a medical professional. Taking too high of a dose may produce nausea, sleepiness, confusion, or slow breathing. It is also critical that the patient not take other drugs with a depressant effect, such as alcohol. Combining substances that slow the body down can result in extreme lethargy, breathing problems, or death.
Men or women take Suboxone once per day under the tongue in either pill or filmstrip form. (The filmstrips dissolve more quickly.) Because it is a sub-lingual (under the tongue), patients are not supposed to eat, drink, or smoke for 30 minutes before and after taking it.
Additional considerations for Suboxone treatment
Suboxone treatment is similar to other medication-assisted treatments because success is more likely when the patient combines the medication with counseling and support. The medication takes care of the body so that the person can focus on creating new life patterns. Men and women who are ready to end the cycle of sickness that comes from taking opioids over time are often committed to making Suboxone treatment work. But breaking addiction to opioids isn’t just about willpower. Opiates impair the brain’s ability to create the hormone that makes a person feel good. So, it’s more than mind over matter. Additionally, addiction damages relationships. With Suboxone treatment, men and women become healthier by:
- Understanding about addiction and addictive behaviors in general
- Uncovering the triggers that cause them to use or use more
- Forming new ways of dealing with emotional triggers
- Learning about the life choices that led to addiction
- Practicing healthy ways of communicating and relating to others
- Giving themselves permission to make changes
- Choosing new environments for living and/or working
- Seeing where family members or friends may have let them stay in addiction (co-dependency) and working through it with them
- Identifying the signs of relapse potential and how to re-direct
- Participating in support groups
- Faithfully working the program
When a person begins Suboxone treatment, it’s natural to feel overwhelmed. You’re coming from a very fragile place. Treatment is a series of steps. Each step builds on the one before it. So while it’s definitely helpful to understand what to expect, don’t let the fear of change hold you back. It’s possible to be healthy again. Just take the first step and make the call. Contact help in Antioch California.
Additional Reading About Recovery
Suboxone and Xanax – A Deadly Combination – BAART Boyle Heights
