Opioid addiction is quickly taking over the United States. You could turn on practically any news station and hear about the Opioid epidemic. It is a part of the next election cycle: what will we do and how will we do it? Our healthcare system is spending millions, if not billions, on the treatment of opioid addiction. Sometimes with little success.
Unfortunately, people are dying from these drugs. Many people who have simply turned to legal narcotics to reduce their chronic pain have become addicted. Young people are becoming addicted. Anywhere you look, people are taking opioids.
Family members and loved ones of those using and abusing opioids, including illegal and prescription opiates, have been begging for better solutions for treatment. Access to treatment facilities becomes difficult when the cost of treatment is so high, and many people are uninsured. Many people are seeking medically assisted treatment (MAT) programs to reduce their cravings and help them transition into sobriety.
Suboxone is one of the frequently used solutions to this opioid problem. While not perfect, it seems to be a good solution.
Suboxone is a proven medication that is used in opioid addiction treatment. It is an option in medically assisted treatment. Suboxone contains Buprenorphine as well as Naloxone. Together these medications can stop withdrawal symptoms related to opioid use. This is helpful in safely treating someone’s opioid drug use.
Suboxone offers a partial effect similar to opioids, such as Heroin or Fentanyl. It does not allow the same extensive high that these drugs offer, however. This allows one to slowly wean themselves off of their drug of choice and addiction by offering similar but reduced experiences. It reduces withdrawal symptoms and cravings so that individuals work towards abstinence altogether.
You can imagine that stopping these drugs is extremely difficult. Many people cannot just quit. They need to slowly reduce and reduce their usage and their highs until they are no longer dependent on that feeling for functioning.
Suboxone is found to be effective in reducing cravings for opioids. It is less addictive than other medically assisted treatment programs such as Methadone. That’s not to say that it cannot be addicting and abused as well as other opioids. But, Suboxone is administered by trained professionals responsible for providing oversight to ensure the likelihood of misuse is low. Suboxone also acts faster than Methadone as well. It only takes about one week to detox on Suboxone, whereas Methadone can take weeks or months. This makes it a great option for jump-starting treatment programs.
It offers great relief in cravings but is not going to inherently treat opioid addiction and misuse. It should be used in combination with a comprehensive treatment program including counseling, behavioral therapy, and other services. Medical oversight is necessary when taking Suboxone. A Primary Care Provider will be regularly seeing the patient who is engaged in this treatment.
In summary, Suboxone is a great treatment option, but it is not the only answer. There are a variety of services that one should access to ensure the best results and long-term recovery from opioid addiction.