Opioid addiction is a serious disease that changes the way your brain works. Understanding how medicinal or recreational drug use can turn into addiction starts with opioid receptors: the parts of your brain responsible for pain and pleasure.
Opioid addiction is a growing health crisis in the United States. Nearly 50,000 Americans die from opioid-related causes each year, and medical experts are constantly seeking better ways to address opioid addiction and help the people affected by it.
Suboxone® is a leading prescription medication to treat opioid addiction. It combines buprenorphine and naloxone to block the effects of opioid use and manage symptoms of withdrawal.
Suboxone can be a key part of recovery for people struggling with opioid addiction, but it’s a drug too — and there are still a lot of misconceptions about the treatment and how it works. Some people worry that Suboxone treatment means replacing one addictive substance with another, but this stems from confusion over how the medication works and is used. As part of a wider medication-assisted therapy program, it’s a safe way to handle opioid withdrawal.
Daniel J. Headrick, MD, and our team at Headrick Medical Center specialize in addiction treatment, and we regularly prescribe Suboxone as part of our medication-assisted therapy services to help people change their lives.
Today, we’re taking a closer look at how Suboxone works and what you need to know before starting treatment.
Opioids include prescription drugs like oxycodone and morphine, as well as illegal drugs like heroin. When you take an opioid, the drug binds to receptors in your brain, changing the way you think, feel, and act.
Opioids are highly addictive. Use and misuse can trigger changes in your brain that lead to addiction, causing you to seek and crave the drug, despite negative consequences and risks to your health.
Suboxone is a medication designed for people recovering from opioid addiction. It contains two drugs: buprenorphine and naloxone, which work together to reduce the effects of opioid use.
Burprenorphine binds to the same receptors in your brain as opioid drugs. It’s a type of opioid called a partial opioid antagonist that delivers some of the same effects as other opioids, but blocks other effects to produce much milder symptoms.
Naloxone completely blocks the effects of opioids. When these two drugs are combined, they help you gradually detoxify from drug use and reduce cravings for opioid drugs. As part of a comprehensive treatment plan, Suboxone can also minimize withdrawal symptoms and help you avoid relapsing.
Suboxone can help people recover from opioid addiction. It can minimize withdrawal symptoms and reduce your risk of overdose during recovery, but it’s important that you use it only as prescribed.
Since Suboxone is a drug, there is a risk of addiction. However, Suboxone produces much milder effects than other opioids, and the risk of addiction is quite low.
Taking your medication as prescribed and participating in a comprehensive recovery program that includes counseling can significantly lower your risk of developing a dependence on Suboxone.
At Headrick Medical Center, our team provides personalized care for people with opioid addictions. We tailor recovery plans for each patient, depending on their health and their needs.
Dr. Headrick may prescribe Suboxone as part of the withdrawal/detoxification phase or maintenance phase of your recovery. We offer outpatient detox programs, as well as ongoing medication-assisted therapy programs that combine medication with counseling.
If you choose Suboxone, we work with you to determine a dosage and closely monitor you in the first weeks of treatment. It’s important to follow your prescription guidelines to minimize withdrawal and reduce the risk of addiction and other more serious side effects.
Suboxone offers extra support for people navigating the complex journey of recovering from opioid addiction. To find out if this treatment could help you, contact us online or call us at 949-220-2412.
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