Suboxone Clinic Near Me – What Our Patients Are Asking
When patients search for suboxone clinic near me, they tend to have a lot of questions. In this post, the medical professionals at New Life Medical Addiction Services will try to answer these questions.
What is Suboxone?
Suboxone is a highly efficacious medication for the treatment of opioid abuse and dependance. It is a combination of two separate drugs, buprenorphine and naloxone. The active ingredient in Suboxone is Buprenorphine. The naloxone is present in Suboxone however in theory it remains completely inactive unless the product is tapered with. Once the naloxone becomes active it renders the Buprenorphine ineffective. This action drastically reduces the potential for misuse and abuse of Suboxone.
The following is some key information about Suboxone and how it works:
- Suboxone Acts to Block The Effects of Opioids
Suboxone is a core element in the medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid addiction. Drugs like heroin, oxycodone, morphine and Fentanyl are in a family of substances called ‘opioid agonists”. When they are used, they bind to “Opioid Receptors” mimicking naturally occurring endorphins that produce pleasure. This is called the “opioid effect”.
Suboxone (Buprenorphine) is actually a mixed “Opioid Agonist-Antagonist,” which is to say it has properties of both an Opioid Agonist and Opioid Antagonist. When prescribed by an addiction medicine doctor, Suboxone negates the effects of an opioid by allowing some of the drug to bind to the opioid receptor and causing an “Opioid Effect” and some of the drug to bind to the opioid receptors and blocking the “Opioid Effect”, which in turn helps patients to manage their craving for opioids, reduce symptoms of withdrawal and provide protection should relapse occur.
To properly understand why Suboxone (Buprenorphine) blocks the effects of opioids you must first imagine that an opioid (Heroin) is a key flowing around the body looking for its unique lock to fit itself into. Then imagine a suboxone key flowing around the body. The Suboxone key looks identical to an opioid key therefor fits into the same opioid lock however it has a much stronger magnetic like pull to the lock then does the opioid key. This occurs so much so that even if an opioid key is already inserted the Suboxone key will pull out the opioid key and insert itself. Anyone who has ever experienced Precipitated withdrawal will understand this effect.
- Suboxone is Less Habit-Forming Than Methadone
In the last 20 years, addiction treatment doctors have moved to prescribing Suboxone instead of its predecessor, Methadone. This is because Suboxone was developed specifically to counter opioid addiction and was designed to have a much lower risk of dependency than Methadone. Furthermore, the side-effects of Suboxone are often less severe and tend to be physical instead of psychological.
- Suboxone Has Three Delivery Methods
Suboxone was designed to be easy to take for patients in recovery and it is produced in three forms – tablet, sublingual film and monthly injection, two of which dissolve in the mouth under the tongue. While each of these types produce the similar results, the tablets are sometimes less expensive than the film, and are sometimes viewed by patients as being more discreet. However, the injection produces the most consistent amount of medication available to the body.
On the other hand, some patients prefer the film because it lends itself to tapering doses into smaller increments as they begin to wean themselves off medication-based support as their recovery progresses. It is important to note that a doctor needs to manage the tapering of a patient’s Suboxone use.
The injectable for of Suboxone is called Sublocade. This is an injectable form of Buprenorphine. Similar to its cousin Vivitrol, Sublocade is given in a 28–30-day cycle. The injection is given subcutaneously (in the fat layer) of the abdomen. This choice of maintenance negates the daily decision to take your film or tablet and at times is the preferred method of maintenance dosing.
- Suboxone is Just One Element In the Journey of Recovery
Although Medication-Assisted Treatment can be a critical option for helping patients recover from addiction, it shouldn’t be the only piece of the recovery plan. At New Life, we combine an intensively monitored medication approach with substance abuse counseling and bridge primary physical care. It is our experience that this kind of mind-body approach to addiction recovery is critical for long-term success.
Nevertheless, it is true that Suboxone is not always the correct medication for all patients. Each patient’s recovery is completely different, and we will tailor a program that suits each patient’s needs.
In discussing Suboxone, it is also important to address some of the common misperceptions associated with its use. These misunderstandings include the following:
1) Using Suboxone Means You Aren’t Really Clean or “In Recovery”
In many areas of the recovery community, the principles of AA and 12-Step programs focus on total abstinence. While New Life believes in and supports 12-Step programs, we also realize that medical science has made significant progress since the 1930’s when AA was formed.
New approaches to recovery include the use of medications such as Suboxone that help regulate a patient’s brain chemistry. As addiction has increasingly come to be seen as a medical condition, Suboxone has found itself in a critical role in managing this chronic condition.
2) Suboxone is Prone to Misuse
The truth is that Suboxone is an opiate and can be misused. However, because it is only a “partial” agonist of the main opiate receptor, it delivers a much lower amount of the euphoria than is delivered by other opiates such as heroin, oxycodone and fentanyl. In short, Suboxone use is far preferable to abusing street or other pharmaceutical opioids.
3) It is Easy to Overdose on Suboxone
It is much more difficult to overdose on Suboxone than other opiates. Again, this is due to the fact that Suboxone’s is only a partial opiate receptor agonist, so there is a built-in limit to its effects. As a result, there is a limit as to how many opioid receptors in the brain can be activated by Suboxone, and a reduction in the risk of slowed breathing compared with potent opiates such as heroin, oxycodone, morphine or methadone. When patients do overdose on Suboxone, it is usually because they are mixing it with sedatives such as benzodiazepines, which also impact breathing.
4) Suboxone Should Only Be Taken for a Short Duration.
Although there are different theories on how long Suboxone treatment should last, there is no scientific evidence indicating that Suboxone should only be taken for a short period of time as opposed to being part of a long-term recovery maintenance plan. New Life’s doctors make this determination for each of our patients.
5) Suboxone Isn’t Effective Without Behavioral Therapy
At New Life, we believe that the ideal recovery should include therapy, recovery coaching, and support groups, along with medication assisted treatment. However, this isn’t always possible for every patient and the positive impact of Suboxone can be significant in and of itself.
The bottom line is that treatment with Suboxone alone, without behavioral therapy, has been shown to be effective. However, only effective in maintaining sobriety. It does nothing to find the underlining cause of the disease of addiction therefor do very little to restore a person back to true mental and physical health. The combination of Suboxone and therapy give our patients the ability to live life free of the chains that bind them in the eternal darkness that addiction brings.
So, if you are struggling with addiction and are looking for a Suboxone clinic near me, call the caring professionals at New Life. We’re here to help you on the most important journey of your life.
Call us at: 856-942-3700 or send us a Text Message.
