In recent years, suboxone use has grown in popularity as a go-to treatment for those experiencing the debilitating symptoms of opioid addiction. Depending on your unique addiction treatment needs and goals, medication-assisted treatment may help treat opioid use disorders, prevent overdose and sustain ongoing recovery. Medication-assisted treatment uses medications such as suboxone and counseling to provide a comprehensive treatment approach. The ultimate goal of medication-assisted therapy is to help you attain full recovery.
What is Suboxone?
Suboxone is a combination of two drugs, buprenorphine, and naloxone. Combined, these drugs help chemically decrease the severity of withdrawal symptoms and reduce your dependence on opioids. As part of a medically assisted detox program at Mariana Harbor Detox, using suboxone under medical guidance and supervision can make the detox process from opioids more manageable for many people. Suboxone is dispensed in two forms; a tablet and a dissolvable film that is placed in the mouth. Both forms are equally effective, and the type that works best for you often depends mainly on the treatment center and personal preference.
How is Suboxone Used?
Suboxone helps to reverse the side effects of opioids, including heroin and prescription pain medications. When used during medication-assisted therapy, suboxone prevents painful and unpleasant withdrawal symptoms caused during detox from opioid addiction. The separate components in suboxone act together as partial opioid agonists, meaning they block the opiate receptors in the brain and help reduce cravings and urges they often become overwhelming during detox.
An excellent way to understand the concept of partial agonists is to think of opioid receptors in the brain as a whole. Without suboxone or a drug that inhibits access, the hole is wide open for opioid drugs to enter. When you take suboxone, that hole is partially filled, limiting the ability of opioids to enter and attach to the receptors, thereby decreasing their effects. Naloxone (one of the two ingredients in suboxone) helps explicitly to reverse the effects of opioids, making the detox process more comfortable as you will not feel the same “pleasurable” effects of the drug while taking suboxone.
Is Suboxone Addictive?
Suboxone can be highly beneficial when used as part of a comprehensive addiction treatment program; however, its use is not without risk. Although it does not produce the same high as opioid drugs, the effects of suboxone can lead to addiction if it is misused. Someone who abuses suboxone regularly is at risk of becoming addicted (although likely less risk than would be found with methadone). Some who are prescribed suboxone may take more of the drug than prescribed to achieve the opiate high they crave. Suboxone abuse occurs when the prescribed pills are snorted, or the film strips are dissolved and injected. Suboxone snorted or injected produces a much stronger high than results from taking the drug as prescribed.
Although suboxone can be addictive, in most cases, the benefits often outweigh the potential risks of further dependency as it helps someone with an addiction to far more harmful opioids achieve sobriety. The addictive potential of suboxone is far less than that of more potent opioids such as heroin and other prescription pain medications. Also, suboxone is frequently administered in a controlled setting, such as medically supervised addiction treatment settings at Mariana Harbor Detox.
How to Find Suboxone Detox Programs in Northern California
Suboxone is prescribed to treat opiate addictions; therefore, the treatment protocol for you are addicted to prescription drugs or heroin, medication-assisted therapy, including drugs like suboxone, is often used. However, if you have developed an addiction to suboxone, using other medications in supportive treatment is usually contraindicated. In these cases, the treatment process often begins with supervised detox from suboxone.
Although the risk of becoming addicted to suboxone is far less than many other opioids, the challenges often faced when trying to overcome addiction are complex and, in some cases, dangerous. Mariana Harbor Detox, a Northern California detox center, our dedicated and compassionate treatment staff will work with you or your loved one to create a San Francisco treatment plan that meets your unique treatment needs and goals. Our team will provide support and guidance throughout your detox journey allowing you to begin your sobriety journey safely.
Contact a member of our admissions team today to learn more about our San Francisco suboxone detox programs and how we can help you.
