Suboxone

TRIAD is now offering Suboxone™ for opiate addicts who wish to get off the merry-go-round of addiction, and get into recovery.

Opiate addiction includes both illegal street drugs such as heroin as well as prescription pain medications such as Vicodin, Percocet, Norco, Demerol, Oxycontin, and a host of others. Prescription drug addiction is arguably the largest evolving sub-type of addiction today. Regardless the type, street drug heroin or prescription pain pills, opiate addiction has been one of the most difficult addictions for those afflicted, primarily due to the withdrawal symptoms associated with it.

Getting off opiates is miserable. The withdrawal syndrome is described by those who have gone through it as “wishing you would die, but you don’t”. Fear of the withdrawal is by far the biggest reason most opiate addicts do not get beyond the contemplation phase for getting into recovery.

Suboxone™ is a newer medication for opiate addiction that is now available in the convenience of a doctor’s office. It can be used both for detox from opiates, as well as for maintenance treatment (“substitution therapy”). Opiate addicts describe detoxing with Suboxone™ like “coming down with a gentle parachute ride”- as opposed to a miserable, horrific withdrawal experience that can last for days if going “cold turkey”.

Suboxone Detox at TRIAD is comprised of an office consultation, followed by an “induction” period (initiation of Suboxone™) that may take 2-3 additional office visits, to the point of stabilization. Opiate patients are comfortable almost right away once treatment is started, but it generally takes a few days to arrive at the point of stabilization and steady dosage. Complete detox can take anywhere from 3-10 days, depending on the person and the drugs used.

Maintenance treatment is an good option for many opiate addicts. Opiate drug cravings can be extremely powerful, and can quickly lead the opiate addict back to relapse on their drug. Suboxone™ binds with opiate receptors and thereby “satisfies” their need for other opiate drugs, leading to loss of opiate drug cravings.

Although Suboxone™ is itself in opiate molecule, it has unique properties that include NOT causing euphoria. Rather, opiate addicts taking Suboxone™ feel absolutely normal, and function normally. Also, by binding so tightly to the opiate receptors, it prevents other opiates from binding to them, effectively acting as a “blocker”. This blocking effect is yet another great benefit of Suboxone™, by preventing getting “high” were the addict to take other opiates such as heroin or prescription pain medications. It acts as a deterrent, since it is futile to try to get high while taking Suboxone™ at the same time.

Those who wish to consider Suboxone™ maintenance should be thinking of staying on it for a minimum of 6 – 12 months, to allow their live to return to normal while building their bag of recovery tools through rehab, therapy, and participating in recovery support groups. Once their recovery program is solid, they can consider tapering off Suboxone™ and seeing how things go without the cravings management benefits of this approach.

At TRIAD, we offer full detox packages, which include the intial office consultation, plus as many office visits and phone support necessary to get to the point of stabilization. Once stabilized, those electing to stay on a maintenance regimen will be expected to return monthly for an office visit and re-issue of monthly medication prescription. Random drug testing (at additional expense) plus a binding Suboxone™ treatment contract which addresses compliance parameters are mandatory for all TRIAD Suboxone™ patients. Basically, clients promise not to use any unauthorized addictive substances, including alcohol, while on Suboxone™.

We also offer a one hour consultation with our Behavioral Health Team therapist to do a complete chemical dependency evaluation. Suboxone™ patients are strongly encouraged to add psycho-social aspects to their recovery program in addition to taking their Suboxone™: “Physio-Psycho-Social” is what we call it: A complete program, built around treating the brain aspect of opiate addiction.

Resources:

www.naabt.org

www.buprenorphine.samhsa.gov

www.suboxone.com