If you are curious about trying medication-assisted treatment services in Tacoma, Washington, you may wonder how medication can help you overcome addiction. Certain prescription drugs have the ability to replace highly addictive drugs to reduce the discomfort of withdrawal and cravings. They do so by producing a mild high that is less dangerous and addictive. Suboxone is one such drug that has a unique twist, making it safer than many other drugs used in medication-assisted treatment. Read on to learn the Suboxone definition, how this particular drug may be more effective for opioid use disorder, and what is involved in Suboxone treatment.

Withdrawing from opioid drugs can be very uncomfortable, making it that much more difficult to quit. At Bayview Recovery, we want to make your recovery from opioid addiction as comfortable as possible. With the help of our Suboxone-assisted treatment, you can get through opioid withdrawal more easily and receive the therapy and support you need to stay strong for your recovery.

Contact us today at 855.478.3650 to find out if Suboxone treatment may be the best fit for you.

What Is Suboxone?

Suboxone is an FDA-approved prescription medication used to treat opioid addiction. It is a combination of two drugs: buprenorphine and naloxone.

Buprenorphine

Buprenorphine is a partial opioid agonist that acts on the same brain receptors as other opioid drugs like heroin and morphine. It imparts a mild euphoria but less so than these other more potent opioids. This helps your brain feel as though it is getting the pain relief and mood boost from opioids without the dangers of these drugs. By partially interacting with opioid receptors, buprenorphine can help minimize the cravings and discomfort that would otherwise come from quitting opioid drugs.

Naloxone

Naloxone is an opioid antagonist that binds to opioid receptors and reverses or blocks the effects of other opioids. This drug is sometimes used on its own in emergencies under the name Narcan. It reverses opioid overdose and has saved many lives. The main purpose of naloxone in Suboxone is to prevent opioid misuse and overdose.

By combining buprenorphine and naloxone together, there is a ceiling effect. This means that a person may experience mild euphoria from the buprenorphine, but that effect will be limited due to the naloxone. The ceiling effect of Suboxone protects you from an opioid overdose while still allowing relief from withdrawal symptoms and cravings.

How Does Suboxone-Assisted Treatment Work?

If you are interested in Suboxone treatment for opioid addiction, you will likely want to know how exactly it works. Here is how Suboxone may be used in addiction treatment:

• A medical professional will perform an intake assessment to determine if you are a good candidate for Suboxone treatment.
• If put on a Suboxone regimen, you will be prescribed either sublingual tablets or films that will need to be dissolved under your tongue.
• You will need to wait until withdrawal symptoms begin, indicating that opioids have left your system. This can be anywhere from as little as six hours after your last dose of opioids to as long as 72 hours. Your care team will let you know how long you may expect to wait until taking your first dose of Suboxone.
• Once the medication has dissolved, it begins to provide relief within 20 to 60 minutes, and the effects typically last 24 to 72 hours.

While Suboxone helps control withdrawal symptoms and cravings, you will still need to participate in behavioral therapy to help address the underlying causes of opioid addiction. The combination of therapy and medication in Suboxone-assisted treatment is more powerful than either method alone.

Find Suboxone-Assisted Treatment at Bayview Recovery

If you would like the support of Suboxone for your recovery from opioid use disorder, contact Bayview Recovery. Our medication-assisted treatment programs are designed to provide you with a personalized combination of medication, behavioral therapies, and holistic therapies for the most well-rounded approach. Call us now at 855.478.3650 or contact us online to start carving out your path to an opioid-free life.