What is Suboxone?

Suboxone is a medication used in opioid addiction treatment. It reduces the negative effects an individual experiences when detoxing off opioids. This drug is used alongside behavioral therapy as a form of treatment called Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT). The medication is a combination of buprenorphine and naloxone. Suboxone is a medication that is used to reduce the symptoms of opioid withdrawal and prevent the future cravings for opioids in those individuals suffering from opioid addiction. It doesn’t, however, reduce the side effects of opioids or reverse the symptoms of an opioid overdose. Suboxone is a film or tablet that is placed under the tongue.

Who Can Benefit from Suboxone?

Many people who are taking steps toward recovery can benefit from Suboxone. It is important to find a care team that will outline a treatment plan for you based on your needs. Studies have found that the best road to recovery is the combination of medication and counseling services. To understand if you qualify for Suboxone, providers will look at a patients’ overall health to determine if medication assisted treatment is the best option. 

To ease symptoms and break free for good, a drug like Suboxone can be used. Suboxone (buprenorphine and naloxone) is a sublingual film, meaning it’s administered under the tongue. It works because buprenorphine attaches itself to the same receptors as opioids. In doing so, withdrawal symptoms are quashed, and the risk of cravings is lowered significantly. In the past, buprenorphine has been used as an intravenous painkiller, so there was cause for concern over possible abuse. Naloxone was added to help prevent abuse; if someone were to try injecting it, withdrawal symptoms would likely occur. Naloxone is inactive when taken orally and passes through the gastrointestinal system without side effects. However, when injected, it has the opposite effect on opioids, bringing on those unwanted symptoms. It’s even used in emergency rooms to reverse opioids in the case of overdose.

This drug is very useful for people who have the urge to abuse any type of medication, and people with opioid dependency often have that trait. It’s often difficult to start a medication with the potential for abuse when you’re not sure you can trust yourself or when your doctor doesn’t feel comfortable prescribing it. Suboxone removes that cause of worry altogether.

This medication is a wonderful breakthrough for opioid addiction treatment. It takes so much of the strain off by suppressing unpleasant side effects for someone who wants to get clean. No matter how much someone can desire to end their dependency, the brain can have other plans, making the path to recovery very unpleasant and strenuous.

Where to Get Help?

If you are struggling with opioid addiction and are wishing to seek treatment, we are here to help. At Addiction Outreach Clinic, we provide medication assisted treatment with Suboxone in a caring and professional environment. With eight locations throughout Ohio and Pennsylvania, we offer immediate appointments for those who are seeking treatment. Contact us today to take the first steps toward recovery.

Whether treatment is for you, a family member or a friend, we are happy to speak with you about our outpatient drug treatment program and how AOC can help patients with their opioid addiction recovery. Since 2007, AOC has helped thousands of patients on their path to recovery.