Suboxone Uses, Addiction Potential, and Treatment Costs

Suboxone is a medicine that is often used in treatment for addiction treatment of opioid dependence (OUD). It aids people to stop taking opioids by controlling withdrawal symptoms and reducing cravings.1 In the event that you, or someone else you have in your life is struggling with an addiction to opioids and would like to solve the problem, you might be interested in learning about the ways Suboxone could help in recovery.


Read on to find out how to know more about Suboxone treatment to understand how it works to treat addiction, the benefits of using Suboxone for addiction treatment, potential side effects of Suboxone use, and the best method to locate Suboxone treatment centers in your area. Suboxone treatment center near you so you can start the process of the recovery process from addiction to opioids.


Buprenorphine is described as a partial opioid agonist. This is an opioid medicine that produces relatively weak opioid effects. This means that buprenorphine reduces withdrawal symptoms and cravings without producing the full impact similar to other opioids (such such as heroin, fentanyl, oxycodone hydrocodone. ), which could make it easier to stop taking the opioid of your choice.1


With high binding affinity, it can also prevent other opioids from binding the opioid receptors that can prevent misuse of other opioids.1,3


As a partial agonist buprenorphine also has an upper limit for its opioid effects, even with escalating doses. The risk of abuse and overdose is less similar opioids as it has a limitation as to how high your opioid receptors are activated. This decreases the possibility to develop respiratory depression (dangerously impaired breathing), which is a sign and risk of opioid overdose.1,3


Naloxone is an antagonist of the opioid receptor that is combined with buprenorphine within Suboxone or similar combinations formulations. Though naloxone is used on its own to reverse the fatal effects of overdoses with opioids, it is added to this combo to help prevent the abuse of buprenorphine. Should its dissolution be injected or inhaled nasally--doing so would result in the quick onset of withdrawal for addicts to opioids individuals.1,3,4


While it is an effective drug for treating addiction to opioids, Suboxone is often utilized as part of a holistic treatment strategy that includes not just medication but also behavioral strategies as well as mutual-help groups, and, where necessary treatment for co-occurring mental health problems (like depression or anxiety).


Suboxone Uses and Safety

Suboxone is a treatment for the condition known as opioid use disorder. It is the most common clinical diagnosis for opioid addiction. Suboxone is increasingly becoming the standard of care for controlling OUD. If you are in rehab for opioid addiction, you may receive medications to treat addiction as an integral component of your plan for treatment. Drugs such as Suboxone used for treatment of addiction are component of the treatment plan which includes treatment for behavioral and counseling to treat substance abuse disorders.


Suboxone is secure when used in the manner recommended for treating OUD. Recently, Suboxone revised some of the information provided in the dosage and administration section of the packaging of its pharmaceuticals, which includes the addition of the suggestion that health professionals prescribe naloxone, due to the potential of individuals with opioid use disorder to get back to their old patterns, which can put the risk of an opioid overdose.5 Furthermore, for people dependent on short-acting opioids, the recommended dose was cut by half, limiting it to not more that 8 mg/2.5 mg of Suboxone on the first day for acute opioid withdrawal.5


If used in the manner prescribed and in a controlled manner, Suboxone has a lower possibility of overdose due to its ceiling of opioid effects discussed earlier.6 The misuse of Suboxone, such as injecting it or taking the drug in greater quantities than recommended, taking it when drinking drinks or taking any sedative, or using it too quickly after using other opioids--can place the user at a higher chance of suffering adverse effects.1


In the event of taking Suboxone in too short a time after taking other opioids could trigger uncomfortable opioid withdrawal symptoms like shaking, sweating, digestive upset, and anxiety. There are other possible side effects, but they are usually not common. can occur, such as the effects of overdose or respiratory depression, that are more likely in the case of misuse.7


Buprenorphine was developed in the 1970s to provide an alternative to other opioid pain medication. It was approved as a painkiller in the year 1985 when it was classified as one of the Schedule V substance, which are substances with been used for a long time and have a less risk of misuse than those in Schedules I-IV. It was discovered by the medical community that buprenorphine may be a reliable and more easily accessible alternative to methadone, which was the main medication for treating addiction to opioids. addiction.4,7,8 The results of research by pharmaceutical companies eventually led to the decision to blend buprenorphine with naloxone in an effort to lower the chance of misuse of buprenorphine. Suboxone was granted FDA approval to treat opioid addiction in October 2002.8,9


Benefits of Suboxone Use in Medications for Addiction Treatment

Buprenorphine is one of the lists of essential medicines maintained by the World Health Organization, and is an indispensable tool for helping people with opioid use disorder ease moderate to severe withdrawal and cravings.8 Other benefits of the use of Suboxone as a treatment for addiction include:9,11


Increased overdose safety.

Lower risk of misuse.

Long-acting euphoria can permit different-day doses.

Potential Side Effects of Suboxone Use

As with any drug, Suboxone is associated with specific side effects even when used as recommended. Death from respiratory depression is uncommon with Suboxone. However, it may be more likely when people use Suboxone in conjunction with other substances that make breathing difficult, such as benzodiazepines, sedatives, tranquilizers or alcohol.1,3,9,12


Common side effects of Suboxone are: 1.


Headache.

Insomnia.

Sweating.

Swelling in arms and legs.

Nausea.

Vomiting.

Constipation.

Numbness or numbness of the tongue, burning, and redness if you're using the orally dissolved film.

Less frequent, but potentially more serious adverse effects may include: 1.


Low blood pressure when you get up.

Insufficiency in liver function.

Changes in the metabolism of the adrenal gland.

Sleep-related breathing issues.

Allergies (if your allergies are to any of the ingredients).

Is Suboxone Addictive? Can People Misuse Suboxone?

Suboxone can cause physical dependence after long-term use due to the inclusion of buprenorphine which is an opioid.13 But, dependence is not the same as addiction--though the potential for it to develop even with the use of prescription drugs is a sign that you might experience withdrawal symptoms in the event that you stop abruptly using it.


Do not stop using Suboxone unless instructed to stop by your physician. Your Suboxone usage is closely monitored by health professionals throughout the duration of your treatment. In the direction of your doctor the treatment will be tapered off Suboxone. This means gradually decreasing your dose as the right time comes for you.1,13


As with all opioids the buprenorphine component in Suboxone is a definite misuse liability. However, as a partial opioid agonist the drug is incapable of triggering the more powerfully emotional effects of more widely abused opioids like heroin and oxycodone.1 Naloxone is specifically included in the combination formulation to limit the potential for misuse, as attempts at achieving the sensation of euphoria through ways of using it may cause blocking the opioid receptor and leading to withdrawal.4


It is important to recognize that the use of Suboxone for treating addiction to opioids isn't merely substituting one addiction for another. Instead, Suboxone helps people limit their addiction to harmful opioid use, allowing people to live the normal, healthier life.13


Cost and Insurance Coverage of Suboxone

Suboxone is generally covered under health insurance. However, the extent of coverage could vary depending on your specific health insurance policy, behavioral health benefits, treatment providers, and many more. According to the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 the majority of health insurance plans have to follow the same regulations to the treatment of addiction and mental health disorders , as they apply to physical health problems.4 However, it's advisable to verify your specific insurance coverage with your insurer. Check your insurance benefits and find out whether your rehabilitation will be completely or partly covered using the questionnaire below.


A lot of rural communities across the United States lack adequate access to substance use treatment and medication for addiction treatment, including those for addicts. As per the Ryan Haight Act of 2008 controlled substances may be prescribed through the internet.14 The law states that the healthcare professional who prescribes the medication must have seen the patient for at least one in-person medical evaluation.14


In the SUPPORT Act of 2018 however it requires the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to create a regulatory pathway that permits buprenorphine-related prescriptions using telemedicine in which the doctor meets with the patient for a telephone or video consult, but the DEA has yet to do this. Therefore, in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, the regulators lifted the requirement to meet in person under the Ryan Haight Act to expand the availability of buprenorphine to people who need opioid disorder treatment.14,15 So, federally-approved changes set during the COVID-19 pandemicmay permit some addiction treatment practitioners, that utilize telemedicine, prescribe buprenorphine without the initial in-person evaluation.16


Can I Get Same-Day Suboxone Treatment?

Admission to a detox program may be beneficial when you or your family member is experiencing or are at risk of developing opioid withdrawal symptoms.

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