Suboxone Treatment

Suboxone is a brand-name prescription medicine consisting of naloxone and buprenorphine, both active ingredients. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved its use in helping adults overcome opioid addictions in 2002.

Harvard University conducted a study in 2015 that concluded that Suboxone tripled the likelihood of recovery and opioid abstinence for adults when paired with counseling or therapy versus seeking counseling alone.

Impact of Heroin and Opiates on the Brain

Opioids bind to neuroreceptors in the brain to relieve pain and create euphoria, often leading to abuse. The longer an individual takes opioids, the more tolerant the brain becomes, reducing the effectiveness of the drugs. While individuals must take more to get the same effects, the brain chemistry has changed, increasing impulsivity and desire and decreasing predictive thinking skills. When individuals addicted to opioids stop taking them, the neuroreceptors cause withdrawal symptoms.

What Does Suboxone (Buprenorphine) Do?

Suboxone (buprenorphine) treatment stops opiate cravings and eliminates withdrawal symptoms to help individuals recover.

Buprenorphine attempts to attach to the neuroreceptors instead of the opioid, creating a stronger bond that blocks out the abused substance. At the same time, buprenorphine provides minor suppression of withdrawal symptoms without feelings of euphoria.

Some buprenorphine medications also have Naloxone. Naloxone, which is similar to the medication used in Naltrexone, is a full inhibitor of the brains neuroreceptors—not allowing any opioid or buprenorphine to the brain. Thus, while Naloxone will have little effect if taken as directed, it will inhibit the brain from receiving any opioid or Buprenorphine if injected, putting patients into full withdrawal.

Benefits of Suboxone (Buprenorphine)

At the appropriate dose, Buprenorphine treatment may:

• Reduce opioid use
• Keep patients in treatment for longer
• Decrease opioid cravings and eliminate withdrawals
• Reduce misuse potential
• Block opioid effects
• Put a cap on medication effects

Brands of Buprenorphine on the Market:

• Suboxone
• Zubsolv
• Bunavail
• Sublocade®

Is Suboxone (Buprenorphine) Treatment Trading One Addiction for Another?

Using Suboxone does not replace an opioid addiction with another problem. Buprenorphine simply eliminates withdrawal symptoms and reduces cravings, loss of control, and compulsive behaviors. After eliminating all opioid addiction symptoms, patients enter remission and no longer require Buprenorphine.

The key is the difference between addiction and physical dependence. Buprenorphine helps patients manage pre-existing physical dependence that is medically manageable and allows individuals to wean off the Buprenorphine at the end of treatment. Physical dependence doesn’t require medical treatment like addiction does. Instead, patients go through a short period of physical discomfort normal for an individual who has abused opiates for a significant time.

Comparing Suboxone (Buprenorphine) to Methadone

Doctors have used Methadone to treat patients suffering from heroin addiction for many years. However, this treatment option often requires patients to visit the clinic daily to obtain the medication, creating a barrier to treatment for many. Not all communities have Methadone clinics, making it challenging for individuals to seek this treatment. Suboxone, on the other hand, offers a more straightforward solution. Patients receive a prescription for Suboxone to take home, simplifying treatment and recovery. In addition, Methadone often requires increased doses over time, which can further complicate recovery.