For people who find themselves dependent on opiates or opioids such as heroin and prescription painkillers, Subutex (buprenorphine) is an appropriate treatment. It helps stop cravings, block withdrawal symptoms, and prevent the flu-like withdrawal symptoms often referred to as “dope sickness.”
Subutex is usually prescribed over the long term. Rather than delaying the acute period of opiate withdrawal, it delays the withdrawal altogether.
Use of Subutex Treatment for Opiate Withdrawal requires specific medical supervision. as an assisted treatment therapy, it can truly help people deal with opiate withdrawal and addiction.
When someone quits opiates cold-turkey or reduces their usage after using them for several weeks or longer, they experience a wide range of symptoms. Common opiates found on the market are heroin, morphine, codeine, hydrocodone, oxycontin, and Percocet. Not a single opiate is non-addictive. All are dangerous, with varying degrees of danger.
Over time, the brain adapts to the depressant effects caused by the opiates. To counteract these effects, the system “speeds up.” Once the opiates are cut, those hyperactive processes are no longer masked, which results in anxiety, restlessness, nausea, sweating, and muscle and bone aches. It can take weeks or even months for the body to achieve homeostasis—balance—once again.
Subutex is approved for the treatment of opiate dependence because it contains the active ingredient buprenorphine hydrochloride, which produces sufficient agonist effect to enable opioid-addicted individuals to discontinue the misuse of opioids without experiencing withdrawal.
While Suboxone, a medicine that contains an additional ingredient called naloxone to guard against misuse, is used more during the maintenance phase of treatment, Subutex is typically given during the first few days. It helps you to begin treatment by enabling you to participate in complete treatment program that also includes counseling and behavioral therapy.
As of today, opiate dependence treatments like Subutex can be dispensed only in a limited number of clinics and only by certified doctors who specialize in this type of treatment specifically. Subutex isn’t abuse-free, but treatment is carefully monitored. The DEA requires that Subutex must be administered by doctors (never by the patients themselves) in specified offices. The CSAT (Center for Substance Abuse Treatment) requires that each patient be given a unique identification number to track their treatment.
Before taking Subutex, be sure that your doctor knows about any medical conditions you may have. Don’t take Subutex unless your doctor approves. Even if you’re just looking to ease your opiate withdrawal, it’s a bad idea. Only your doctor can determine which dosage is right for you, or if you should be taking Subutex at all.
For a list of qualified doctors specializing in Subutex treatment, contact us.
For help with addiction in general, call Hired Power today: 800-910-9299
