Medically Reviewed

Navigating the Path to Recovery: Suboxone Treatment

Updated June 21, 2023
15 min. read
25 sections

This comprehensive guide provides an overview of inpatient Suboxone treatment, risks associated with misuse, and the nature of medications used in the process.

What you will learn:
  • Readers will understand the procedures and benefits of inpatient Suboxone treatment.
  • The article provides insights on the risks and potential dangers of Suboxone misuse.
  • The distinction between Subutex, Suboxone, and Buprenorphine is clarified for the readers.

Understanding Suboxone

Suboxone, a part of the medication-assisted treatment (MAT) arsenal, is often used to support individuals recovering from heroin or opioid painkiller addiction. When prescribed as part of a comprehensive treatment strategy, Suboxone can be a safe and effective recovery aid.

Suboxone’s Dual Purpose

Suboxone contains buprenorphine, an opioid agonist, and naloxone, designed to decrease abuse potential. However, despite these precautions, some may attempt to misuse Suboxone. If misuse becomes chronic, it can cause addictive behaviors, requiring intervention from a Suboxone rehab program.

The Buprenorphine and Naloxone Combination

Suboxone, a branded drug, merges buprenorphine with naloxone. Despite initial beliefs of low addiction risk, the FDA acknowledges Suboxone’s potential for misuse. Despite preventative measures, Suboxone addiction has been reported, and professional intervention might be needed.

The FDA warns of severe physical and mental health effects from long-term Suboxone misuse, especially when combined with alcohol or sedatives. Prolonged use can lead to dependence, addiction, and in severe cases, overdose.

Risks and Side Effects of Suboxone Addiction

Suboxone users may experience side effects like nausea, headaches, constipation, and diarrhea. Other side effects can include insomnia, irregular heartbeat, sweating, concentration issues, mouth numbness, vomiting, drowsiness, fainting, blurred vision, and tongue discomfort.

Rehab Facilities: Treating Suboxone Addiction

While Suboxone is meant for medical use, it can be misused. If misuse leads to addiction, seeking help from a Suboxone rehab facility can be beneficial. Residential rehab facilities provide various benefits, including counseling post-detoxification. Let us guide you to the facility best suited for your needs.

Suboxone: Tolerance vs Dependence

In a MAT program combining long-term medication management and behavioral counseling, Suboxone effectively manages opioid withdrawal in detox and outpatient settings. Regular, prescribed use of Suboxone doesn’t generally lead to tolerance, and dosage increases shouldn’t be necessary. However, dependence can still occur, leading to addiction if misuse happens. If this occurs, seeking professional help becomes essential.

Rehab Institutions: Suboxone Acceptance

Though not universally used, Suboxone can be a valuable addition to an addiction treatment program. If you’re interested in Suboxone-assisted treatment, we can confirm that the desired facility offers Suboxone as part of its MAT program.

Suboxone Addiction Treatment

Suboxone addiction can be treated in both inpatient and outpatient settings. Inpatient facilities provide round-the-clock care, an important factor when deciding on a treatment plan. They offer more comprehensive programs than outpatient clinics, including spiritual, non-spiritual, 12-step, holistic, and faith-based programs.

Inpatient Suboxone Treatment

Inpatient facilities offer on-site treatment for Suboxone addiction. Treatment includes medication, individual sessions, family sessions, group sessions, and peer meetings. The removal of daily distractions and triggers can enhance recovery focus, making inpatient treatment ideal for many. It’s especially beneficial for those with severe addiction, polysubstance abuse, treatment noncompliance, difficult withdrawal history, and co-occurring mental health issues.

Outpatient Suboxone Treatment

Outpatient clinics offer many therapeutic aspects available in inpatient facilities but in shorter durations. These programs allow patients to live at home while undergoing treatment, and they work best for individuals with a strong sober support system and reliable transportation to the clinic.

Privacy in Suboxone Treatment Programs

Suboxone treatment programs strictly respect your privacy as per the HIPAA Privacy Rule. This rule prevents medical practitioners from sharing your personal health information without consent. Some facilities may offer private suites for additional comfort and seclusion.

The 90-Day Substance Abuse Treatment

We can connect you with inpatient rehab centers offering 90-day treatment programs. Longer-term treatments like these can improve patient outcomes. We are here to help you access such a facility, one that can provide care in a warm, supportive setting, maximizing your chances for a full and lasting recovery.

Contact us to find a drug treatment facility that works with your insurance coverage, to answer questions about rehab, and to discuss the appropriate treatment options, including Suboxone use. Let us provide the knowledge, guidance, and support you need to begin your recovery journey.

Ready to Start Your Recovery Journey? Act Now!

Understanding the Timeline for Inpatient Suboxone Treatment

One common question among individuals considering addiction treatment for themselves or a loved one is about the duration of the process. It’s crucial to understand that the length of treatment varies from one person to another. Some people may fully recover after a 30-day course of Suboxone therapy, while others, particularly those battling more severe addictions, may require a 60- or 90-day treatment program.

Setting Expectations for Suboxone Treatment

If you or a loved one is seeking help, it’s important to know what to anticipate from a Suboxone rehabilitation clinic. The treatment begins with an intake phase, during which a team of addiction therapy specialists thoroughly evaluates the patient’s addiction status and their mental, physical, and social health.

Based on this comprehensive evaluation, a treatment plan is formulated, guiding the patient through detoxification and beyond. Once the patient achieves medical stability and substance abstinence, they will have access to individual therapy, group counseling, family therapy, support groups, and more as part of an individualized treatment plan.

Life After Suboxone Treatment

The prospect of returning to old habits after completing a residential treatment program can be intimidating, but patients can be assured that they’ll leave the Suboxone rehab center with the necessary resources to maintain their health and sobriety. Continuous support in the form of aftercare will help them preserve their recovery progress and minimize the risk of relapse. Aftercare options include sober living facilities, private addiction therapy, 12-step and non-12-step programs, group counseling, and alumni programs.

Searching for a Suboxone Rehabilitation Facility?

Acknowledging the need for help is the first step toward recovery. The Food and Drug Administration warns that improper use and prescription of Suboxone can lead to severe and even fatal consequences. Long-term Suboxone abuse can result in tolerance, addiction, and potential fatal overdose. To avoid these outcomes, it’s crucial to begin therapy as soon as possible.

What You Need to Get Started

When you reach out to us for help finding a treatment facility, we’ll need information about the addiction and the person affected. If you’re calling for yourself, keep your insurance card handy; we’ll need your policy number and specific plan details for the admissions process.

We will discuss your addiction, usage frequency, duration of abuse, severity, and average consumption. This information is also helpful if you’re calling on behalf of a loved one. It’s useful to know if the person in question is dealing with more than one health issue simultaneously.

Locating Local Suboxone Treatment Centers

Buprenorphine-containing products like Suboxone can only be prescribed by certified physicians, clinics, and other authorized practitioners. These specialists are legally allowed to practice medicine in their state, DEA-registered to prescribe controlled substances, and educated or certified as required for their roles. They are typically limited to no more than 30 patients per year during their first year of practice, unless they obtain a waiver to increase this limit.

Finding the right buprenorphine treatment provider in your area can be daunting. We’re here to help you find a Suboxone prescription without having to call around to various doctors and clinics.

Finding a Local Suboxone Addiction Treatment Facility

Both staying close to home and seeking a Suboxone treatment program far away have their advantages and disadvantages. Having a facility nearby can be beneficial if you have supportive loved ones and friends nearby. Contact us to use our local rehab locator directory, or send us a text message for support.

Alternatively, seeking treatment far from home can be a good choice if you lack support at home and are looking to start anew elsewhere. Although this may increase the overall cost of treatment, it could make a significant difference in terms of recovery success versus relapse.

It’s Never Too Late

Seeking treatment at a Suboxone rehab center and making a full recovery from addiction is always an option. If you or someone you care about is struggling with Suboxone, treatment is available.

Don’t Wait to Make a Change!

Suboxone High: Fact or Fiction?

Contrary to some beliefs, Suboxone cannot induce a high. However, misuse is prevalent. Approximately half of all Suboxone prescribed in the US is misused, often sold on the streets alongside heroin and other highly addictive substances. Suboxone was approved for opioid dependency treatment in 2002, but addicts soon found that it could also be used to maintain their habits. This is because Suboxone can alleviate withdrawal discomfort between “highs,” allowing addicts to continue abusing their drug of choice without fearing negative consequences. Furthermore, if addicts can’t get the drug they truly wish to abuse, Suboxone can keep them calm and content until the desired drug becomes available.

Although buprenorphine is an opioid substance, some individuals may try to abuse Suboxone for its psychoactive effects. Crushing a Suboxone tablet into a powder allows the drug to be snorted or dissolved in liquid for intravenous injection. However, naloxone, an opioid antagonist present in Suboxone, can trigger rapid withdrawal symptoms if the drug is injected.

Risks of Mixing Suboxone with Other Drugs

Misusing Suboxone alone poses significant risks, and these dangers can be magnified when combined with other substances.

Suboxone and Alcohol

The FDA strongly advises against mixing Suboxone and alcohol. Both substances have a depressive effect on the central nervous system (CNS). The combined use of alcohol and Suboxone significantly increases the risk of CNS depression. This can lead to impaired judgment, reduced inhibitions, risky behavior, and even suicidal actions. Severe effects on the CNS from this combination can include coma, deep sedation, respiratory depression, low blood pressure, and death.

Suboxone and Cocaine

Cocaine is a stimulant, which is a stark contrast to the depressant nature of Suboxone. Some side effects of cocaine, which are often significantly different from those of opioid drugs, include rapid heartbeat, high blood pressure, increased internal body temperature, restlessness, and aggressive behavior. Mixing Suboxone and cocaine can lead to polysubstance dependence, diminished impact of Suboxone, rapid heartbeat, masked effects of cocaine, and a heightened potential for fatal overdose.

Suboxone and Heroin

Suboxone is used to treat severe opioid dependence, but some people addicted to opioids use it to achieve a euphoric high. Especially for people with pre-existing breathing issues, combining Suboxone with another opioid can be deadly due to the combined sedative effects of the drugs.

Understanding Subutex, Suboxone, and Buprenorphine

Subutex is buprenorphine sold under a brand name. When used in prescribed amounts, it generally doesn’t produce the same euphoria, sleepiness, or CNS depression as illicit drugs. Subutex must be taken as prescribed by a licensed physician to achieve the desired results.

Suboxone, a brand name for the combination of buprenorphine and naloxone, was developed to reduce the number of people injecting or snorting buprenorphine recreationally. The inclusion of naloxone counters the effects of the drug if it’s injected.

Buprenorphine, an opiate agonist, helps people overcome opiate addiction. It contains molecules that bind with opioid receptors in the brain to relieve pain and induce feelings of well-being. Buprenorphine is used in conjunction with other therapies to effectively treat opioid addiction.

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Self-Assessment: Am I Addicted?
Self-Assessment: Am I Addicted?

Are you concerned about your own substance use or that of a loved one?

If you’ve observed that your drug usage is becoming unmanageable, or is adversely affecting your life, relationships, or health, you may be wondering if you’re struggling with a substance use disorder. If you’ve been consuming drugs and have doubts about potential addiction, honestly respond to the following 11 questions.

Disclaimer: Only a medical or clinical professional may diagnose a substance use disorder. This assessment may serve as an indicator of a potential addiction but should not replace a diagnosis from a professional treatment provider.

About The Contributor
Author's Avatar
Pernell Baisden
Contributor
With over three decades in recovery advocacy, this counselor advises county leaders, trains law enforcement, and crafts innovative rehabilitation techniques, epitomizing resilience and hope in the addiction recovery sphere.
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