Opioid Dependence MAT Services

Suboxone is a prescription medicine for the treatment of opioid dependence. It can be prescribed as a tablet or a film strip, and it dissolves under the tongue. Commonly used in medication assisted treatment, Suboxone has helped lower the rates of relapse and overdose for patients in treatment.

The active ingredients in Suboxone are buprenorphine and naloxone. Buprenorphine is a partial-agonist that targets the brain to reduce cravings and withdrawals, while naloxone, a full antagonist, blocks the effects of other opioids.

Suboxone coupons and generic Suboxone (buprenorphine and naloxone) medications are available to help patients save money. Buprenorphine-only medications (such as Subutex) are likewise available to patients who are pregnant or allergic to naloxone. Depending on your treatment needs and insurance provider, our physicians will determine which medication is the most effective and lowest-cost option.

Medication assisted treatments using Suboxone yield higher success rates for addressing opioid dependence than do abstinence-based treatments. Without medication to stymy severe cravings and withdrawals, patients who recently stopped taking opioids may start again. But Suboxone blunts those symptoms, so patients feel healthy and normal. Consequently, they are less prone to relapse during treatment. We also offer case management, teach behavioral skills development, and provide other methods of holistic care. Combined with medication, these modalities show patients how to cope with life and not lean on harmful drugs as a crutch. So if or when patients stop taking Suboxone (always under a physician’s observation), they are prepared to live and thrive as sober people.

Another reason we prescribe Suboxone is that it is safe for many patients. Compared to methadone and other full-agonist medications that were once widely used for treatment, Suboxone (and generic buprenorphine) has lower risks for abuse. Suboxone is still a controlled substance, though. It must be prescribed by a physician and dispensed by a reputable pharmacy.

Suboxone treatment is growing in popularity. More doctors, patients, and families are learning about medication assisted treatment and finding out its benefits. Still, we meet patients at Lake Behavioral Health who are skeptical about using medications to overcome drug addictions. They believe taking Suboxone merely substitutes one crutch (buprenorphine) for another (opioids). But this view is the opposite of how you should think about treatment.

Substance use disorder is a chronic disease, similar to high blood pressure. Doctors treat the latter with a combination of recommended lifestyle changes (diet, exercise, sleep) and medication. We take nearly the same approach to treating opioid dependence. Suboxone medicine stops withdrawals and cravings, so patients can feel better, faster, after they have gotten off opioids. Meanwhile, we teach them coping skills and show them how to live every day to the fullest without needing drugs to get by. And throughout their recoveries, our patients receive constant support from our physicians and their peers, all while in a comfortable, judgment-free environment.