Opiate detox is a necessary first step toward addiction recovery. It can be particularlydifficult to initiate opiate detoxification because of the severe withdrawal symptoms which accompany the process. Fortunately, medications such as Suboxone make detoxification much easier. If you or a loved one has been struggling with an addiction to opiates, you should consider visiting one of our drug treatment centers located in Sunrise to discuss treatment with Suboxone.
Suboxone Inhibits Withdrawal Symptoms
When opiates leave the body, an addict can experience mild to severe symptoms that may include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal cramping. Muscle aches, hot and cold sweats, fatigue, anxiety, irritability, and insomnia are also possible. These uncomfortable symptoms prompt many addicts to return to using drugs again to obtain relief. As an alternative, when an individual instead uses Suboxone, the buprenorphine in the medication will attach itself to the opioid receptors in the brain. It serves as a substitute for the opiate to convince the brain that opioids are present in the body. Essentially, the vast majority of withdrawal symptoms which are normally experienced have now been eliminated.
It Does Not Result in Euphoria
Buprenorphine is a partial opioid agonist, rather than a full opioid like heroin or oxycodone. This means that when the drug attaches to the opioid receptors in the brain, it does not produce the pleasurable feelings of euphoria or a high that an opiate would produce. Suboxone treatment allows users to safely get through opiate detox without experiencing the intense physical craving for their drug of choice.
It Includes Safeguards Against Abuse
When using medications to treat drug dependence, it is only natural to be concerned about the potential for abuse of the prescribed drug. One of the ways Suboxone guards against abuse is that those who a prescribed Suboxone do not feel euphoria when they take a dosage. Another safeguard built into the drug is the “ceiling effect.” This means that even if a user takes more Suboxone than the prescribed dosage, he or she will not get high from the additional dose. Suboxone includes the drug naloxone in addition to buprenorphine. Naloxone is an opioid antagonist that can bind to the opioid receptors in the brain. When the drug is used correctly, naloxone does not have any significant effect. But if someone tries to abuse Suboxone by injecting or snorting it, the naloxone rapidly travels to the opioid receptors, displaces the buprenorphine, and triggers severe withdrawal symptoms. These are all very effective safeguards.