Medical Detox and Suboxone
Opiate addiction is a complicated and challenging addiction, that can ruin the lives of not only the users, but many friends and family around them. If you’re struggling to overcome an opiate addiction, you may seem like you’re fighting a perpetual uphill battle. However, there are many medical detox treatments available for opiate dependency and opiate withdrawal, and one of the newest and most effective treatments available today is a prescription drug known as Suboxone.
How is Suboxone Administered
Suboxone treatment provides a safe and pain-free detox alternative to the traditional methods of going “Cold Turkey.” Suboxone works on any opiate based drug including heroin, oxycontin, codeine, percocet, vicodin, and morphine. Suboxone is predominantly administered in an office based outpatient setting and can only be prescribed by a physician who is approved by the SAMHSA. Treatments are taken over an appointed amount of time, then tapered off until all opiate withdrawal symptoms have dissipated. Suboxone offers patients the alternative to receiving treatment in a completely anonymous setting, instead of at a hospital.
Some doctors may prescribe the drug to be administered in a home setting, but all patients are evaluated and treated in subsequent office visits until the addiction is finally kicked. It is important to remember that Suboxone is only part of a complete treatment program that will usually include additional treatments including behavioral therapy, support groups and individual drug counseling.
What is the Suboxone Treatment Like?
When starting a medical detox program like Suboxone, your doctor will first instruct you on how to prepare for your first visit. It is very important that you still be in withdrawal before starting any Suboxone treatment, because you may experience severe withdrawal symptoms if you are not.
The first day of treatment will normally take about two hours. You will be administered approximately 8mg to 16mg of suboxone and you are advised not to work or take part in any rigorous activity the rest of the day. Some patients may be advised to split the dosage over the course of the day to provide more of an opportunity to forget and reinforce old behaviors.
On the first day of taking suboxone, you may experience the sweats, anxiety, chills, agitation, stomach cramps, and restlessness. This is to be expected and means that the medication is taking effect. Twenty to thirty minutes after your first dose you should begin to feel those symptoms go away. You should be given a second dose approximately an hour after that will work to dissipate any withdrawal symptoms the body has left.
As treatment goes on, you will feel more and more comfortable taking the drug, and should expect a well-established routine with regards to doctor and counseling appointments. Suboxone detox treatment may be different for everybody and you should consult an experienced suboxone physician for further information about the drug.
