Opiate addiction is now a common problem which means a large number of the population is going down a dangerous path of destruction. Suboxone rehab is now a very popular treatment option that is making a difference in the lives of people suffering from opiate addiction. In fact people often consider suboxone a miracle drug.
Opiate Addiction Treatment Using Suboxone
FDA (Food and Drug Administration) approved Subutex or Suboxone as being the first narcotic drug to be available as a prescription drug in an office setting to treat opiate dependence under the Drug Addiction Treatment Act (DATA) of 2000. This decision means that now a large number of drug addiction patients will have better chances of treatment and medications for their drug habit.
How Suboxone works In Opiate Addiction Treatment
Addiction treatment with suboxone are given to a patient during the initial and maintenance phase of opiate dependence treatment program and their main function is to prevent the withdrawal symptoms from opiates like heroin or morphine. Subutex whose only ingredient is buprenorphine is used in the beginning of the program while Suboxone is a formulation that is used in the maintenance treatment of opiate addiction.
How Does Suboxone Help?
Suboxone in actual terms is one pill that contains two drugs buprenorphine and naloxone. To understand how suboxone works, let us take a look at how both these ingredients work.
Buprenorphine – Buprenorphine is the active ingredient in Suboxone and is a partial opioid agonist in nature. This means that it can both block as well as activate opiate receptors depending on the clinical situation. Buprenorphine has a similar effect on the brain that addictive opiates like morphine or heroin have, however it is more controlled this way it helps the body to avoid the extremely uncomfortable opiate withdrawal symptoms.
Naloxone – Like buprenorphine, naloxone is also an opiate antagonist in nature and therefore it blocks the effects of opiates. This is also the main function of naloxone. To understand this better let us go back to the main active ingredient of suboxone that is buprenorphine. Buprenorphine makes suboxone an opiate agonist which means that it can trigger a receptor. Therefore the chances of suboxone abuse by people who are addicted to opiates are very high. This is where naloxone does its work. When an addict injects suboxone with hopes of getting high, the naloxone present in the drug blocks the effect of opiates and in turn leaves the user with severe withdrawal symptoms. The general side effects of using suboxone or subutex are headaches, body aches, flu-like symptoms, cold, nausea, mood swings, sleeping difficulties and sweating.
How Suboxone Treats Addictions
When a person takes opiates regularly over a long period of time, the body becomes addicted to them. Opiates cause dopamine release by attaching themselves to the receptors in the brain which in turn gives the brain and body a feeling of being high or euphoria. When an addicted body does not get it usual fix of addictive drug, the opiates that were attached to the brain receptors leave them and the feeling of euphoria starts to fade and withdrawal symptoms begin to set in the body leaving the user sick and craving the drug. As and when time passes and the body still does not get the drug these withdrawal symptoms become even worse. This is where suboxone comes into function.
When suboxone therapy begins, the brain receptors that were once occupied by opiates are now taken over by buprenorphine. As the main reason for withdrawal symptoms is the brain receptors being empty, the buprenorphine filling the space now help in preventing and diminishing the effect of withdrawal on the body. Once the buprenorphine firmly attachés itself to the brain receptors, it not only fills the empty space but also helps in blocking other opioids from taking over these receptors. Buprenorphine is a partial opioid antagonist with a longer action duration than other opiates, this means that the effect of buprenorphine lasts longer and does not wear off quickly. With buprenorphine in the patients system, the body and mind does not get the impact of withdrawal which in turn helps the patient to wean off the addictive opiates and start working on getting rid of his addiction.
Finding Suboxone Rehabs for a Loved One
If you have a loved one who is going down the dark and destructive path of opiate addiction, than you should get him the help he needs immediately in the form of suboxone rehabs. Suboxone-directory.com will help you find the best rehab programs near you in the most convenient manner possible.
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