Suboxone And Pain Pill Withdrawal
Suboxone is a high-dose derivative formulation from buprenorphine that is most commonly used to treat painkiller and opioid, or narcotic, addiction. It usually comes in the form of a tiny, octagonal, orange tablet that is to be taken orally, only available by prescription to people ages 16 and older. Suboxone is essentially a narcotic itself, but it has the ability to wean a person off of other addictive narcotics like oxycodone, morphine, hydrocodone, and heroin.
Suboxone contains 25% naloxone, which works to fight against the effects of opioid abuse and overdose, particularly the potentially fatal suppression of the neurological and respiratory systems. The naloxone content is designed to produce withdrawal symptoms to the narcotic that a patient is addicted to, which will encourage less and less use of that narcotic.
The question remains, “Just how safe is Suboxone?” As with any drug, there are side effects to taking Suboxone. Common side effects include diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, dizziness, stomachaches, insomnia, weakness, chills, sweats, and constipation. The more severe but rare side effects, which should be reported to a physician or an emergency medical center immediately, include blurred vision, slurred speech, fainting, mental confusion, lack of coordination, shallow breathing, jaundice, swelling, irregular heartbeat, chest tightness, and severe allergic reactions.
Potential dangers to pregnant women have not been sufficiently tested; therefore, Suboxone is not prescribed for pregnant women, but rather a similar drug like methadone when necessary. Suboxone also is not intended for children. No one under the age of 16 can be prescribed this medication.
Some people believe that Suboxone is an attempt to treat an addiction with another potentially addictive drug, but the truth is that Suboxone is very unlikely to cause an addiction when taken sublingually and at the intended dosage. In fact, taking Suboxone orally sort of weakens the effects of the drug somewhat as it gets metabolized before entering the bloodstream at full strength. When another variation of buprenorphine called Subutex is taken intravenously, without the naloxone protective barrier, it is possible to be mildly addicted to the drug. Suboxone has naloxone in place to prevent this from happening in the toughest of cases. Also, the slow, mild release of Suboxone in the body makes the pleasurable effect usually associated with intense addictions very subdued.
To further safeguard patients, doctors are restricted by law to prescribing drugs like Suboxone to a limited number of people, especially when the purpose is to treat opioid addictions. Quantities and strengths of the drug are also closely guarded. It’s up to physicians when and how much to reduce doses when they feel that a patient is ready to be totally weaned from their addiction.
Are There Alternative to Suboxone For Pain Pill Withdrawal
What are the alternatives to using a drug like Suboxone to break narcotic addictions? Well, there are natural herbal remedies like passionflower, ginger root and valeria, which lessen the intensity of withdrawal symptoms. A person could also go “cold turkey” and just suffer through the withdrawal symptoms that accompany narcotic drug cessation, but these symptoms are often so severe and uncomfortable that more gradual methods to quit, such as using weaning drugs like Suboxone, are preferred. One of my clients was a police office who had a lot of will and determination. She tried to stop her percoset addiction on her own and said it was the hardest thing she ever did. She went to the ER at one point to get relief because the cold turkey approach was very difficult due to the withdrawal symptoms. Buprenorphine has had a success rate of over 80% in treating opioid addiction, so the drug does work. Aside from side effects and possible long-term ineffectiveness of preventing additional addictions with Suboxone, many professionals feel that the drug is safe to take under controlled medical supervision and is a way beyond opioid addiction.