Suboxone Treatment
Suboxone treatment is used to assist a guest through opiate withdrawal with minimal withdrawal symptoms, if any. Suboxone is extremely effective in its ability to taper guests with substance use disorders off of a long time opioid dependence. Our guests will work with our team of medical professionals to determine the appropriate dose of Suboxone.
About Opioids
Over 70,000 drug overdose deaths occurred in 2017, 67.8% of those deaths were attributed to opioids. Prescription opioids are often prescribed to patients who suffer from chronic pain. Drug addiction with opioids is common because of the addictive side effects of opioid pharmacueticals. Opioids come in a wide variety of both legal narcotics, as well as illegal narcotics like heroin.
A Breakdown of Opioids
- Heroin
- Hydrocodone
- Vicodin®
- Lortab®
- Norco®
- Zohydro ER®
- Oxycodone
- OxyContin®
- Percocet®
- Percodan®
- Roxicodone®
- Tramadol
- Ultram®
- Ultracet®
- Codeine
- Tylenol® with Codeine 3 or 4
- Codeine pills
- Morphine
- Avinza®
- Kadian®
- MS Contin®
- Fentanyl
- Duragesic®
- Fentora®
- Buprenorphine Products
- Suboxone®
- Buprenorphine
- Buprenorphine Plus Naloxone
- Oxymorphone Products
- Opana®
- Demorol
- Hydromorphone Products
- Dilaudid®
- Exalgo®
- Methadone
- Other prescription pain relievers
At Royal Life Centers, our health professionals will help you or your loved one every step of the way on a journey to recovery. Our treatment program for opioid addiction relies on treating our guests body, mind and spirit. Our recommendation for prolonged opioid use or Opioid Use Disorder is to first attend one of our medical detox facilities. A treatment approach that addresses substance abuse, medical and mental health, and supports long-term recovery is our specialty at Royal Life Centers.
What is Suboxone?
Suboxone is an FDA approved opioid agonist-antagonist, which means the medication is used to both fill and block the receptor affected by opioids. Suboxone has both buprenorphine and naloxone as active ingredients. Naloxone is added as an active ingredient to prevent opioid drug abuse. It is possible for guests to have an allergic reaction to naloxone, in which case, using medication-assisted treatment to get off of opioids safely is best done in a setting with knowledgeable medical professionals, like our detox center. At Royal Life Centers, we administer Suboxone to treat opioid withdrawal in an inpatient level of care at our detox facility. Guests who suffer from opioid withdrawal symptoms will be monitored closely to ensure their safety. We also treat guests who have been using Suboxone maintenance long-term, to help our guests safely stop taking Suboxone.
How do you know if you struggle with an opioid addiction?
With the current opioid crisis in the United States, it is valuable to identify what Opioid Use Disorder or OUD looks like. Use the diagnostic material below to see if you or a loved one has OUD. The criteria for Opioid Use Disorder stands if you identify with at least two of the following, observed within the past year…
- Opioids are often taken in larger amounts or over a longer period than was intended
- There is a persistent desire or unsuccessful efforts to cut down or control opioid use
- A great deal of time is spent in activities necessary to obtain the opioid, use the opioid, or recover from its effects
- Craving, or a strong desire or urge to use opioids
- Recurrent opioid use resulting in a failure to fulfill major role obligations at work, school, or home
- Continued opioid use despite having persistent or recurrent social or interpersonal problems caused or exacerbated by the effects of opioids
- Important social, occupational, or recreational activities are given up or reduced because of opioid use
- Recurrent opioid use in situations in which it is physically hazardous
- Continued opioid use despite knowledge of having a persistent or recurrent physical or psychological problem that is likely to have been caused or exacerbated by the substance
- Exhibits tolerance
- Exhibits withdrawal
(Provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
If you or a loved one meet the last two criteria in response to taking prescribed opioids under trusted medical supervision, you may not suffer from opioid addiction. Opioid Use Disorder can vary in its severity, depending upon how much of the criteria one meets.
How does Royal Life Centers use Suboxone?
Royal Life Centers does use a Suboxone taper to treat opioid withdrawal symptoms, while the guest is inpatient at one of our detox centers. The use of a Suboxone taper needs to be determined and approved by a clinician and guest alike. We keep guests on an inpatient basis during detox to ensure their safety during the process. We use Suboxone when necessary, to taper a guest off of opioids, as an alternative to using an opioid substitution. Suboxone does not reverse an opioid overdose.
Works Cited:
“Module 5: Assesing and Addressing Opioid Use Disorder (OUD).” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Health & Human Services, www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/training/oud/accessible/index.html.
O’Malley, Gerald F., and Rika O’Malley. “Opioid Use Disorder and Rehabilitation.” Merck Manual- Professional Version, Merck, www.merckmanuals.com/professional/special-subjects/recreational-drugs-and-intoxicants/opioid-use-disorder-and-rehabilitation.
“Naloxone.” Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration , U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, www.samhsa.gov/medication-assisted-treatment/treatment/naloxone.
Scholl L, Seth P, Kariisa M, Wilson N, Baldwin G. Drug and Opioid-Involved Overdose Deaths – United States, 2013-2017. Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. ePub: 21 December 2018.
