Opiod Addiction
Opioids are commonly prescribed because of their effective analgesic, or pain-relieving, properties. Medications that fall within this class - sometimes referred to as narcotics - include morphine, codeine, and related drugs. Morphine, for example, is often used before or after surgery to alleviate severe pain. Codeine, because it is less efficacious than morphine, is used for milder pain. Other examples of opioids that can be prescribed to alleviate pain include oxycodone (OxyContin), propoxyphene (Darvon), hydrocodone (Vicodin), and hydromorphone (Dilaudid), as well as meperidine (Demerol), which is used less often because of its side effects. In addition to their pain-relieving properties, some of these drugs - for example, codeine and diphenoxylate (Lomotil) - can be used to relieve coughs and diarrhea.
What are the effects of opioid use and abuse?
Chronic use of opioids can result in building a tolerance for the drugs, which means that users must take higher doses to achieve the same initial effects. Long-term use also can lead to physical dependence and addiction. The body becomes adjusted to the presence of the drug, and withdrawal symptoms occur if use is reduced or stopped. Symptoms of withdrawal include restlessness, muscle and bone pain, insomnia, diarrhea, vomiting, cold flashes with goose bumps, and involuntary leg movements. Taking a large single dose of an opioid could cause severe respiratory depression that can lead to death.
What Are the Treatments for Opiod Addiction?
Several options are available for effectively treating addiction to prescription opioids. These options are drawn from experience and research regarding the treatment of heroin addiction. For Opiod Addiction Michigan, Treatment for Opiod Addiction Michigan, or Opiod Addiction Treatment anywhere, Apex Behavioral Health is your answer. At Apex Behavioral Health, our doctors prescribe SUBOXONE.
Suboxone, also known as Buprenorphine is a more recently approved treatment for heroin addiction (and other opiates). Compared with methadone, buprenorphine produces less risk for overdose and withdrawal effects and produces a lower level of physical dependence, so patients who discontinue the medication generally have fewer withdrawal symptoms than those who stop taking methadone. The development of buprenorphine and its authorized use in physicians’ offices give opiate-addicted patients more medical options and extend the reach of addiction medication. Its accessibility may even prompt attempts to obtain treatment earlier. However, not all patients respond to buprenorphine and some continue to require treatment with methadone.
What is Suboxone?
Suboxone is used to treat opiate addiction. Suboxone contains a combination of buprenorphine and naloxone. Buprenorphine is an opioid medication. Buprenorphine is similar to other opioids such as morphine, codeine, and heroin however, it produces less euphoric ("high") effects and therefore may be easier to stop taking. Naloxone blocks the effects of opioids such as morphine, codeine, and heroin. If Suboxone is injected, naloxone will block the effects of buprenorphine and lead to withdrawal symptoms in a person with an opioid addiction. When administered under the tongue as directed, naloxone will not affect the actions of buprenorphine.
How Suboxone Works
Suboxone is dispensed in 2 mg and 8 mg tabs. It is taken orally allowing the tablet to dissolve in your mouth. It is comprised of two separate medications: buprenorphine and naloxone. Buprenorphine is a partial opioid agonist, meaning its opioid effects are significantly reduced compared to that of full opioid agonists, such as vicodin or heroin. The naloxone in suboxone is not appreciably absorbed from the digestive track when suboxone is taken orally and is in place to prevent the misuse of suboxone by injection drug users. The combination of these two medications leads to suboxone's effectiveness in treating opioid dependency.
Please also remember, if you are in need of treatment for Opiod Addiction Michigan, Opiod Addiction Treatment Michigan or Opiod Addiction Washtenaw County, Opiod Addiction Wayne County, Opiod Addiction Downriver, or anywhere else regardless of where you live, please call 734-729-3133 or visit our locations page. We have multiple locations.