Suboxone Treatment for Opiate Addiction. Does it cause addiction

A clinical experience perspective:

A lot of my patients ask me if they will become “addicted” to Suboxone( Buprenorphine).

I have treated many patients for pain killer, Heroin, Hydrocodone, Morphine etc, and in my  clinical experience I have not yet seen a patient who got “addicted to Suboxone in my practice.  By addiction I mean increasing your dose continuously from what your doctor prescribed; like what happens with pain killers. This does not happen with Suboxone. In fact most patient manage to gradually taper their dose down.

Patients also ask can they get off Suboxone within a short period of time. The answer is: It depends on the length and extent of the abuse. It takes the brain a very long time to normalize after being sober. The brain chemistry changes after abusing opiate for a long time. Opiate addicts can take 50 to 60 pills per day, yet they keep their wakefullness. If a non addict take this high dose they might sink into a coma.

How can an addict stay awake while taking high levels of opiate pills?  The brain creates more and more and more opiate receptors. These receptors will be sitting in your brain like hungry babies. You either satisfy them by an increasing dose of opiate or give them Suboxone. This means if these patients would stop Suboxone early in treatment, they will have an overwhelming craving and would definitely realpse.

You can very very very slowly wean off Suboxone under medical supervision. It might take years to do it if have been addicted for a long time or using a lot of opiate or if have been IV drug user. Some of my patients chose not to get off Suboxone because it continues to help them have their life back. Some other patient liked the “antidepressant and anti anxiety effects” of Suboxone and chose to remain on it.

 

 

Houston Drug Rehab Clinic – Drug Addiction and Abuse Test

Consider these questions.  Answer for the period of the last 12 months:

1. Have you used drugs other than those needed for medical reasons?

2. Do you purposely misuse more than one drug at a time?

3. Are you always able to stop using drugs?

4. Have you ever had blackouts or flashbacks as a result of drug use?

5. Do you ever feel bad or guilty about your drug use?

6. Does your spouse (or your parents) ever complain about your involvement with drugs?

7. Have you neglected your family because of your use of drugs?

8. Have you engaged in illegal activities in order to obtain drugs?

9. Have you ever experienced withdrawal symptoms (felt sick) when you stopped taking drugs?

10.Have you had medical problems as a result of your drug use (such as memory loss, hepatitis, convulsions, bleeding)?

If you answered yes to 3 or more of these questions, you might benefit from consulting a Drug Rehab Physician.

Your sober future starts today.
Rehab Hotline:  (832) 713-NEW1 which is (832) 713-6391.

Wafaa Farag, MD
Board Certified Psychiatrist

Want to Stop Opiate Cravings? Houston Opiate Addiction Treatment Clinic Discusses How

Cravings are the number one reason a drug addiction can’t be kicked.  Relapse prevention treatment should include a medication that helps prevent cravings.

Opiate medications which are used as pain killers include:  Lorcet, Hydrocodone, Norco, Percoset, Oxycontin, Morphine, Heroin, and others.

Our Houston Opiate Addiction Treatment Clinic, The Mind and Body Rehab Clinic, is experienced in prescribing Buprenorphine to help prevent cravings and therefore, helps in preventing relapse into drug addiction.

Brand names of Buprenorphine include:

  • Suboxone (buprenorphine with naloxone)
  • Subutex

Treatment medications reduce cravings by blocking the receptors in the brain that trigger the cravings.

The Mind and Body Drug Rehab Clinic is Experienced in Reducing Cravings.  (832) 713-NEW1 which is: (832) 713-6391.

Houston Suboxone Doctor Gives 3 Reasons to Choose a Psychiatrist for Drug Addiction Treatment

Why choose a psychiatrist as the medical professional to treat your drug addiction?
Here are reasons why.
  1. A person becomes addicted to drugs for multiple reasons, and those reasons need to be uncovered and examined.  A psychiatrist will do this analysis.
  2. A psychiatrist knows what medicines to use, and if necessary, what medicines to mix in your recovery program.  For instance, ADHD is frequently associated with addictions, such as opiate addiction, and if that is treated along with another medicine to prevent withdrawals and cravings, then these medicines and their interactions need to be well understood.
  3. A psychiatrist specializes in behavior and psychosocial factors.  When on the road to recovering from addiction, your environment, family situation, your upbringing and other factors play an important role in your chances for recovering from an addiction.  As stated, a psychiatrist is aware of these dynamics and how to understand and address them in your treatment plan.
Contact The Mind and Body Rehab Clinic for a fast appointment and get your customized treatment program underway.  Your future starts today.
Rehab Hotline:  (832) 713-NEW1 which is (832) 713-6391.

Wafaa Farag, MD
Board Certified Psychiatrist

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