Are you planning on receiving Suboxone treatment at a Los Angeles rehab center? If so, read on to learn what you should expect from a typical Suboxone program experience.
Are you suffering from an opioid addiction? You’re not alone.
Estimates show that there are between 26.4 million and 36 million people abusing opioids worldwide. California has many different treatment facilities to help people battle this crippling addiction.
One growing treatment method for opioid addicts is Suboxone treatment. Under the close supervision of a physician, Suboxone can be an effective method of weaning you off of harmful drugs.
That’s not to say that Suboxone is without its risks. As with any drug treatment, it’s important to understand what to expect.
Are you planning on receiving Suboxone treatment in a Los Angeles rehab center? If so, read on to learn what you should expect from the experience.
What is Suboxone?
Suboxone has been a popular treatment for opioid addicts since it was approved for clinical use by the Food and Drug Administration in 2002. It comes in a pill and is a combination of two different medicines: buprenorphine and naloxone.
Buprenorphine is a medicine that is primarily used to fight withdrawal symptoms. When someone becomes addicted to opioids, opioid receptors need to be activated or else they start to feel withdrawals. Heroin and other opioids act as an agonist that fill the opioid receptor.
Buprenorphine fills the receptor and blocks out other opioids from filling this space. As a result, patients will feel alleviated withdrawal symptoms.
Naloxone is included in the Suboxone treatment because it reduces the risks of taking this medicine via injection. Naloxone can trigger withdrawal symptoms and reverse the effects of opioids. However, it has relativity minor effects on patients when it is taken in pill form.
It can be difficult to find Suboxone treatment Los Angeles centers. Only about 3 percent of US physicians have the credentials to prescribe buprenorphine for addiction.
Benefits
Why are there so many Suboxone treatment Los Angeles centers?
There are many benefits to taking Suboxone to wean yourself off of addictive opioids. For one, buprenorphine is an effective tool to suppress withdrawal symptoms and reduce cravings.
Additionally, Suboxone is often an easier treatment method than it’s alternatives. Suboxone treatments can be handled discretely and safely in a doctor’s office.
It’s rare for patients to be hospitalized during their treatment. Many patients can handle their treatment by making visits to a clinic and handling their addiction outpatient.
Suboxone is also safer than alternatives like methadone. In fact, researchers found that buprenorphine is six times safer than methadone when it comes to overdose risks.
No opioid treatment is without its risks. However, Suboxone is safer than some other treatment methods. It’s also desirable for patients who are seeking to handle their addiction outside a hospital.
Length of Treatment
One of the reasons that opioid addiction is so difficult to treat is that it causes changes in the brain.
Opioid addiction causes the brain to crave the high levels of dopamine released by the drugs. Over time, the brain needs to repeat the pleasure-inducing action to function normally. Continued use of opiates makes the brain receptors less responsive to the drugs, meaning you need to consume more to have the same effect.
These changes to the brain make it very difficult to overcome the effects of opioid addiction. In fact, 90 percent of opiate addicts will relapse within the first year after completing a traditional treatment program.
Patients seeking Suboxone treatment Los Angeles need to give themselves adequate time to overcome these effects. Though Suboxone is a short-term treatment, it still takes time reverse brain changes and overcomes withdrawals.
Patients should aim for at least six months of Suboxone treatment. Often times, patients require over a year of treatment to reduce the risk of relapse.
Treatment is handled on a case by case basis. If you’re serious about overcoming your opioid addiction, you need to handle your Suboxone treatment with care. Make sure you give yourself enough time to overcome addiction, withdrawals, and changes in the brain.
Side Effects
Suboxone treatment Los Angeles is a short-term solution to a long-term problem.
Proper treatment may last at least six months, but Suboxone is not without its side effects. Suboxone functions as an agonist, meaning that it still fills opioid receptors. As a result, Suboxone is addictive and many patients get withdrawals when they stop taking the drug.
There are many symptoms of Suboxone withdrawal. Patients who stop taking Suboxone may experience nausea, insomnia, headaches, vomiting, anxiety, depression and more.
Physical symptoms are at their worst the first three days after quitting Suboxone. After about one week, the withdrawal symptoms are more mental. Patients might experience mood swings or insomnia.
After two weeks, patients are most likely to experience depression and cravings. Most of the withdrawal symptoms will go away after about a month.
Withdrawal can be a very difficult situation to face. Patients should be in contact with their physician for at least the first month of Suboxone withdrawal to help prevent a relapse.
Dealing with Withdrawal
Physicians can help you deal with your Suboxone withdrawal, but only you can prevent a relapse.
There are many different ways to cope with opioid withdrawals after you stop taking Suboxone. Some of the most effective methods include physical exercise, socialization, and finding a hobby.
Remember that you are not going through this alone. Keep your mind active and use your friends and family as support. Remember to stay in touch with your Suboxone treatment Los Angeles center if you are experiencing intense cravings.
Finding the Right Suboxone Treatment Los Angeles
Opiate addiction is difficult to overcome no matter the treatment method.
Suboxone is only an effective tool if it’s used correctly. If you’re considering Suboxone treatment, you need to find the right physician that can be your ally through this difficult process.
Are you looking for Suboxone treatment Los Angeles centers? We’re here to help. Check us out at Muse Treatment to learn more about our addiction programs.
We have a team of expert addiction-specialists standing by ready to speak confidentially with you. What are you waiting for? Start your path to recovery today.
