Suboxone is a beneficial drug used to treat people in the early stages of opiate use disorder. However, there’s also a risk of developing a dependence on suboxone. At Serenity House Detox & Recovery Florida, we treat clients with a suboxone addiction in Florida. If you need help, we welcome you to contact our admissions team to learn more about our detox center in Jupiter. Please contact Serenity House Detox & Recovery Florida at 866.294.5306 for more information about the treatment options available.
What Is Suboxone?
Suboxone is a mixture of naloxone and buprenorphine, and doctors use it to treat those with opiate addictions in the early stages of detox and recovery. These two medications have suitable properties to help reduce cravings and prevent an overdose.
Here are some more details about the main ingredients of suboxone:
- Buprenorphine is known as an opioid agonist. This means that it attaches to receptors in your brain in a similar way to other opiates. In the case of buprenorphine, the effects are weaker than heroin or prescription painkillers. So, taking buprenorphine can reduce the urge to use more dangerous opiates.
- Naloxone acts in the opposite way. Known as an opioid antagonist, it blocks some of the effects of opioids to help prevent an overdose. It does this by binding with receptors in the brain and preventing the more dangerous side effects of opioids. It’s sometimes used as an emergency treatment for opioid overdoses.
Suboxone, therefore, limits the euphoric effects of opioids and simultaneously reduces cravings, making it effective for relapse prevention.
How Do You Take Suboxone?
You take suboxone orally in one of three formats, as follows:
- Sublingual film strips
- Sublingual (under the tongue) tablets
- Buccal (against the cheek inside your mouth) film strips
Suboxone may be administered during inpatient or outpatient addiction counseling.
How Suboxone Addiction Starts
You may be wondering how suboxone addiction starts, mainly since it helps prevent cravings and overdoses. It’s a matter of degrees. Taking suboxone has far less risk of addiction than using stronger opioids. Additionally, it does not have the intense sedative effects as similar drugs, so it doesn’t typically induce cravings. Doctors gradually reduce the dosage of suboxone to try to prevent dependence. However, one of the main ingredients, buprenorphine, can provoke withdrawal symptoms such as nausea, headaches, and muscle pains.
Despite the best efforts of medical professionals who administer suboxone, suboxone abuse still occurs. People using suboxone often do so to relieve the effects of opioid withdrawal. Without the proper supervision, they may induce an overdose or become dependent on the medication.
Side Effects and Risks of Using Suboxone
Like all medications, suboxone has numerous side effects. Typically, these side effects go away within a few days.
Common suboxone side effects include the following:
- Anxiety
- Insomnia
- Muscle pain
- Fatigue
- Fever
- Headaches
- Depression
- Nausea
If you mix suboxone with other substances, such as alcohol, you may experience more severe side effects. For example, some people have an allergic reaction that causes swelling in the throat and respiratory distress. High enough doses can result in liver damage, put you in a coma, or induce an overdose.
We understand how troublesome withdrawal symptoms can be. That’s why we also offer relapse prevention services for our clients.
Suboxone Detox at Serenity House Detox & Recovery Florida
If you need treatment for suboxone addiction in Florida, the medical professionals and licensed therapists at Serenity House Detox & Recovery Florida can help. We offer various holistic and talk therapies to help you get to the bottom of your suboxone use disorder. Clients benefit from dual diagnosis treatment for co-occurring mental health disorders and holistic therapies, such as chiropractic care and yoga. Contact us at 866.294.5306, or contact us online today to speak with one of our admissions staff about our services and how they can change your life.