You may have started using buprenorphine to fight your addiction to other opiates or overcome withdrawal symptoms from your drugs of choice. But you may have ended up developing an addiction to this drug itself, and you now find yourself facing the need for a buprenorphine detox center. This isn’t uncommon. Many patients have developed a secondary addiction to buprenorphine and started using it recreationally.

Secondary Addictions Can Lead You to a Buprenorphine Detox Center

Man in search of a buprenorphine detox center in FloridaDoctors prescribe buprenorphine to help their patients get through treatment for addiction to heroin, fentanyl, hydrocodone and other opioids. Subutex and Suboxone are prescription forms of buprenorphine, which can also become addictive through recreational use.

Buprenorphine works by targeting opioid receptors in the brain, mimicking many of the effects of heroin and prescription painkillers. When used according to the doctor’s prescription, the legally provided drug helps patients get through symptoms of withdrawal from their opioid addiction. Buprenorphine is intended to facilitate weaning off of opiates, yet many patients like how the prescribed drug feels and start using it for a high in place of their other drugs.

Unfortunately, when it’s abused, buprenorphine is as habit-forming as many other drugs. Physical dependence can quickly develop. Patients then need to undergo buprenorphine detox and addiction treatment.

Symptoms of Buprenorphine Addiction and Need for Detox

Addiction to buprenorphine in its earliest stages may be detectable by people closest to patients abusing the drug. As with other drug use, however, the signs can be subtle. It’s also hard for most people to know if the symptoms they’re seeing are due to withdrawal from opiates for which the buprenorphine was prescribed, or from abuse of the addiction medication.

The most recognizable symptoms of misuse include withdrawal symptoms that set in when the medication isn’t immediately available. These early signs of withdrawal include:

  • Agitation
  • Headaches
  • Sweating
  • Nausea
  • Drug-seeking behaviors

These symptoms don’t usually manifest unless buprenorphine is being abused. Patients injecting or taking more of the drug than they are supposed to can experience these symptoms with severity.

If you’re taking buprenorphine and believe yourself to be addicted, you may need the help of a licensed and accredited buprenorphine detox center. The signs of this need may include:

  • Anxiety when faced with not having buprenorphine
  • Preoccupation with getting more of the drug
  • Lack of control in its use
  • Using the addiction medication for a long period of time, longer than originally expected
  • Intense cravings for the drug
  • Doctor shopping to gain access to more prescriptions
  • Falsifying prescriptions
  • Illegal street purchase
  • Fraudulent purchase through pharmacies

In most cases, buprenorphine is helpful in overcoming addiction to opiates. The key is in following your doctor’s precise prescription and treatment plan. However, just like with most drugs, there’s the potential for abuse. As people who suffer from addictions know, the disease of addiction can make buprenorphine abuse occur, leading to the need for detox.

Reach Out to Our Buprenorphine Detox Center in Florida

When prescribed medications lead to addiction, the treatment needed is often the same as for illicit drug addiction. This treatment starts in a licensed and accredited Florida detox center.

Serenity House Detox & Recovery in Fort Lauderdale and Jupiter, Florida provides individually-focused detoxification from alcohol and drugs through the caring support of addiction specialists. By seeking help from Serenity House Detox & Recovery, you are opening the doors to a better future with freedom from addiction.

When you’re ready to start on the road to recovery from buprenorphine addiction or other drug or alcohol abuse, call Serenity House Detox & Recovery at 866-294-5306. This call will be your most important step forward into a better tomorrow, so don’t wait.