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Pluses for Suboxone Treatment

Suboxone is a brand name for a combination of the prescription medications buprenorphine hydrochloride and naloxone hydrochloride. Doctors prescribe Suboxone to treat addictions to opioid drugs such as heroin.

  1. Function

    • Suboxone is a mild opiate, meaning that it affects the same regions of the brain that heroin and other opiates target.

    Benefits

    • Because of its function, Suboxone decreases the unpleasant side effects associated with opiate withdrawal, such as anxiety, muscle aches, insomnia, vomiting and diarrhea. Additionally, Suboxone blocks the effects of heroin and other opiates.

    Expert Insight

    • A 2002 study at the Centre Hospitalier de la Côte Basque in France showed that addicts who took buprenorphine for six months consumed fewer psychotropic drugs than those who did not, providing evidence that the drug helps patients stop using opioids.

    Time Frame

    • Once a patient is no longer having cravings for opioids, his doctor will gradually wean him from Suboxone over a period of months or weeks, reports RxList. Eventually, the patient will stop taking the drug completely, and normally there are no withdrawal symptoms.

    Features

    • Suboxone treatment allows patients to receive medication to help with their addictions in a doctor's office rather than at a methadone clinic, making the process more private. Without having to take daily trips to a clinic, patients also have more time for work, therapy and family.

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