Buprenorphine for Opioid Addiction
Outpatient Detox or Maintenance?
Reviewing the Basics
If you’re addicted to opioid narcotics or pain killers or heroin, then know that your opioid use disorder is treatable. Dr. Alkesh Patel offers comprehensive treatment strategies for opioid addiction using evidence-based medicine. Our primary goal is to empower you and help you maintain a lifetime of recovery, and our treatments can be customized to meet your specific needs.
Opioid Use Disorder: Recognizing The Addiction
When someone uses an opioid drug, depending on genetic and environmental factors, the body can become physically and psychologically dependent on that substance to function, resulting in a biological cascade of events awakening the cycle of addiction. Drug cravings, emotional and physical withdrawal symptoms, along with erratic changes in behavior can all result.
Biologically, the activation of the brain’s reward system is central to problems arising from opioid use disorder. The rewarding feeling that people experience as a result of using opioids may be so profound that they neglect other everyday activities and obligations. This can cause considerable distress to both the person addicted and their families.
The Opioid Epidemic: The Role of Medication Assisted Treatment-Buprenorphine, Naltrexone, and Methadone
Narcan (Naloxone) for Opioid Overdose
What You Need to Know
What Is Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT)?
Medication-assisted treatment is the use of evidence-based medications, such as suboxone and naltrexone, along with behavioral therapies and counseling to address opioid use disorder. These treatments can be customized to each person’s clinical needs.
MAT can be effective at various stages in the recovery process including:
- Alleviating acute or physical withdrawal symptoms during detox
- Suppressing cravings & post-acute withdrawal symptoms (PAWS) such as insomnia, restlessness, anxiety, and mood swings in the early stages of recovery
- Eliminating the substance’s ability to produce euphoria over time
Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) options for opioid use disorder can include:
- Buprenorphine – Buprenorphine/naloxone (suboxone) is a partial opioid agonist that works to suppress cravings, opioid withdrawal symptoms, and drug euphoria.
- Naltrexone – Naltrexone targets the euphoric and craving effects of opioids by binding to the opioid receptors and blocking them, often termed an opioid antagonist.
Clinical Outcomes with MAT
Improved treatment outcomes with MAT include better treatment engagement & retention and longer sustained recovery. This evidence-based treatment approach has been shown to reduce opioid overdose risk, decrease opioid use, and reduce the need for repeated opioid detoxification services & readmissions. We work with you through your treatment to help support your recovery. Reach out to our practice today for more information about MAT and our other treatments for opioid addiction. There is hope for everyone!
