Treating Opioid Addiction: How Does Suboxone Work?

To help with ongoing cravings and to lessen the severe symptoms of opioid withdrawal, suboxone was developed as an alternative to methadone. If an individual has a strong desire to stop taking opioids but has intense cravings, they are likely a candidate for a Suboxone program. Because it binds to opioid receptors in the brain but does not fully activate them, suboxone is an opioid. Since suboxone is only a partial opioid, it is less dangerous than other opioids like oxycodone or heroin. Read ahead and find out how Suboxone is used in treating Opioid addiction. 

What is Suboxone?

An opioid prescription medicine called Suboxone is used to treat opioid dependence. It can be used both as a maintenance medication to aid in the recovery from opioid use disorder as well as an induction agent to stabilize a person going through withdrawal during the course of medical detoxification. Suboxone is a combination of two drugs: buprenorphine which is a partial opioid agonist and naloxone which is an opioid antagonist and is administered as a dissolvable film placed either under the tongue or on the cheek. The FDA approved generic buprenorphine and naloxone sublingual (applied under the tongue) in the year 2018.

Benefits of Suboxone For Opioid Addiction Treatment

Buprenorphine, which is on the WHO’s list of essential medications in Opioid addiction treatment, is a crucial aid in helping people with opioid use disorders manage moderate to severe opioid withdrawal and cravings. Suboxone also has some additional advantages in the treatment of addiction, including the following:

• Increased overdose safety.
• Decreased risk of misuse.
• Long-acting effects may allow for alternate-day dosing.

Treating Opioid Addiction: How Does Suboxone Work?

Opioid addiction is a serious condition that should not be left untreated. Buprenorphine is known as a partial opioid agonist, in simple words, it means an opioid medication that produces relatively weaker opioid effects. This makes it easier for you to stop using your preferred opioid drug because buprenorphine lessens withdrawal symptoms and cravings without having the same negative effects as other opioids (such as heroin, fentanyl, oxycodone, hydrocodone, etc.).

High binding affinity may also prevent other opioids from engaging your opioid receptors and binding to them, which can prevent the usage of other opioids. As an agonist, Suboxone also has an upper limit to its opioid effects, even with escalating doses. The risk of overuse and overdose is lower than with other opioids because there is a limit as to how much your opioid receptors can be engaged. This helps reduce the potential for respiratory despair(dangerously slowed breathing), a risk and symptom of opioid overdose.

Suboxone and similar generic combination formulations, buprenorphine, are combined with the opioid receptor antagonist naloxone. Naloxone is used to reverse the fatal effects of an opioid overdose. Naloxone is included in this combination to help prevent intentional misuse of buprenorphine should it be dissolved and injected or inhaled nasally—doing so would cause the rapid onset of withdrawal in people who are opioid-dependent. Suboxone is an effective medication for opioid addiction treatment. Suboxone is often prescribed as a part of a comprehensive opioid addiction treatment approach that incorporates not only medications, but behavioral interventions, and, when needed, treatment for any co-occurring mental health conditions like depression.

Side Effects of Suboxone

As with any medication, Suboxone is associated with certain side effects, even when taken as prescribed. The risk of dying from respiratory depression increases when Suboxone is combined with other drugs that slow breathing, such as benzodiazepines, sedatives, tranquilizers, or alcohol. This is why suboxone should only be administered under the strict supervision of suboxone doctors. Common side effects include:

• Headache.
• Insomnia.
• Sweating.
• Swelling in arms and legs.
• Nausea.
• Vomiting.
• Constipation.
• Mouth or tongue numbness

Cost and Insurance Coverage of Suboxone

Suboxone addiction treatment is covered by health insurance, but the extent of coverage can vary depending on your specific health insurance plan, behavioral health benefits, treatment provider, and more. According to the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008, most health care plans must apply the same rules to the treatment of substance use and mental health disorders as they do to medical/physical health problems. However, it is advisable to verify your specific coverage with your insurance carrier.

The Bottom Line…

Though not a cure for addiction, medications like Suboxone can be life-changing. Suboxone works by inhibiting the receptors in the brain that want opioids, without activating these receptors to cause a “high.” Suboxone helps your body feel and operate normally. Research shows suboxone improves brain function.