How Can Suboxone Help You Stop Taking Opioids?

If you or someone you know is struggling with an opioid dependency, know that there’s no reason to feel ashamed. Opioid addiction affects people of all genders, ages, and backgrounds. If you want to kick it once and for all, acknowledging that you need help is the first step.

There are many places across the country where you can find the support you need to overcome an opioid addiction. In Pennsylvania, SEPA Pain & Spine is one of the most effective places to get this help. 

Our team uses the latest treatments to help people struggling with this condition heal. We most commonly recommend Suboxone, which is designed to help you gradually and safely wean off opioids. It works by easing cravings and withdrawal symptoms, making recovery significantly more manageable. 

In this blog, we explain how Suboxone works and why it’s so effective for managing opioid dependency.

What is Suboxone, and how does it work?

Suboxone is a prescription medication that’s specifically designed to help people kick opioid addiction by managing cravings and withdrawal symptoms. It combines buprenorphine and naloxone, which are both essential for this. 

Buprenorphine partially activates opioid receptors in your brain but just enough to ease withdrawal symptoms without the intense high you get when using opioids. 

Naloxone, on the other hand, blocks the effects of opioids. When taken as prescribed, naloxone remains inactive. But if you attempt to misuse Suboxone, naloxone will offset the effects of buprenorphine, preventing a high.

Why is Suboxone so effective? 

When you develop an opioid dependency, the hardest thing to deal with is the constant cravings. Suboxone helps to suppress these cravings, giving you a fighting chance at recovery.

Unlike other opioids, buprenorphine in Suboxone only works up to a certain point, so taking more won’t increase its effects. Naloxone also helps prevent misuse because if you try to inject it, you experience immediate withdrawal symptoms.

Finally, we can adjust Suboxone to fit your needs and lifestyle. Many patients can gradually reduce their dose over time under medical supervision.

What to expect when on Suboxone

As we just mentioned, Suboxone requires medical supervision, and using it without expert guidance can be fatal. But at SEPA Pain & Spine, it’s a pretty straightforward process. 

The first stage is the induction phase, when we start you on a low dose of Suboxone and gradually increase it until we find a stable dose that controls your withdrawal symptoms and cravings. 

From there, we develop a maintenance plan and eventually taper off the treatment if that’s best for you. Recovery from opioid addiction is personal and may not always happen as quickly as you want. It’s crucial to be patient and take each day as it comes.

You’re unlikely to overcome an opioid addiction overnight, but Suboxone goes a long way in making the process easier by reducing the intensity of withdrawal symptoms. 

At SEPA Pain & Spine, our opioid addiction care doesn’t stop at prescribing Suboxone. We dedicate all available resources to helping you regain your health and well-being and stay off opioids in the long run. 

Again, if you or a loved one is struggling with opioid dependency, don’t hesitate to reach out. Call us today to schedule a consultation at any of our offices in Horsham, Langhorne, Meadowbrook, Chalfont, East Norriton, or Limerick in southeastern Pennsylvania. You can also request one online here.