Treatment for Suboxone: There have been cases where opiate addicts have had success with short term use of Suboxone. It is marketed as a miracle drug to provide painless detox from heroin and painkillers. However, if the dosage is not given properly, cross addiction can likely take place. Suboxone is long acting and because of this takes longer to leave the body than opiates. Tapering oneself off of an addictive substance is too difficult to do alone or on an outpatient basis. Summer House provides the security of a caring professional staff who are dedicated to getting you clean and reaching your goals.

Signs of Withdrawal: Unfortunately there is a lot of misinformation when it comes to Suboxone. Many opiate addicts see Suboxone as a way to detox with no side effects and try to taper themselves on an outpatient basis. All too often the user depends on Suboxone for prolonged periods of time only to discover that they have developed an addiction to the opiate replacement therapy. They may start to experience anxiety, cold or flu symptoms, pain, vomiting, diarrhea, leg restlessness, insomnia, and irritability. Sadly, these symptoms are very similar to the ones they were trying to avoid by using Suboxone in the first place.

Solution: There is a general feeling of discouragement that comes when a supposed “miracle drug” does not work the way it was promised. Self administering an addictive substance proves to be a fruitless effort for most addicts. Summer House customizes their detox plans for every patient and is dependent upon the amount the patient has been using and for the length of time. Summer House understands that everyone is different and treats each patient as an individual. Our gradual reduction method of detoxing provides the most comfortable experience possible.

Addiction medicine doctors consider heroin and opiate addiction to be a chronic disease and they treat it accordingly. Buprenorphine is a medication used to treat opioid addiction. Opioids include heroin, opium, morphine, codeine, oxycodone, and Hydrocodone. Opioids are also drugs which can be abused and lead to tolerance and dependence. Your body becomes accustomed to ever-higher amounts so that when the drug is stopped you go into withdrawal. Even after the physical phase of withdrawal is over, you still might not feel right, and may relapse just to “feel normal.”

Medical research shows that after abusing heroin, oxycodone, hydrocodone and other opiates that the brain is thrown off balance, making the goals of drug treatment to encourage stability, both in your body and in your life.

Not everyone who abuses opiates needs medication to treat their addiction. Many addicted persons do well with counseling, outpatient treatment, or in 12 Step groups like Narcotics Anonymous. In other cases these approaches are not enough to keep the addicted person stable, and maintenance medication is used. Maintenance medication is slower and longer acting in its effects on the brain than heroin, hydrocodone or other drugs of abuse. Medication allows for a steadying of brain functions, a major part of addiction treatment. When beginning detox with Suboxone or Subutex, determining the correct dose is crucial; one of the many reasons that make the first 24-48 hours of detox so important.

Before Buprenorphine, there were two other medications used to treat opiate addiction: Methadone and LAAM. These medications are also long acting and work by stabilizing the brain. Methadone and LAAM are prescribed and administered in specially licensed clinics called Opioid Treatment Programs, and their use is regulated by federal and state agencies.

While Suboxone and Subutex are also bound by regulations, they can be administered at your Doctors office. Detoxification from even large doses of opiates like oxycodone and heroin can now be accomplished safely in an Outpatient setting in a relatively short period of time. And the cost of Outpatient Detox is far less than an Inpatient Hospital Program. Outpatient Detox also allows you a much faster return to work or school.