SUBOXONE® Film is a prescription medicine that contains the active ingredients buprenorphine and naloxone. It is used to treat adults who are dependent on (addicted to) opioids (either prescription or illegal). Here at White Tree Medical, we incorporate the use of Suboxone® into our treatment programs when either 1.) Our patients specifically request it or 2.) If our physicians recommend it to a patient.
Through our Suboxone treatment program, we have found that utilizing Suboxone® has resulted in great success for many of our patients. The drug itself has two main active ingredients that aid an individual seeking to overcome opioid/opiate addiction.
First, Buprenorphine
Buprenorphine is a drug that is a partial opioid agonist which means that the drug itself is a form of opioid with other built-in effects that make it much safer to use than other forms of opioids such as oxycodone. The other built-in effects are the following:
- less euphoria and physical dependence
- lower potential for misuse
- a ceiling on opioid effects
- relatively mild withdrawal profile
With these added effects buprenorphine becomes a partial opioid agonist against the use of opioids.
Second, Naloxone
NALOXONE (also known as Narcan®) is a medication called an “opioid antagonist” used to counter the effects of opioid overdose, for example, morphine and heroin overdose. This opioid antagonist allows users of Suboxone® to feel safe knowing that they cannot overdose on the drug. With these two main active ingredients in Suboxone®, the medical staff here at White Tree Medical will utilize it within our Long-Term treatment program with those individuals seeking help in overcoming their opioid/opiate addiction.
So, you may ask yourself, do I need Suboxone®? The answer is maybe. It really depends on your specific needs and what you wish to achieve in your Long-Term care here at White Tree Medical. However, Suboxone® isn’t the only option for you. We also provide Vivitrol® and Subutex® treatments….but, we can go over those details in another post. Don’t worry, it will be soon!
Have a great day! And welcome to White Tree Medical.