Medical detox is an important first step toward recovery from drugs and alcohol. Suboxone is a drug used to help treat clients who are detoxing from heroin and other opiates. Though the medical detox process is effective, it raises some concerns. If you are in need of medical detox, it is best to check yourself into a treatment center and let professional staff monitor your withdrawals.
Suboxone is a prescription medication used to help heroin addicts taper through the withdrawal process. Withdrawal from opioids can be severe, known for having the worst psychological cravings and physical reactions. Opiates cause a flu-like sickness in addition to an inability to rest due to “kicking” or a bad case of restless leg syndrome.
The reason suboxone works for heroin addiction withdrawal is because it contains buprenorphine, a chemical substance with acts like an opioid. Though the substance is meant to exist without the harmful side effects of heroin, it still acts as an opioid, meaning that the medication can be abused. Additionally, without clinical supervision, it can lead to a dependency. Called an “agonist” or “partial agonist” the drug imitates an opioid.
Controversy is raised over medical detox medications like suboxone because of the dependency they can create. Though it is difficult for people to get “high” on suboxone, they can continue a chemical dependency on opioids. One of the problems with suboxone is that without professional supervision in a treatment center setting, people can have issues detoxing from the medication. Suboxone is not meant to be a long term treatment option. Instead, it is meant to be short term.
Opioids are, as evidenced by the climbing number of opioid overdose deaths each year, extremely dangerous. Cravings for opioids during the withdrawal period are severe. Suboxone is used to limit the cravings and symptoms of withdrawal, thereby reducing the risk of relapse. Long term, suboxone is considered a supplement to recovery because it staves off relapse in opioids. When abused, however, the drug can lead to relapse anyway.
Detox from opiate drugs like heroin can be dangerous when done alone. Design For Change offers an affordable medical detox program in addition to tiered levels of treatment and other recovery services. Everyone is capable of recovering. For more information, call us today at (877) 267-3646.
