Suboxone Research Paper

An 59-years-old female patient got admitted to the ED due to head injury laceration, end up with 3 stiches. She stated she struck her head on the doorframe due to using IV cocaine. The patient complains of SOB, dizziness and her head hurt. The patient vital signs were T 97.8 – O2 96 – P70 and BP 114/76. One of the patient medications was Suboxone (, 1 tablet Sublingual.

Objective: This study compared the effectiveness of methadone, Subutex, and Suboxone in reducing illicit drug use during treatment for opioid dependency and retaining patients for the duration of treatment.

I agree that the withdrawal process makes opioid addiction debilitating. It takes time for the bodies of addicts to adjust when the opiods are not in their system. During withdrawal addicts experience many negative symptoms varing in severity. A form of treatment to reduce withdrawal symptoms and helping with detox is methadone which is also an opiod. When addicts are first put on methadone they take the instructed dosage, then over time the dosage slowly decreases. Methadone decreases the cravings of opioids and helps in maintaining to be free from other substances. Although I do not completly agree with taking medication to stop drug addiction, methadone has shown to be effective in treating drug addiction.

Methadone is a drug that is primarily used to treat patients who have developed and addiction to opiate agonists such as Heroin, Oxycodone, Morphine and Hydromorph Contin. (Canadian Public Health Association. N/D.) Methadone is also used to treat chronic pain. In treatment patients will undergo a physical exam and blood work to ensure their body can handle the drug. A test is also done on the patient to determine the level of opiate withdrawal the patient is in. Once the patient is determined to require treatment they will be prescribed a dose of Methadone to relieve their withdrawal symptoms as well as reduce cravings. Methadone itself is a synthetic opioid which acts on the same opioid receptors as other agonistic opiates. (Canadian Public

Not only is the user reducing their risks of overdose with heroin and methadone, they are also reducing their use of other substances. This allows the user to become more of a functioning member of society, due to their decreased activities with other substances.

Even though Methadone and Suboxone both treat opiate addiction, their use is controversial; however the benefits of their use outweigh the controversy. Especially the benefit of thousands of healthy drug free babies born to mothers that are opiate addicts, but had the choice for Methadone treatment daily, to give their unborn child the chance to be born

Methadone is one of the most common medications used to treat opioid addiction. It decreases the symptoms of opioid withdrawal and inhibits the euphoric effects caused by abusing heroin and prescription opioids such as oxycodone. When used as prescribed and under the supervision of a trained physician, methadone is an effective complement to treatment. SAMHSA also recommends patients remain on methadone treatment for at least 12 months. Many people require multiple years of treatment. When discontinuing methadone treatment, patients should slowly taper off of it under doctor supervision. Buprenorphine decreases the potential for opioid abuse, reduces withdrawal symptoms and cravings and decreases the risks of overdose. Because buprenorphine

Unlike methadone, which is administered at a hospital, clinic or drug-rehab facility, Suboxone is a take-home prescription that is filled at a pharmacy. As such, it’s more prone to abuse. Today, Suboxone is one of the most common street drugs in Vermont, and is regularly used and abused in the state’s correctional system. …An 8-milligram dose, which costs $8 at a pharmacy and $10 to $15 on the street, sells for about $100 behind bars. In fact, a 2005 case study on Vermont by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration reported that “buprenorphine is widely available in the state’s correctional facilities,” though it’s unclear whether inmates use the drug more to get high or get clean.” I do understand that suboxone can be a great tool for treating drug addiction, but it can also be great for that guy on the street looking to get high. Furthermore, why would this drug be available to the members of the prison system if there was any potential of abuse? People who are incarcerated will withdraw. There is no need to allow them to replace their addiction with suboxone. Are inmates provided with methadone while in prison—No. The reason for this is because methadone is a highly controlled substance. What is wrong with Vermont?

Methadone is a synthetic opioid drug which was first used in World War II for the treatment of pain. Since then, methadone has become a popular choice for treating those addicted to other opioid drugs such as heroin, oxycodone, morphine, and hydrocodone. It is used to reduce dependency and the treatment should help them become clean. Even though, the policy of giving methadone to drug addicts is not a cure, it is a good one. Fortunately, the Methadone Maintenance Treatment (MMT) is a reliable way for those with an opioid addiction to stop and not restart the use of opioids. For many, methadone treatment provides an opportunity to regain balance in both lifestyle and priorities. (“Opiate Addiction and Treatment Resource”). Everyone deserves

Methadone is taken in orally and survives through the digestive system so there is no need to be injected into the patient. It reaches the brain slowly, dampening the “high” that would occur with other routes of administration while also preventing withdrawal symptoms (Heroin, 2014). The advantages of using methadone for heroin addicts are its comparatively low cost and long half-life. According to the Center for Disease Control, methadone helps to restore a degree of normalcy to brain function and behavior, resulting in increased employment rates and lower risk of HIV and other diseases and criminal behavior (Methadone Maintence Treatment, 2002). However, there are a variety of different effective treatments that are available for heroin addiction, including both behavioral therapies and medications. Heroin addicts should be place on less addictive medications like Burenorphine before being placed on Methadone. Buprenorphine, overall, is safer than methadone, and it is easier for an addict to stop buprenorphine than to detox from methadone (Heroin,

Methadone treatment is used to treat opioid addiction. Opioid addiction is a chronic medical condition that requires constant use of methadone for a lifetime. Opioid addiction has severe side effects with painful withdrawals and craving symptoms. It takes various approaches to effectively control opioid addiction including methadone medication and counseling. Opiates include heroin and prescription painkillers like morphine and codeine.

¨ More than a quarter of a million Americans are enrolled in methadone clinics, where they participate in “methadone replacement” or “methadone maintenance” to treat narcotic addictions to heroin or morphine, or prescription painkillers like oxycodone, hydrocodone, OxyContin or Vicodin.¨ (Novus Detox, 2016) Clinics that treat opioid addiction use several combinations other than methadone to be effective. In addition to daily methadone treatments, there are also random drug test to make sure the individual is complying with the program. There is also individual and group counseling that provides education and support with each being customized with goals set forth by the patient. Some addiction require patients struggling to seek professional help with a psychiatrist and/or speciality

Solution l: Other drug treatment facilities use partial opioid agonists like methadone and suboxone. Suboxone is a combination of two drugs that reward a user for correct usage, block the effects of other opioids, and if misused gives a nasty hangover. The drug gives the user similar

There are three predominate forms of Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) that have proven effective in combating opioid use disorder. Methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone have all shown to be effective in the treatment of substance use. When prescribed and monitored properly, MAT has been shown to reduce illicit drug use and reduce the rate of accidental overdose. However, while as many as 2.5 million people are suffering from substance use disorder, less than 40% have access to MAT

Post World War II New York City was faced with a major heroin epidemic with over 151,000 names listed in the Narcotics Register (Herman). As a medical response, methadone was developed to treat heroin addiction (Herman). Today methadone maintenance treatment has grown to become a popular therapy for drug addiction as well as pain management. Methadone has helped many people to create new lives for themselves, yet there is still debate over the success of this program. Methadone assisted treatment should be seen as an effective program in combating opioid addiction due to its health and social benefits for both users and the community.