If you get medication-assisted treatment, you’d be wise to pick Suboxone as your “helper” drug. This medicine would let you work through your opioid addiction quite safely. With that said, you should know what to expect from Suboxone before you commit; you’ll have a bumpy recovery otherwise. The good news is that your Kansas City clinic is here to share the details. So, please keep reading to learn four things a Suboxone-based treatment will involve.
Some Withdrawal Symptoms (at First)
Suboxone really will make it easier to conquer your addiction. Still, using the drug for treatment involves some withdrawal symptoms at first.
Before you can take Suboxone, you need to stop using opioids for 24 hours. This rule ensures a patient doesn’t face more severe withdrawal signs later. Even so, going a full day without opioids will still lead to various flu-like symptoms – sweating, hot and cold flushes, slight nausea, etc. You’d do well to prepare for these sensations as you start a Suboxone treatment. (Some symptoms like restlessness, cramping, and anxiety can even persist after the first dose or two.)
No ”Opioid Effect”
Once you’re past the initial withdrawal, Suboxone will start to do its work. However, said work won’t involve an “opioid effect.”
You see, Suboxone is what’s known as an opioid antagonist. That means it doesn’t activate your brain’s pain-blocking receptors like heroin, morphine, or oxycodone would. Instead, this drug negates any opioid’s effects by preventing them from activating those pain receptors. The result is that Suboxone helps to manage your cravings and withdrawal symptoms, making recovery simpler.
Possible Side Effects
All drugs have possible side effects, and Suboxone is no exception. You should expect these ahead of time as you prepare for treatment.
Suboxone’s side effects tend to be minor issues, all things considered. The most common ones are drowsiness, dizziness, nausea, and constipation – problems most patients can easily manage. Such signs also improve as your body adjusts to the medicine. In sporadic cases, though, Suboxone can cause respiratory depression; this condition makes you breathe too slowly or shallowly.
Less-and-Less Frequent Appointments
While taking Suboxone, don’t expect your appointments to be constant and regular. Your visits with the doctor (or nurse) treating you will become less and less frequent.
Suboxone treatment is meant to reduce your dosage over time slowly. As part of that process, patients will have appointments quite often as things start. You may even see your provider at least once a week during the first month, though this timeline can depend. Regardless, the sessions are then held between longer intervals as your clinical stability permits.
You can always learn more about what to expect from Suboxone. To do so, just reach out to your local addiction treatment center.
About the Practice
B&L Medical Group is based in Kansas City, KS. Led by nurse practitioner Laura Lindsay, our practice gladly helps patients overcome their addiction to opiates or alcohol. We thus offer a wide range of medication-assisted treatments, which can rely on Suboxone and other drugs. That way, our team is sure to bring you closer to a sober and healthy lifestyle! For more details or to book a visit, please contact us on our website or by phone at (913)-713-1238.