Addiction Medicine

Doctor in Snellville, GA

Suboxone Treatment for Addiction

Lifestyle Pain Management & Wellness Center

We are nonjudgmental office. We treat our patients with respect. We are aware that addiction is a disease and realize it can be a life-long battle. We do our best to guide our patients through this difficult time in their life. We help patients manage their addiction by using a medication called suboxone. Suboxone allows patients to resume a normal lifestyle while managing their addiction. It is strongly recommended that patients manage their addition with the guidance of an addiction counselor, or attend NA or AA classes. Monthly urine drugs screens are required to verify that patients remain compliant while in treatment.

How Suboxone (Buprenorphine/Naloxone) Works

Buprenorphine has unique properties that can help patients addicted to opioids by:
  • Decreasing the potential for misuse
  • Decreasing the effects of physical dependency to opioids, such as withdrawal symptoms and cravings
  • Increase safety in cases of overdose

Suboxone can be administered in either as a tablet or a film. Should you take the film, it’s important to let it dissolve undisturbed on your tongue. This means you should avoid chewing, swallowing, or talking to avoid disrupting its effective distribution.

Potential Side Effects

Buprenorphine is an opioid and a partial agonist. It’s similar to opioids, in that it causes respiratory depression and can have euphoric effects of the patient. These effects are much weaker than those of drugs such as heroin and methadone, but there is still potential for misuse. For this reason, we oversee the treatment with utmost care.
Buprenorphine’s opioid effects increase with each dose until the patient achieves a ceiling dose/effect. This effect lowers the risk of misuse and abuse, patients are able to maintain a normal daily life without having withdrawal symptoms. Slowly, our medical personnel will wean the patient off the medication completely.
The side effects of buprenorphine’s can include:
  • Nausea, vomiting, and constipation
  • Muscle aches and cramps
  • Cravings
  • Inability to sleep
  • Distress and irritability
  • Fever
Most patients rarely experience these effects and if they do, they usually resolve in a few weeks. Buprenorphine does have the potential to be misused if used alone due to its opioid-like effect but when naloxone is added to the medication that likelihood diminishes greatly.

Suboxone and Mental Health

Suboxone is a Category C drug, which means using it carries the potential for causing congenital disabilities and even complications during pregnancy, although it’s considered generally safe for usage. A newborn baby can even experience a level of withdrawal. However, compared to the dangers of opioid abuse, Suboxone treatment is the preferable choice.

Suboxone is also safe for breast-feeding mothers because only very low amounts travel through breastmilk. However, should the baby demonstrate increased sleepiness, problems breastfeeding and breathing, you should consult a doctor immediately.
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