If you know someone who is recovering from drug abuse, you are likely asking yourself what you can do to support them. Understanding that their journey will be long and is often rough is the best support possible. Also, it is essential to avoid judgment for the methods and medications that doctors prescribe to help them through the journey. Continue reading to discover why drugs like Suboxone are beneficial to those working to recover and a life of sobriety and not merely used as a crutch for them.
While some don’t consider an individual taking one medication to treat another medication abuse an intelligent move, recovery assisted by Suboxone is one of the best decisions an addict can make. Therefore, it is not a crutch.
What is Suboxone?
Suboxone is an FDA-approved medication used to treat individuals with opioid abuse disorder. The active ingredients in Suboxone are Buprenorphine, an Opioid agonist, and naloxone, an opioid antagonist. That means that together the ingredients in Subonone help relieve symptoms of opioid withdrawal and prevent it from being misused. It is excellent for those committed to their sobriety and withdrawal from opioids.
The FDA approved suboxone primarily to treat opioid abuse disorders. However, it helps with so many more symptoms of drug abuse for abusers. Some of the other symptoms suboxone treats are listed below.
Suboxone for pain management
Many patients are prescribed opioids to treat pain. That pain could result from any chronic, severe pain, including from surgery or an accident. Some forms of opioids are:
- Codeine
- Morphine
- Methadone
- Oxycodone
- Fentanyl
Although there are others, many have heard of or been given any of the above medications. The unintentional result for many prescribed these opioids for pain is addiction.
The active ingredients in Suboxone make it a strong enough pain medication to provide pain relief to those who develop a dependence or addiction. As an alternative to opioids, Suboxone helps manage the pain sensations in individuals. In addition, Suboxone is:
- Easier for seniors and those suffering from renal issues.
- Be more effective for neuropathic pain.
- Have a less negative effect on the depressed respiratory system.
The pain relief benefit of Suboxone makes it less of a crutch and more of a step towards a healthy life.
Suboxone is safe
Suboxone is considered a maintenance medication intended to help those addicted to opioids. The approval by the FDA makes Suboxone a safe medication if appropriately used.
Suboxone is one of the medications prescribed in treatment centers for those suffering from withdrawal symptoms. However, it is safe enough to also take at home as long as the doctor’s orders are followed.
In addition to helping with drug cravings, Suboxone is great for long-term use and helps those with opioid dependence start to feel normal again. These benefits make Suboxone less a crutch and more necessary for those formerly addicted to opioids.
It is easy to withdraw from suboxone
Withdrawal from opioids and other prescription drugs can leave former abusers feeling many symptoms. Some of those include:
- Aggression
- Diarrhea
- Depression
- Hot and cold flashes
- Insomnia
- Vomiting
- Nausea
However, a benefit of taking Suboxone is that withdrawing from it is less complicated as opioid drugs. With Suboxone, the tapering method works great and doesn’t leave patients with negative withdrawal symptoms.
Tapering off of Suboxone should take over seven to 28 days and be done under a doctor’s care. Doing it this slowly over weeks will help individuals lessen their symptoms or chance of withdrawal.
As a medication that is easy to taper off of when it is time, Suboxone is less of a crutch and more of a medication that benefits those who have suffered from opioid addiction in the past.
Conclusion
As you have read, one of the best things you can do for someone suffering from drug addiction problems is to not judge them. Those committed to sobriety and relief from harmful drugs can use medications like Suboxone to help them. At the same time, some may think that taking one medication to cure addiction of another drug is not using a crutch. It is taking charge of your health. In addition to Suboxone helping relieve pain, it is safe to take and easy to withdraw from. Call us at 302-842-2390.
