Subutex is an FDA-approved drug used to treat addiction to opioids, sometimes called opiate drugs, such as codeine, fentanyl, heroin, hydrocodone, methadone, morphine, opium, oxycodone, paregoric and sufentanil. Subutex is used during a medically assisted withdrawal, also known as a detoxification.
Subutex contains buprenorphine, and is sometimes given with its sister drug, Suboxone, which contains a combination of buprenorphine and naloxone. The FDA approved both Subutex and Suboxone for opiate addiction treatment in 2002, and in conjunction with the Drug Addiction Treatment Act of 2000, made breakthroughs for opioid addiction treatment. Licensed physicians now had the freedom to treat opiate addiction outside of the traditional detoxification clinic.
Those who take Subutex will not become addicted to the drug, because the maximum effects a user can get from Subutex are much lower than those achieved with a full agonist drug, such as heroin or methadone.
Studies show that Subutex and Suboxone are as effective as other detoxification medications to treat opioid addictions when used in moderate dosages. Methadone may be a more effect treatment for those with a more severe drug addiction.
Once an individual is doing well on the Subutex detox process, a clinician will determine the length of the final safeguarding phase of the Subutex treatment. Some clients will remain on Subutex indefinitely, and some can be weaned off the drug altogether. Typical side effects of Subutex are the same as other opioids, and include constipation, difficulty with sleeping, headache, stomach irritation, sweating, and vomiting. At Lakeview Health Systems, our opiate addition treatment can help you withdraw from opioids safely and with little to no withdrawal symptoms.
At Lakeview Health Systems, we are here to help you or a loved one recover from addiction in a safe, relaxing environment. We offer Subutex and Suboxone detoxification programs within an opioid addiction program, which helps form a smooth transition from detox to drug rehab. We are available to answer your questions 24 hours a day, seven days a week; call us at 1-866-657-4357. All calls are toll-free and completely confidential.