Suboxone Detox Explained
Educating Yourself to Expect during Suboxone Detox is An Important Step on the Road to Sobriety
The opioid epidemic in the US has reached unprecedented proportions. As many as 2,000,000 Americans presented with a prescription opioid disorder in 2015, and the number is only growing. The latest statistics showing that 91 people die of an opioid overdose every day in America. Now, more than ever, finding safer and more efficient ways to help the millions of Americans who suffer from opioid addiction. One way to get clean is combining traditional rehab with medication-assisted treatment using drugs like Suboxone. But Suboxone isn't a magical cure for addiction - if misused, it can also lead to dependency. If you or someone you know need help or advice about Suboxone detox, call the Alcohol Treatment Center Springfield at (877) 804-1531.
What is Suboxone? What Is Suboxone Used For?
Suboxone is the trade name of a medication that contains buprenorphine, a mixed opioid agonist, and naloxone, an opioid antagonist. Many healthcare providers use opioid replacement therapy when treating addiction. To that end, people suffering from addiction are prescribed mixed opioid receptor agonists like buprenorphine to substitute the more harmful opioids they take.
Studies show that this approach is more likely to succeed than simply eliminating opioids from a person's system altogether. As a partial opioid agonist, buprenorphine binds to the opioid receptors in the brain, suppressing withdrawals, and blocks the effects of other opioids in the body, while naloxone, the opioid antagonist, acts to decrease the potential for abuse.
Suboxone should only be used temporarily. Sometimes, despite all the precautions taken to avoid addiction, people begin abusing Suboxone. When that happens, the safest course of action is to seek professional help to get through the Suboxone detox and the ensuing Suboxone withdrawal.
What to Expect During Suboxone Detox?
Weaning a patient off Suboxone is the most common course of action. This involves tapering off the medication in smaller and smaller doses, thereby reducing the stress or withdrawal symptoms.
If you've become addicted Suboxone, it's important to seek medical help from capable professionals. The safest course of action might be to stop taking Suboxone at once, in which case your body will go through Suboxone withdrawal. Medications like clonidine can help during manage withdrawal symptoms during Suboxone detox.
Common Suboxone Withdrawal Symptoms
- Nausea and vomiting
- Headaches
- Insomnia
- Fatigue
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Irritability
- Drug cravings
- Sweating
Suboxone Withdrawal Timeline
It's difficult to pinpoint what someone's Suboxone withdrawal timeline will look like. Symptoms vary from individual to individual and their severity depends on a person's health habits and abuse history.
Withdrawal symptoms can start as early as six hours since the last dose or begin at around the 72-hour mark. They can last for ten days and up to a month. Early symptoms are more physically taxing. Most people experience difficult psychological symptoms after the initial physical symptoms subside.
Here's what you can expect during withdrawal:
First 72 Hours: Peak Physical Discomfort
- Hot and cold flashes
- Drug cravings
- Sweating
- Nausea and vomiting
- Sleep disturbances
After One Week: Physical Symptoms Get Better
- Muscle and body aches
- Mood swings
- Depression
- Drug cravings
Between Two Weeks to a Month
- Depression
- Drug cravings
During the final stage of withdrawal, patients are very likely to succumb to drug cravings and relapse. For this reason, it's recommended that you undergo your Suboxone detox at a facility that can provide resources for physical relief, psychiatric help, and group counseling. If you need more information or advice on treatment, reach out to the Alcohol Treatment Center Springfield by calling (877) 804-1531.