Suboxone is a combination drug consisting of the medications buprenorphine and naloxone. It is used to aid rehabilitation in people recovering from drug addiction to opiates such as prescription pain killers and heroin, explains PubMed Health. The purpose of suboxone therapy is to increase comfort by relieving the physical symptoms of drug withdrawal and to decrease drug cravings, explains the website SoberLiving.com.
Opiate Addiction
Opiate drugs include prescription pain relievers such as oxycodone and hydrocodone as well as illicit drugs such as opium and heroin. The Clinical Textbook of Addictive Disorders explains that opioid drugs are valued in medicine because they are potent pain relievers, but their use must be carefully supervised because they have a high potential for dependence. Many people who abuse opioid drugs report experiencing feelings of euphoria and relaxation--reinforcing effects that contribute to the development of physical drug dependence.
Opiate Withdrawal
Physical drug dependence develops after a user has conditioned his body to expect the continual presence of a drug. This often happens after the drug is taken in high doses and/or over a long period of time. As physical dependence develops, the user will become tolerant to the drug, needing higher doses to achieve the desired effects. Similarly, drug withdrawal is interpreted by the body as an abnormal condition. Physiologically, this manifests itself in the form of withdrawal symptoms. Opiate withdrawal is marked by excessive yawning, watering of the eyes and nose, anxiety, heart palpitations, sweating and chills, explains the Clinical Manual of Addiction Psychopharmacology.
How Suboxone Helps
The website Suboxone.com explains that Suboxone therapy is unique because it is the first drug of its kind available for use in a home setting. Conversely, methadone, another drug popular with physicians who treat opioid dependence, requires patients to obtain the drug daily from a licensed clinic. The primary active ingredient in Suboxone is buprenorphine, an opiate drug that is processed by the body in much the same way as heroin or prescription pain relievers. However, buprenorphine is a partial opioid agonist--meaning that it provides just enough power to help the user feel relief from the discomfort of opioid withdrawal. It does not impart the euphoric effects of heroin or prescription pain reliever abuse. The secondary ingredient in Suboxone is naloxone. This drug is an opioid antagonist meant to discourage users from crushing up tablets for injection--in fact, naloxone injection causes users to feel very strong opioid withdrawal symptoms.
References
- PubMed Health: Bruprenorphine Sublingual
- Soberliving.com: Suboxone Detox
- "Clinical Textbook of Addictive Disorders (Third Edition)"; Richard J. Frances et al.; 2005
- "Clinical Manual of Addiction Psychopharmacology"; Henry R. Kranzler, M.D. and Domenic A. Ciraulo, M.D.; 2005
- Suboxone.com
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