When considering Subutex vs. Suboxone, your doctor at the Suboxone Treatment Clinic needs to determine your risk of abusing the medication. Both contain the same pain-relieving medicine, but Suboxone has an additional ingredient that reduces the euphoric effects of the narcotic pain reliever. Both are effective for treating chronic pain. Suboxone typically is the option used to help drug addicts reduce the need for opiates as they work on recovering from the disease of addiction.

When you or someone you know has fallen prey to the rampant opioid abuse struggle going on in America, find the available treatments to reduce the cravings for opiates such as heroin and morphine. If you’ve been using stronger opiates to combat chronic pain, you also may have developed an unhealthy dependency. If you’re looking for ways to lower your risk of opioid use disorder, seek medical help.

At the Suboxone Treatment Clinic you’ll fi

nd trained pain specialists certified to administer Subutex and Suboxone. These two medications were approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2002 for treatment of opioid abuse. Your Suboxone doctor provides the latest pain management techniques and treatment options for many substance abuse disorders.

The Differences Between the Two

The two drugs share similarities in that both contain buprenorphine, which has been used successfully for pain relief for many years. Suboxone, however, contains another ingredient: naloxone. Naloxone is a drug that mitigates the euphoria typically associated with the development of a drug addiction.

Subutex was the first drug produced to lower the effects of withdrawal from heavier narcotics, but doctors realized that addicts were misusing the medication to get high. That’s when drug company Reckitt Benckiser came up with the idea of suppressing the “high” while still delivering pain relieving medication. The new drug also staves off withdrawal symptoms.

When taken as prescribed for pain or to reduce the dependence on street drugs, both Subutex and Suboxone are equally effective. It’s the buprenorphine that diminishes your pain. Suboxone offers the added benefit of reducing the risk of abuse. You must be clear about your history with narcotics and substance abuse of any kind so your doctor can come up with the best treatment option.

Is Buprenorphine Addictive?

When comparing Subutex vs. Suboxone, note that the active pain-relieving ingredient in both, buprenorphine, is still a narcotic. Methadone, the medication used to assist addicts get off heroin, is a class II narcotic, while buprenorphine is a class III narcotic. This classification means that you don’t need to get your medication from a dedicated clinic. Your doctor, who’s been certified by the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, can prescribe the drug from his office.

Buprenorphine is a partial opioid antagonist. It binds to the opioid receptors in your brain to reduce pain and give you feelings of well-being. Even though it isn’t a full class II opioid, it still creates similar results. And when taken as directed, it won’t cause a euphoric state of mind, which is the goal of addicts.

When it comes time for you to stop taking either Subutex or Suboxone, you’ll closely follow the directions of your doctor at the Suboxone Treatment Clinic. He slowly weans you off the drug. You will experience some withdrawal symptoms, since it is an addictive narcotic, but the most uncomfortable symptoms greatly diminish within 72 hours.

Risks Associated with Subutex vs. Suboxone

Naloxone is the drug used by medical and emergency professionals in the form of the brand name Narcan. It’s designed to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. When added to Suboxone, it serves the same purpose — acting as an “opioid antagonist,” meaning that it binds to those same opioid receptors in the brain and blocks or reverses the opioid’s effects. According to the National Institutes on Drug Abuse, Naloxone is entirely safe and only has an effect on people with opioids in their system.

Buprenorphine, on the other hand, does carry some potential side effects, which is why it’s vital that you receive your treatment from a doctor who treats you individually, knows your medical history and monitors your reactions to the drug.

Common side effects might include:

  • Difficulty breathing
  • Dizziness
  • Headaches and nausea
  • Back pain
  • Constipation

If you can’t tolerate Subutex or Suboxone, your pain doctor can offer other alternatives.

You also may need to try other treatments if you have certain medical conditions, such as:

  • Hypothyroidism
  • Difficulty urinating
  • Traumatic head injury
  • Liver or kidney issues
  • Previous history of alcoholism
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