Methadone or Suboxone Treatment?
Today, opioids found off the street like fentanyl are stronger than ever! The best treatments are the opioid medications: buprenorphine (also known as suboxone or subutex) and methadone. Deciding which treatment option is best is a very important decision that can have a big impact on an individual’s life for months or even years to come! It’s important to know all the risks and benefits of both treatment options.
Buprenorphine is a medication that can be picked up at the pharmacy which is more convenient for most individuals. Unfortunately, due to drug effects this can be very difficult for individuals to start if they are using other opioids. Individuals need to stop using other opioids for at least several days or longer. Otherwise, they are at risk of precipitated withdrawal which is a very severe form of opioid withdrawal. It can be very difficult to stop using other opioids entirely for several days due to the development of withdrawal symptoms over time. Individuals that experience this medication effect may swear off the medication entirely! There are ways to reduce the risk of precipitated withdrawal using dosing techniques. This should be discussed with an addiction specialist.
For individuals that struggle with beginning buprenorphine treatment, methadone may be the better treatment option. Methadone can simply be started no matter how recently an individual uses a different opioid. Additionally, methadone is a full opioid agonist which makes it a stronger opioid than buprenorphine which is only a partial opioid agonist. This means methadone activates the opioid receptors in the brain to a bigger extent than buprenorphine. The more methadone an individual takes, the stronger the effects will be felt. This allows methadone to be adjusted (also known as titrated) to the desired effect to eliminate opioid withdrawal and cravings to take other opioids. On the other hand, buprenorphine typically has a ‘ceiling effect; where once you hit a certain dose (typically 24mg daily), the medication doesn’t activate the opioid receptors to a bigger extent and individuals don’t feel much of a difference regardless of how much buprenorphine they take. This can make it challenging for some individuals that use a lot of opioids or struggle with concurrent pain syndromes. If an individual is not receiving enough benefit from buprenorphine, it’s best for that individual to transition to methadone which is as easy as taking methadone and stopping the buprenorphine altogether. It’s important to note that once you start taking methadone (which is an opioid), individuals should NOT take any more buprenorphine as this can cause the precipitated withdrawal effect mentioned earlier.
You can talk with your expert CAP Quality Care provider. They have the expertise and experience to help individuals make the most informed decision to decide on the best opioid use disorder treatment for them.
Our clinics are located in Downers Grove, IL, Chicago, IL, or Westbrook, Maine. Call our clinics to get started in treatment and make the best decision for you. Regardless of which medication you choose, our experienced and compassionate treatment team will help guide you to meet whatever your recovery goals are. We can get you enrolled either same day or next day depending on which clinic you call. Don’t wait another day to start your recovery journey! Call our clinic today to learn more and get enrolled.