When is Buprenorphine Addiction Treatment Necessary?

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With so many addiction treatment options available, it can be difficult to choose the one that’s right for you. Even after investing months or years into a particular treatment method, unexpected complications can still develop.

As one of the newer opiate addiction treatment medications, buprenorphine was developed to improve upon the standard methadone maintenance treatment approach. Like methadone, buprenorphine is a synthetic opiate, specifically formulated to treat an opioid addiction.

Taking an opiate-based drug on an ongoing basis always carries risks, namely abuse and addiction. Likewise, buprenorphine addiction can develop when this drug is used for recreational purposes. For most people, treatment for a buprenorphine addiction is necessary when use develops compulsive drug-using behaviors and takes over a person’s everyday life.

If you need help finding treatment for buprenorphine addiction, call our toll-free helpline at 800-934-1582(Sponsored) to explore available treatment options.

Buprenorphine’s Effects

Buprenorphine and methadone both belong to the opioid drug class; however, buprenorphine differs in effect in the following ways:

• Buprenorphine has a ceiling effect, meaning that after a certain dosage level, the drug’s potency plateaus
• Buprenorphine acts as a partial agonist, so it only partially stimulates neurotransmitter-producing sites in the brain
• It doesn’t produce a “high,” no matter how high the dosage level
• Buprenorphine can be administered as an outpatient by authorized physicians

Signs of Buprenorphine Addiction

Depression is a sign of buprenorphine addiction.

Buprenorphine produces a somewhat muffled effect when compared to other addictive opioids, such as heroin and OxyContin. While a person can’t get high on buprenorphine, it does help relieve the harsh withdrawal effects that stronger opiates cause.

According to the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, over time, buprenorphine addiction causes brain abnormalities that can produce long-term effects that persist long after drug use ends. Signs of buprenorphine addiction typically take the form of:

• Obsessing over getting and using the drug
• Inability to focus or concentrate
• Problems sleeping
• Memory lapses
• Mood swings
• Depression
• Drug cravings
• Problems on the job
• Relationship conflicts
• Money problems
• Doctor shopping

Buprenorphine Addiction Treatment Components

Buprenorphine addiction treatment helps a person stop using the drug and then equips them with the coping skills needed to live life drug-free. At the start of treatment, you typically require detoxification to get through the uncomfortable withdrawal period and provide needed emotional support.

From there, buprenorphine addiction treatment includes a range of behavior-based interventions to help recovering addicts identify the underlying emotional issues that led them to seek escape through drugs and develop healthier coping strategies needed to live a drug-free lifestyle.

Is Buprenorphine a Safe Treatment for Narcotic Addiction?

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, “When taken as prescribed, buprenorphine is safe and effective.” The drug is well-tolerated by most of the individuals who take it, and it does not cause some of the problematic side effects caused by other treatments for opioid addiction. Though there are some issues with the drug that should be understood and considered by anyone who is considering using it, it is a safe medication that can help protect users from further drug abuse. What Helps Make Buprenorphine Safe for Opioid Addiction Treatment? One of the most effective parts of …

Considerations

Despite buprenorphine’s intended use as an opiate addiction treatment, it still carries a risk for addiction when abused. Like any other type of opiate addiction, some form of buprenorphine addiction treatment should be sought or the addiction will only grow more severe with time.

Please feel free to call our toll-free helpline at 800-934-1582(Sponsored) to ask about available treatment options.

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