Suboxone and Vivitrol
There are a few different medical treatments that are used to treat addictions such as heroin and other opiates, such as suboxone and vivitrol. These treatments help manage withdrawal symptoms and also can decrease the risk of relapse. Read on to learn more.
What is an Opiate?
An opiate is a drug that treats pain by altering the way that your body perceives pain. The name comes from the opium poppy, from whence they come. Opiates mimic neurotransmitters and attach to opioid receptors in the brain, reducing pain. This stimulates dopamine release, or the “feel good” hormone in our body, at alarmingly high quantities, much higher than anything naturally. In a medical setting, this can help those with chronic pain or pain associated with surgery, but opioids are easily abused and highly addictive. Common opioids are Oxycodone Hydrocodone, Fentanyl, Hydromorphone, Methadone, Morphine, Heroin, and OxyContin.
What is Suboxone?
Suboxone is an opiate as well as an opiate blocker (an opioid blocker, makes it impossible to gain benefit from injecting opioids). It is a combination of buprenorphine combined with naloxone. Much research has proven suboxone to be an effective way of treating opiate addictions, and it is used in many outpatient and residential rehabilitation centers.
What is Vivitrol?
Vivitrol, on the other hand is merely an opiate blocker. It eliminates the pleasure of using opiates, helping users focus their energy on recovery. It is often used to treat alcoholism as well as opioid addiction. You should not take vivitrol if you have used any opioid within the past 14 days or if you are currently drinking alcohol.
Medication-Assisted Treatment Controversy
While suboxone and vivitrol are effective in treating addictions, they are still drugs. There is much controversy surrounding whether or not medication-assisted treatment is just substituting one drug for another. However, the scientific evidence cannot be denied. Those who go through medication-assisted treatment are far less likely to relapse than those without it.
Here at Pomarri, we have Suboxone and Vivitrol doctors in house. They can diagnose patients and prescribe necessary treatment on the spot. It is important to note that Suboxone and Vivitrol are only part of a full rehabilitation. These medical treatments only attends to the physical dependence one has on the drugs, but fails to treat the emotional, social, and personal effects. In order to fully heal from the disease of addiction, all of these aspects need to be addressed.