Tag Archives: suboxone

To Suboxone From Methadone : Should You Change?

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To Suboxone From Methadone: What If You Want To Switch?

To Suboxone from Methadone

To Suboxone from Methadone

You may be a person attending a Methadone Clinic and are considering changing you medication to suboxone from methadone. Maybe you are  interested in understanding the differences between methadone and that of suboxone treatment when used for narcotic addiction treatment. Methadone has been around for decades. Suboxone has only recently been used to treat opioid addiction.

There are several things to consider before making a change to Suboxone from Methadone. First, the switch can be complicated by severe opioid withdrawal. Methadone can be increased to a high doses to stop any cravings or discomfort. Suboxone does not work the same way. Many drug users benefit from the resources that are available at a Methadone Treatment Center that are not available with Suboxone treatment.

To Suboxone From Methadone: Medication Problems

During a change from to suboxone from methadone, one may have severe issues with opioid withdrawal. To switch to suboxone from methadone, your physician will have to first remove the methadone and this will cause opioid withdrawal. The way suboxone works, it can only be started once a person is in a certain degree of opioid withdrawal. This is referred to as Suboxone Induction. If a person on Methadone just starts Suboxone without getting off the Methadone, the Suboxone can cause opiate withdrawal on the spot.

Also, if the Induction phase of the change goes as planned, it could be several weeks before one feel comfortable on the new medication. You should be aware that some individuals may never show improvement on the Suboxone. They may just quit it and relapse. They sometimes will opt to go back to using Methadone. You need to weigh these considerations. Are you really willing to go through the chance of these issues occurring?

To Suboxone From Methadone : Methadone Is Stronger

Full mu opioid agonist such as methadone can be more dangerous than Suboxone. It can cause respiratory depression during overdose. However, one benefit of Methadone is a higher dose produces more of an effect for drug users. They usually can obtain relief at some level of Methadone. In fact, under the care of a physician, the level of Methadone can be pushed very high.

For those patients who may not want or need high amounts of Methadone in order to stop cravings or addictive behavior (seeking more medication, continued illegal opioid use, theft, etc.), the change to suboxone from methadone may be a good idea.  Changing to suboxone from methadone usually requires a person being able to reduce their Methadone use to 40mg per day or less. If they cannot get down to this level, they may not be a good candidate for Suboxone.

To Suboxone From Methadone : Other Issues

Although having to go to a Methadone Treatment Center daily is a major issue for many, it has its positive points. Patients having a lot of contact with Methadone Treatment staff are likely to get more of their problems addressed. Other psychiatric concerns such as major depression, schizophrenia, and manic depression will be treated at the center. Individual counseling is usually available for those in need. Even job training assistance may be present.

For those patients who are currently employed or have less severe family and social problems, switching to suboxone from methadone may be worth a try. Contact with a physician is usually once every four weeks when stable on Suboxone. Typically, if a client is needing counseling, they will need a referral to an outside therapist by their physician. Job training is not available in the doctor’s office. However, being on Suboxone has other positives. Not having frequent appointments with a doctor or clinic is a welcome relief for many. Patients feel they have more privacy being seen by their own physician. They don’t want to be seen attending a Methadone Clinic.

To Suboxone From Methadone : Summary

Switching to suboxone from methadone has helped the lives of many individuals who have an dependency to opiates. Suboxone treatment less complicated, appears to carry less embarrassment for patients, and it requires less total time. Not every individual will do well with Suboxone treatment and would be better served with Methadone. Those who don’t have adequate housing, have a high opioid dependency, and have other psychiatric illnesses may do better. Before making a switch to suboxone from methadone, be sure to discuss these issues with your physician.

Suboxone Treatment Directory And Methadone Treatment Directory

Dr. Rich is a Board Certified Psychiatrist with licenses in Texas and Hawaii. He specializes in the treatment of opioid addiction with buprenorphine and runs a FREE locator service to find Methadone Treatment.

Children and Addiction | Video on Opioid Addiction

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Children and Addiction | Review of Opioid Addiction Video

Children And Addiction

Children And Addiction

This is a review of a video on children and addiction. We don’t really see children in methadone treatment centers, but they too have opioid problems.   The original video can be located at the PCSS-B website. It covers the topic of children and addiction to physician authorized medications. It also covers children and addiction and the current treatment with the medication Suboxone.

I thought the video on children and addiction very interesting. It is aimed towards physicians who prescribe Suboxone (buprenorphine), but it is simple enough for the pubic to understand most of it. The video is about 40 minutes in length. Adding the introduction, body and Q&A it will take close to an hour to watch.

Children and Addiction Video Highlights

The lecture on children and addiction reviews the current problems with opioids in children and teens and then moves to the use of suboxone in children and young adults. Here are the main points:

Children and teens use physician authorized opioids because of several reasons. They think because these medications are prescribed by a doctor, they are not harmful. Since they observe adults using physician authorized narcotics, they think they are safe to experiment with. Finally, they think that since one doesn’t have to obtain the drug from an illegal source (you can go to a pharmacy) that they are not really “bad” and they will get into less problems using these medications. There seems to be less stigma using physician authorized pills compared to illegal drugs. All these combine to the increase the risk of children and addiction.

There has been an effort in the United Stated during the last ten years to alleviate pain better. This has caused more physician authorized drugs in the community and more children and addiction.

There were about 1 million people addicted to opiates in the year 2000. In 2006, the national survey on drug use and health indicated this number being 2.4 million.

Narcotic related admissions for 18-25 year olds doubled from 1993 to 2002.

Children and addiction comes from the fact 1 in 8 teens has tried narcotics “for fun” before completing high school. Half of the new narcotic users in 2001 were below the age of 18. 60% of teens indicate physician authorized meds are easy to get from family and others. Half of teens say narcotics are easy to buy from the internet or easy to obtain or steal from others close to them.

The USA has 4.6% of the globe’s population, but 80% of the narcotic supply is here. 99% of the globe’s hydrocodone (in Vicodin) is consumed in the States.

Following alcohol and cannabis, physician authorized opioids are the most abused drugs

Suboxone is approved for ages 16 and above. It has been used in younger children.

Daily habits of physician authorized pills initially can be purchased by a teen, but soon costs get out of control and can reach hundred’s of dollars per day. When this occurs, they begin using heroin which is more pure and cheaper and this increases the children and addiction.

In 2003, the price of narcotic addiction was 100 billion dollars

Children and Addiction | Summary

The use of opioids in children and teens continues to increase yearly. There are likely multiple causes. Children see physician authorized pills as more safe and having less of a bad name than other drugs. They don’t see how children and addiction problems progress over time and cause many problems including a high cost, risk of death from overdose, and being enslaved by the drug. Suboxone (buprenorphine) is one treatment for narcotic dependence. Suboxone can be used to successfully treat children and addiction problems at this young age.

Suboxone Treatment Directory And Methadone Treatment Directory

Dr. Rich is a Board Certified Psychiatrist with licenses in Texas and Hawaii. He specializes in the treatment of opioid addiction with buprenorphine and runs a FREE locator service to find Methadone Treatment including Suboxone treatment of oxycontin addiction. Suboxone Doctor in your area.
Dr. Rich has written more articles on the cost of oxycontin, buprenorphine (Suboxone) including frequently asked questions and a recent post : Suboxone Cost : Will Medicare and Medicaid Cover Treatment ?

Other Resources:

EXPLODING DRUG MYTHS

Drug Addiction Treatment Act

Dark Paradise: A History of Opiate Addiction in America

What Is Methadone : Methadone Drug Information

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What Is Methadone

What Is Methadone

What Is Methadone?

What is Methadone ? Methadone is a an opioid medication (a narcotic). It is used for the treatment of pain and for the treatment of opioid addiction.  German scientists produced this medication during the second world war. Some think this was in response to a shortage of morphine.

Methadone came to the United States in 1947.  It was initially used for the treatment of pain. It was particularly helpful because of it’s long length of action.  It was studied in the 1960’s for the use in opioid addiction.

What is methadone being used for today? Methadone now has the dual role of pain management and opioid addiction treatment, among other uses. Methadone is a safe and effective medication according to the FDA and is classified as a Schedule II medication by the DEA. Because of its high addictive effects, methadone is closely regulated. There have been emerging problems with methadone regarding use and deaths.

 What is Methadone ?  The Side Effects

If you are looking for what is methadone side effects, I have previously covered methadone side effects in another post. If you know the side effects of methadone, you will know the side effects of all the opioid drugs because the symptoms are the same.  Other popular opioid medications include: Morphine, Oxycontin, Codeine, Suboxone, Opana, hydrocodone and many other formulations.

The main concern for all opioid medications is the risk of respiratory depression during an overdose.  A person can suddenly stop breathing.  An overdose of methadone can also cause heart arrhythmia (irregular hear beat) and death.  The next major risk of methadone is becoming addicted to is, although this should not be as much of a concern for legitimate users of this medication.

 What is Methadone ?  Drug Interactions

First there are the medications that should not be taken at all with methadone.  These include the opioid agonist-antagonist medications such a suboxone, buprenex, subutex, talwin, nubain, pentazocine, dalgan, and stadol.  These medications can place people who are already on an opioid into sudden opioid withdrawal.  Even stronger drugs similar to this but are direct opioid blockers and will start opioid withdrawal include: naltrexone, naloxone, nalmefine, Revia.  Old antidepressions, the MAI inhibitors such as Nardil or Parnate, can have critical interactions. Finally, Ultram can cause withdrawal.

There is a ridiculously long list of medications from the Physician’s Clinical Support System that can interfere with methadone.  You can open the PDF and look up any medications you may be taking: Methadone Drug Interactions.

Here are some other topics for what is methadone :

Methadone Dosing : Drugs.com

History of Methadone: This is a nice PDF summary

Suboxone Treatment Directory And Methadone Treatment Directory

Dr. Rich is a Board Certified Psychiatrist with licenses in Texas and Hawaii. He specializes in the treatment of opioid addiction with buprenorphine and runs a FREE locator service to find Methadone Treatment including Suboxone treatment of oxycontin addiction. Suboxone Treatment Clinic in your area.
Dr. Rich has written more articles on the cost of oxycontin, buprenorphine (Suboxone) including frequently asked questions and a recent post : How Do I Find A Suboxone Physician?

Resources for ” what is methadone “

Methadone : Wikipedia

Food an Drug Administration (FDA): Methadone

Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) : Diversion Control

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)

List of narcotic drugs under international control

Methadone Drug Interactions Sheet

Oral Methadone Dosing for Chronic Pain: A Practitioner’s Guide

How to Get Methadone : What You Need To Do Legally

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How To Get Methadone : For Chronic Pain or Opioid Addiction

How To Get Methadone

How To Get Methadone

If you are looking how to get methadone , there are two main, legal reasons for its use today.  The first is for the treatment of chronic pain. The other reason is for opioid treatment at a methadone treatment center.

Some patients are looking for how to get methadone for their pain because they have found it more effective and longer lasting than other opioid medications. If this is the case, you can go to any physician and get it prescribed to them for this reason. As long as the methadone is not being prescribed for opioid addiction treatment, any doctor can prescribe the medication.

Some doctors, however,  are uncomfortable with giving methadone this way.  They may prescribe is for only a short period, or they may not want to use it at all.  Much has to do with a particular doctor’s comfort level. They may refer you to a pain specialist who has more experience with methadone because methadone requires special monitoring.

How To Get Methadone : For Opioid Addiction

For centuries, it has been known that opioid medications are addictive.  Methadone was invented in Germany during the Second World War.    Between about 1910 and 1960 opioids were used illegally by doctors and others to treat opioid addiction.  It was not until the 1960’s that it’s use for opioid addiction began to be used legally. The first studies indicated the many benefits of methadone treatment.  Then the use of methadone clinics was born.

Finding how to get methadone for opioid addiction starts with finding a methadone clinic near you.  They are located in most cities. There are methadone support groups online you can access. Other than hospitals and addiction detox centers, methadone treatment centers are to only place to go for addicts.

Methadone is highly regulated.  There is a risk of theft and misuse (diversion) of this medication. This, along with the public’s fear of the idea of giving the opioid addicted individual a narcotic for treatment, led to these restrictions.  Here is more information on methadone treatment.

How To Get Methadone : What About Suboxone

While everyone is worrying about how to get methadone, people forget there is a newer medication for the treatment of opioid addiction. This medication is called Suboxone.  This medication is safer and less addictive than methadone, although suboxone does have its risk.  Find out more about suboxone treatment.

Methadone Treatment Directory and Suboxone Treatment Directory

Dr. Rich is a Board Certified Psychiatrist with licenses in Texas and Hawaii. He treats opioid addiction with buprenorphine and runs a FREE locator service to find Methadone Treatment including Suboxone treatment for those wanting oxycontin help. Find a Suboxone Treatment Clinic in your area. Dr. Rich has written more articles on methadone, buprenorphine (Suboxone) including d a recent post : Opioid Addiction : 10 Questions For You

More Resources Related on How To Get Methadone

National Library of Medicine Abstract: Methadone maintenance treatment: a review of historical and clinical issues

Certification for Opioid Treatment Program: SAMHSA

National Institute On Drug Abuse

 

 

Suboxone Detox Instead of Methadone Treatment ?

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Suboxone Detox

Suboxone Detox

Suboxone Detox Instead of Methadone Detox

Detoxing from a narcotics involves slowly reducing the quantity of a drug to avoid severe or dangerous withdrawal. People usually seek detox for : Alcohol, benzodiazepines (Xanax, Valium, Klonopin), and opioid drugs.  Physical dependence is when an individual experiences withdrawal symptoms when abruptly discontinuing a medication. Symptoms may include tremors, insomnia, anxiety, high blood pressure, seizures, and even death. When a person has taken a narcotic for a long enough period, suddenly stopping the narcotic will lead to withdrawal because of their physical dependence.  Symptoms specific to opioid withdrawal: severe cravings, goosebumps, runny nose, diarrhea, stomach cramps, and sweating.  The reason for a slow narcotic detox is to help limit these problems and  avoid relapse.


Methadone, Suboxone (buprenorphine/Naloxone) are two medications used for detox from opioid drugs. They are used if the patient has not been able to taper the drug they are taking on their own or with the supervision of their physician. One is usually switched from the current medication(Oxycontin, Vicodin, or heroin) to Methadone or Suboxone (buprenorphine) and then the dose of the drug is slowly reduced.

Who should consider Suboxone detox or Methadone Treatment Detox?

  1. If you are unable to stop using heroin in any form.
  2. If you have become addicted to pain killer medications.
  3. If you are having dangerous side effects from opioid pain medications.
  4. If you are injecting or ‘shooting up” narcotics in any form.
  5. If you are snorting opioids in any form.

Previously, it was thought  that people addicted to heroin were the main people needing detoxification. However, more recently, we have seen a lot of younger and older patients seeking treatment because of being addicted to their  pain medications. Remember, Everyone will eventually get physically dependent to opiods if they are taken long enough and at a high enough dose. However, not everyone becomes an opioid addict. The people who are physically dependent but not involved in addictive behaviors (stealing, planning use, using despite health or social consequences)  do quiet well once they are detoxed from opioids.

Suboxone Detox: Another Choice than Methadone Treatment

Suboxone detox is that it can be accomplished from your doctor’s office. Previously, one had the choice of having a opioid detox in the hospital or going to a methadone treatment center for detox. A Suboxone detox is generally more convenient the patient than methadone and can take less time. Many people prefer going to their own physician rather than a methadone clinic. If the patient and doctor decide to do a slow detox with suboxone, there are less office visits (methadone treatment requires almost daily visits) . Suboxone (buprenorphine/naloxone) detox is considered a good for many, but not all opioid addicted individuals who don’t want to go to methadone treatment.

Opioid Detox: How Fast To Reduce

How fast the Methadone or the Suboxone is tapered depends on the what is best for each patient. The detox can be as short as a week to longer than half a year.

The more stable a patient is in their personal, work, and social life, the faster the reduction can be done. Has the patient relapsed many times in the past during or after detoxification? How long have they been using opioids? Are they on other drugs of abuse? Do they have another psychiatric illnesses like depression? How much legal problems dothey have? Theses things need to be weighed by the patient and discussed with their physician before undergoing methadone treatment detox or Suboxone detox.

Suboxone Detox: What Happens

The amount of narcotic withdrawal symptoms that people experience during Suboxone detox varies from patient to patient. Usually, the higher the dose one is starting from and the quicker one reduces the medications, the more withdrawal symptoms that will be experienced.

Despite using Suboxone or Methadone for detox, most people will experience opioid withdrawal symptoms. During opioid withdrawal, my experience is patients have the most problems with the sleeplessness, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and cravings. The National Pain Foundation has a nice summary regarding the symptoms and ways to help.

There are a number of drugs that can be used to help with the withdrawal symptoms that happen during detox. They can be very helpful in getting rest while going through detox in addition to reducing the diarrhea. Using methadone or Suboxone alone during the detox with a slow taper will help reduce the cravings and cramping.

Suboxone Detox: Where Can I find One?

Most psychiatric hospitals can provide a suboxone detox. This can be done in the hospital, or by attending a partial hospitalization program. In an outpatient setting, you need to find a doctor who will prescribe suboxone. There are several Suboxone (buprenorphine) physician directories available that will help you find a center or doctor in your area.

Suboxone Detox Summary:

Methadone and Suboxone are drugs that are used for detoxification in those people wanting to get off their opioid medications or illicit narcotic drug use. The opiod withdrawal symptoms can be reduced with a number of medications. Suboxone doctors and Methadone treatment clinics are available and can be found  treatment center directories online.

Find Methadone Treatment or a Doctor in Your Area That Can Start You on Suboxone:

If you need help and are looking for a physician who prescribes Suboxone, click Suboxone Doctor Directory. If you think you may need more intensive treatment such a methadone detox, other opioid detox, or getting started on buprenorphine inpatient, click here for our state opioid treatment center registry. Dr. Senyszyn is a Maui psychiatrist.