Methadone.US has successfully educated and enlightened many thousands of online visitors over the last two years. Our goal has been to demystify & destigmatize opioid replacement therapy, and to highlight how methadone, suboxone, and other treatment interventions can give patients a new lease on life. 

It is important to emphasize that methadone and suboxone are medically-approved treatments in wide use across the United States and the world. In the US, these medications are prescribed and administered under the supervision of a physician. A physician is at the core of every methadone clinic, and it is the physician who is authorized to prescribe suboxone for opioid addicted patients needing relief and hope.

On our city pages, Methadone.US lists local physicians who are certified to write prescriptions for buprenorphine (suboxone). Our lists are drawn from the United States government database at SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration). Our city ...

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Suboxone is the other leading opioid replacement medication and it is becoming increasingly popular as an option for opioid addicted people. Suboxone has historically been too pricey for most patients, but a cheaper generic version is rumored to be on its way to market in the near future.

Suboxone offers some unique advantages in that patients do not have to be observed dosing each day at a treatment clinic, and they can receive up to a two week supply via prescription. Medicaid already pays for suboxone and some states are preparing themselves to help cover the cost of generic suboxone once it is released.

There is excellent science behind the effectiveness of opioid replacement therapy. While methadone is by far the number one treatment alternative for opioid addiction, suboxone is beginning to garner positive acceptance in both the medical community and general public.

The most important issue at hand is ...

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There is a fascinating article in The New York Times which explores the use of methadone and buprenorphine in treating babies born addicted to opioids. While this is often an emotionally-charged subject, it is a very important topic and points to the benefit of methadone in relieving suffering and in stabilizing one's health through the elimination of painful opioid withdrawal.

The article explains the dilemma that hospitals face when an opioid addicted woman is pregnant. Depending on the type and length of her opioid use, her baby may be born with an opioid dependence. And the newborn could begin experiencing painful withdrawal symptoms within 1 to 5 days.

The Times article addresses the use of methadone (or buprenorphine) in alleviating a baby's suffering. Prior to birth, methadone has also been used to reduce the chance of miscarriage and the probability of in utero seizures. Many doctors have little ...

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The two primary components of opioid addiction treatment are opioid replacement therapy (methadone or suboxone) and behavioral health counseling. Each of these therapeutic interventions address very different aspects of one's addiction. And one intervention, without the other, is generally not sufficient to promote lasting recovery from opioid addiction. Both must work in unison to produce meaningful, lasting change.

When entering treatment, most clients are initially very focused on their physiological dependency to opioids and the associated withdrawal symptoms that emerge when their drug supply runs out. Recurrent opioid withdrawal takes priority over most all other considerations. Consequently, addicted people place much emphasis on their methadone dose due to its ability to provide relief from painful opioid withdrawal. There is such a clear connection between methadone dosing and symptom relief that clients often assume that dosing alone is the complete answer to their addiction problem.

However, this is a false ...

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Suboxone® (a branded medication of Reckitt Benckiser Pharmaceuticals) is a relatively newer opioid replacement therapy consisting of a combination of buprenorphine and naloxone. Buprenorphine is the generic, active ingredient in Suboxone that provides extended relief from opioid withdrawal symptoms. Naloxone is an opioid antagonist that deters abuse of suboxone by injection.

Methadone and buprenorphine are the only two opioid medications which are FDA-approved for the treatment of opioid addiction. While they achieve the same end, they have significant differences. Buprenorphine can be administered in a physician's office, and is considered safer than methadone. However, buprenorphine is a "partial" opioid and provides little benefit beyond the maximum dose of 24 mg. This is sufficient for many opioid dependent persons and will provide substantial relief.

Methadone, by contrast, is more powerful and does not have the same ceiling effect of buprenorphine. Some clients find that they are more comfortable on methadone ...

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