Category Archives: Suboxone Doctors

Maine’s Governor LePage May Undermine Opioid Addiction Treatment

Posted on February 3, 2015 | Comments Off on Maine’s Governor LePage May Undermine Opioid Addiction Treatment

Maine2Paul LePage, the governor of Maine, has announced that he is considering ceasing state-funded support for methadone. As an alternative, Maine is proposing that patients prescribed methadone be switched to a more affordable suboxone option as part of a $727,000 state budget cut. The story is here.

This is an indefensible decision with dire medical implications for opioid addicted patients currently receiving methadone. It equates to government officials making medical decisions that will negatively impact the health and well-being of thousands of people.

Representative Drew Gattine (a member of the Health & Human Services Committee) is quoted as saying the proposal shows a lack of understanding of the societal costs of addiction throughout the state of Maine.

Methadone and suboxone are both effective medications, but offer very unique characteristics and applications depending on the severity & chronicity of a patient’s opioid addiction. Buprenorphine (the actual opioid agonist contained in suboxone) has a much lower ceiling effect than does methadone meaning its effectiveness would be insufficient for a potentially large percentage of stable methadone patients on 60mg or more of methadone daily. Many patients on a moderate to high maintenance dose of methadone would not have their opioid withdrawal symptoms managed by even the maximum dosage allowed for suboxone – which is generally around 32 mg per day.

For a politician to, in essence, prescribe inappropriate medical treatment for a diagnosable medical condition is a huge state liability. The repercussions are alarming. Hopefully, the local medical establishment and other state officials will step in before irreversible damage is done. Methadone works. This cannot be denied.

Methadone has a long, proven track record of medical efficacy and cost effectiveness. Maine, in particular, has suffered in recent years with a severe opioid addiction epidemic. Reducing access to appropriate medical treatment like methadone will likely result in overdose deaths across Maine and an explosion of condemnation for the governor and his office.

Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid addiction is not a fad. It is scientifically proven effective and endorsed by multiple state & federal regulatory agencies as well as ASAM.

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Posted in Addiction Treatment, Buprenorphine, Drug Treatment, Medication Assisted Treatment, Methadone, Methadone Clinics, Methadone Programs, Methadone Treatment, Opiate Treatment, Recovery, Suboxone, Suboxone Doctors

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Methadone or Suboxone

Posted on November 21, 2014 | Comments Off on Methadone or Suboxone

addiction-is-treatable-2A common question among those seeking help is whether methadone or suboxone is the best choice for opioid replacement therapy. It reminds me of the age old debate … which is better, Ford or Chevy? Methadone has been used in opioid addiction treatment for about 45 years. Suboxone has been available to the public for 12 years. Each of these medications has been shown, through conclusive research, to be highly effective in eliminating opioid withdrawal. Both methadone and suboxone achieve a similar outcome, but with subtle differences. [view our comparison chart]

When opiate withdrawal symptoms are no longer a daily preoccupation and source of anxiety, individuals are free to invest their energy & time in productive, meaningful activities. Avoiding withdrawal sickness is the single greatest driver of continued opioid use, and often pushes an individual to desperate measures to maintain a supply of opiates so that they will not get sick.

People unfamiliar with addiction sometimes believe that an addicted person “just wants to get high”. To the contrary, most people with a chronic opioid addiction are just trying to get by, to get through the day without becoming sick all over again. Opioid withdrawal sickness is an exhausting roller coaster ride that rarely slows down long enough to allow an individual to escape. Their relief from opioid withdrawal sickness is typically short-lived, and they then begin feeling sick all over again. Quite a vicious cycle.

This is why suboxone (buprenorphine) and methadone are so valuable as a medical treatment for opioid addiction. These synthesized opioid replacement medications have a slow onset, long duration of action. This means that they don’t quickly spike to maximum levels in a person’s bloodstream like heroin. They reach maximum benefit several hours after they are taken. They then remain active in a person’s system for more than 24 hours and consequently keep painful withdrawal symptoms away. With no fear of being sick, a person can finally live their life and refocus their time where it needs to be: work, school, family, home, etc.

Methadone is a full opioid agonist whereas buprenorphine (the active ingredient in suboxone) is a partial opioid agonist. Because suboxone is a partial agonist, it is somewhat less susceptible to causing overdose and is considered easier to taper off of as individuals lower their daily dosage. As a result of methadone being a full opioid agonist, it is typically more effective with severe, long-term opioid addictions. Suboxone has a peak benefit at 24-32 mg per day whereby higher dosages than this will not produce additional withdrawal relief. However, methadone has no such “ceiling effect” and much higher dosages can be utilized as needed to eliminate a patient’s opioid withdrawal.

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Posted in Addiction Treatment, Buprenorphine, Medication Assisted Treatment, Methadone, Methadone Clinics, Methadone Treatment, Suboxone, Suboxone Doctors

Suboxone Facilitates Safety and Recovery

Posted on October 7, 2014 | Comments Off on Suboxone Facilitates Safety and Recovery

suboxone-doctorSuboxone is a leading medication in the treatment of opioid dependence and has been available since 2002 when the FDA approved Subutex (buprenorphine hydrochloride) and Suboxone tablets (buprenorphine hydrochloride and naloxone hydrochloride).

Suboxone tablets have since been replaced by the thin sublingual suboxone film that is also dissolved under the tongue. While methadone has been highly successful for several decades, suboxone has expanded the range of options for those suffering with opioid withdrawal.

Fighting off opioid withdrawal is at the core of opioid addiction and is chiefly responsible for the stress that addicted individuals feel as they try to function normally each day. Suboxone not only helps patients eliminate opioid withdrawal sickness and associated cravings, but it also brings the opportunity to function again as an employee, a parent, or a spouse.

Many patients report not only feeling relief from the welcomed absence of withdrawal sickness, but recapturing the focus necessary to make strides in other important areas of their lives. This illustrates the profound advantage that some patients derive from opioid replacement therapy.

There are an increasing number of physicians now providing opioid addiction treatment services and utilizing suboxone due to its effectiveness and patient convenience. Additionally, some traditional methadone clinics are adopting buprenorphine (suboxone) as a second option for their patients.

Suboxone therapy ultimately increases safety for opioid addicted patients since they are less prone to secure opiates illicitly. It may also save them from having to rely on heroin or other potentially high-risk medications (like benzodiazepines) in order to “get by”. Patients are better able to cut ties with those that have provided them opiates illicitly and this is extremely helpful to the recovery process.

Originally, Sildenafil was intended for the treatment of angina or chest pain caused by decreased blood flow to the heart. But then followed the trials, as the drug didn’t provide stated effect. But volunteers’ studies showed an interesting side effect- stable and strong erection which is described at . Other studies conducted around the same time showed that the molecular structure of Sildenafil can play a great role in erection, which encouraged the new studies of the drug for men with erectile dysfunction.

If choosing suboxone, it is important that individuals go the proper route and enroll in therapy with a buprenorphine-approved physician. This cannot be overstated. A doctor specializing in the administration of buprenorphine (suboxone) can provide the necessary assistance to make suboxone therapy effective and to help patients taper down successfully should they decide to discontinue suboxone therapy.

For more on this topic, visit our Suboxone Doctors information page.

You can also perform a comprehensive search of Suboxone Doctors by clicking view the complete list on our Search Clinics By State page.

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Posted in Addiction Treatment, Buprenorphine, Heroin, Medication Assisted Treatment, Methadone, Opiate Treatment, Recovery, Suboxone, Suboxone Clinics, Suboxone Doctors, Suboxone Physicians

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BHG Offering Methadone and Suboxone in Memphis

Posted on September 10, 2014 | Comments Off on BHG Offering Methadone and Suboxone in Memphis

bhg-logoTennessee is a leading state in the incidence of opioid addiction and opioid overdose. This is most likely a direct result of Tennessee being ranked one of the country’s leading states for the prescription of opioids as well as benzodiazepines like xanax and klonopin.

The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) report that 46 people die every day in the United States from overdose on prescription painkillers. They also have documented that 259 million prescriptions for opioids were written in 2012 alone by U.S. healthcare providers. This stunning proliferation of opioids has sparked national concerns about opioid addiction and why painkillers have been made so readily available.

In Tennessee, Behavioral Health Group (BHG) have responded to the crisis by providing opioid treatment in a variety of Tennessee cities. They currently operate three clinics in Memphis: Memphis North, Memphis Mid-Town, and Memphis South Treatment Centers under the BHG banner.

BHG also have clinics in Knoxville, Nashville, Jackson, Paris, Columbia, and Dyersburg. The company’s locations all provide suboxone (buprenorphine) in addition to methadone to aid opioid addicted individuals in their effort to cope with powerful opiate withdrawal symptoms. BHG provide various forms of supportive counseling to their patients in conjunction with their medication-assisted treatment model.

While local and federal governments work to address the rise in opioid addiction, it remains very important that addicted individuals seek and find effective treatment as soon as possible. Those interested in participating in opioid treatment often have questions about the process of enrolling in treatment and what it is actually like receiving methadone or suboxone in a clinic setting. Methadone.US offers helpful information on our site for prospective patients that provides an overview of the opioid treatment enrollment process.

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Posted in Addiction Recovery, Buprenorphine, Drug Rehab Programs, Methadone, Methadone Clinics, Opiate Treatment, Suboxone, Suboxone Doctors, Tennessee Methadone Clinics

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Doctors and Prescriptions For Pain Medication

Posted on March 22, 2014 | Comments Off on Doctors and Prescriptions For Pain Medication

oxycodone-prescriptionReceiving increased attention across the country are concerns about prescription pain medication and to what extent prescribers are using caution and due diligence in administering them.

In addition to opioid addiction treatment centers that often employ methadone, pain management clinics also utilize methadone as well as other beneficial but potentially addictive opioid medications such as hydrocodone for breakthrough pain. Often, in addition to painkiller prescriptions, pain management physicians will prescribe powerful benzodiazepines like Xanax and Klonopin to manage patients’ stress and anxiety symptoms.

The potential problems which can emerge from these medication combinations is fairly extensive. First, uninformed patients can develop a rapid physical dependency on pain meds if not properly educated. Patients also run the risk of accidental overdose when combining powerful drugs like methadone, oxycodone, and xanax. There is a serious risk to the community when a physician overprescribes because powerful pain medications and benzodiazepines have a premium “street value”, and are often diverted and sold to naive, inexperienced users who can easily overdose and die.

A recent article in DrugFree.org cited several State congressional bills being considered which would require physicians treating pain management to receive special education in the prescribing of opioid medication. Pain management clinics have been identified in the last few years as a major source of diverted opiate medications making their way to the black market. The article points to two states, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, that have set-up task forces to explore methods for reducing their states’ presciption drug abuse problems. Tramadol is an analgesic, belongs to the group of opioids. It’s a remedy, so cannot be bought without a prescription. I was pricked at the hospital when they did not help NSAIDs, with pain caused by a hernia of the vertebral disc.
According to the instructions, the action of the remedy occurs within 15-30 minutes and lasts for 6 hours. Once, with especially severe pain, it was enough for a couple of hours. But overall the remedy is really strong, and sometimes it’s just a rescue.

For recovering people, pain is a real life circumstance which should be dealt with humanely and sensitively without judgment. From child birth to surgery to cancer treatment, anyone can experience debilitating pain. Managing that pain may require strong medication that carries some risks. While every adult bears obvious responsibility for knowing what they put into their body, it makes sense that doctors would undergo specialized training in regard to the use of opioids to treat pain. This not only provides the physicians themselves with a reduced liability risk, but helps to increase the chances that those receiving strong medication are more thoroughly educated on the benefits and important cautions around use of prescription painkillers.

For information on suboxone-approved physicians, read: Suboxone Doctors

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Posted in Drug Safety, Methadone, Methadone Clinics, Opiate Prescription, Prescription Drugs, Suboxone, Suboxone Doctors, Suboxone Physicians

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