Choosing To Live Better

Why You Have To Be Under The Watchful Eye Of A Physician For Suboxone Treatment

Having an opioid addiction is not something most people want to admit or address. However, when you are ready to address it, you may be considering Suboxone treatment. This dual drug can work wonders when used properly; yet, you can only receive it if you are under the very careful and watchful eye of a doctor. Here is why:

The Rapid Detox May Cause Major Side Effects

Suboxone has the nice effect of decreasing your detox suffering by up to twenty-four hours. The downside to this is that you may suffer a number of unpleasant side effects, including a drastically low blood pressure, decreased breathing to the point of almost not breathing, and extreme sleepiness as the result of low blood pressure and reduced breathing, which can result in reduced oxygen to the brain. If you and your doctor decide to try this rapid detox method, you will need to remain in a clinic or hospital facility under full medical supervision for the first twenty-four hours to avoid these potentially life-threatening complications. 

Some People Are Allergic to Either Buprenorphine or Naloxone

Suboxone is comprised of two other medications: naloxone and buprenorphine. A small percentage of the population may be allergic to either of these without even knowing it, and it only becomes common knowledge when you are exposed to them for opioid rehabilitation treatments or overdose treatments. A few other unrelated medical conditions use one drug or the other, but that is also uncommon. If a doctor gives you Suboxone in a controlled drug rehab setting, then he/she can monitor you for any allergic reactions and alter course immediately if there are any problems. 

Suboxone Can Be Used as an Outpatient Prescription, but in Very Small Quantities

Because of the related side effects, Suboxone is only prescribed outside of facilities in very small amounts. Patients have to take it as instructed, and higher doses of the drug will not produce better or more rapid results. Instead, taking higher or larger amounts of the drug can increase the risks associated with the side effects, which is why the outpatient prescriptions are far lower than what you might receive if you just check into a rehab clinic for a few days. Overall, the drug works best in conjunction with patient counseling and inpatient treatment programs, where it is not so easy to obtain one's opioid drug of choice while staff are busy caring for patients.

For more information, you can contact clinics like MyStreetHealth.


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