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Suboxone Pictures and Information

Opiate addiction has become a frightening threat in every society. While most opiate addicts want to quit drugs, the process is quite an uphill task and most people actually end up reverting to drug abuse. This is because addiction makes the person to become completely dependent on the drug for their mental, emotional and physical stability and to some extent, even survival. The drug becomes a part of the addict's life and they just can't do without it. The dependency builds with time, creating the need to increase intake of the drug with time. This can have fatal consequences.

Opiate addiction is one of the most difficult addictions to quit because of the painful withdrawal effects associated with attempts to reduce the drug's composition in the addict's blood. However, there are certain treatments available for dealing with opiate addiction. The effectiveness and speed of recovery under different treatments will mainly depend on the level of addiction.

Commonly referred to as "the miracle drug" by ex-addicts, suboxone is one of the most effective solutions for treatment of opiate addiction. It has changed the lives of many opiate addicts. Suboxone contains two ingredients: naloxone and buprenorphine. Buprenorphine is the active ingredient, which works by blocking opiate receptors in the addict's brain, consequently reducing cravings and use of other opiates. However, it should be noted that buprenorphine has the ability to actually induce the opiate receptors if used incorrectly. It can therefore cause a new addiction - suboxone addiction - hence you will have ended up jumping from the frying pan into the fire.

The other ingredient, naloxone, is less relevant in treatment of opiate addiction provided that suboxone is used correctly. However, if incorrectly used, suboxone actually triggers the opiate receptors. Naloxone blocks out the effects by causing symptoms of withdrawal. Now, if you have ever attempted to quit opiate drugs by reducing their consumption, then you know how terrible withdrawal symptoms can be. You might therefore want to stick to the prescribed dosage and mode of administration of this miracle drug.

So, how do you take the suboxone pill?

Unlike most other pills, suboxone is administered sublingually. You should place the suboxone pill under your tongue for ten to fifteen minutes and let it dissolve completely. Although the suboxone pill has a bitter taste, try not to spit any saliva or swallow it. This ensures that the blood vessels under the tongue absorb the medication. Swallowing the suboxone pill does not help. The stomach acid eats up the suboxone and little or no medication is absorbed. On the other hand, crushing, chewing or injecting the drug can have disastrous effects. If you do so, naloxone provokes your body to show severe symptoms of withdrawal.

How does suboxone work?

Opiates attach themselves to the patient's brain receptors and induce an euphoric feeling. When this feeling lowers after some time, the receptors become depleted and signal for another dosage by causing withdrawal symptoms. Buprenorphine comes in and attaches itself to the opiate receptors. This way, the craving for the opiate reduces over time. The advantage of buprenorphine is that its action phase is longer hence there are no symptoms of withdrawal. Buprenorphine also has a ceiling effect - taking higher doses increases its narcotic effect up to only one or two mg, then the effect plateaus and taking any higher amounts does not increase narcosis. This makes it one of the least abused drugs for treatment of opiate addiction.

Timing:

As aforementioned, timing is very important as far as opiate addiction treatment is concerned. Suboxone is best used when the patient is in narcotic withdrawal. Remember that suboxone is capable of treating narcotic withdrawal and causing it as well. As explained above, it treats narcotic withdrawal by filling the opiate receptors, consequently stopping the withdrawal symptoms. On the other hand, if suboxone is administered while on another narcotic, it knocks the narcotic off the receptors and causes severe withdrawal symptoms. The first impulse is to rush out to get more supplies of the same narcotics you're trying to quit. This can lead feelings of disappointment, failure and hopelessness.

What is the correct dosage?

Dosage will depend on several factors and vary from person to person. Your doctor should be able to advise you on the dosage that is appropriate for you. However, most patients are stabilized on 12-16 mg daily. Note that it may take up to two weeks to stabilize.

Of great importance is to follow instructions to the letter. Never miss a dose but if you do, you should not take 2 doses at the same time. It's better to skip it and resume your normal dosing schedule.

Any side effects?

Yes. Suboxone can impair performance of complicated tasks such as driving. Although in rare cases, it can also cause liver problems. Suboxone can also cause narcotic withdrawal among newborns if their mothers were taking it while pregnant.

Warning: taking suboxone together with other sedatives like alcohol is dangerous and can cause death.

Facts

  • LSD users frequently report experiencing mood changes that are both frequent and unpredictable, which are commonly referred to as good trips or bad trips.
  • Physical drug withdrawal may cause changes in heart rate and blood pressure.
  • Some individuals who are going through antidepressant withdrawal can find themselves at the mercy of hair-trigger symptoms that register as intense anxiety, aggression, and insomnia looked increasingly like a drug-related syndrome.
  • Over 60% of Americans drink alcohol, with 50% being 'regular drinkers'.