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Suboxone Q & A

What is Suboxone®?

Suboxone® is an FDA-approved opioid medication used to safely and effectively treat opioid addiction, dependence, and chronic pain. If you use opioids, stopping the use of them requires a detoxification process that can be difficult. 

Suboxone helps stabilize your withdrawal symptoms and can also be used for maintenance to continue a healthy recovery. 

How does Suboxone work?

Free Range Mental Health offers Suboxone to block the effects of opioid medications on your brain and to help you stop using them. The prescription medication stays in your system for a longer time than opioids, which promotes reduced side effects from opioid withdrawal. 

Suboxone consists of two components:

Buprenorphine

Buprenorphine is a mild opiate analgesic used to help treat pain.

Naloxone

Naloxone is an opiate antagonist that helps fight against the effects of opioids.

 

These two components work against and with each other, which helps you fight off the opioids in your body while giving you small doses to treat different symptoms.

 

Suboxone can also be used to stop your cravings and prevent a relapse. The medication usually comes as a strip that you put under your tongue, where it naturally dissolves.

How long should I take Suboxone?

Opioid addiction can take an extended time to fully overcome. Suboxone treatments can last six months to a year and maybe even longer. If you don’t take Suboxone for the recommended amount of time, you’re at risk for a relapse.

At Free Range Mental Health, board-certified psychiatric nurse practitioner Dan Watts treats the unique needs of each patient. You can rely on him to create a treatment plan tailored to you and monitor your progress throughout your treatment to help you get the results you need and deserve.

Suboxone has short-term effects, which is why you need to stay in constant communication with your provider at Free Range Mental Health. This is a medication-assisted treatment, which means you take the medication in combination with therapy and counseling to help you achieve and maintain recovery.

If you suffer from opioid addiction and want to learn more about ways to overcome it safely, call or book online today. You can also set up a consultation via telehealth.