Buprenorphine: A New Option for Opioid Dependence

drugs photo Unlike methadone, which can be classified as a Schedule II substance under the Controlled Substances Act, buprenorphine is classified as a Schedule III substance, meaning its potential for misuse is significantly lower than methadone.

Methadone can only be prescribed by physicians that are enrolled under the Drug Enforcement Agency’s Narcotic Treatment Program, and the drug can only be dispensed at approved clinics. Buprenorphine is widely thought of as a safer, more easily accessible treatment choice than methadone.

Help you remain physically comfortable while you are in the early stages of recovery when it is taken from the prescribed dosages, Subutex usually doesn’t create the same level of euphoria, drowsiness or central nervous system suppression as street narcotics. Subutex isn’t designed to be taken on an as-needed foundation; it has to be obtained under a certified physician’s supervision and must be utilized as directed in order to create the desired effects.

Buprenorphine is a member of a class of drugs termed opiate agonists. Like heroin and other drugs derived from morphine, buprenorphine comprises compounds that connect with opioid receptors in the brain to decrease pain and create feelings of well-being. Before it had been approved for opioid addiction treatment, buprenorphine was prescribed for several years as a pain reliever. When it is taken from the prescribed doses, buprenorphine reproduces the action of opioid drugs — only to a much lower level.

drugs photo Buprenorphine Some users have abused Subutex by crushing the tablets and snorting or injecting them to find a more potent effect. When Subutex is injected intravenously or snorted in huge doses, the drug can suppress your breathing and cause confusion, nausea, unconsciousness, and death, warns Drugs.com

According to the Drug Policy Alliance, buprenorphine may be an effective part of an opioid addiction treatment program.

When coupled with behavioral modification and counseling, buprenorphine treatment may:Help you slowly and safely reduce your dependence on street drugs

In the 1960s until the year 2000, methadone was the main alternative for people seeking narcotic replacement therapy to lessen withdrawal symptoms. Methadone is an opiate agonist that’s prescribed under controlled conditions to deal with the symptoms of opiate withdrawal. In 2000, buprenorphine became the first narcotic medication that could be prescribed by accredited doctors for treating opioid addiction under the Drug Addiction Treatment Act.