When opioid addiction takes hold of your life, you can’t afford to gamble with treatments that might work — you need effective treatment that works now. Here’s why suboxone® is your best bet.

The opioid epidemic has ravaged families and cut short the lives of way too many people. In the United States alone, the number of overdose deaths shot up from 2,404 in 2015 to 106,699 in 2021 — and more than 80,000 involved opioids.

If opioids have taken control of your life, and you want to avoid becoming part of those tragic statistics, you need a proven treatment that works quickly. At Sal Rediscovery Center in Norwalk, California, Dr. Salisu Aikoye specializes in matching the right treatment with the right patient. No single approach works best for all patients, but one has several advantages over others — medication-assisted treatment (MAT), including Suboxone® and Vivitrol®.

As a double-board certified physician with extensive experience treating substance abuse and drug addiction, Dr. Aikoye understands the complexities of opioid addiction and works with you closely to address your unique symptoms and help you overcome your dependency. He offers several innovative, evidence-based treatments, including repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, a noninvasive drug-free solution that can regulate mood disorders that often accompany addiction. We also provide intensive outpatient (IOP) therapy to help you talk through the challenges of substance abuse disorder and learn practical ways to cope with addiction.

However, one of our most effective treatments involves a medication called Suboxone®, the brand name for a powerful combination of two drugs: buprenorphine and naloxone. Here, Dr. Aikoye explains why it’s one of the most effective treatments for opioid addiction.

 

Suboxone blocks the harmful effects of opioids

Opioids are drugs like heroin, oxycodone, morphine, and fentanyl that trigger reactions in your brain. Specifically, they’re opioid agonists that tap into the pain-blocking receptors in your brain and trigger the release of endorphins that make you feel pleasure. Your brain quickly becomes dependent on that sensation and craves more.

Suboxone is an opioid antagonist, meaning it counters the effects of opioid agonists, prevents them from affecting your brain’s receptors, and significantly reduces your dependency on opioids.

 

Suboxone is safer than methadone

Since 1974, doctors have known about the benefits of MAT in tamping down cravings and drastically reducing withdrawal symptoms. For years, methadone was the MAT medication of choice, but it has some drawbacks. With methadone, a full opiate agonist, there’s a high risk of dependency, misuse, or fatal overdose. Although methadone is highly effective, the risks might not outweigh the benefits.

Suboxone is a partial opiate agonist, so there’s a lower risk of misusing it and becoming addicted. It also has a ceiling effect, meaning that higher doses don’t produce increased effects. Conversely, methadone has no ceiling, so you can’t take it without professional supervision.

Suboxone doesn’t produce the “high” you get from illicit opioids, and the FDA has approved it as a safe treatment for opioid addiction.

 

Suboxone is only part of your treatment

Your addiction journey differs from everyone else’s, as does your treatment at the Sal Rediscovery Center. We tailor your care to meet your specific needs, which may or may not include Suboxone. If it does, we may also recommend other treatment forms that go hand in hand with MAT, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, group and one-on-one counseling, meditation, yoga, and other healthy lifestyle changes as part of our IOP program.

The good news is that Suboxone can eliminate your cravings and the debilitating withdrawal effects that cause so many addicts to return to their old habits. Suboxone gives you a leg up on your recovery so you can face the healing process with fewer obstacles and a lot of hope and confidence.

To learn more about Suboxone and our comprehensive addiction services, call our friendly staff or book an appointment online.