The strength it takes for a broken down, tormented person, feeling sick and hopeless every single day, to say, “No more” to their source of relief is something many people cannot even fathom. Dope sickness (from opioid withdrawal) or even just the fear of dope sickness can trigger a desperation and panic unlike any other.… Continue reading Dope Sick: Breaking Down Opioid Withdrawal
Tag: MAT
Too Often, Insurers Cover Opioids But Not Addiction Treatment Meds
“Buprenorphine and methadone are incredibly effective medications… So I really do think it’s a stigma issue.” As is the case for many people battling opioid addiction, Mandy’s dependency started at home. She was prescribed an opioid for back pain, and her insurance company gladly covered the cost of the pills. However, after Mandy became dependent… Continue reading Too Often, Insurers Cover Opioids But Not Addiction Treatment Meds
Language Matters: A Recovery Scientist Explains the Impact of Our Words
If a person has internalized the negative stereotypes associated with being “an addict,” are they more likely to have a fixed mindset and believe they cannot improve or change? Over 21 million Americans have substance use disorder and fewer than 3.8 million individuals receive treatment each year. 28 percent of the individuals who need treatment,… Continue reading Language Matters: A Recovery Scientist Explains the Impact of Our Words
Medication-Assisted Treatment Options Limited For Medicare Recipients
“Medicare beneficiaries have among the fastest growing rate of opioid use disorder, but they don’t currently have coverage for the most effective treatment,” says one official. Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid addiction and dependence is now seen as the gold standard of care by many addiction treatment professionals, but barriers to treatment make it difficult… Continue reading Medication-Assisted Treatment Options Limited For Medicare Recipients
Medication-Assisted Treatment Saves Lives But Is Severely Underutilized
A new study found that in the year after an overdose less than one-third of patients were prescribed methadone, buprenorphine or naltrexone. A new study found that drugs used to reduce opioid use in people with addiction are seriously underutilized. The medical journal Annals of Internal Medicine published the study, which followed close to 18,000… Continue reading Medication-Assisted Treatment Saves Lives But Is Severely Underutilized
Generic Suboxone Strips Get The Green Light
The FDA’s move could mean wider availability and more competitive pricing for the popular addiction-fighting drug. The FDA last week sparked a flurry of legal wrangling when it gave the go-ahead for two drugmakers to sell generic versions of Suboxone strips. Part of an agency push to expand access to medication-assisted treatment, the move could… Continue reading Generic Suboxone Strips Get The Green Light
Using Marijuana to Treat Opioid Addiction
When I’m on marijuana, the thought of injecting toxic drugs into my body seems totally unhealthy and unappealing. If you believe that medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorder (OUD) is wrong because it’s “just substituting one drug for another,” then you’re really not going to like this article. It’s not about one of the… Continue reading Using Marijuana to Treat Opioid Addiction