With medication-assisted treatment (MAT), people with opioid addictions are given the chance to rebuild their lives—often from the ashes and debris of drug-induced destruction—without having to fight cravings and withdrawal. Suboxone is a prescription medication that treats opioid addiction. It contains buprenorphine and naloxone, active ingredients that are used to curb cravings and block the… Continue reading Suboxone: A Tool for Recovery
Tag: medication-assisted treatment
More ERs Are Providing Withdrawal Meds As First Step To Recovery
Patients in need are receiving buprenorphine to address their withdrawal symptoms. Kicking an opioid habit comes with a host of physical withdrawal symptoms so severe that people often end up in the emergency room. There, they are usually treated for diarrhea or vomiting, but not the underlying issue. Now, however, more emergency rooms around the… Continue reading More ERs Are Providing Withdrawal Meds As First Step To Recovery
Addiction Medicine Coming To San Francisco's Homeless Community
The outreach program is a response to the “striking increase” in the number of people who inject drugs in public spaces. The city of San Francisco is rolling out a program that will bring buprenorphine, a medication used to treat opioid use disorder, to its homeless community. City officials say it’s time to start meeting… Continue reading Addiction Medicine Coming To San Francisco's Homeless Community
"Methadone Pope" Dr. Robert Newman Dies At 80
The doctor famously commissioned an unused ferry boat to serve as a temporary methadone clinic when a private clinic shut down in 1972. The “methadone pope” passed away this month, sparking a conversation about his groundbreaking contributions to the worlds of harm reduction and medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for substance use disorder. Dr. Robert Newman spent… Continue reading "Methadone Pope" Dr. Robert Newman Dies At 80
Opioid Use Quadrupled Among Pregnant Women
The prevalence of opioid use disorder present at a hospital delivery rose from 1.5 per 1,000 deliveries in 1999 to 6.5 per 1,000 in 2014. Opioid use among pregnant women quadrupled between 1999 and 2014, rising alongside the rate at which opioid use disorder has increased in the general population, according to a new report. … Continue reading Opioid Use Quadrupled Among Pregnant Women
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
Clean, Sober And Using Suboxone
Suboxone users deserve a safe space, in and out of the rooms. And we deserve to proudly call ourselves clean and sober. It was pretty apparent when I began taking Vicodin for migraines that I was going to have a problem, but I was too ashamed and afraid to ask for help. On the… Continue reading Clean, Sober And Using Suboxone
Searching For The Next Naloxone
Experts are concerned that naloxone may not be strong enough for synthetic opioids such as fentanyl and carfentanil. Naloxone is—at times—a seemingly miraculous drug. Within minutes of naloxone being administered, someone who was unresponsive because of an opioid overdose can start breathing on their own and regain consciousness. However, despite its strengths, there are issues… Continue reading Searching For The Next Naloxone
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
Buprenorphine Exposure Affects Kids At Alarming Rates
The number of children exposed to the addiction drug rose 215% over three years. As the opioid crisis continues to grow, some children are being put at risk as they are exposed to buprenorphine, an opioid medication used to treat opioid use disorder. A new study published in the journal Pediatrics found that from 2007 to… Continue reading Buprenorphine Exposure Affects Kids At Alarming Rates