Last month we talked a bit about what patients may experience when it comes to Suboxone withdrawal symptoms. It’s important for us to be as transparent as possible about things like this. Even though we know Suboxone is an incredible tool in helping addicts overcome their substance abuse disorders, experiencing withdrawal symptoms they aren’t expecting can throw a wrench into their plan for healing and recovery. But we don’t leave anyone out in the wind should they be having trouble transitioning from Suboxone. This time on the Direct2Recovery blog we are talking about Sublocade and the role it plays in the path to recovery! If you’re hesitant to seek treatment using Suboxone because of withdrawal worries, read on, this will put your mind at ease.
Sublocade – What It Is, Why We Use It
Sublocade is used to treat opioid addiction. It is not for use as a pain medication. It’s unique nature is that it is a once a month, injectable treatment option and is absorbed and metabolized in the body at a slower rate, allowing for a longer, regular release of the buprenorphine medication. It is injected as a liquid and once under the skin it forms into what is called a ‘depot,’ a sort of storage site for the medication for its gradual release into the body.
Due to this extended-release schedule, the buprenorphine levels in the bloodstream are at regular levels over time as opposed to the peaks and valleys of other treatments.
So Sublocade and Suboxone are Different?
That’s right while both Sublocade and Suboxone contain buprenorphine, there are differences between the two that make them both beneficial for different things. Here is a brief rundown to help illustrate that point.
- Sublocade contains only buprenorphine, while Suboxone contains both buprenorphine and naloxone.
- Sublocade is an injection and Suboxone is a film that you put under your tongue daily.
- Because of the different delivery mechanisms (injection and sublingual film) Sublocade and Suboxone are delivered at a different rate. Sublocade is given once a month and Suboxone is taken as a single-dose daily
- Again, due to the difference in how the medicines are administered, there is a difference in them Sublocade needs to be injected by a health care professional subcutaneously (under the skin) but Suboxone can be prescribed for at-home use.
- Subclocade is a newer medication, while it was approved in 2017, Suboxone has been available and in use for fifteen more years, since 2002.
Direct2Recovery is more than a Suboxone clinic, we are a treatment facility built from the ground up to help our clients get better. Fighting withdrawals, quitting narcotics and opioids, all of these are incredibly difficult things to tackle alone and we believe that through medication-assisted treatment, patients are setting themselves up for better success. Sublocade is just one piece of an overall puzzle that can help.
If you or someone you love is afraid to start treatment, worried that the withdrawal symptoms will be too much, or otherwise have any questions about seeking treatment, call Direct2Recovery today. We’re here to help!
