What Is Suboxone?
Suboxone is the brand name of a drug that combines buprenorphine, which is a partial opioid agonist, and naloxone, which is an opioid antagonist. The drug was approved to be prescribed by doctors in an outpatient setting and even in take-home doses to ease opiate withdrawal symptoms. There have been many documented successes and failures with this drug.
When used properly in a short-term dose then it does appear to lessen the severity of withdrawal from opiates such as heroin, oxycodone or hydrocodone, etc. However, there has been a marketing push to use the prescription as a maintenance drug where it is taken for many months and even more than a year. The main problem with this is that the user is still dependent on the opioid and is still going to have to withdraw at some point, so delaying it only prolongs the situation and creates more income for the doctors and the drug's manufacturer.
Does Suboxone work? It really depends on the individual's circumstances including the amount and type of opiates previously taken, the prescribing practices of the doctor and the determination and support available to the addict. In the vast majority of cases people still need to attend an inpatient rehabilitation program to handle the underlying issues surrounding the addiction.
If you or your loved one is addicted to opiates and considering trying Suboxone, a good idea is to speak with a counselor and get recommendations on complete detox and rehabilitation programs that can either assist in administering it or replace it with more effective solutions.