If you've found yourself searching for "Suboxone doctors near me" on Google, you've already made a crucial first step in obtaining opioid addiction treatment. Real courage is demonstrated by admitting you need support and looking for help for your substance abuse. Therefore, never be ashamed to make the call. Your life could be saved with Suboxone. You can stop abusing heroin, fentanyl, and other opioid substances with the correct support. You can feel at ease knowing that you won't be criticized if you find the appropriate doctor, one who enjoys assisting addicts. By locating a doctor who is an authority on buprenorphine and has a wealth of expertise treating opioid addiction, you can be confident that all of your concerns will be taken seriously. Any pertinent issues will be satisfactorily addressed. Therefore, if you typed "Suboxone doctors near me” and found my clinic at 91st and Yale Ave in Tulsa, it’s now up to me not to screw up your very important phone call 918-518-1636.
Understanding the Cause of Opioid Addiction
Opioid addiction often begins innocently enough. Your brain naturally produces hormones called endorphins. Endorphins regulate sleep, pleasure response, and pain relief. However, when you take external opioids (hydrocodone, morphine, heroin, fentanyl, kratom), they bind with the brain's opioid receptors in a more intense way than your natural endorphins. This can lead to euphoria, a rush, a feeling of energy, and a calmness in addition to pain relief. Before you know it, these sensations quickly lead to dependency on these drugs for the feelings of pleasure and relief they provide.
The danger lies in the fact that these potent drugs can flood the brain's pleasure center with dopamine, and activating its reward system. Over time, you start to seek these pleasurable sensations. Eventually, the brain's chemistry changes, and you lose interest in seeking pleasure from other sources. Continued substance use lead dysfunctional behavior. The dependency set in and you may not even realize it until you try to stop using the drugs.
When you stop using opioids, debilitating withdrawal sets in with painful muscle aches, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, anxiety and more. Some people describe the feeling as the closest thing to death without dying. The fear of withdrawal drives you to start using drugs again to self-medicate and stop the pain. Even worse, tolerance also builds. Tolerance requires more drugs to get the same high and more drugs to get the same relief from the withdrawal. This raises the risk of overdose. Eventually, what started for pain relief or for fun, becomes an imprisonment.
The Challenge of Overcoming Opioid Addiction
Overcoming opioid addiction is very difficult, particularly when you attempt to do this alone. This is what your friends and family don't understand. Even if you manage to physically withdraw from the drugs, the psychological aspect of drug use and the powerful attachment that comes with addiction remains. Plus, you may be stuck with Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome (PAWS) for another 2 years where you just don’t feel right.
How Suboxone Helps You Beat Addiction
This is where Suboxone comes in. Suboxone is a brand name for a combination of Buprenorphine and Naloxone. Buprenorphine, the active ingredient, is a semisynthetic partial opioid agonist prescribed to treat moderate to severe pain and opioid addiction. It binds to the receptors of your brain to stop the withdrawal symptoms, cravings, and drug seeking behavior. Suboxone does so without causing the high associated with other drugs like heroin, fentanyl, oxycodone, etc. It is a widely used treatment for opioid withdrawal. It is also part of a comprehensive treatment program for opioid-dependent patients. It acts as a substitute for other drugs with fewer risks of addiction.
Suboxone reduces cravings, helps normalize brain function and enables you to engage fully in counseling. You can start handling your daily responsibilities without the euphoric effects or highs.
Suboxone vs. Methadone
Both Suboxone and methadone work by binding to opioid receptors throughout the brain and spinal cord. This binding reduces the withdrawal symptoms. However, Suboxone has several advantages over methadone. Suboxone has a "ceiling effect," which means as the dose of Suboxone increase, the drug's effects on the respiratory system start to level off. This reduces the potential for overdose. This makes Suboxone a safer alternative for treating addiction and even chronic pain. Suboxone can be prescribed through a local doctor’s office. Thus, the daily visits to the methadone clinic can be avoided. Since a doctor can prescribe Suboxone, it will be dispensed at your local pharmacy, and you can take your Suboxone in the privacy of your home. Lastly, most insurance plans cover Suboxone prescriptions.
What Are Common Side Effects of Suboxone?
Headache
Nausea and vomiting
Insomnia
Mouth numbness or redness
Dizziness or lightheadedness
What Are Common Side Effects of Methadone?
Constipation
Drowsiness or sedation
Dry mouth
Nausea and vomiting
Headache
Dizziness or lightheadedness
Decreased libido or sexual dysfunction
How Suboxone Outcompetes Other Opioids
Buprenorphine, the active ingredient of Suboxone, is considered more potent than other opioids such as morphine and heroin. It also has a higher affinity for opioid receptors in the brain, which means that it binds with the receptors stronger than other drugs like heroin. So, when Suboxone is taken at very high doses, other drugs, such as heroin, have a much harder time causing a high. Additionally, buprenorphine is longer-acting than other opioids, with a half-life of 24-48 hours. This means that your withdrawals are relieved for a much longer period than other drugs.
Forms of Buprenorphine
While Suboxone is the most commonly known name brand, buprenorphine comes in many different forms. It is available as tablets (Subutex), films (Suboxone, Belbuca), injectable solutions, implants, and skin patches (Butrans). Each formulation has its own unique set of advantages and potential drawbacks, allowing treatment to be tailored to your needs. Of course, health insurance coverage has a great influence on which form will be covered.
How Counseling Plays a Role
Suboxone relieves withdrawal and reduces cravings in the short term. But it is counseling that is critical to address the psychological aspects of addiction.
- Individual counseling helps you process emotions, trauma and challenges behind your opioid use.
- Support groups provide ongoing peer support from others in recovery.
By combining medication with regular counseling, you get comprehensive support to maintain sobriety and avoid relapse.
Care at My Suboxone Clinic
I am an anesthesiologist first and an addiction medicine specialist second. However, I have extensive experience with treating addiction. My experience with buprenorphine dates back to 1999 when I began treating hundreds of heroin addicts in Baltimore. A year later, I began my training in anesthesiology and helping hundreds of heroin addicts through surgery. I’ve been a hospice doctor and a methadone clinic doctor. Little did I know how important those early experiences would be in becoming a Suboxone Doctor in Tulsa.
I understand that Suboxone is just one component of a successful outpatient treatment program. I’ve learned over the years that there are 5 very important components to successfully recover from opioid use disorder:
1) Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) using a buprenorphine based medication like Suboxone. The dose has to be right to eliminate the withdrawals and cravings.
2) Counseling that may include group or one on one counseling. Counseling addresses the psychological aspects of addiction.
3) Nutritional supplementation to correct the common deficiencies that are found in opioid addicts.
4) Hormone replacement therapy to fix the hormone imbalances that opioid cause. You won’t feel right if your testosterone, estrogen, cortisol and thyroid hormones are not balanced.
5) The mutual trust and respect you have with your MAT provider.
When you searched “Suboxone Clinic Near Me” or “Suboxone Doctor Near Me” and found me, I believe you found the best Suboxone doctor in the Tulsa area. I lead a team with decades of experience. We made a commitment to providing you with comfort, care, and respect as you navigate this challenging time in your life. We also made treatment super convenient with hours of operation that extend from 0800 AM to 0900 PM. Please give us a call 918-518-1636.
About the author:
Dr. Harold Pierre is a board-certified anesthesiologist and addiction medicine specialist with over 20 years of experience. He is board-certified by the American Board of Anesthesiology and the American Board of Preventive Medicine.
This website is provided for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute providing medical advice or professional services. The information provided should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, and those seeking personal medical advice should consult with a licensed physician or another qualified medical professional. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.
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