If you are considering a Suboxone Injection to detox to treat a Substance Use Disorder? Explore how using a monthly buprenorphine (Suboxone) injection can help you on the road to recovery.
Explore the recap of Dr. Peter Coleman’s YouTube video, “A Monthly Suboxone Injection?” here.
Buprenorphine Injection
Many people might have already heard about Sublocade, which is a new monthly buprenorphine injection.
It's kind of like taking Suboxone for a month, but instead of taking a daily Suboxone® injection, you only have to have a monthly buprenorphine injection. Buprenorphine Injection’s been around for a while now, and it's starting to get more and more acceptance.
Buprenorphine Injection Cost
Right now, it's quite expensive.
I wish it were a little less expensive because it would benefit the people on buprenorphine products.
Weekly Buprenorphine Injection
There's even a newer version that's coming out that will have more dosing flexibility in a weekly version as well.
Eventually, You’ll Need to Detox off of Buprenorphine
As most people know, buprenorphine is a partial agonist and partial antagonist for people who have Substance Use Disorder. However, it’s an addictive drug. Eventually, you will need to detox off of it once you’re ready.
But because it's so long-acting and smooth, it doesn't get you high. And so it's a pretty good bridge for people who aren't ready to be on Naltrexone and fully abstinent.
Suggested Read: What’s the Difference Between Using Naltrexone and Buprenorphine?
UNDERSTANDING ACCELERATED OPIOID DETOX
Buprenorphine Treatment
Long-acting Buprenorphine is a good treatment. Taking it every day is useful, but taking it every month is turning out to be a very, very effective way of treating it. Because patients get a monthly shot once a month, they stop thinking that they might have a low level or a higher level.
They stop obsessing about whether they're on the right amount or anything. They just get on with their lives and start working on their recovery program and just accept that they're on the right treatment, and they can just get on with the things in their lives and on their recovery. We see the same thing happening with Vivitrol and with their implants.
Conclusion
As soon as we put the long-acting Suboxone injection in patients, they stop thinking about it. They stop thinking and obsessing about their opioid problem, and they can concentrate on their recovery. And so it's very, very helpful, much better than the once-a-day treatment.
I think Sublocade and the new one coming out will find a beneficial part of the whole treatment for Substance Use Disorder. Fortunately, here at the Coleman Institute, we have a good method of getting people off of buprenorphine products. When they have completed the detox, they've got their life together.
We have a lot of patients who are detoxing quickly, rather than the slow taper off of Suboxone®. But I think Sublocade is a beneficial drug.
Suggested Read: Why is it So Hard to Detox Off of Suboxone and Other Forms of Buprenorphine?
