ALINA BOUZA, MD, PLLC
Suboxone
As with any treatment, there is no one right treatment/approach for everyone. During the evaluation process, together, you will make a treatment plan and decide whether prescribing Suboxone is an appropriate treatment for you.
Please note that Dr. Bouza does not prescribe Suboxone for pain management, but for treatment of opioid dependence only.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What is Suboxone?
Suboxone is the first opioid medication approved for the treatment of opioid dependence in an office-based setting. It also can be dispensed for take-home use, just as any other medicine for other medical conditions. The primary active ingredient in Suboxone is buprenorphine. Because buprenorphine is a partial opioid agonist, its opioid effects are limited compared with those produced by full opioid agonists, such as oxycodone or heroin. Suboxone also contains naloxone, an opioid antagonist. The naloxone in Suboxone is there to discourage people from dissolving the tablet and injecting it. When Suboxone is placed under the tongue, as directed, very little naloxone reaches the bloodstream, so what the patient feels are the effects of the buprenorphine. However, if naloxone is injected, it can cause a person dependent on a full opioid agonist to quickly go into withdrawal.
What is Suboxone used for?
Suboxone at the appropriate dose may be used to help achieve and stay in recovery by suppressing symptoms of opioid withdrawal and decreasing cravings for opioids.
Should Suboxone be used indefinitely?
No. Many are able to eventually stop taking Suboxone and continue in their recovery. As mentioned above, Suboxone is just one step towards the goal of recovery.
Is treatment with buprenorphine / Suboxone just substituting one addiction for another?
No. Addiction is a pattern of maladaptive behaviors that Suboxone helps to eliminate. With successful Suboxone treatment, the compulsive drug using behavior, the loss of control of drug use, the constant cravings, and all of the other hallmarks of addiction vanish. When all signs and symptoms of the disease of addiction vanish, we call that remission, not switching addictions.
The key to understanding this is knowing the difference between physical dependence and addiction. Suboxone will maintain some of the preexisting physical dependence, but that is easily managed medically and eventually resolved with a slow taper off of the buprenorphine when the patient is ready. Physical dependence, unlike addiction, is not a dangerous medical condition that requires treatment. Addiction is damaging and life-threatening, while physical dependence is an inconvenience, and is normal physiology for anyone taking large doses of opioids for an extended period of time. It is essential to understand the definition of addiction and know how it differs from physical dependence or tolerance.
Can any physician prescribe Suboxone?
No. Only these physicians with special training and a waiver can do so. And there is a limit to how many patients each physician can treat.
What are some other options for treatment of opioid addiction?
Some other options include: methadone, inpatient rehab/detoxification, rapid detoxification under general anesthesia, and quitting "cold turkey."
Dr. Bouza is certified to prescribe buprenorphine medications (Suboxone and Subutex), and is trained in addiction psychiatry. Buprenorphine can play an important role in the treatment of opioid use disorders. Psychosocial treatments such as therapy and 12-step meetings are also an integral part of recovery.
11416 Slater Ave NE #202 C
Kirkland, WA 98033