“How long does Suboxone (Buprenorphine) Detoxification last? Generally, suboxone detox time frames run less than two weeks. However, Buprenorphine detox can vary considerably depending upon the type of opiate addiction, the duration of the opiate addiction and how much opiate is being used on a daily basis…”

Suboxone detox is a much-improved method for the treatment of opiate dependence. Suboxone is a combination of two active medications; Buprenorphine HCl and Naloxone HCl. The dual medication paradigm is designed to minimize opiate withdrawal symptoms, dissuade opiate addicts from relapse and lower the risk of overdose.
There is another version known as Subutex. With only one active ingredient; Buprenorphine HCl, Subutex is a “mono” medication.

Suboxone occupies the brain’s mu receptors, eliminating the pain of opiate withdrawal. Suboxone combined with additional medications can help control blood pressure, lower anxiety and ensure nightly sleep. And Suboxone is the primary ingredient in The Opiate Detox Cocktail, a combination of medications, nutrients and electrolytes. The detox cocktail is far and away the best opiate detoxification treatment developed to date.

The keys to a successful detox are:

• Pain free detoxification
• Adequate medications
• Physician oversight
• Nutrient replenishment
• Electrolyte therapy
• Nightly sleep
• Counseling

Along with Suboxone, these primary keys help opiate addicts safely and painlessly get through the withdrawal process without experiencing uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms. When opiate use stops, opiate withdrawal symptoms begin, especially in addicts who have developed opiate tolerance or dependence.

Despite the increased awareness regarding the dangers of opiate addiction, the overriding feeling of opiate withdrawal is one of fear. Fear of pain from opiate and Hydrocodone withdrawals, however, this “fear” is no longer warranted, since there are qualified detox and treatment options that can ease the pain associated with opiate withdrawals. A short-term Suboxone detox eliminates the risk of experiencing Suboxone withdrawal symptoms.

The fact is: Suboxone Detox works where most other opiate treatment models have historically failed. The proof can be found in the results. Today there are more heroin addicts choosing to become abstinent rather than continue with a life-long opiate replacement than ever before.

How long should you take Suboxone?

The withdrawal and detoxification process for opioid dependence, including heroin, morphine, oxycontin and narcotic medications, is generally between seven to ten days… more importantly, completely pain-free. For many men and women who have become dependent on Heroin, Oxycontin, Vicodin, Norco, Loritab, Methadone, Morphine and other Opiates, Suboxone can produce a life-changing event.

Addiction Medicine Monopoly?

When Suboxone and Subutex were first introduced; only physicians certified in Addiction Medicine were allowed to prescribe Suboxone. That meant that to all other physicians, from General Practitioners to Psychiatrists, an important new tool in opiate addiction and treatment was off-limits.

That all changed when The Drug Addiction Treatment Act made it possible for other physicians to obtain a certification permitting them to prescribe and dispense Suboxone. When the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration announced that Opioid Treatment Programs (OTPs) would be able to offer their clients Suboxone as an alternative to methadone, the popularity of Suboxone began increasing rapidly.

The passing of new laws, changes in Federal regulations and the relaxing of certain requirements took place in a very short time, signifiying a turning point in modern addiction treatment. For the first time, the U.S. Government stepped aside from its sole endorsement of 12 Step Programs.

Back to Bupe

Suboxone is used successfully for the treatment of opiate addiction, withdrawal and detox. The active ingredient, buprenorphine hydrochloride, reduces the symptoms of opiate tolerance and dependence. Buprenorphine, a partial opioid agonist, reduces withdrawal symptoms and blocks the effects of opiates taken after Suboxone has been introduced to the body. By doing so, it can also help reduce the illegal use of opiates.

Because naloxone is present in Suboxone, extreme withdrawal symptoms can occur if misused. When used as prescribed, however, effects like those are very unlikely. Suboxone, along with Subutex, were the first legally approved opiate addiction treatments for outpatient and in-office therapy.

Suboxone for Hydrocodone addiction

There are varying opinions as to the best detoxification methods for heroin, oxycontin, methadone and other opiate medications like Hydrocodone. The question often asked by many dealing with Hydrocodone addiction is whether or not a Hydrocodone detox alone is okay, or if a longer-term maintenance is required.

The answer is that it depends.

In cases where the Hydrocodone dependence is so deep, where there is a history of addiction problems, the use was motivated solely to get high, and you’d relapsed after previous detox attempts, then a Suboxone treatment program might be the way to go.

However, if the Hydrocodone use has been short lived, and the drug was prescribed for legitimate reasons, and there is no prior indication or suspicions of other addictions, then a detox alone done over a few weeks time may be all that is needed to stop Hydrocodone. Once the buprenorphine is tapered off, strong cravings may not return, and one can live happily ever after – as the say.

In general, there is a fine line between safe painkiller usage and abuse, and that line can appear blurred, and will differ from person to person, as all addictions do.

The truth, however, is that if you’re worrying that you may have a problem, then you may have a problem. If you’re addicted to Hydrocodone, there’s a good chance that things are going to get worse before they get better without professional help.

Our bodies build up a tolerance to opiates fairly quickly, and before you know it you need twice as much to just feel “normal”.

People who are looking to make the switch from Hydrocodone to Suboxone need to keep in mind that Buprenorphine, the active ingredient in Suboxone, is actually a mild opiate, and with habitual usage, you can also easily find yourself addicted to Suboxone, and battling Suboxone withdrawal symptoms.