Have you used opioids for chronic pain and now find yourself concerned about your dependence? It can be incredibly difficult to break free from opioid use and find other forms of pain management that work. Don’t despair — you can have both freedom from opioid use and from pain with the help of the right treatment protocols.
At Orthopedic & Wellness clinics in Waldorf, Frederick, and Germantown, Maryland, board-certified physicians Dr. Ojedapo Ojeyemi and Dr. Matthew Roh create custom treatment plans using Suboxone® to reduce opioid cravings and still help address your chronic pain.
Suboxone (buprenorphine-naloxone) is a semi-synthetic opioid painkiller. Unlike methadone, which must be administered as part of a highly structured addiction treatment plan and is rarely prescribed outside of an addiction treatment center, Suboxone can be prescribed and used for treatment under the supervision of highly qualified physicians in an outpatient setting.
Suboxone is administered in a thin film that dissolves under your tongue. It contains two beneficial components: the buprenorphine manages your pain without making you high, and the naloxone stops you from abusing it because it makes you sick if you take it any other form, like injections or snorting.
Suboxone can safely see you through withdrawal from opioid use, and when taken in maintenance doses, will allow you to function normally and even drive a motor vehicle. You will be able to work, study, and do other daily tasks without impairment.
Best of all, Suboxone can treat your pain while reducing your opioid dependence, making it easier to commit to the treatment protocol. If you have had chronic pain lasting longer than six months that hasn’t been treatable with other types of therapy, or if you have become addicted to opioids as a result of your pain, Suboxone could be the ideal solution.
Dr. Roh and Dr. Ojeyemi carefully evaluate you to see if Suboxone is the best treatment for you, whether to help you detox from opioid dependence, to treat outright opioid addiction, to manage chronic pain, or a combination of these.
Certain pre-existing conditions can make Suboxone treatment unsafe. Make sure to talk to your doctor if you have decreased liver function, kidney problems, seizure history, or a thyroid disorder. If you’re pregnant or breastfeeding, Suboxone shouldn’t be used, and you shouldn’t take Suboxone if you have patterns of alcohol use or drug use.
Suboxone must be taken exactly as your doctor prescribes. Over time, you can become completely free from opioid addiction. You may be referred for other treatments or behavioral therapy to help you combat addictive behaviors as well.
Using Suboxone does not mean you’re “simply trading one drug for another,” and should not prevent you from seeking behavioral therapy or enrolling in a 12-step program. If you are currently in a program that is not friendly to Suboxone patients, we can help you find a more welcoming program that fits your needs.
Do you want to learn more about the benefits of Suboxone for treating opioid dependence and for relief of chronic pain? Call your nearest Orthopedic & Wellness clinic location today or request an appointment using the online booking feature.
