Medication assisted treatment
Suboxone Treatment
Suboxone combines buprenorphine and naloxone in a daily film or tablet that eases withdrawal and quiets cravings, so you can focus on rebuilding your life.
What is Suboxone?
Suboxone is an FDA-approved medication for opioid use disorder. It pairs buprenorphine, a partial opioid agonist, with naloxone, an opioid blocker that discourages misuse. The film or tablet dissolves under the tongue and is taken once a day at home as part of a complete treatment plan.
Because buprenorphine only partially activates opioid receptors, it stops withdrawal and cravings without the high or the sedation of a full opioid. Patients describe the feeling as finally being normal again.
How Suboxone helps
- Relieves opioid withdrawal symptoms such as nausea, muscle aches, sweating and insomnia.
- Reduces cravings so daily life is no longer organized around using.
- Lowers the risk of overdose and return to use compared with treatment without medication.
- Taken at home once daily, with regular provider visits and counseling.
- Can be continued as long as it is helping — there is no forced taper.
What treatment looks like
Step 1
Assessment
A medical evaluation and substance use history with our clinical team to confirm that Suboxone is right for you and to plan your start date.
Step 2
Induction
Your first dose is taken once you are in mild to moderate withdrawal. We monitor how you respond and adjust the amount as needed.
Step 3
Stabilization
We find the dose that keeps withdrawal and cravings away without sedation, while counseling sessions begin in earnest.
Step 4
Maintenance
Routine visits, prescription management and ongoing counseling for as long as treatment continues to support your recovery.
Suboxone and counseling
Medication is one half of the work. Every Suboxone patient at Southwestern Recovery Center also meets with a counselor to address the thoughts, habits and circumstances behind substance use. This combination is what gives medication assisted treatment its strength.
Prefer a monthly injection instead of a daily dose? Read about Sublocade treatment.
Suboxone FAQs
What is Suboxone?
Suboxone is a prescription medication that combines buprenorphine, a partial opioid agonist, with naloxone, an opioid blocker. It is taken as a film or tablet that dissolves under the tongue or inside the cheek, and it is one of the first-line treatments for opioid use disorder.
How does Suboxone work?
Buprenorphine attaches to the same receptors in the brain that opioids such as fentanyl, heroin, oxycodone and hydrocodone act on, but it activates them only partially. That is enough to stop withdrawal symptoms and quiet cravings without producing the high of a full opioid.
The naloxone component discourages misuse. Taken as directed under the tongue, it has little effect; if the medication is injected, naloxone triggers withdrawal.
Is Suboxone just replacing one drug with another?
No. Suboxone is a safe, FDA-approved medication prescribed and monitored by a licensed provider as part of a full treatment plan. It stabilizes brain chemistry so you can work, care for your family and take part in counseling instead of organizing your life around finding the next dose.
How soon can I start Suboxone?
Most patients can be seen quickly. You must be in mild to moderate withdrawal before your first dose, otherwise the medication can bring on precipitated withdrawal. Your provider will tell you exactly how long to wait after your last opioid use based on what you have been using.
What are the common side effects of Suboxone?
The most common side effects are headache, nausea, constipation, sweating, insomnia and numbness or soreness in the mouth. Most are mild and improve as your dose is adjusted. Tell your provider about any side effect that bothers you rather than stopping the medication on your own.
How long will I stay on Suboxone?
There is no set time limit. Your care team builds the plan with you, and for some patients treatment is long-term. You will never be forced to taper or stop your medication.
Do I have to attend counseling while taking Suboxone?
Counseling is a core part of our program. Medication relieves withdrawal and cravings; counseling helps you build coping skills, repair relationships and create the routines that keep recovery going.
Does insurance cover Suboxone treatment?
We accept Medicaid, Medicare and most private insurance plans, including Blue Cross Blue Shield, Medical Mutual, United Healthcare and Cigna. Call us and we will verify your coverage before your first visit.
Start Suboxone treatment
Call our team to schedule an assessment and we will verify your insurance before your first visit.