In recent years, nearly 130 people per day were dying from opioid abuse.
People are taking Lean, Vicodin, and fentanyl at alarming rates. No matter what you’re hooked on, drugs like Subutex and Suboxone are helpful in the recovery journey.
You might be asking, Subutex vs Suboxone, what’s the difference?
While these drugs are mostly similar, there are a few points you should know when you’re seeking MAT addiction treatment. This guide will explain more about each.
Subutex vs Suboxone for Addiction Treatment
Subutex and Suboxone are similar to drugs like methadone, in that they are opioids used to help patients break the addiction of other opioids. This medication-assisted treatment is a tried and true method for helping with different types of narcotics abuse.
So what is the difference between Suboxone and Subutex for addiction treatment?
Weigh these factors:
1. Consider the Active Ingredients in Both
Buprenorphine is the active ingredient in both Suboxone and Subutex. This active ingredient helps patients reduce their physical and chemical dependence to opioids when used correctly.
Suboxone and Subutex are essentially the same drugs, though they have a few ingredient differences. The main difference is that Suboxone contains another drug, Naloxone, while Subutex does not.
Naloxone is a substance that works to undo the dependence of opioids, thus, breaking your body and brain’s dependency on them. This added ingredient helps to make Suboxone abuse less likely.
The fact that Subutex doesn’t contain Naloxone makes it more addictive. This is part of the reason that it was discontinued from circulation and production nearly a decade ago.
With these differences in mind, never forget that these are both opioid-level drugs. Though Suboxone has contingencies in place to prevent addiction, it should still be respected as such and taken wisely to avoid abuse.
2. Compare the Way They’re Administered
While methadone requires the care and administration of a clinic, drugs like Suboxone only require a doctor’s prescription.
Both are administered sublingually, which means they dissolve in your mouth after being placed under your tongue. Suboxone comes in the form of a film, while Subutex comes in the form of a tablet.
If you’re going to take Subutex today, it will come in the form of a generic brand that still contains the same active ingredient.
3. Get to Know the Side Effects of Each Drug
Opioids come with sizable side effects that you should consider. Subutex and Suboxone are no different.
Some of the side effects of these drugs include nausea, vomiting, constipation, disorientation, and dizziness. Prolonged use of these drugs might also leave you open to chronic back pain, mouth and tongue numbness, and vision problems.
They are both highly addictive when abused, which is why doses should be limited and you should always use it under the guided care of a physician.
4. Think About How They Interact With Other Substances
You always need to stay aware of the different drug interactions that come with the territory. Your physician or an addiction treatment professional will ask you what medications you’re currently taking to prevent negative interactions between them.
Be careful taking either one of these drugs if you already take anti-depressants, benzodiazepines, Adderall, ibuprofen, and Lexapro. You’ll also need to be mindful fo the doses that you’re taking and monitor the way that your body responds.
5. Assess the Cost of These Drugs
Always look into cost factors no matter which drug you decide to take.
You might pay close to $200 on a Suboxone prescription. Look into your health insurance plan to see if you can get prescription savings for Suboxone refills.
If you’re interested in saving money you can also look into different generic versions of the medication. Make certain that they have the same active ingredients and assess the milligram amount in each.
6. Factor in the Effectiveness of Both
Studies indicate that both Subutex and Suboxone are effective in helping people that are dealing with addiction issues.
Since they contain the same active ingredient, there’s no indicator that one is better than the other at treating addiction. The main differentiator lies in the fact that Suboxone is less addictive, but both can help you if you’re experiencing opioid abuse problems.
7. Both Should Be Used Under the Guided Care of a Professional
Keep in mind that these drugs are only the beginning point in dealing with addiction recovery.
They help to ease the hold of opioid addiction, but these drugs alone won’t get you the results that you’re looking for. This is the starting point that will you out when you also get detox, addiction therapy, and counseling.
Though you can take these medications on your own, they’re more effective when you have the assistance of pros that can put the other pieces into place.
Get the Addiction Treatment That You Need
Now that you understand a bit more about Subutex vs Suboxone, you can consider which will be most helpful to you. The deciding factor lies in choosing the right addiction treatment professionals to help you out further.
Our New Jersey clinic is one of the best around in helping people out with their opioid addiction issues. If you’re looking into Suboxone treatments or assistance with any other problem, we’d be happy to get you started on your road to recovery.
We’re open 7 days a week and can field any addiction relief questions that you have.
Touch base to learn more about the addiction recovery services that we offer and call us up at 201.331.6569.
