Treating Opiate Addiction With Replacement Therapy
by
Scott Farnum, M.S., M.P.A., L.A.D.C., L.C.P.C., N.C.C.
FIVE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT BUPRENORPHINE
- 1. The use of buprenorphine allows people to function normally by stopping withdrawal symptoms,
eliminating craving for opiates, blocking opiate induced euphoria, and correcting the neurochemical
abnormalities in the brain caused by opiate addiction.
- 2. Buprenorphine is a safe medication with a low risk of overdose and very few side effects.
- 3. Buprenorphine can be prescribed by a personal physician in their office and allows patients to recieve
up to 30 days of medication at a time once they are stable.
- 4. Buprenorphine can be prescribed for young people with shorter histories of opiate addiction allowing
intervention early in the addictive cycle.
- 5. Buprenorphine is regulated differently from methadone, making it more like other prescription drugs.
This allows the person to more easily adapt the medication into his or her lifestyle and reduces the
negative attitudes often associated with methadone