Medication-assisted treatment for opioid dependence gives hope to recover.
There is hope. Hope to recover. Hope to get better. To not die from a drug overdose.
Current medical science provides what is called medication-assisted treatment. This is the use of special medication, often together with therapy, to overcome opioid dependence and addiction.
If you think that someone is overdosing, call 911 right away.
Does the treatment work for opioids and opiates?
Yes, it does work for both. Medical treatment works for opiates such as heroin and morphine. It also works well for opioids, including oxycodone, Dilaudid, fentanyl, carfentanil, and more.
So, if you have become addicted to any of these substances, there is hope to recover with medical treatment.
What about methadone?
Quitting methadone is a bit more difficult, but it can be done. First, the key is to reduce the dosage under the supervision of your current prescriber. Talk to your current doctor about this.
However, if you are taking methadone off the street, the first step is to get into a methadone program, or, if your dose is low enough, to start buprenorphine treatment with a doctor. Because methadone is long-acting, starting buprenorphine takes a longer wait or a low-dose start, sometimes called microdosing. A formal inpatient detox is not always ideal, or even acceptable, for a person in that situation. What matters is meeting you where you are.
Is there also hope to complete medication-assisted treatment in a short time?
Everyone is different in this regard. However, you should expect to be on treatment for at least several months. Some patients take a bit longer to get established in their overall recovery.
Taking a medication every day, as prescribed, is not another addiction. It is physical dependence, and physical dependence is not addiction.
What medication do you prescribe for treatment?
I prescribe buprenorphine. It is the main active ingredient in the brands Suboxone and ZubSolv, which combine it with a second ingredient, naloxone. There are generic films and tablets as well, including tablets of buprenorphine alone, once sold as Subutex.
Faith can help you to get medical help.
Faith is a principle that does not only belong to churches. Do not be afraid of this word. You do not have to change your beliefs, and you do not have to join a new church or a cult. You simply must believe in yourself.
You may not hear the success stories in the news. The media loves tragedy. Happy endings do not often make the headlines. So, you should know that many, many people have quit heroin and other opioids successfully.
If they can do it, you can do it. Medical treatment for opioid addiction works. Buprenorphine is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat opioid dependence. So please, have faith.
How do I get started?
If you are thinking that it cannot work for you, let me tell you that it can. You have the power to take action. Asking for help is an important step. If you are ready to take that step, then call your doctor.
When I first wrote this, not all doctors could prescribe these medications. Fortunately, federal law changed at the end of 2022. Now, any doctor with a standard Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) registration that includes Schedule III medications can prescribe buprenorphine, where state law allows.
Yet, not every doctor does. The federal website, FindTreatment.gov, is free. It does not list every prescriber, but it can help you to find treatment near you.
I am Dr. Leeds. I am an osteopathic physician. I treat opioid dependence and addiction.
If you live in Florida, I see new patients by telemedicine, with office visits available in Fort Lauderdale. You can use the contact form on this site.
This article is educational. It is not medical advice, and reading it does not create a doctor-patient relationship. Decisions about starting, continuing, or tapering any medication should be made with your own physician.
