Eagle Mountain Drug Rehab
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Methadone has been used to treat opiate addictions for over 40 years and Buprenorphine has been used for about 14 years, and both are fully FDA approved medications. Combined with counseling, medications give the best possible outcomes for those with opiate addictions.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), is a strong advocate for the use of Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) and their decades of research has shown high success rates when MAT is used in conjunction with counseling. Please visit https://www.samhsa.gov/medication-assisted-treatment for more information.
The following are brief descriptions of the most commonly used MAT medications from the SAMHSA web site. These are the three most commonly prescribed medications and the three Eagle Mountain Drug Rehab uses in our treatment center.
Methadone
Methadone is a medication used in medication-assisted treatment (MAT) to help people who are addicted to opiates, including heroin and pain pills. Methadone is a synthetic opiate and is used primarily to stop opiate withdrawals, and to take the place of the opiate in the brain, so that people can recover from their addiction and to take back their control over their lives. For best practice, patients on Methadone should also engage in counseling at the same time, to address those issues driving their addictions. Although methadone is a “partial agonist”, meaning it does not fully block other opiates, it does block most of the euphoric effect of those other opiates. This medication requires a medical taper to come off of. Currently, Eagle Mountain Drug Rehab does not utilize Methadone with their MAT (medication assisted treatment) program!
Buprenorphine
Buprenorphine (Suboxone or Subutex) is also used in MAT to help people who are addicted to opiates, including heroin and pain pills. Approved for clinical use in October 2002 by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), buprenorphine is one of the latest approved medications in MAT. Buprenorphine is a synthetic opiate with a partial agonist. This means that like opiates, including Methadone, it produces a mild euphoric effect. With buprenorphine, however, these effects are weaker than those of full drugs such as heroin and methadone. This medication requires a medical taper to come off of.
Naltrexone
Naltrexone is a medication used to treat opiate addiction as well as alcohol addiction. It comes in either a pill or an injected extended-release liquid known as Vivitrol. Vivitrol shots are given about once a month. Naltrexone requires a medical person to give the injection but does not require a specially licensed doctor to do the monthly injections, unlike Methadone or Buprenorphine. Naltrexone blocks the effects of drugs such as heroin and pain pills. It works differently in the brain than Buprenorphine and Methadone. Naltrexone blocks opioid receptors, and seems to block opiate cravings. There are no euphoric effects wit this drug, as unlike Buprenorphine or methadone, there is no synthetic opiate in this medication. The benefits of this drug is that you can stop taking it without a medical taper.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), is a strong advocate for the use of Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) and their decades of research has shown high success rates when MAT is used in conjunction with counseling. Please visit https://www.samhsa.gov/medication-assisted-treatment for more information.
The following are brief descriptions of the most commonly used MAT medications from the SAMHSA web site. These are the three most commonly prescribed medications and the three Eagle Mountain Drug Rehab uses in our treatment center.
Methadone
Methadone is a medication used in medication-assisted treatment (MAT) to help people who are addicted to opiates, including heroin and pain pills. Methadone is a synthetic opiate and is used primarily to stop opiate withdrawals, and to take the place of the opiate in the brain, so that people can recover from their addiction and to take back their control over their lives. For best practice, patients on Methadone should also engage in counseling at the same time, to address those issues driving their addictions. Although methadone is a “partial agonist”, meaning it does not fully block other opiates, it does block most of the euphoric effect of those other opiates. This medication requires a medical taper to come off of. Currently, Eagle Mountain Drug Rehab does not utilize Methadone with their MAT (medication assisted treatment) program!
Buprenorphine
Buprenorphine (Suboxone or Subutex) is also used in MAT to help people who are addicted to opiates, including heroin and pain pills. Approved for clinical use in October 2002 by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), buprenorphine is one of the latest approved medications in MAT. Buprenorphine is a synthetic opiate with a partial agonist. This means that like opiates, including Methadone, it produces a mild euphoric effect. With buprenorphine, however, these effects are weaker than those of full drugs such as heroin and methadone. This medication requires a medical taper to come off of.
Naltrexone
Naltrexone is a medication used to treat opiate addiction as well as alcohol addiction. It comes in either a pill or an injected extended-release liquid known as Vivitrol. Vivitrol shots are given about once a month. Naltrexone requires a medical person to give the injection but does not require a specially licensed doctor to do the monthly injections, unlike Methadone or Buprenorphine. Naltrexone blocks the effects of drugs such as heroin and pain pills. It works differently in the brain than Buprenorphine and Methadone. Naltrexone blocks opioid receptors, and seems to block opiate cravings. There are no euphoric effects wit this drug, as unlike Buprenorphine or methadone, there is no synthetic opiate in this medication. The benefits of this drug is that you can stop taking it without a medical taper.
