Addiction is a disease that needs chronic care management. At The Healthcare Gallery & Wellness Spa in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Dr. Leone Elliott Jr., MD, MBA, and the team take a patient-focused approach when helping their patients who are struggling with an addiction. MAT stands for Medication-Assisted Treatment for patients dealing with addiction to opioids such as pain pills or heroin, alcohol, methamphetamine and other substances. They offer Suboxone® treatment, Buprenorphine, Sublocade and Vivitrol injections to reduce cravings and withdrawal symptoms, along with other self-care tools to help you manage your addiction and recovery. To learn more about Suboxone treatment, call the office or schedule an appointment online today. Telemedicine appointments are available.

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What is Suboxone?

Suboxone is an FDA-approved medication for the treatment of opioid dependence. It’s used as part of medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid addiction.

Suboxone has two active ingredients: buprenorphine and naloxone.

Buprenorphine

Buprenorphine is an opioid partial agonist-antagonist. It treats opioid addiction by reducing cravings and withdrawal symptoms.

Naloxone

Naloxone is an opioid antagonist. It blocks the opioid receptors and helps reduce withdrawal symptoms and prevent opioid abuse and relapse.

Who needs Suboxone treatment?

Dr. Elliott and the team at The Healthcare Gallery & Wellness Spa specialize in addiction and determine who benefits from Suboxone treatment after an initial consultation. They use Suboxone to treat people with addiction to opioids.

Opioids are medications prescribed to control pain. However, opioids trigger your brain’s reward system and alter your brain chemistry. Even when opioids are taken as prescribed, anyone can develop an addition to these medications.

Types of opioids include:

  • Hydrocodone
  • Lortab®
  • Percocet®
  • Oxycodone
  • Roxicodone®
  • Morphine
  • Opana®
  • Kratom (herbal supplement)

Heroin is an illegal opioid drug.

The team recommends Suboxone treatment for patients who are struggling to stop using these medications or substances.

How does Suboxone treatment work?

At your initial consultation, Dr. Elliott reviews what you can expect during your Suboxone treatment.

Before starting the medication, you must abstain from using all forms of opioids for at least 24 hours. If you have opioids in your system and take Suboxone, you immediately go into withdrawal.

The team administers your first dose of Suboxone at the office and monitors you for symptoms. You return to the office the next day for your next dose. Dr. Elliott adjusts your Suboxone dosage until you find the dose that provides the best relief from your drug cravings and withdrawal symptoms.

Once Dr. Elliott finds the right dose, you continue on that dose for as long as you need. You continue to visit with the team, either in-office or through telemedicine appointments, to discuss symptoms and get refills for your medication.

While receiving Suboxone treatment, the team incorporates other tools to help you gain control over your addiction, including:

  • Counseling
  • Exercise
  • Yoga
  • Meditation

You can continue with Suboxone treatment for the rest of your life. However, when you reach the point where you feel strong enough to manage your addiction without medication, the team helps wean you off the Suboxone.

Suboxone treatment can help you recover from your opioid addiction. Call The Healthcare Gallery & Wellness Spa or schedule a consultation online today.