How It Works and Is It Safe?

How Suboxone Treatment Works

Suboxone is a prescription medication that contains both buprenorphine and naloxone as its active ingredients. This medication is classified as a partial opioid agonist.

Buprenorphine, one of Suboxone’s ingredients, is designed to stimulate the same receptors in the brain that opioids do, however, an uncoordinated high is not produced when taking this medication. When buprenorphine makes its way into a person’s system, it blocks these opioid receptors, which allows an individual to experience reprieve from withdrawal symptoms and drug cravings that often accompany the cessation of opioid use.

Naloxone, Suboxone’s other ingredient and one that is different from buprenorphine, is an opioid agonist. More commonly referred to as an “opioid blocker,” naloxone reverses the dangerous effects that opioids can have on the body. Therefore, when an individual uses Suboxone, he or she no longer grapples with the uncomfortable and upsetting withdrawal symptoms that come with ending opioid use. Additionally, an individual is freed from the cravings that tend to overpower his or her desire to get sober.

Immense research has shown that Suboxone is effective and safe when utilized in a medication assisted treatment program for opioid addiction.