Breaking the Cycle: How Suboxone Helps Patients Transition Away from Opioids

When you are ready to break the cycle of addiction to opioids, Suboxone® therapy may be the resource you need to regain control of your life.

For adults who need pain relief without the risk of addiction, our team at New Tampa Interventional Pain & Sports Medicine provides custom Suboxone therapy.

Our pain management specialist, Jose De La Torre, MD, specializes in the treatment of chronic pain associated with herniated discs, sciatica, and other conditions. Dr. De La Torre prioritizes your physical and mental wellness when creating your treatment plan.

How Suboxone works

Suboxone is an effective, evidence-based medication that can treat opioid use disorder, a chronic mental health condition that develops from a pattern of opioid abuse. Misuse of opioids can evolve into addiction where intense cravings and severe withdrawal symptoms cause people to continue taking opioids.

Suboxone is a medication in the opioid family, made up of a unique chemical structure that doesn’t offer the same feelings of euphoria, or the high, that other opioids do. Suboxone also has less risk for dependency than other opioids.

The ingredients in Suboxone include buprenorphine, which helps control cravings for opioids and eases withdrawal symptoms, and naloxone that prevents opioid misuse.

When used in a medication-assisted treatment (MAT) plan, Suboxone works to stabilize chemicals in your brain, so you can transition away from opioid use more comfortably.

When to consider Suboxone therapy

Opioid use disorder has a profound effect on your physical, mental, and emotional health. The disorder also negatively affects your quality of life and ability to care for yourself.

People who misuse opioids may not easily recognize warning signs of opioid addiction, which include:

• Increasing the amount of opioids you take
• Having strong urges to use opioids beyond pain control
• Spending a lot of time getting or using opioids
• Difficulties keeping up with responsibilities
• Isolating or withdrawing from friends and family

Opioid addiction may result in withdrawal symptoms, including nausea, vomiting, shaking, and sweating, so please seek medical assistance when you want to break your addiction. You may also experience an increase in the intensity of chronic pain.

What to expect from Suboxone therapy

New Tampa Interventional Pain & Sports Medicine offers custom Suboxone therapy plans to help you overcome opioid addiction. Dr. De La Torre also provides treatment for underlying pain conditions, so you can break your dependency on opioids.

Typically, you start taking Suboxone when withdrawal symptoms are present. The medication is effective at quickly relieving those symptoms and your cravings for opioids. After your initial dose, you can expect to take Suboxone once a day. The medication is available in a sublingual strip that you place under your tongue.

A crucial part of Suboxone therapy involves psychological counseling to address depression, anxiety, and other issues connected to opioid dependency. Dr. De La Torre continues to monitor your progress with counseling and Suboxone therapy.

We also provide nonsurgical, non-drug therapies like selective nerve blocks and trigger point injections to relieve chronic pain without opioids. Dr. De La Torre focuses on the least invasive treatments to manage chronic pain conditions in the long term.

Contact the team at New Tampa Interventional Pain & Sports Medicine  to schedule your Suboxone therapy consultation or book an appointment online today.