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Why Doctors Won’t Offer Suboxone
By C.King, M.Ed. | July 24, 2009
Suboxone has many advantages over other medicines to recover from opium related addictions. But it should be prescribed carefully avoiding them for whom it may be harmful, some time dangerous. Suboxone or buprenorphine being the ideal drug for home therapy for recovery from opium or its derivatives addiction but strictly restricted to the patients suitable for it, lest they are prescribed Methadone or any other type of treatment.
The main privilege of Suboxone medication is home treatment sans daily trips for methadone dose to a clinic, so the detoxification by Suboxone is less difficult than treatment with other drugs like methadone. The success rates for the two drugs are more or less similar but doctors do not prescribe Suboxone to some types of patients; just because the Suboxone is not suitable for them.
Let us see whom the drug does not suit.
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People with high level of opiate dependency.
Suboxone does not suit those who have a high level of opiate dependence. It does not give enough symptom relief; so doctors prescribe them methadone. In fact Suboxone has a limitation; it works only to a certain limit, beyond that it does not work or has little effect.
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Those who are not able or unwilling to follow the instructions for safety.
Sunboxone is prescribed as take home doses and the doctors must feel confident about the patients, whom they prescribe the drug, they understand the risks and benefits of the drug and able to follow the safety guidelines. Patients who fail to meet expectation level of doctors are not suitable for Suboxone therapy.
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Patients with concurrent mental health problem.
There are some patients who suffer from psychiatric problem like suicidal or homicidal inclinations. They are not suitable for home opiate treatment or therapy. Doctors usually do not prescribe Suboxone with other psychiatric medications.
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Those who are pregnant or considering to become pregnant.
Currently only methadone is prescribed for pregnant women; the Suboxone remains yet unstudied during pregnancy.
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Those who are alcoholic.
Suboxone or Buprenorphine is dangerous when taken with sedative hypnotics like alcohol and predominantly lethal; so doctors never prescribe this drug for alcoholics.
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The abusers of benzodiazepines or barbiturates.
Buprenorphine is fatal with benzodiazepine or barbiturates. So patients addicted to aforementioned drugs or medicines are never prescribed Suboxone.
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Tried Suboxone without success.
There are some who have been found without much success with Suboxone treatment earlier. Doctors do not prescribe the same for repetition; instead they try some other therapy.
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Suboxone may not suit certain health conditions.
There are some whose health does not permit Suboxone treatment.
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Those who are not truly motivated to quit.
There are some who are not really motivated to quit using opiates; so they are not suitable for Suboxone treatment.
So Suboxone is not suitable for everyone, though it is the most convenient treatment as home therapy for quitting opiates. It is always better to discuss honestly with doctors and seek proper treatment.
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Topics: Addiction and Drug Dependency, Treatment Options |
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