Webisode #3
Before becoming addicted himself, Mike thought that addiction was a choice. With an uncontrollable compulsion to take more and more pills, and an inability to 'just stop', he soon realized that addiction is a chronic medical condition. He had to get better. His intense research about the buprenorphine treatment option led him to naabt.org. It was there he found the educational resources to make an informed decision if the treatment was right for him. There Mike also found peer support to ask questions about treatment, and then it was through the same site that he found a certified physician.
"I went from taking massive amounts of painkillers one day to putting myself in moderate to mild withdrawals and with less than 12mg of Suboxone, within two to three hours, I felt as if I had never taken a painkiller in my life."
Mike did not rely on the medication alone. He found a therapist, both in-person and online peer support, and the loving support of his wife and family as the foundation for his recovery.
Mike is an addiction survivor and has not misused opioid painkillers since beginning treatment in 2006.
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The Purpose of Buprenorphine Treatment:
To suppress the debilitating symptoms of cravings and withdrawal, enabling the patient to engage in therapy, counseling and support, so they can implement positive long-term changes in their lives which develops into the new healthy patterns of behavior necessary to achieve sustained addiction remission. - explain -
The National Alliance of Advocates for Buprenorphine Treatment is a non-profit organization charged with the mission to:
- Educate the public about the disease of opioid addiction and the buprenorphine treatment option.
- Help reduce the stigma and discrimination associated with patients with addiction disorders.
- Serve as a conduit connecting patients in need of treatment to buprenorphine treatment providers.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration, FDA Talk Paper, T0238, October 8, 2002, Subutex and Suboxone approved to treat opiate dependence.
- Center for Substance Abuse Treatment. Clinical Guidelines for the Use of Buprenorphine in the Treatment of Opioid Addiction. Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) Series 40. DHHS Publication No. (SMA) 04-3939. Rockville, Md: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2004.
- Subutex Discontinued in the US market in late 2011.
- Zubsolv (bup/nx sublingual tablet) FDA approved 7/3/2013 see buprenorphine pipeline graphic -in pharmacies now.
- Bunavail (bup/nx bucal film) FDA approved 6/6/2014 see buprenorphine pipeline graphic -in pharmacies now.
- Probuphine FDA approved 5/26/2016 - FDA Probuphine press release