SERVICES

The FDA approved buprenorphine and buprenorphine with naloxone, the most well known of which is Suboxone®, for clinical use in 2002 to help patients with opioid use disorders. Treatment centers like New Horizons Health use them today as an option for medication-assisted treatment (MAT). Like our methadone program, buprenorphine treatment benefits from support services like counseling. Our medication-assisted treatment programs use counseling to increase your chance of success. By addressing all aspects of addiction, we can help you get back to your life.

As a partial agonist, buprenorphine activates the brain’s opioid receptors. It triggers this response to a lesser degree than a full agonist like methadone. This is the primary difference between methadone and buprenorphine uses. Buprenorphine has a “ceiling effect” limiting its ability to be used to get “high” or feel euphoria. It also acts as an antagonist, blocking other opioids while reducing withdrawal symptoms and cravings.

The right dose of buprenorphine varies for each person. Buprenorphine and buprenorphine with naloxone often begin with a more aggressive dose than with methadone because of the ceiling effect. While we tend to prescribe methadone in a small initial dose, we can start with a larger amount of buprenorphine. Buprenorphine and compounds such as Suboxone® have been shown to be more effective at lower doses overall. At a certain point, increasing the dose may not provide additional benefit. Before beginning buprenorphine treatment, a patient must be experiencing mild discomfort or withdrawals.