Suboxone Therapy for Chicago, IL
what is medication assisted recovery (MAR)?
Medication assisted recovery is the use of medication, including Suboxone, in addition to counseling for the treatment of opioid addiction.
“Isn’t Suboxone just substituting one drug for another?” No. Suboxone is a safe medication prescribed with the clear intent of improving your health, preventing illnesses associated with drug use, and preventing death from overdose.
What is suboxone? Why is it used?
Suboxone is the trade name for a combination of the medications buprenorphine and naloxone. It is given by mouth to reduce cravings and prevent opiate withdrawal symptoms.
The use of medication, including Suboxone, has repeatedly been shown to be the most effective therapy for opioid addiction. Rates of relapse with abstinence based therapies have been shown to be 3 times higher than those for patients on medication assisted recovery.
what to expect during treatment
Your first visit will last approximately one hour. During this visit you will meet with an intake counselor and our physician. You will be given a prescription for Suboxone and specific instructions. The next morning we do a follow up call with you to assess your Suboxone dose and adjust as necessary.
After this, clinic visits are scheduled weekly. Once you are stabilized and doing well, follow up appointments are scheduled every two weeks. At follow up visits you are seen by your counselor and/or physician, a urine drug screen is performed, and you receive a Suboxone prescription tailored to your needs.
what to expect long term
Opioid addiction is a chronic condition, requiring long term management. Studies have demonstrated that patients stabilized with Suboxone and then transitioned to long term Suboxone maintenance therapy are more likely to remain relapse free than those receiving only short term Suboxone stabilization, or those not receiving medication at all.
Although everyone is different, individuals typically remain in treatment for 6 months to a year or longer. Some do well in treatment for many years. Existing studies show that Suboxone therapy can be safely used long term.
Everyone is different. Each person needs to be evaluated individually to see if Suboxone therapy is appropriate for them.
telemedicine
Telemedicine is currently approved for Suboxone treatment. Conduct you visits from the privacy and convenience of your preferred location. Call us for more information!
