How Opioid Addiction Started?

 

Opioid addiction has turned into an opioid epidemic due to several reasons, and one of them is that doctors prescribed opioids hugely as pain killers. In the United States, many people continue to die from opioid overdose-related death. The epidemic started centuries ago, and the wave of addiction kills many lives. If you are addicted to opioids, you need to find support from an experienced doctor for your recovery. Norton Health Care is helping many patients and we are happy to bring them back a regular life without addiction. Visit our clinic in Norton MA and Salem NH.

In the United States, opioid addiction started from the use of the morphine given to the soldiers in the Civil War for relieving pain. Morphine is a drug derived from opium. But, it made people addicted. In 1874, chemists started researching opioids to get a drug for the use of anaesthesia. They introduced heroin for medical purpose only. But the drug made many people addicted, and in 1914, the Harrison Narcotics Tax Act limited the use of the drug. But this action made heroin illegally available in most places, causing the opioid epidemic.

If you get dependent on opioids, you should not waste your time and consult with the best doctors that are certified for opioid addiction treatment. Not all doctors can carry on the treatment. The law allowed those medical professionals who get special training for performing addiction treatment. Norton Health Care has a team of experienced suboxone doctors, and we offer treatment based on individual needs. Visit our clinics in NortonMA and Salem NH.

The opioid epidemic has three waves if you want to conclude the complete epidemic. We mention here some details about these waves to make you understand how the misuse of opioids started.

Wave one:

The first wave was started because the pharmaceutical companies misinterpreted opioid drugs. In the 1990s, companies came up with a few opioids drugs and they claimed that they would not cause addiction. So, this led medical professionals to prescribe the drugs for the treatment of non-cancer pain. But, they turned out to be highly addictive drugs. Since they were easily available, they caused addiction.

Wave two:

The second wave of addiction started in 2010. Due to the use of addicted prescription drugs, people turned to a cheaper option, heroin. Since the drug was easily available, it caused another wave of addiction.

Third-wave:

The third wave started in 2013. During this time, illegal drug fentanyl was widely available and people got easy access to it for continuing their addiction. It is a synthetic drug and is 100 times more potent than heroin.

So, this is how the opioid epidemic has started. With the help of the treatment, health care authorities tried to bring positive changes to this situation. Norton Health Care is an experienced name for your addiction treatment. We have clinics in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Call us for your treatment.

The Differences Between Suboxone and Subutex

 

Subutex® and Suboxone® are known medicines for opioid addiction treatment. But before these medicines, methadone has been there and it is used by doctors since the 1970s to offer relief from the addiction. The Medication-Assisted Treatment or MAT has also included methadone to help patients alongside counseling and behavioral therapies. After the introduction of these two medicines, methadone was rarely used for the purpose because both Subutex® and Suboxone® are considered to be the safer options for the treatment. They cannot be easily abused and patients also get faster relief with these medications. Find Suboxone or Subutex clinic near you in MA or NH.  

Norton Health Care is a trusted clinic in Norton MA and Salem NH. If you want to know which treatment you need, our experienced suboxone doctors will make you aware of every detail. Visit us to start your treatment.

Subutex® and Suboxone® are similar to each other, and they both have Buprenorphine as a prime compound. The blog helps you identify the differences between the two drugs.

Before you understand suboxone and Subutex, you have to know what buprenorphine is.

Buprenorphine is a partial opioid agonist and it attaches to the same receptor sites as the full opioids do. But being the partial agonist, the intensity is much lower than heroin and other strong opioids. This medication lowers the withdrawal symptoms and reduces drug cravings. A person with an addiction can concentrate on the treatment better when he/she is given buprenorphine.

Doctors prescribe Buprenorphine in three important phases – induction, stabilization, maintenance.

In the induction phase, doctors introduce Buprenorphine to the patients who stop taking drugs for 12 to 24 hours. When they experience withdrawal symptoms, Buprenorphine is administered.

In the stabilization phase, doctors decide the right dose for your addiction treatment. In the maintenance phase, doctors keep patients on the buprenorphine treatment for a little longer for offering the best recovery.

What is Subutex®?

Subutex® is approved by the FDA in 2002 alongside Suboxone. It contains Buprenorphine and comes in a sublingual tablet that dissolves under the tongue. The medication was introduced for offering less abuse potential drug for the treatment.

What is suboxone®?

Suboxone® is another popular medicine and is widely used by doctors for treating opioid addiction. It contains Buprenorphine as the main compound, but it also contains Naloxone – an opioid agonist. This compound has an overdose-reversing effect making suboxone® a safer drug to use. It comes as a sublingual film or buccal forms and they dissolve between the cheeks and gums.

Naloxone draws the distinguishing line between Subutex® and Suboxone®. Subutex® does not contain Naloxone and it has an only prime compound Buprenorphine.

Which one is better?

If you want to know which medicine works better than others, you have to consider a few factors. Remember that both are effective for your addiction treatment. But when you have a higher chance of relapse and you tend to abuse medication, doctors will prescribe you Suboxone instead of Subutex.

Let a doctor decide which medicine proves to be the best for you. Norton Health Care is an addiction treatment clinic and we are offering medication as per the reaction of patients. Our doctors will check your health issues and offer the best medicines for you. Visit Norton Health Care in Norton MA and Salem NH.