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.