Carty Addiction Medicine and Internal Medicine Clinic
Addiction Medicine & Internal Medicine located in Winston Salem, NC
Seeking treatment for an opioid abuse problem is the best way to regain your health and happiness. If you need help stopping misuse of prescription or nonprescription opioids, Brian Carty, MD, with the Carty Addiction and Internal Medicine Clinic in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, can help. Dr. Carty is an addiction specialist who has helped many people kick their opioid dependence at his Suboxone® clinic, so call today, or book an appointment online.
336-313-2158Suboxone Clinic Q & A
What is Suboxone?
Suboxone is a medication containing buprenorphine and naloxone that is prescribed for people with opiate abuse problems. Maintenance treatment with Suboxone or another form of buprenorphine dramatically reduces the risk of cravings, withdrawal symptoms, and overdoses.
Suboxone, regular monitoring, and therapy are the basis for the Carty Addiction and Internal Medicine Clinic’s medication-assisted treatment (MAT) program.
How do I get access to Suboxone treatment?
Under the DATA (Drug Addiction Treatment Act) of 2000, Suboxone is available only from qualified physicians who have a buprenorphine waiver from SAMHSA, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
Dr. Carty at the Carty Addiction and Internal Medicine Clinic has this buprenorphine waiver, thus this Suboxone clinic provides a comprehensive program of managed withdrawal from opioids and subsequent treatment with Suboxone to prevent withdrawal symptoms, cravings and relapse.
The Suboxone clinic also can provide or arrange counseling sessions and coordinates your involvement in social support programs.
How does Suboxone work?
Suboxone contains two drugs that help reduce your dependence on opioids like heroin and morphine:
Buprenorphine
Buprenorphine reduces your physical dependence on opioids and helps you manage your cravings. Buprenorphine is an opioid partial agonist, which means that it reduces withdrawal symptoms and drug cravings but also prevents euphoria if a patient on buprenorphine takes an illicit opiate at the same time.
Naloxone
Naloxone blocks opioid receptors and is added to the buprenorphine in Suboxone to reduce the likelihood of misuse or overdose if the Suboxone is injected
What does treatment at the Suboxone clinic include?
Your treatment at the Carty Addiction and Internal Medicine Clinic’s Suboxone clinic begins with an initial evaluation. It is best if the patient stops taking opiates between 12 and 24 hours before visiting the clinic. Patients will often have mild withdrawal symptoms at this time.
Since buprenorphine is a partial opioid antagonist and both blocks and stimulates the opioid receptor, opioid-using patients who start buprenorphine may have mild withdrawal symptoms. This can generally be managed with medication on an outpatient basis.
Your provider at the Suboxone clinic monitors your progress and works closely with you to manage a reduction in the use of your problem opioid until you are free of cravings and all or most of the side effects.
If you’re looking for a safe and effective method of freeing yourself from the burden of opioid addiction, the Suboxone clinic at the Carty Addiction and Internal Medicine Clinic could be the answer. Call today to find out more, or book an appointment online.
