Effective Treatment for Opiate and Opioid Usage
For the treatment of opioid use disorders, there are a wide variety of different practices, but the most effective methods begin with the treating withdrawal symptoms through medically supervised detox, along with medication-assisted treatment therapies where needed.
If the individual is at the lowest risk for opioid abuse and withdrawal, then these medications may be considered second-line treatment, along with behavioral therapy and counseling. The individual’s primary care physician or addiction medicine doctor can discuss with you if and how this second line of treatment is the best option for you, and work with you to find a medication for the individual, if necessary.
Treating Opioid Use Disorders with Medication-Assisted Therapies
This article discusses a pair of drugs approved for the treatment of OUD and the side effects and interactions. The article also discusses how the medications differ and the dosage to use to begin treatment with the approach best suited to meet the individual’s needs
Methadone for Opioid Use Disorder Treatment
Perhaps the most venerable of medications used to treat opioid use disorders is methadone, a form of opioid agonist that was originally approved in the 1960s. Methadone, when provided as a long term, replacement therapy, has been shown to be effective in treating OUD. The dosage to use for a short term (three to six months), as a first line medication, is between 125 to 150 mg per day.
Methadone can be more easily obtained from a methadone program than buprenorphine because buprenorphine must first be obtained from a physician, whereas the dosage of methadone can sometimes be provided by the methadone program itself, without the need for a prescription. Methadone is not as well regarded as its counterparts amongst contemporary addiction treatment specialists, because of the tendency for side effects and high rates of relapse when the dosage is too low.
Buprenorphine for Medication-Assisted Treatment of Opioids
As a partial opioid agonist, the reactions of clients to buprenorphine as a first line medication are similar to reactions to methadone; the side effects and high rates of relapse when the dosage of buprenorphine is too low, as with methadone, have become less common as clinicians become more familiar with buprenorphine for the medication assisted treatment of OUD.
Both Suboxone and Subutex contain buprenorphine, with the difference being the presence of naltrexone in the former, and its exclusion from the latter. Both are generally well tolerated and show tremendous promise for the treatment of OUD, especially in rural areas where methadone clinics are unavailable or impractical.
Finding a Top Rehab for Opioid Use Disorders
The starting step, across levels of treatment, is for the rehab provider to accept the insurance of the clients. If you have Blue Cross Blue Shield, for example, finding rehabs that take Blue Cross Blue Shield will form the starting step, even before deciding whether medical detox is needed. If you have no insurance or Medicaid, the starting point for your rehab program will be your own bank account and personal finances, if any. It’s crucial to realize that this is your decision, but also consider that the cost of continued addiction often outweighs any form of treatment costs.
The next and most essential physical feature of any rehab for opioid use disorder is a medically supervised detox setting, that can help alleviate withdrawal symptoms and guide their clients into the appropriate form of medical detoxification. It is important to note that not all people with an opioid use disorder require this level of care. Some people with an opioid use disorder will require a more in-depth, inpatient level of care, while others can succeed on an outpatient basis
Using Insurance for an Opioid or Drug Rehab Program
In closing, the choice of insurance or private pay can make a difference, as can finding a top Blue Cross Blue Shield drug rehab, but ultimately it will be up to the client (yourself or your loved one) to fully commit themselves to treatment for the best results.
Along with acceptance to a facility, a continuing commitment to staying clean and establishing a solid sober support network will be crucial to long-term recovery from any form of opioid use disorder. With the advice gleaned from this article, as well as our resources outlined within, we hope that you can find an OUD method that gets you on the path lasting recovery. Remember, getting (and staying) clean is within your reach!
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