The numbers surrounding deaths by opioid overdose have risen to all-time highs in recent years in the US — more than 56,500 in 2020 alone. One of the more common scenarios when it comes to opioid overdose deaths is people who relapse and end up taking more of the drug than they’re used to, with deadly consequences.
There’s no way around the fact that overcoming an opioid addiction can be very difficult, as withdrawal symptoms and cravings can break even the strongest-willed people. The team here at Tres Vistas Recovery understands these hurdles, which is why we offer medication-assisted treatment options that can make all the difference in early recovery from an opioid use disorder.
As part of our medication-assisted treatment suite are Sublocade® injections, which have helped scores of our patients reach long-term recovery.
Here’s how these potentially life-changing injections work.
The power of buprenorphine
The primary ingredient in Sublocade is FDA-approved buprenorphine to treat opioid use disorder.
Buprenorphine is a partial opioid agonist, which means it binds to opioid receptors in your body as opioids do, except it’s much weaker, and it blocks the rewarding effects of opioids. This treatment excels in curbing cravings and diminishing withdrawal symptoms, which are the two main drivers of relapse in early recovery.
As added benefits, buprenorphine can increase safety in overdose cases and offset the potential for misuse.
Sublocade injections
There are different ways in which we can deliver buprenorphine. During the initial withdrawal period, we typically turn to oral medications. If, after seven days, you’ve responded well to buprenorphine, we can transition you to a longer-term delivery method, such as Sublocade injections.
These injections steadily release buprenorphine into your system for one month, eliminating any ups and downs of daily medications.
Only a certified health care provider can administer these monthly injections, and we have such a physician on our team.
The success of Sublocade
When it comes to how successful Sublocade is in helping people to overcome an opioid use disorder, the manufacturer conducted its own trials and found that people using Sublocade and counseling were 14x more likely to achieve treatment success.
Outside studies confirm the efficacy of buprenorphine in helping people to stop using opioids, with one five-year study reporting that using buprenorphine led to a “strong reduction in opioid use.” We’re pointing to this study, in particular, to underscore the fact that it was a five-year study, which means that Sublocade can help you achieve sustainable recovery.
If you’d like to learn more about how Sublocade can play a key role in your recovery, please contact our San Juan Capistrano, California office to speak to one of our highly skilled team members.
