A friend was on suboxen for opiate addiction, what's the difference between that and methadone?

Answer 1

i know that it was harder to kick the methadone than it was to kick the Heroin.
suboxone (Buprenorphrine & Narcan) is a semi- synthetic narcotic that is dissolved under the tongue, and if taken any other way the "narcan component causes instant opiate withdrawal".

when taken sublingually, the Buprenorphrine is absorbed by the mucous membrane, while the narcan is not. it makes the detoxification process quicker, and less uncomfortable.

some possible side effects may include:
~cold or flu-like symptoms
~headaches
~sweating
~sleeping difficulties
~nausea
~mood swings.

Like other opioids Subutex and Suboxone have been associated with respiratory depression (difficulty breathing) especially when combined with other depressants.

Buprenorphine does not produce the same level of physical dependence as other opiate medi-cations, such as methadone. Discontinuing buprenorphine is easier than stopping methadone treatment because there are fewer withdrawal symptoms.

Because Bupernorphine does not produce the same pleasure sensations that traditional opiates do, there has been a rise in bupernorphine related overdoses in recent years.

In a search to try and push this medications effect, which does not typically produce a pleasure sensation or "rush" like Heroin does, the user will ingest a high amount of Buper-norphine. When this happens the user will not feel a physical pleasure based high but will indeed begin to shut down the breathing patterns in the body sometimes resulting in death.

These medications only deal with that initial "first step" of getting the active opiate abuser withdrawn from daily use. Some will choose to stay on the second medication for maintenance medication.

In either scenario these drugs do not treat the reason why that person began to abuse opiates in the first place.

Furthermore, there are studies that indicate that Nalaxone (an co-ingredient in Suboxone) can actually produce a reverse tolerance to strong opiates like heroin which can often end up with the user overdosing if they were to relapse and use street Heroin.

Answer 2

suboxone is a central nervous system agent; analgesic, narcotic (opiate) agonist-antagonist and is a schedule III drug,

methadone is a central nervous system agent; analgesic, narcotic (opiate) agonist and is a schedue II drug

methadone is stronger but they should both have the same or simular effect in controlling dependence

Answer 3

Methadone is a hard core morphine, basically.