Sign-in to Ask A Doctor - 24x7
OR
Sign in with Google
Suggest Remedy For Addiction To Opioid Pain Medication
Question: What is the process of helping a patient who has become addicted to opioid pain medication?
Brief Answer:
Consult in-person, a Physician at "Methadone Maintenance Clinic" !!!
Detailed Answer:
Warm Welcomes. I appreciate your trust in HCM and assure you are on best portal on the globe for expert online medical services.
I have thoroughly reviewed health query you raised, and well realize all of those concerns. Being your physician, I will take care all of them today and will extend my expertise to solve the problems.
MEDICATIONS GUIDANCE:-
'Methadone maintenance clinic' is the best option for such patients where the Physicians with a trained team address the opioid addicts. They keep the patients on METHADONE maintenance therapy (MMT) and it has shown good clinical results all over the world.
I have started diverting to the more efficient agent named BUPRENORPHINE that helps alleviate craving for opioids and relieves from withdrawal effects of opioids. It is safer drug compared to Methadone and I will preferably suggest you to ask your Physician to prescribe this patient with BUPRENORPHINE. If needed he may also add NALOXONE as it has got the properties to reverse the opioid's addictive adverse effects.
These agents also give pain relief so that patient gets ease of the symptoms for which he/she was taking Opioids in the first place.
Hope I addressed all the concerns you have. Let me know if you have further questions. I will be more than happy to clear any doubts. Please give your 'rating' (if agreed, Five Stars) to help me assist patients in a better way; and, please don't forget to click on 'Close The Discussion'.
For any disease you have, a timely follow-up is necessary regarding the treatment efficacy and to see if there is a need to change treatment options. So keep a follow up to see how you doing (Always write down my name in start of your questions at this forum & I will be with you in no time).
Regards!
DR. HANIF
USA
Consult in-person, a Physician at "Methadone Maintenance Clinic" !!!
Detailed Answer:
Warm Welcomes. I appreciate your trust in HCM and assure you are on best portal on the globe for expert online medical services.
I have thoroughly reviewed health query you raised, and well realize all of those concerns. Being your physician, I will take care all of them today and will extend my expertise to solve the problems.
MEDICATIONS GUIDANCE:-
'Methadone maintenance clinic' is the best option for such patients where the Physicians with a trained team address the opioid addicts. They keep the patients on METHADONE maintenance therapy (MMT) and it has shown good clinical results all over the world.
I have started diverting to the more efficient agent named BUPRENORPHINE that helps alleviate craving for opioids and relieves from withdrawal effects of opioids. It is safer drug compared to Methadone and I will preferably suggest you to ask your Physician to prescribe this patient with BUPRENORPHINE. If needed he may also add NALOXONE as it has got the properties to reverse the opioid's addictive adverse effects.
These agents also give pain relief so that patient gets ease of the symptoms for which he/she was taking Opioids in the first place.
Hope I addressed all the concerns you have. Let me know if you have further questions. I will be more than happy to clear any doubts. Please give your 'rating' (if agreed, Five Stars) to help me assist patients in a better way; and, please don't forget to click on 'Close The Discussion'.
For any disease you have, a timely follow-up is necessary regarding the treatment efficacy and to see if there is a need to change treatment options. So keep a follow up to see how you doing (Always write down my name in start of your questions at this forum & I will be with you in no time).
Regards!
DR. HANIF
USA
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Raju A.T
I am a student at Full Sail University. I am doing a thesis on opioid painkiller addiction so your advice really helped with more information, thank you for your assistance. How long does a patient have to go through treatment for opioid addiction?
Brief Answer:
It is all subjective and varies significantly!!!
Detailed Answer:
I welcome you back with a smile. Best wishes for the thesis you are doing. You are always welcomed for the medical advice whenever you need. I am more than happy to assist you with your query in follow up.
As far as the duration of treatment is concerned, we go differently for different patients based on the recommendations. For Buprenorphine and Methadone there are different treatment options for every patient according to his clinical scenario at the time of presentation.
Some of the patients who are receiving maintenance therapy including Buprenorphine/Naloxone in combination in the start and then Buprenorphine alone may need to go for many years, while others are tapered off of Buprenorphine.
Q. Who can be tapered off of the Opioid Agonist drugs like Buprenorphine?:-
ANS: People who are having no problematic alcohol addictions or other illicit drug use issues in combination to opioid and who have moral and psychosocial support are the best candidates in my view. They can manage their condition well in this way. But this tapering itself takes months or even years.
Hope I addressed all the concerns you have. Let me know if you have further questions. I will be more than happy to clear any doubts. Please give your 'rating' (if agreed, Five Stars) to help me assist patients in a better way; and, please don't forget to click on 'Close The Discussion'.
For any disease you have, a timely follow-up is necessary regarding the treatment efficacy and to see if there is a need to change treatment options. So keep a follow up to see how you doing (Always write down my name in start of your questions at this forum & I will be with you in no time).
Regards!
DR. HANIF
USA
It is all subjective and varies significantly!!!
Detailed Answer:
I welcome you back with a smile. Best wishes for the thesis you are doing. You are always welcomed for the medical advice whenever you need. I am more than happy to assist you with your query in follow up.
As far as the duration of treatment is concerned, we go differently for different patients based on the recommendations. For Buprenorphine and Methadone there are different treatment options for every patient according to his clinical scenario at the time of presentation.
Some of the patients who are receiving maintenance therapy including Buprenorphine/Naloxone in combination in the start and then Buprenorphine alone may need to go for many years, while others are tapered off of Buprenorphine.
Q. Who can be tapered off of the Opioid Agonist drugs like Buprenorphine?:-
ANS: People who are having no problematic alcohol addictions or other illicit drug use issues in combination to opioid and who have moral and psychosocial support are the best candidates in my view. They can manage their condition well in this way. But this tapering itself takes months or even years.
Hope I addressed all the concerns you have. Let me know if you have further questions. I will be more than happy to clear any doubts. Please give your 'rating' (if agreed, Five Stars) to help me assist patients in a better way; and, please don't forget to click on 'Close The Discussion'.
For any disease you have, a timely follow-up is necessary regarding the treatment efficacy and to see if there is a need to change treatment options. So keep a follow up to see how you doing (Always write down my name in start of your questions at this forum & I will be with you in no time).
Regards!
DR. HANIF
USA
Note: For further guidance on mental health, Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Arnab Banerjee
Answered by
Get personalised answers from verified doctor in minutes across 80+ specialties
