Suboxone and Vivitrol Are Useful Tools To Increase Likelihood Of Long-Term Sobriety

Increasing Comfort During Dox and Reducing Cravings in Early Sobriety

Sunrise Recovery was created so that men could receive addiction counseling and participate in their own recovery in a highly supervised and caring treatment facility.

Much has been written about how critical the "30 day" and "90 day" milestones of recovery are because they are benchmarks that indicate a much higher likelihood of long-term sobriety. Since our goal is to give men the best chance at getting to these critical landmarks, we have been prescribing medication that makes detoxification more comfortable and reduces cravings in early sobriety. The most common examples include:

• Suboxone and Subutex (active ingredient buprenorphine)
• Vivitrol, Revia, and Depade (active ingredient naltrexone)

Our drug treatment facility's staff is almost completely made up of men who are in recovery themselves. Since we have treated addiction and alcoholism for many years prior to the release of Suboxone and Vivitrol, it follows that we did not take the adoption of these groundbreaking new medications lightly.

In the past few years, we became convinced by the scientific research released about these new medications and integrated them into our treatment program when applicable. The doctors and therapists at our treatment facility have now personally witnessed more than enough positive outcomes of prescribing Suboxone, Subutex, and Vivitrol to firmly believe they are effective in certain instances. These medications are strictly to be used as an enhancement to a thorough treatment curriculum that addresses the mind, body, and spirit of our clients. The medications are also to be prescribed and tapered off ("down titrated") by carefully monitoring the client's progress. 

To learn more about how our staff approaches the prescribing of Suboxone , Subutex, or Vivitrol, you can read two entries in the Sober Living by the Sea blog (from our parent facility's website) written by counselor John Orlando:

Successful Suboxone Treatment Story
Suboxone "Failure" Story

More Facts About Buprenorphine (Sold As Suboxone And Subutex)

Buprenorphine is a medication that is prescribed under the brand names Subutex and Suboxone, which has had remarkable success in enhancing the recovery of opiate-dependent individuals in recent years.

Buprenorphine reduces the brain's ability to process opioid-based substances, thus reducing cravings and withdrawal discomfort during opiate detox. Suboxone is the injectable form of buprenorphine that is used during detox. Subutex is buprenorphine that is prescribed in tablet form to be taken orally (the tablet dissolves in the mouth). Subutex is prescribed on an ongoing basis in early sobriety to reduce cravings. As you might have read in Johnny Orlando's Suboxone Success Story, we think that maintaining sobriety with Subutex can make the difference between abstinence and relapse.

Examples of drugs that are "opiate based" include:

• Heroin
• Vicodin (hydrocodone)
• Oxycontin (oxycodone)
• Methadone
• Percocet (Percodan)
• Soma
• Norco

Suboxone is usually administered via injection during the initial detoxification period. We have been continuing the prescription of suboxone well into early sobriety by prescribing the tablet version "Subutex," which is taken by allowing it to dissolve in the mouth. As you may have read in the above link to Johnny Orlando's Suboxone Success Story, the key to success is for the person who is taking Subutex to also participate whole-heartedly in the treatment they receive (i.e.. therapy sessions) and their 12-Step recovery program.

More Facts About Naltrexone (Sold As Vivitrol)

Naltrexone is a medication that is prescribed under the name Vivitrol. Vivitrol is also an "opioid antagonist" meaning that it reduces the brain's ability to process opiate-based drugs. Other brand names for naltrexone include Revia and Depade. Vivitrol is most commonly used to reduce cravings in recovering alcoholics. Vivitrol has been show to reduce relapse rates in individuals who take it as part of a well-rounded treatment program.

Vivitrol is most often taken in tablet form and is swallowed daily. Much like Suboxone, we have seen that Vivitrol can be effective if the patient participates in a program of recovery.

For more information about whether Suboxone or Vivitrol may be appropriate for you (or your loved one), please call us at (866) 540-5242 or fill out our form requesting a confidential assessment.