Buprenorphine is a prescription medication used to treat heroin addiction. While methadone is also commonly used for treating heroin addiction, buprenorphine is being recognized for its many advantages over methadone, and becoming increasingly used among addiction professionals nationwide. Knowing more about the pros of buprenorphine over methadone can help you make the right choice when you’re suffering from heroin addiction and need to find the best treatment for you.
Nobody should have to suffer from heroin addiction on their own without help. If you’re struggling with heroin addiction, call our 24/7 confidential helpline right away at 800-442-6158 Who Answers? to learn more about your options for nearby opiate rehab centers.
Here are pros of choosing buprenorphine over methadone for heroin addiction treatment.
Fewer Clinic Visits
Most physicians prescribe buprenorphine for one month at a time in an outpatient setting so you can take the medication at home during addiction treatment. Methadone users, on the other hand, must visit methadone clinics every day to receive their daily dose. Using buprenorphine is often far less time-consuming and more convenient than using methadone due to this very reason.
Low Risk for Addiction
Buprenorphine has a lower addiction risk than methadone.
Buprenorphine is a partial agonist, which means the drug attaches to some, instead of all opioid receptors in the brain. Methadone is a full agonist, meaning the drug binds to all opioid receptors and is more potent and addictive as a result. Many addiction professionals say buprenorphine offers a far lower risk for addiction than methadone.
Increased Access
Buprenorphine is available in most states, and either fully or partially covered by most health insurance providers. Methadone treatment has been banned in some parts of the U.S., which makes it difficult for recovering addicts to continue with treatment when relocating, or when living in an area in which methadone clinics have closed.
Not Included in Employment Drug Screening
Though methadone has been used to treat heroin addiction since the 1940s, many employers screen for methadone in employment drug tests. This can be a problem when you’re rebuilding your life after overcoming heroin addiction, and want your history with addiction kept private. Fortunately, buprenorphine is not included in most employment drug screening tests, meaning you can move forward with your career without having to worry about failing various drug tests.
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Tapering is Easier
Recovering addicts who take buprenorphine can be tapered off the drug more easily than with methadone, since buprenorphine is only a partial agonist. Those who take methadone have more difficulty tapering off the drug due to its potency and highly addictive nature. Choosing buprenorphine over methadone improves your chances of quitting drug use altogether after successfully overcoming heroin addiction.
While buprenorphine may have many pros over methadone, methadone is still an effective treatment, and has successfully helped thousands of addicts stop using heroin. If you’re not sure which treatment is best for you, one of our caring drug abuse counselors can advise you of all your available treatment options.
If you’re struggling with heroin addiction, understand you’re not alone in your fight, and that help is available and nearby. Call our 24/7 confidential helpline at 800-442-6158 Who Answers? to speak with a drug abuse counselor about nearby opiate rehab centers that combine buprenorphine with other effective addiction treatments.
