Buprenorphine Treatment in Oregon
Addiction and recovery are long processes, but treatment and long-term sobriety can be achieved with the proper support. Renascent Rx is a telemedicine provider that provides patients in recovery with post-treatment care like medication, therapy, and more to help them get sober and maintain their sobriety. Learn more about how Renascent Rx helps recovering patients in Oregon with buprenorphine treatment.
Opioid Use Disorder
Opioids are a class of drugs used to treat pain, but they have a large potential for dependency and addiction. When an opioid user becomes addicted or dependent on their medication, they’re said to have opioid use disorder (OUD). OUD is described as a problematic pattern of opioid use that causes challenges or distress, with at least two of the
following occurring within 12 months:
- Taking large amounts of opioids or taking them for longer than prescribed
- Persistent desire to control opioid use or unsuccessful attempts to get sober
- Spending a lot of time searching for ways to get the drug or recovering from it
- Strong cravings or desire to use opioids
- Problems fulfilling obligations for a job, family, or school
- Continued opioid use despite having recurring social, financial, psychological, or physical problems
- Becoming less interested in activities due to opioid use
- Using opioids in dangerous situations
- Increased drug tolerance
- Experiencing withdrawal symptoms
If a patient has two or more of these symptoms along with a pattern of abusing opioids, they are suffering from OUD and need treatment to avoid overdosing or even death. Renascent Rx knows it’s not always easy for addicts to get the treatment they need, and that’s why the team is dedicated to making post-treatment care more accessible.
What Is Buprenorphine Used For?
Buprenorphine is a medication that's known as a partial opioid agonist, or essentially a weaker version of full-strength opioids like heroin, fentanyl, and morphine. The impacts of the drug are weaker and have a ceiling effect, which means that they're only felt to a certain extent. This helps prevent misuse and the overdoses that can occur more easily with stronger opioids.
Buprenorphine is taken under the tongue and has to dissolve fully to be effective. Additionally, it must be taken every day to experience its full benefits. Buprenorphine can also be combined with other drugs to create products approved for the treatment of opioid dependence. These products include:
- Generic buprenorphine/naloxone sublingual tablets
- Buprenorphine sublingual tablets
- Buprenorphine/naloxone sublingual films
- Buprenorphine/naloxone sublingual tablets
- Buprenorphine/naloxone buccal film
- Buprenorphine implants
- Buprenorphine extended-release injection
These medications are FDA-approved and commonly used in the treatment of OUD. Your provider will decide which treatment is most suitable for you based on your dependency level, withdrawal symptoms, and the likelihood of relapsing.
Buprenorphine for OUD
Buprenorphine is approved as a treatment for OUD as part of medication-assisted treatment (MAT). MAT is where medications, counseling, and behavioral therapy are combined to provide more effective solutions for opioid addiction and dependency. It's becoming the norm in the treatment of opioid addiction because of its effectiveness. Therefore, it's recommended that buprenorphine only be used as part of MAT. It is the first medication for OUD treatment that can be prescribed in doctor’s offices, which has greatly increased its accessibility.
Renascent Rx aims to increase this access even more through telemedicine prescription services. Maintenance treatment with buprenorphine involves taking the drug every day to get its desired effects, which include:
- Reduced opioid cravings
- Reduced dependency on opioids
- Relief from withdrawal symptoms
- Overdose prevention
- Decreased potential for misuse
For a patient to begin buprenorphine treatment, they must be free from using opioids for at least 12 to 24 hours and be in the early stages of opioid withdrawal. The dosage prescribed depends on how severe the addiction and withdrawal levels are, and may be adjusted once the patient is seeing the desired effects. Using medication in conjunction with other therapies helps prevent relapses and maintain sobriety. If you’re interested in learning more about our medication treatments, visit our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page to gain further insight.
Reach Out to Learn More About Buprenorphine
Patients in OR who struggle with opioid and alcohol dependence and addiction can access post-treatment care to help maintain their sobriety from Renascent Rx. To increase the overall access to the support that can be lifesaving for addicts and those in recovery, Renascent Rx provides medication and therapy treatments via telemedicine. Contact us today to learn more about our services and how we can help you.