Author: James Anderson

How To Assess Vivitrol Versus Suboxone? : Shots Health News : NPR

Until recently, no major study had compared it to Suboxone, a combination of buprenorphine and naloxone that is taken by mouth daily. We’re Recovery Unplugged, a behavioral health initiative bringing effective treatment right to your home. Because if there’s one thing more haunting than millions of addiction deaths, it’s knowing they’re preventable. Both Vivitrol and Suboxone have shown efficacy5 in helping individuals manage their opioid use disorder. The effectiveness may vary based on needs and circumstances.

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Your long-term treatment plan may include both Suboxone and Vivitrol. Taking a medication that reduces craving and the impulse to use opioids allows the individual to focus on other aspects of the recovery process, like learning to cope with strong emotions and healthy behaviors in counseling and group therapy. As a result, Suboxone treatment results in lower relapse rates and better chances of long-term recovery. When taken as medically directed, Suboxone has a lower risk of misuse than other opioids and little overdose potential.1 But it can cause physical dependence, so you’ll need help when you quit taking it.

They still have relapse prevention, but they’re not taking a medication linked to dependence. “I’m concerned that it’s going to lead to policies where patients are shunted into treatment with extended-release naltrexone, which is more acceptable to the criminal justice system.” Now researchers have found the two medications to be equally effective at preventing relapse once patients start treatment, according to a study published Tuesday in The Lancet. A smaller, shorter study out of Norway that was published in October came to a similar conclusion. Suboxone4 is a potent blend of buprenorphine and naloxone, formulated to combat opioid addiction with efficacy.

Does Vivitrol Work Equally Well for Different Types of Individuals with Opioid Use Disorder?

Talk to your doctor about which medications might be right for you. Medications like Vivitrol and Suboxone offer a second line of defense against relapse. If you slip while on either of these drugs, you won’t get high. Both Suboxone and Vivitrol are clinically proven to help people overcome OUD.

Drug information

Some inpatient treatment centers may also be ideologically opposed to starting someone on buprenorphine, particularly after detox, said Lee, but his study shows that it can be an effective option even starting in an inpatient setting. And in any event, relapse rates are higher among people who don’t use medications for their opioid addiction. Vivitrol, also referred to as Naltrexone1, is a medication prescribed primarily to prevent relapse into opioid dependence after opioid detoxification and also to treat alcohol dependence.

1. Together, you can create a treatment plan that fits your needs and effectively gets you on the path to long-term recovery.
2. The recommendation is to wait at least 7 to 14 days, but always work with your medical provider to determine what is best for you.
3. This provides a highly effective remedy for mitigating the effects of opioids while ensuring enduring outcomes.
4. You can start taking it between 12 and 72 hours after your last opioid hit.

Clinical care

That means that the maximum opioid effects of buprenorphine like euphoria happen less than with other opioids. This “ceiling effect” is why medications containing buprenorphine can reduce symptoms of opioid withdrawal and reduce cravings for opioids, with less potential for misuse than heroin or pain pills. The medical management schedule was the same for both Suboxone vs. Vivitrol – weekly for the first month, then every two weeks for the next 3 months, then every month for the final 2 months. Suboxone doses ranged from 8 to 24 mg depending on clinical need – these are typical doses. Buprenorphine is the most important ingredient in Suboxone, as it binds to the brain’s opioid receptors, reducing cravings and withdrawal symptoms. You can start taking it between 12 and 72 hours after your last opioid hit.

More than a quarter of patients assigned to naltrexone didn’t complete detox, and most of them relapsed. When it comes to combating opioid addiction, two names frequently come up – Vivitrol and Suboxone. Both medications have received FDA approval, have advocates, and are considered life-saving treatments for opioid addiction. However, the choice between Vivitrol and Suboxone should be based on individual patient factors, the nature of their addiction, and medical considerations. The right medication for you depends on your personal history of opioid misuse, your goals for treatment, your lifestyle, and your support network at home. Some people enjoy the freedom that comes from getting a monthly injection versus remembering to take a pill or film strip every day.

While both Suboxone and Vivitrol outperform placebo medication, this critically important study pitted these two commonly prescribed medications against each other. Vivitrol and Suboxone are MAT options for people with OUD. They bind to receptors in the brain and body, blocking your ability to get high. Each Vivitrol shot costs more than $1,200, according to Medicaid data, while a monthly supply of Suboxone can cost a few hundred dollars, depending on the dose.

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Suboxone is a prescription medication that eases opioid withdrawal symptoms and cravings. She cautions people against reading too much into any one study, and pointed again to the detox hurdle. “You’re weeding out the less committed people,” she said, potentially skewing the results in favor of extended-release naltrexone. She said some patients will do better on one drug or the other depending on the case. Vivitrol, an injection of naltrexone that lasts 28 days, has gained a foothold among treatment providers, especially those working with the criminal justice system. Researchers who compared the two drugs found them equally effective once treatment started.

“Relapse rates are extremely high if you don’t get onto and continue a medication,” said Lee. Recovery Unplugged is a national addiction treatment organization with locations across the country that combines evidence-based practices with music to help clients more readily embrace treatment. Doctors may choose to prescribe one medication over the other depending on other forms of treatment patients may be undergoing or any present side effects that one drug may have versus the other. All clinical and medical services are provided by licensed physicians and clinicians who are practicing as employees or contractors of independently owned and operated professional medical practices that are owned by licensed physicians. These medical practices include Workit Health (MI), PLLC, Workit Health (CA), P.C., Workit Health (NJ), LLC, Workit Health (OH), LLC, and any other Workit Health professional entity that is established in the future. Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances.

Medication

For more information about Suboxone (buprenorphine/naloxone) see Suboxone.com, the full Prescribing Information, and Medication Guide, or talk to your healthcare provider. You are encouraged to report negative side effects of drugs to the FDA. The buprenorphine ingredient is a partial opioid agonist, which attaches to opioid receptors in the brain and reduces opioid withdrawal symptoms and cravings.