Opioid Addiction is a very common phenomenon, affecting approximately 30 million people worldwide. There are over 10,000 opioid deaths per year, with a significant increase in opioid deaths in the last decade. This phenomenon has been called an epidemic by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
Symptoms of opioid withdrawal include anxiety, fatigue, restless legs muscle arches, difficulty sleeping, runny nose, sweating, and other such findings. It is important to be honest with your physician if you are undergoing opioid withdrawal because a physician may not know if you are withdrawing as the signs and symptoms of opioid withdrawal can mimic other diseases.
How do opioids work?
Opioids attach to the mu opioid receptors, and the mu receptors release dopamine, and this dopamine release gives euphoric to an individual who takes opioids. But no high lasts forever, and it becomes very addicting to continue to consume greater and greater amounts of opioids to reach the same amount of high. This vicious cycle can lead to withdrawal symptoms and craving for more of an opioid drug.
Symptoms of opioid withdrawal include anxiety, fatigue, restless legs muscle arches, difficulty sleeping, runny nose, sweating, and other such findings. It is important to be honest with your physician if you are undergoing opioid withdrawal because a physician may not know if you are withdrawing as the signs and symptoms of opioid withdrawal can mimic other diseases.
How do opioids work?
Opioids attach to the mu opioid receptors, and the mu receptors release dopamine, and this dopamine release gives euphoric to an individual who takes opioids. But no high lasts forever, and it becomes very addicting to continue to consume greater and greater amounts of opioids to reach the same amount of high. This vicious cycle can lead to withdrawal symptoms and craving for more of an opioid drug.
What are treatments for opioid addiction?
Some pharmacological treatments for opioid addiction include methadone or suboxone. Methadone or suboxone can be considered depending on the patient presentation once an individual has gone through mild to moderate withdrawal.
Suboxone is composed of two drugs, buprenorphine and naloxone. Buphrenorphine is a partial agonist, which means that it binds to the same receptor as the initial opioid drug, and can also give gives some of the euphoria from dopamine release when binding to the mu receptor, just like with the initial opioid drug. Interestingly, Buphrenorphine has a stronger affinity (binds stronger) than the opioid drugs that many individuals have become addicted to, including heroin, methadone, and prescription narcotic medications, which can help significantly with the withdrawal symptoms. The second ingredient of Suboxone is Naloxone. Naloxone is an opioid antagonist (which stops the binding of opioid medication) and will block the affects of Buphrenorphine (the first drug in the medication) if the drug is attempted to be injected or abused in any other way.
Overcoming an opioid addiction is not an easy feat, and at the Psychiatrists of Denver, we are looking to give you all of the tools that you need to make a full recovery away from opioid drugs. This can be accomplished by connecting you with a team to provide you the best care. This team includes a psychiatrists who can help dose the medication, a counselor to psychologically help you through the process. Furthermore, There are rehabilitation programs that offer detoxification, or detox, as it is more commonly known. During this process, some doctors also prescribe other medications including benzodiazapines, clonidine, and anti-inflammatory medication to assist with the withdrawal symptoms.
As mentioned in the previous paragraph, there are also psychological components in addition to other components that allow for an opioid addiction. Having a good understanding of why an individual is addicted to the dopamine pleasure of the opioid drug and finding other non-pharmacological ways to handle stressors in life is emphasized with our team of personal counselors, group counselors, social workers, and our team of other mental health professionals.
Some pharmacological treatments for opioid addiction include methadone or suboxone. Methadone or suboxone can be considered depending on the patient presentation once an individual has gone through mild to moderate withdrawal.
Suboxone is composed of two drugs, buprenorphine and naloxone. Buphrenorphine is a partial agonist, which means that it binds to the same receptor as the initial opioid drug, and can also give gives some of the euphoria from dopamine release when binding to the mu receptor, just like with the initial opioid drug. Interestingly, Buphrenorphine has a stronger affinity (binds stronger) than the opioid drugs that many individuals have become addicted to, including heroin, methadone, and prescription narcotic medications, which can help significantly with the withdrawal symptoms. The second ingredient of Suboxone is Naloxone. Naloxone is an opioid antagonist (which stops the binding of opioid medication) and will block the affects of Buphrenorphine (the first drug in the medication) if the drug is attempted to be injected or abused in any other way.
Overcoming an opioid addiction is not an easy feat, and at the Psychiatrists of Denver, we are looking to give you all of the tools that you need to make a full recovery away from opioid drugs. This can be accomplished by connecting you with a team to provide you the best care. This team includes a psychiatrists who can help dose the medication, a counselor to psychologically help you through the process. Furthermore, There are rehabilitation programs that offer detoxification, or detox, as it is more commonly known. During this process, some doctors also prescribe other medications including benzodiazapines, clonidine, and anti-inflammatory medication to assist with the withdrawal symptoms.
As mentioned in the previous paragraph, there are also psychological components in addition to other components that allow for an opioid addiction. Having a good understanding of why an individual is addicted to the dopamine pleasure of the opioid drug and finding other non-pharmacological ways to handle stressors in life is emphasized with our team of personal counselors, group counselors, social workers, and our team of other mental health professionals.
At Psychiatrists of Denver, we have a team of trained psychiatrists who are ready to help you.
We care, and please contact us today.
Call Us:
720-605-1789
We care, and please contact us today.
Call Us:
720-605-1789