What is the difference between vivitrol and suboxone

Also, reduced withdrawal symptoms help ease clients through detox. Sublocade Explained Sublocade is a brand name buprenorphine that helps clients through opioid detox. Buprenorphine in an extended-release monthly injection only comes under the brand Sublocade. There is no generic option of this form factor available in the US.

Buprenorphine is an opiate that works similar to Suboxone to activate receptors of a user up to a controlled limit. This prevents the euphoria that creates opiate cravings. Buprenorphine as a monthly shot does not contain any naloxone to prevent misuse. It can only be legally given by qualified staff, eliminating self-administration risks. Before starting, clients should always have a basic understanding of what a detox medication entails. Detox medication is not a cure. Clients must face the underlying mental challenges that led to opioid addiction.

Without behavior change, triggers may lead to relapse. Medication does not guarantee detox. In a study by Dr. Joshua D Lee and other colleagues in , Suboxone and Vivitrol success rates were compared. Unfortunately, over half of the clients relapsed in the six months regardless of medication type. Even with the best detox programs, relapse is always a possibility. All medication should be taken responsibly.

When prescribed, clients must be sure they take treatments as planned. They must take them in the proper dosage, in the designed format, and must stop taking when deemed appropriate.

Medications can lead to addictions. Clients need to monitor their own symptoms and behaviors. Be sure to report addiction warning signs to a medical professional. Despite risks, medication is the ideal route to begin detoxification and recovery.

How to Choose Between Suboxone, Vivitrol, and Sublocade To choose the right opiate detox medication, one should weigh the benefits and risks carefully. What are the medication abuse and addiction risks? There are no addiction risks with an opioid antagonist like Vivitrol. However, buprenorphine is an opiate in Suboxone and Sublocade that can lead to addiction.

The naloxone in Suboxone prevents drug abuse if taken properly, but will cause rapid withdrawal if smoked or injected. Sublocade has no naloxone since self-administered misuse usually cannot occur. How do regulations affect medication availability?

It is also used as part of the treatment for alcoholism. Taken by injection into a large muscle, Vivitrol is only prescribed for people who are not using any form of opioids. The usual waiting period between last opioid use and taking a dose of Vivitrol is days. The risk of OD is greatly increased as the blocked opioid receptors prevent the expected pain relief or attempted euphoria from opioids.

Since Vivitrol is not an opioid and must be administered by a healthcare professional, there is virtually no potential for abuse. The Vivitrol shot lasts for 28 days, making it a much lower maintenance option compared to Suboxone. For people who have abused Suboxone or prefer a lower maintenance option, the Vivitrol shot is a great fit.

The medication provides several benefits in treating opioid and alcohol use disorder, such as:. Suboxone treatment and the Vivitrol shot both have their pros and cons. Similarly, everyone is different — so every treatment program is different. The Vivitrol shot may work great for one person, while another may have an adverse reaction and be more compatible with Suboxone. Both drugs are equally effective at reducing cravings and preventing relapse.

As a result, if you are withdrawing from opioids, your treatment program may consist of both Suboxone and Vivitrol, or it may only consist of Suboxone. In the end, the best way to know which drug used in medication-assisted treatment is right for you. At Agape Treatment Center , our addiction specialists are eager and willing to answer your questions about Suboxone and the Vivitrol shot.

Reach out today to learn about your treatment options. You are more than an addiction — and your recovery can begin today. 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. Noteworthy from this study is that the advantage of Suboxone occurred early — in the first 6 weeks.

For those who make it past 6 weeks, Vivitrol begins to show an advantage. This benefit of Suboxone is primarily accounted for by the difficulty getting individuals started on Vivitrol — which is consistent with anecdotal clinical observations and concerns.

When only individuals successfully started on the medications were analyzed, the Suboxone and Vivitrol outcomes were similar.

Vivitrol individuals were more likely to be successfully started if beginning the medication more than 3 days after their last use of opioids. Having at least a few days abstinent made a difference for Vivitrol patients. Adverse events — including overdose — were not different between the groups.

More specifically, 15 assigned to Vivitrol had an overdose two fatal and eight assigned to Suboxone had an overdose three fatal. In a related study taking place in Norway that also compared Suboxone to Vivitrol , all patients had already detoxified from opioids — essentially removing any influence of needing to establish a period of abstinence to get started on Vivitrol, because it was a constant.

Not surprisingly, in that study Vivitrol did as well, or in some cases, better than Suboxone.