Addiction Science: Pharmaceutical Developments
Sober Living by the Sea has always been on a leader in the field of addiction treat-ment. You may have heard about some of the new drugs that have been developed to ease the process of recovery thus increasing the likelihood of success.
Sober Living by the
Sea has consulting physicians on staff who can assess a client’s
ap-propriateness and then prescribe and administer these new drugs. Of
course, we be-lieve that there is no substitute for a comprehensive
residential treatment program. For more information call 
800-647-0042
.
Glossary:
Opiod: a term used to refer to opiate drugs (ie heroin and morphine) as well as synthetic narcotics (ie. demerol, oxycodone)
Receptor
Antagonist: this refers to a drug that binds to a receptor in your
brain that would usually receive a narcotic. The result of taking a
receptor antagonist is a reduced ability for a narcotic to interact
with the receptors in your brain and thus less physical response to the
narcotic.
|
Sold As (Brand Name): |
Suboxone, Subutex |
Vivitrol, Revia, Depade |
Wellbrutrin, Zyban |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active Drug Ingredient: | Buprenorphine | Naltrexone | Buproprion |
| Used For Treating: | Opioid withdrawal and reduction of craving in early recovery | Reduction of craving for alcohol and opioids | Reduction of craving for smoking |
| How Administered: | Via injection, transdermal patch, or sublingual tablet | Oral tablet or occasional injection of slow release implant in abdomen | Oral tablet- 12 hour slow release |
| Notes: | Buprenorphine is an opiod receptor antagonist most commonly referred to by its brand name Suboxone. This product is becoming more popular in the treatment of withdrawal from opioids and during the subsequent early recovery period. Suboxone is usually Administered by placing a tablet under the tongue, Suboxone will lessen the cravings of a opiate addicted person during withdrawal and during their early recovery. |
Vivitrol is an opiod receptor antagonist most commonly used to reduce cravings
for alcohol in recovering individuals for up to 12 months. By taking a daily 50 mg tablet, individuals in test studies have proven to be less likely to relapse. There is also a slow release Naltrexone implant placed under the skin that dissolves over the course of 30 days. Naltrexone is also occasionally used in the “rapid” detox of opiod addicts during which it is administered while the individ-ual is under general anesthesia. |
Buproprion is a nicotinic antagonist that reduces cravings for smoking during the cessation process. Initially researched and marketed as an antidepressant (Wellbutrin), bupropion was subsequently found to be effective as a smoking cessation aid and then branded for this purpose with the name Zyban. Zyban is administered for 7 to 12 weeks and the patient usually continues to smoke for the first part of the treatment. |
| Side Effects: | Headaches, dizziness, nausea, drowsiness | Nausea, headache, dizziness, insomnia, drowsiness | Dry mouth, nausea, insomnia, tremors |
| Warning: | Not to be mixed with Benzodiazepines. Effectiveness is greatly enhanced when com-bined with an inpatient treatment program. | Not an acceptable substitute for a comprehensive treatment program that includes testing, therapy, support groups, and addiction education. | Increases likelihood of seizures. It is possible to overdose on Burproprion. |
