Commonly Used Medications for Drug Rehab Treatment
Some common approved drugs used in medication-assisted treatment for substance abuse include:
Buprenorphine
Buprenorphine is a medication used to treat those with an addiction disorder that attaches to the same receptors in the brain as addictive opioid drugs, so the opioids cannot attach themselves there. This reduces withdrawal symptoms and cravings without causing an associated high as long as the drug is taken as prescribed. The prescribing treatment provider physician monitors buprenorphine use and tapers off the dose over time.
Naltrexone
Naltrexone is clinically effective in blocking access to the brain receptors that opioid drugs use. Because naltrexone doesn’t attach to the receptors directly, it doesn’t cause any of the effects that opioids do, so there is no high associated with this medication and naltrexone is not considered addictive.
Suboxone
Suboxone is a blend of two medications, buprenorphine and naloxone. Suboxone works by both attaching directly to the receptors and blocking them so opioids can’t reach them and will not affect brain chemistry.
How Long Does Medication-Assisted Treatment Last?
The length of MAT depends on the individual’s substance use disorder and underlying causes. Some people need medication-assisted treatment to get through the intense symptoms of withdrawal and can move into more therapy-based interventions afterward. For others who enter treatment, MAT lasts longer, particularly if the individual has previous issues with relapses.
In most cases, the doctor in a treatment center devises a tapered schedule for weaning the person off the medication over a few months once the intense withdrawal symptoms have subsided.
