Suboxone and Teen Usage

Suboxone is a medication containing buprenorphine and naloxone, combined in a single tablet. Buprenorphine-which has been used successfully as a treatment for heroin addiction-works by acting on the brain’s opiate receptors to relieve withdrawal and cravings without prompting the same intense high or dangerous side effects as other opioids. When combined with naloxone, buprenorphine’s abuse potential is further limited because people who try to inject it experience severe withdrawal symptoms. However, when Suboxone is taken orally, as prescribed, these adverse effects do not occur.

Suboxone and Teen Use

Because buprenorphine is a partial agonist for the opioid receptor, patients taking it don’t get high, nor do they experience the lows associated with stopping opioid use. They also experience fewer side effects, such as constipation, than they would with other drugs in this class, such as methadone. Buprenorphone-nalaxone, sold as Suboxone, has been found as the best alternatives for most adolescents, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) experts. In some states teens will need parental consent to receive the medication, but in many states doctors can prescribe this medication without needing parental consent.

Unfortunately, teenage usage of Suboxone has received limited clinical study. One major study has shown that teens on Suboxone do a whole lot better than teens detoxed using clonidine. But that same study showed that although teens did very well while on the Suboxone, most of these teens relapsed at the end of the six-week Suboxone maintenance stage. Experts are calling for more research on how well teens will do when given a very slow tapering down off of the medication. This research led experts to want more research on how teens respond when given a very slow, tapering down off the medication.

Successful Clinical Results

In December 1997, George E. Woody, M.D., gave the results of such a trial before the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry’s 18th Annual Meeting and Symposium. Dr. Woody was the lead investigator of the “Clinical Trials Network Study of Suboxone-Facilitated Rehabilitation of Opioid-Dependent Adolescents and Young Adults,”conducted at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. Here is the breakdown of the 152 participants:

• Primary Abuse: 55 percent heroin, 35 percent opiates and analgesics, and ten percent combination of heroin and other opiates
• Ages: 14 to 21 years with a mean age of 19
• Sex: 42 percent were female and 58 percent male
• Longevity of Addiction: Average of two years
• Race: 74 percent white, 25 percent Hispanic, and only three African-American participants
• 19 percent were positive for hepatitis C at baseline, while four participants were seronegative at baseline and positive at 12 weeks (a very high risk situation with major public health implications)
• All participants met the criteria for opioid dependence and tested negative for urine benzoidazepine and methadone.

Suboxone and other methods to Detox

Despite high success for the use of Suboxone to treat opioid abuse, there are still other factors involved, even with teens that must be looked at in order to ensure success. Detox from opiates cannot solely depend on Suboxone. A user must be willing and able to accurately look at one’s life and deal with the emotional and mental instabilities that drive the addiction in the first place. Counseling and therapy are treatment options that help in the process of treatment. Family and loved ones play a huge role by their support and loyalty in the journey of breaking addiction. It’s vital that they’re support to consistent and committed to the end.

Suboxone Addiction Treatment

If you or someone you know is struggling with a Suboxone addiction, we can help. Please call our toll free number at (888) 372-5712. We are available 24 hours a day to answer your questions on Suboxone and treatment.