Are You Struggling With An Addiction to Opioids?
Opioids are highly addictive pain-killing drugs that can cause your life to spiral out of control. Most people know that heroin is an opioid and understand the dangers that come with using this illegal street drug. However; many people donβt realize that legal prescription medications like Hydrocodone, Oxycodone, Fentanyl, and Percocet are also opioids. These drugs are just as addictive and equally dangerous.
If youβre thinking about taking Suboxone to kick your addiction to opioids, good for you! Taking Suboxone is a step in the right direction if you want to get your life back on track and stop the madness that opioids inevitably bring. Tens of thousands of people have kicked their addiction to opioids using Suboxone.
Never heard of Suboxone? This article provides helpful information about this prescription medication, which has proven to be effective for treating opioid addiction. We also provide a directory of doctors in the Colorado area who prescribe Suboxone.
What is Suboxone?
Suboxone is prescribed solely to treat opioid addiction. It is a drug replacement therapy given to people who are suffering from an addiction to opioids. If you want to find freedom from the vicious cycle of opioid addiction, Suboxone might be right for you.
Suboxone is prescribed to people who are addicted to either heroin or legal prescription opioids. Keep in mind, the only difference between heroin and legal opioids (like the medications mentions previously) is that heroin is against the law and prescription opioids arenβt. They both work on the brain in the same way, cause the same sensation of euphoria, and bring about the same kind of painful withdrawal symptoms.
There are two types of Suboxone β the Suboxone film and the Suboxone tablets. The Suboxone film is a strip of medication that dissolves under the tongue. The tablets are pills that are taken orally.
The Science of How Suboxone Treats Opioid Addiction
You are addicted to opioids for one of two reasons. You either began experimenting with them and became addicted, or you were prescribed opioids by a doctor because you were in pain and you became addicted that way.
In either case, your body has built a tolerance to the drug and you have found that you need more and more of the stuff to get the same effect. You have also found that if you donβt take opioids, you have terrible withdrawal symptoms and get very sick. Furthermore, when you take opioids, you are battling overwhelming cravings all the time for more and more opioids.
All these reasons make opioids one of the hardest addictions to kick.
Suboxone is a combination of two different medications, Buprenorphine and Naloxone. These two medications work together to stop the endless cycle of opioid abuse. Buprenorphine is a narcotic opioid medication that treats pain. Naloxone is an opioid antagonist that binds to opioid receptors in the brain and blocks the brain from experiencing the high caused by opioids.
Suboxone treats opioid addiction by reducing the painful withdrawal symptoms caused by opioids and reduces the cravings they cause. It also prevents misuse and abuse because it doesnβt bring about the same kind of buzz you experience with heroin or medications like Oxycodone. This takes away the craving for more.
When you use Suboxone, you are still able to treat your pain β without getting high. You wonβt crave the stuff as much, you wonβt have the terrible withdraw symptoms, and youβll be able to manage your own life again. However; Suboxone can be habit-forming and should only be taken for less than a year.
List of Common Opioid Addictions That Have Been Successfully Treated with Suboxone
Here is a list of the major opioids Suboxone was designed to treat:
- Heroin
- Oxycodone (Oxycontin)
- Vicodin (Hydrocodone)
- Morphine
- Fentanyl
- Percocet
- Demerol
- Dilaudid
- Opana
- Methadone
Information About Short-Term Use of Suboxone
Suboxone can be prescribed for short-term or long-term use. In the short-term, the medication is prescribed to opioid addicts going through withdrawal and is usually administered over the course of three to seven days.
Quite often, in the short-term, Suboxone is given to someone who is going through a supervised medical detox. Detox is the first step to getting your life back. This usually happens at a medical facility or an in-patient rehabilitation center to someone who has committed to stay in-patient for a thirty days to three months. However; many doctors will prescribe Suboxone to someone who has come to them looking for relief from opioid addiction.
Someone who takes Suboxone for short-term use is at a high risk for relapse. Usually, by the time someone is prescribed Suboxone, they have been abusing opiates for an extended period (like months or years). Taking this medication for three to seven days usually isnβt long enough to arrest the addictive cycle. If you have been taking opioids for more than a few months, Suboxone for long-term use is really the way to go. Β
What You Should Know About Long-Term Use of Suboxone
Most addiction specialists agree that if you have been abusing opioids for an extended period, you should probably be on Suboxone for several months to a year. If this is the case, you are put on a Suboxone medication regime and slowly removed from the medication over a period of time. This is called βtaperingβ and generally takes places within twelve months. This process has proven to be the most successful way to wean people off opioids.
The problem is that Suboxone can be habit-forming and can cause dependence. Like opioids, you can become addicted to Suboxone. Although you wonβt feel the overwhelming cravings and terrible withdrawal like you do with opioids like Fentanyl and Hydrocodone, Suboxone can cause you to become addicted. And, the last thing you want is to trade one addiction for another. Therefore, it is critical that you work closely with a doctor when taking Suboxone and only take it as prescribed. Β Β
Some of the Side Effects of Suboxone
Here are some of the common side effects that you can expect with Suboxone:
- Abdominal/stomach pain
- Constipation
- Nausea/vomiting
- Drowsiness
- Insomnia
- Light headedness
- Dizziness
- Fever or chills
- Headaches
- Lower back pain
- Sweating
- Difficulty urinating
Here are some of the more serious side effects known to accompany Suboxone use:
- Fainting spells
- Rapid or irregular heartbeat
- Severe dizziness and inability to stand
- Extreme changes in mood like agitation or hostility
- Extreme changes in mental state like hallucinations
- Slowed or shallow breathing
- Unusual drowsiness and the inability to stay awake
- Difficulty or inability to wake up
You should call your doctor immediately if you have any of these serious side effects.
Average Cost of Suboxone With and Without Insurance
Suboxone is not cheap. Many people complain about the cost of Suboxone without considering how much an opioid addiction costs. Remember, if you are addicted to opioids, you are already spending a pretty penny on your habit β not to mention the toll the drugs are taking on your body and your life.
Keep in mind that Suboxone is not a life-long commitment. An addiction to opioids is. Unless you get help for an addiction to opioids, you will continue to take them until you wind up in an early grave. At most, you will take Suboxone for a year.
There are different dosages of Suboxone and you will work with your doctor to determine how much Suboxone you should take and how often. The average cost of Suboxone without insurance runs about $144 a month. The average out-of-pocket expense for Suboxone with the typical medical insurance coverage is about $18.50 a month.
Suboxone is Only Half the Story for Treating Opioid Addiction
If you have an addiction to opioids, you shouldnβt think of Suboxone as the magic pill. You canβt just pop a Suboxone, sit back, and wait for your addiction to opioids to go away. It just doesnβt work like that. You need to take an aggressive approach when treating opioid addiction. If you want to stay clean and avoid a relapse, you are going to have to put in some work.
People who successfully gain victory over an addiction to opioids donβt just take Suboxone. They become active participants in a recovery program and remain abstinent from all other drugs β this includes alcohol. They attend meetings at fellowships like Narcotics Anonymous and Opiates Anonymous where people just like you go to get help for an addiction to opioids. They also get counseling.
Although you can take Suboxone and get clean without in-patient treatment, most people who have an addiction to opioids find that in-patient treatment is especially helpful in battling this particular addiction. This is because withdrawal from opioids is painful and requires long-term care.
If you think you might need in-patient treatment, you can talk to an addiction specialist and find out what your options are. A commitment to an in-patient program isnβt always necessary. You may find that detox β coupled with outpatient services β can be helpful for arresting your addiction. Β Β Β Β
Directory of Suboxone Doctors in Colorado (By City and Zip code)
Here is a comprehensive list of doctors in the Colorado area who prescribe Suboxone. If you donβt see your city or zip code listed here, look for a listing in a city or zip code that is close to where you live.
Arvada – 80002
Wieslaw Gessner
8850 W 58th Ave Suite 200
Arvada, CO 80002
(303) 431-5060
Arvada – 80003
William Swafford
West Side Center For Change
6303 Wadsworth Bypass
Arvada, CO 80003
Aspen β 81611
401 Castle Creek Road
Aspen, CO 81611
(970) 544-1146
400 West Main Suite 204
Aspen, CO 81611
(970) 920-2368
Aurora β 80010
Stefanie Huff
Briar Rose Medical Group
3350 Peoria St. Ste 120
Aurora, CO 80010
(844) 355-7673
Madeleine Ponder
Briar Rose Medical Group
3350 Peoria St Ste 120
Aurora, CO 80010
(844) 355-7673
Aurora β 80012
Ana Hoffenberg
1330 S. Potomac Suite 104a
Aurora, CO 80012
(303) 283-5991
Mauricio Waintrub
1360 S Potomac Street
Aurora, CO 80012
(303) 337-5575
David Baez
Rocky Mtn. Internal Medicine
1360 S Potomac Street
Aurora, CO 80012
(303) 337-5575
Herman Hasselkus
Rocky Mtn. Internal Medicine
1360 S. Potomac Street
Aurora, CO 80012
(303) 337-5575
Franck Belibi
Grace Health Clinic
3191 S Vaughn Way
Aurora, CO 80012
(303) 755-4600
Aurora β 80014
Nathaniel Moore
Mednow Clinics, Inc.
14991 E. Hampden Ave. Ste 165
Aurora, CO 80014
(720) 878-7055
Boulder – 80301
Lisha Barre
Lisha Barre M D, L L C
3000 Center Green Dr. #210
Boulder, CO 80301
(303) 431-0755
Boulder – 80302
Marilyn Adler
Marilyn Adler, Md
1035 Pearl Street 3rd Floor
Boulder, CO 80302
(303) 449-6100
Boulder – 80303
Michael Zona
Advanced Medical Group
6857 Paiute Avenue
Niwot, CO 80503
(310) 261-0035
Boulder – 80304
Elizabeth Bhargava
Mental Health Partners
975 North Street
Boulder, CO 80304
(303) 443-8500
Boulder – 80306
Pradeep Rai
Magnolia Medical Boulder
2515 Broadway
Boulder, CO 80306
(303) 502-5880
Broomfield β 80021
Arshad William
Delta Psychiatry, Llc
11001 W 120th Avenue Suite 400
Broomfield, CO 80021
(303) 544-2158
Centennial – 80111
Beth Ballen
Ballen Medical
6081 South Quebec St. Suite 100
Centennial, CO 80111
(720) 253-0650
Brian Wise
Wise Psychiatry
6081 South Quebec St. Suite 100
Centennial, CO 80111
(720) 253-0650
Centennial β 80122
Thomas Vertrees
7500 E Arapahoe Rd Suite 360
Centennial, CO 80122
(720) 630-1374
Colorado Springsβ 80903
Scott Mcclure
90 South Cascade Ave Suite 810
Colorado Springs, CO 80903
(719) 578-9149
Colorado Springsβ 80906
Rae Ann Weber
1330 Quail Lake Loop Suite 260
Colorado Springs, CO 80906
(719) 464-6752
Charles Weber
Direct Care, Llc
1330 Quail Lake Loop Ste 200
Colorado Springs, CO 80906
(719) 464-6752
Colorado Springsβ 80907
Jeff Blixt, D O, F A S A M
1715 N. Weber St. Suite 260
Colorado Springs, CO 80907
(719) 896-4794
Colorado Springsβ 80917
John Bissell
Apex P M& R
3910 South Carefree Circle Suite F
Colorado Springs, CO 80917
Colorado Springsβ 80919
Mark Meyer
Spinal Diagnostics
5901 Corporate Dr.
Colorado Springs, CO 80919
(719) 598-7562
Denver β 80122
Christopher Frandrup
Denver VA
1055 Clermont St
Denver, CO 80122
(303) 393-3486
Denver β 80204
Charles Shuman
Confluence Psychiatry Pllc
1127 Auraria Parkway Suite 25
Denver, CO 80204
(303) 870-8331
Denver β 80205
David Handley
David Handley, M D
2253 N Downing St
Denver, CO 80205
(720) 432-1608
Denver β 80206
Pradeep Rai
Pradeep R. Rai, M D
1850 Race St.
Denver, CO 80206
(303) 209-5115
William Swafford
Arts Parkside Clinic
1620 Gaylord St.
Denver, CO 80206
(303) 388-5894
Carolyn Ross
165 Cook St
Denver, CO 80206
(303) 355-2445
Jane Kennedy
1894 Vine Street
Denver, CO 80206
(303) 322-0202
Denver β 80209
Jeffrey Kesten
Alpine Health & Wellness
3955 E. Exposition Ave #505
Denver, CO 80209
(720) 519-0678
www.alpinehealthandwellness.biz
Denver β 80210
Ernesto Herfter
Porter Primary Care
950 East Harvard Ave Suite 200
Denver, CO 80210
(303) 649-3200
Denver β 80213
Ivor Garlick
1211 S. Parker Rd. #100
Denver, CO 80231
(303) 873-6990
Denver β 80221
Guri Singh
Colorado Family Medicine
8380 Zuni St Ste 305
Denver, CO 80221
Denver β 80246
Patrick Fehling Md
501 S. Cherry St. Ste 650
Denver, CO 80246
(720) 295-2030
Hy Park
Arahant Health Services, Llc
950 S. Cherry St Ste 410
Denver, CO 80246
(720) 209-8537
www.arahanthealth.net/
Charles Park
950 S Cherry St Suite 140
Denver, CO 80246
(720) 209-8537
Denver β 80237
Scott Cunningham Md
3540 S. Poplar Street
Denver, CO 80237
Durango β 81301
Daniel Caplin
Southern Rockies Addiction Treatment Services
450 S. Camino Del Rio #102
Durango, CO 81301
(970) 828-3030
Durango β 81303
Deborah Parr
484 Turner Dr Bldg E#202
Durango, CO 81303
(970) 259-0466
Englewood – 80111
Howard Weiss
Howard S. Weiss, Md
6900 E. Belleview Ave Suite 205
Englewood, CO 80111
(720) 934-0880
Fort Collins β 80523
Irena Danczik
Colorado State University Health Network
151 West Lake Street
Fort Collins, CO 80523
(970) 491-7121
Fort Collins β 80524
Trevor Bush
Family Medicine Center
1025 Pennock Place
Fort Collins, CO 80524
(970) 495-8800
Pamela Webber
Fort Collins Family Medicine Center
1025 Pennock Place
Fort Collins, CO 80524
Fort Collins β 80525
Craig Heacock
Wholeness Center
2620 E. Prospect Rd #190
Fort Collins, CO 80525
(970) 221-1106
Fort Collins β 80526
Richard Oddy
Ra Oddy Md Psychiatry Llc
2627 Redwing Road Suite 220
Fort Collins, CO 80526
(970) 622-0588
John Bender
Miramont Family Medicine
313 West Drake Road
Fort Collins, CO 80526
(970) 225-5000
Grand Junction β 81501
Robert Sammons
Mesa Behavioral Medicine Clinic
1400 N. 7th St.
Grand Junction, CO 81501
(970) 241-1983
Greenwood Village β 80111
Andreas Edrich
7000 East Belleview Ave Ste 100
Greenwood Village, CO 80111
(303) 792-3333
Jonathan Singer
8400 E Prentice Ave. Ste 301
Greenwood Village, CO 80111
(303) 488-0034
Jack Rentz
Denver Diagnostic
7800 E. Orchard Road Suite 350
Greenwood Village, CO 80111
Brad Sisson
Colorado Clinic
7251 W. 20th St. Bldg N
Greeley, CO 80634
(970) 221-9451
Alicia Feldman
Colorado Clinic
7251 W. 20th St Bldg N
Greeley, CO 80634
(970) 221-9451
Lakewood β 80214
Clark Mccoy
Front Range Clinic
1410 Vance Street
Lakewood, CO 80214
(720) 597-5576
Lakewood β 80226
Robert Fierer
Mountain Medical Care, L L C
393 S Harlan St Suite 105
Lakewood, CO 80226
(303) 279-6632
www.mountainmedicalinjury.com/
Lakewood β 80232
Ryan Kramer, M D
1370 South Wadsworth Blvd
Lakewood, CO 80232
(303) 985-8773
Littleton β 80120
Carol Traut
All Health Network
5500 S. Sycamore Street
Littleton, CO 80120
(303) 730-8858
Littleton β 80127
Jack Rentz
Denver Diagnostic
13402 West Coal Mine Ave Suite 240
Littleton, CO 80127
(720) 598-0805
James Mauldin
Littleton Psychiatric Center
10789 Bradford Road #204
Littleton, CO 80127
(720) 380-7094
Longmont β 80501
Clark Mccoy
Front Range Clinic
1308 Vivian Street
Longmont, CO 80501
(720) 597-5576
Brad Sisson
Colorado Clinic
630 15th Ave #104
Longmont, CO 80501
(970) 221-9451
Louisville β 80027
Daniel Feldman
Options Treatment L L C
1068 S. 88th Street Unit A
Louisville, CO 80027
(303) 222-4451
https://optionstreatment.org/daniel-feldman
Loveland β 80537
Jeremy Dubin
3320 Eisenhower Blvd
Loveland, CO 80537
(970) 669-2849
Loveland β 80538
John Bender
Miramont Family Medicine
3850 N Grant Avenue
Loveland, CO 80538
(970) 225-5000
Brad Sisson
Colorado Clinic
3810 N. Grant Avenue
Loveland, CO 80538
(970) 221-9451
http://coloradoclinic.com/crps-research/staff/dr-sisson
Alicia Feldman
Colorado Clinic
3810 N. Grant Avenue
Loveland, CO 80538
(970) 221-9451
Matthew Pouliot
Front Range Pain Medicine
1605 Foxtrail Dr
Loveland, CO 80538
(970) 495-0506
Niwot β 80503
Michael Zona
Advanced Medical Group
6857 Paiute Avenue
Niwot, CO 80503
(310) 261-0035
Northglenn β 80234
Robert Fierer
Mountain Medical Care, L L C
11178 Huron St Ste 7
Northglenn, CO 80234
(720) 389-7104
www.mountainmedicalinjury.com/dr-fierer-md
Parker β 80134
Jean Bouquet
12919 Stroh Ranch Ct. Unit G
Parker, CO 80134
(303) 841-9219
Pueblo β 81001
Kay Hooshmand-parsi
Health Solutions
41 Montebello Road Suite 116
Pueblo, CO 81001
(719) 423-1500
Pueblo β 81003
Chike Onyejekwe
P M C
400 West 16th Street
Pueblo, CO 81003
(719) 544-1488
Pueblo β 81004
Jamie Pollock, M D
509 Colorado Ave Suite C
Pueblo, CO 81004
(719) 696-9828
Pueblo β 81007
Chike Onyejekwe
C H Y K O D Clinics
P O Box 7236
Pueblo West, CO 81007
(301) 237-8962
Pueblo β 81008
Musharraf Nizami
Front Range Psychiatric Associates, P C
56 Club Manor Drive Suite 100
Pueblo, CO 81008
(719) 584-4767
Rajeev Kandukuri
Parkview Behavioral Services
56 Club Manor Drive Suite 100
Pueblo, CO 81008
(719) 584-4767
Steamboat Springs β 80487
Dr. Janet Feigelson, MD
32555 County Road 41
Steamboat Springs, CO 80487
(585) 314-5378
Thornton β 80229
Peter Reusswig
Colorado Pain Management
9195 Grant St. Ste 300
Thornton, CO 80229
(303) 286-5067
http://coloradopainmanagement.com
Paul Leo
Colorado Pain Management
9195 Grant St. Ste 300
Thornton, CO 80229
(303) 286-5067
http://coloradopainmanagement.com
Salida β 81201
David Handley
245 E Highway 50
Salida, CO 81201
(720) 432-1608
Wheatridge β 80033
John Martens
10200 W. 44th Ave. #101
Wheat Ridge, CO 80033
(303) 312-1538
Wheatridge β 80215
Caroline Gellrick
Mountain Occupational Med
3000 Youngfield Street Suite 262
Wheatridge, CO 80215
(303) 877-6113
Caroline Gellrick
Mountain Occupational Med
3000 Youngfield Street Suite 262
Wheatridge, CO 80215
(303) 877-6113
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