This is an important discussion, and I hope people will take a moment to follow the link I’ll get to in a moment. When I started this blog in 2008 I received a great deal of pushback from the sober recovery crowd. This article in particular stirred some animal spirits. Read more…
There is plenty of nonsense on the internet, but nonsense is most-annoying when it comes from ‘experts’. I’m referring to nonsense from American Addiction Centers about Suboxone. If you go to their heavily-advertised site there is no mention of the scandals involving ‘sober treatment programs’ that filled the Florida news Read more…
I found this old post from ten years ago that I never got around to publishing it. A person doesn’t like taking Suboxone and blames the drug for the lack of change in his life. It plays into the discussion about methadone because it shows the attitudes that can develop Read more…
I described how seeking methadone-assisted treatment for OUD can lead to a lifetime dependency. Informed patients can take steps to reduce that risk of life-defeating attachment. Clinics could do the same, although doing so may harm the business model of some companies. People entering treatment, follow this advice so you Read more…
A couple comments for regular readers… first, watch for an upcoming change to a new name. For years I’ve debated whether to adopt a name centered on ‘buprenorphine’, rather than the more-recognizable ‘Suboxone’. I believe that time has come. Second, I’m going to ‘reset’ with some introductory comments about the Read more…
First Posted 10/13/2013 A person in my practice was stable on Suboxone/buprenorphine for several years, until he developed a painful injury. During the time the injury was treated, the person experienced significant pain. I worked with his surgeon to provide adequate pain relief, which for patients on buprenorphine or Suboxone Read more…
First Published 7/23/2013 I hear from the anti-buprenorphine people now and then, less than I used to. I also hear from fans of this blog’s early days, when I routinely lost my temper in response to those people. Their general line was that things on heroin weren’t all that bad, but Read more…
I received a question from a reader about withdrawal symptoms from stopping buprenorphine. My answer has relevance to opioid withdrawal in general, and to a common misconception about the duration of withdrawal symptoms. The message: Basically I quit Suboxone about 18 days ago. When I decided to quit I was taking about Read more…
I’d like to share a recent email exchange with a reader. The post is long, but there are several interesting aspects to the discussion. I’ve removed the conversational parts, as well as the identifying information. A reader wonders if he made a save with Suboxone? The initial message: I was Read more…
I received a question about Kratom, and searched for a earlier post about that plant/substance. That post came shortly after Obama’s inauguration, after someone wrote to compare his experience at that event to his experience taking opioids. Funny how every ‘high’ has its own ‘morning after!’ That Post: On a Read more…
In regard to my last post… There are many directions that we could take as we review that message. My overall impression, as I read the letter, was of a person struggling to accept the reality of his condition. Over and over, the person repeated the same behavior, starting Suboxone, Read more…
Every now and then I hear about a therapist or addiction doc who is doing such a disservice to the practice of addiction medicine as to deserve special mention. This week’s award goes to a certain counselor at a treatment program in Oshkosh, WI, who I’ll refer to as ‘This Read more…