Subutex or Methadone? Which One Can Help Me?

Subutex and methadone are both medications that treat opioid addiction. Depending on the severity of your condition and your needs for recovery, one will likely be more beneficial than the other for your specific situation. If you want to find safe, reliable opioid addiction treatment programs call 800-678-5931(Who Answers?) today.

Subutex and Methadone: What’s the Difference?

Subutex is a brand name medication containing buprenorphine, a partial opioid agonist that can treat opioid addiction. The drug itself is often given to patients early on in recovery in order to stabilize their withdrawal symptoms, and because it is only a partial agonist, it can be obtained from a doctor’s office instead of only from a highly regulated clinic.

Buprenorphine is also protected from abuse to a higher extent because of its ceiling effect, which causes its effects to eventually level off even if doses are increased (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration).

If your opioid dependence is mild, you may do well on Subutex.

Methadone is a generic medication, often prescribed as Methadose or Dolophine. The drug treats opioid addiction as well, but it is a full opioid agonist, meaning its effects are much stronger than those of buprenorphine.

In addition, this fact also makes it more susceptible to abuse, so it must be distributed from government-regulated clinics only. Methadone can be given as a medication during medically assisted withdrawal, or one’s prescription of the substance can be prolonged in order to maintain the individual for months or even years.

Which Option is Best for Me?

It is important to always consult a doctor in order to find the best treatment option for your needs and also never to take either medication without a prescription. However, there are some general aspects that may make one medication more beneficial to your recovery than the other.

You may be a good candidate for Subutex if you…
- Want to go through withdrawal quickly.
- Do not want to go on maintenance.
- Are experiencing less severe withdrawal symptoms and have a milder dependence on opioids.
- Can take your medication faithfully without abusing it.
- Require a less intensive treatment option.
You may be a good candidate for methadone if you…
- Have a more severe dependence on opioids.
- Want to start a maintenance program.
- Need more intensive care in a treatment program a heavily regulated treatment program.
- Need daily supervision to make sure you are taking your medication as prescribed.
- Need a stronger medication to treat your withdrawal symptoms.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, there are other treatment options available for opioid addiction (and pairing one of these medications with at least one therapy option is often much more successful), but certain aspects of your addiction syndrome and recovery needs will often determine which of these two options––if either–––might be more beneficial to you.

Seek Treatment for Addiction Now

If you have been abusing opioids and need professional help, call 800-678-5931(Who Answers?) to find a rehab program that will cater to your needs and help ensure that you receive the tools to get sober. Begin your journey of recovery today.

Methadone Maintenance Treatment vs. Suboxone Treatment: Which is Better?

Methadone maintenance treatment and Suboxone treatment are both very specific treatment types that are used on patients who are addicted to opioids. While someone who has been abusing these drugs and needs treatment may have a difficult choice, it is hard to say which of these is better: based on an individual’s specific needs, one ….