Buprenorphine and Buprenex use in Treatment
Buprenorphine/Buprenex is a detoxification alternative to Methadone maintenance in treating opiate addiction. Unlike Methadone, Buprenorphine is an opioid partial agonist. This means that it can produce enough agonist effect to enable opioid-addicted individuals to stop their abuse of opioids without experiencing withdrawal symptoms, while maintaining a lower risk of abuse, dependence, and side effects that are associated with Methadone use. Detoxification, either using Methadone or Buprenorphine, is usually the first step in treatment for drug and alcohol addiction.