Why Are You So Picky About Buprenorphine - 772 Words

Why are you so enthused about buprenorphine? Buprenorphine works so well with so few serious side effects that I rank it as one of my all-time favorite medications. For the treatment of mental health and substance abuse illnesses, a few medications stand out as groundbreaking: Thorazine ®, Tofranil ®, Dolophine ® (methadone), Prozac ®, Clozaril ®, Ability ®, and now Suboxone ®. What is on the horizon to treat opioid addiction? Research is ongoing and at a fast pace. One of the most promising options is immunotherapy, where antibodies bind to the opioid before it can enter the brain, rendering the opioid ineffective (http://bit.ly/1NK1NEt). Where can I learn more about recommendations to physicians on how best to treat opioid addiction? In May 2015, The American Society of Addiction Medicine published practice guideline for physicians in a 170-page document. You can review this document at http://bit.ly/1UGL2Kq. Can you recommend patient-oriented books or articles describing family struggles with addiction? There are many to choose from. Some are first-person accounts of addiction: †¢ Beautiful Boy: A Father’s Journey Through His Son’s Addiction, David Sheff, 2008, Mariner Books †¢ The Joey Song: A Mother’s Journey of Her Son’s Addiction, Sandra A. Swenson, 2014, Central Recovery Press †¢ The End of My Addiction, Oliver Ameisen, MD, 2009, Sarah Crichton Books †¢ How to Raise a Drug Free Kid, Joseph A. Califano Jr., 2014, Simon and Schuster †¢ Moments of Clarity, Christopher Lawford,