Medication Assisted Treatment Las Vegas

Beating Opioid Addiction and Substance Abuse With Prescription Medication

Going through any period of abstinence from substance or alcohol use disorder isn’t easy. The mental chains that grip anyone who is dependent on any substance can seem unbreakable. All those suffering from opioid use disorder have the best intentions when entering recovery – until the physical symptoms of withdrawal manifest like a brick wall – causing even the most determined to fall short of “kicking,” or successfully navigating the detox process without relapse. This is where our medication assisted treatment Las Vegas services can offer vital support.

Even for those who do break through the withdrawal symptoms, in the short months following detox, the cravings are still surfacing with a certain grade of intensity thanks to post-acute withdrawals. These don’t last nearly as long as the initial severe symptoms – usually just the span of a couple of hours or less – but that doesn’t make the cravings any less real.

We’ll discuss both in our guide to medication assisted treatment Las Vegas services at Icarus Nevada. If you’re thinking about MAT as part of your foundation in finding recovery, keep reading for details on how we incorporate medication-assisted options into our programs!

Our Medication Assisted Treatment Las Vegas Services (MAT)

Those suffering from opioid addiction in Las Vegas no longer have to sit around suffering from withdrawal symptoms. Advances in addiction treatment have left mental health services with another line of defense in the battle of dependence, and opioid addiction is at the center of this technique, better known as medication-assisted treatment (MAT).

When you’re experiencing the more severe symptoms of withdrawal from opioids like prescription painkillers and heroin, these medications can act as lifesavers while the client learns coping skills needed to successfully navigate treatment. Think about it – it’s nearly impossible to focus on anything besides “getting well” when you’re in the worst of opioid withdrawals.

Managing the Challenges of Early Recovery Effectively

This is the precise reason why many physicians have extended the regimens as a whole, as the longer one maintains using MAT for opioid addiction, the longer they have to get used to operating without chasing drugs on a daily basis. The big win here is finally learning how to cope with a normal life once more.

Many Last Vegas addiction treatment facilities that prescribe medication-assisted treatment are drawing out the induction process, sometimes taking as long as one week to get your body acclimated to the Buprenorphine. Instead of doing a two or three-week taper, addiction treatment specialists are now extending the regimen upwards of six months to one year or more.

Once a client enters recovery and has clean time under their belt, the things that are needed in recovery are managed much easier thanks to the proverbial “monkey off your back.” The two primary options for Las Vegas comprehensive treatment including MAT are listed below.

MAT for Alcohol Withdrawal and Opioid Addiction

The two most common forms of Medication Assisted Treatment for opioid addiction are methadone and buprenorphine. What’s the difference?

Methadone

Methadone is a long-lasting full opioid agonist created to help clients combat opioid addiction. Treatment starts after a thorough assessment, generally beginning with an initial 35 MG dose and working your way up until you’ve hit a comfortable maintenance level that allows you to sleep through the night.

Clients are required to show up daily to a specialized clinic that deals only with methadone for opioid addiction. At these daily appointments, clients will receive their daily dose of methadone for an indefinite amount of time, typically when a client feels confident enough to begin tapering down.

Many people choose the methadone program for an average of around 6 months, as it can be a particularly addictive substance all its own. Clients in a methadone treatment program in Las Vegas will be required to see an addiction counselor once per month and submit to random drug screens. The more negative drug screens clients submit, the faster they earn privileges or “take-homes” that allow them to dose from home multiple days in a row.

Methadone is not typically among prescription medications used at Icarus Nevada for our clients, as it can be much more difficult to stop using when the time comes on your recovery journey.

Buprenorphine

Buprenorphine, marketed under names like Suboxone, Zubsolv, and others, is a partial opioid agonist. This means it only partially attaches itself to the opioid receptors, sending your body the signal that opioids are in the body without crossing the blood-brain barrier. This in turn eliminates the uncomfortable feelings of withdrawal, allowing clients to overcome the challenges of detox while learning to live a normal life again.

Some methadone clinics offer buprenorphine treatment as part of their treatment plan in Las Vegas. However, physicians also open standalone buprenorphine clinics that operate solely on helping clients achieve recovery through Suboxone and other forms of MAT. Neither form of provider offers the full support and therapeutic resources of an inpatient rehab setting or even the structure and accountability of an intensive outpatient program (IOP).

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) advises that taking buprenorphine as part of a residential treatment program, such as our offering at Icarus Nevada, can be the most effective means of establishing long-term recovery.

Will Las Vegas Comprehensive Treatment Work for Me?

Everybody is different when it comes to medication-assisted treatment. However, if you’ve tried standard ways of detoxing or rehab before and always seem to fall victim to relapse – this alternative form of therapy allows you to reclaim your life back without worrying about the dangers of relapse.

In the past, medication-assisted treatment was viewed as a shorter, two-week-long regimen that entailed Buprenorphine and Naloxone injections, which segued into pills and sublingual tablets that people were able to taper from after about the same two to three weeks.

Our Las Vegas Comprehensive Treatment Center Programs

With the arrival of fentanyl onto our streets, opioid withdrawal is a different animal, and the same addiction treatment strategies that worked for opioid dependency during detox no longer work.

Fentanyl isn’t immune to buprenorphine, but because it’s so strong, clients have reported waiting upwards of a full week with no opioid use and still experiencing precipitated withdrawal symptoms. For someone with opioid use disorder, this is the last thing you want to experience.

Now, mental health and behavioral therapy facilities that treat substance abuse are looking at medication-assisted treatment (MAT) in a whole new light, and utilizing a more gradual approach towards withdrawals given the potent nature of new synthetic opioids.

Am I Subbing One Addiction for Another?

No. Assuming you’re entering medication-assisted treatment with the correct intentions, you’re working toward recovery and not diving into another addiction. You’re simply obtaining physical relief so you can focus on becoming mentally stronger and ultimately kick your habit for good.

Get a Foundation for Recovery with MAT at Icarus Nevada

At Icarus Behavioral Health Nevada, we offer medication-assisted treatment for those suffering from opioid addiction and have the goal of getting clean while avoiding the discomfort of detox. If you’re ready to take the next step in your recovery and get the clean time under your belt you need in the appropriate environment for success, contact a member of our admissions team today.

All calls are confidential, so please reach out to get options for support at Icarus Nevada now!