Sublocade is an injectable form of buprenorphine

Buprenorphine is an oral medication used to help patients recover from opioid misuse and addiction. It’s a partial opioid agonist, meaning it blocks opioid receptors in your brain. Buprenorphine helps you manage and control your withdrawal symptoms and urges.

Normally, buprenorphine is given as an oral medication. But the FDA recently approved monthly buprenorphine injections in the form of Sublocade.

Why Sublocade is effective for opioid recovery

Sublocade injections slowly release buprenorphine into your body for 30 days. You get the same benefits without needing to take medication daily. This makes a big difference in your treatment plan for many reasons.

For one, if you miss a dose of buprenorphine, your urges or withdrawal symptoms may worsen. With a once-monthly injection, it’s easier to improve and maintain your symptoms.

An opioid-addiction treatment plan is more than just controlling cravings and urges with medication. You have to discover why you misused opioids in the first place. Your recovery plan includes therapy and counseling so you can find the root cause and avoid it.

Sublocade allows you to have a clear mind and make the most of your counseling and therapy appointments. You can learn more about yourself when your withdrawal symptoms and cravings are under control.

What to expect from Sublocade

You can start receiving Sublocade injections when you enter the maintenance phase of recovery. You visit us every month to get your Sublocade injection. For 30 days, your body gets a slow, controlled release of buprenorphine.

As with any medication, you may experience minor side effects. The most common side effects of Sublocade include:

• Constipation

• Fatigue

• Headache

• Mild pain or itchiness at the injection site

Nausea and vomiting are also side effects, but most patients have no problems after their injections.