Rapid Suboxone detox is an anesthesia-assisted medical procedure that compresses opioid withdrawal into several hours and swiftly eliminates Suboxone from the system. Although it may sound perfect on paper, the truth is that rapid Suboxone detox rarely brings lasting results.
Read along to learn more about the risks of Suboxone rapid detox and find out why it pales in comparison to the revolutionary ANR treatment.
What Is Suboxone?
Suboxone is an FDA-approved medication for opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment. As a combination drug, it contains two opioid ingredients at a 4:1 ratio:
- Buprenorphine, a semi-synthetic partial opioid agonist derived from thebaine, is used for pain management and opioid dependence treatment, usually as part of medication-assisted treatment (MAT)
- Naloxone, a semi-synthetic opioid antagonist derived from oxymorphone, blocks the effects of other opioids and is primarily used to reverse an opioid overdose
Suboxone, which is also available as a generic drug (buprenorphine/naloxone), comes as a sublingual tablet or sublingual film. It is also sold under Zubsolv and other brand names.
What Is Suboxone Used For?
Suboxone is used for opioid addiction treatment. It works by slowly releasing buprenorphine into the system, relieving cravings and other withdrawal symptoms without inducing the typical euphoria associated with opioids. This can help people get off other, more dangerous opioid drugs.
Since buprenorphine—the main ingredient in Suboxone—has a “ceiling” effect, its effects level off at a certain dose, which is meant to discourage opioid misuse.
Although Suboxone has a lower potential for misuse than most other opioids, it can still be abused, so it is treated as a Schedule III controlled substance. In 2023, more than 7% of Americans misusing prescription opioids abused Suboxone and other buprenorphine products.
Without further ado, let’s learn more about rapid Suboxone detox.
What Is Rapid Suboxone Detox?
Rapid Suboxone detox is a medical procedure that speeds up the opioid detoxification process. It swiftly rids the body of this medication with the help of anesthesia and opioid antagonist drugs, such as naloxone or naltrexone.
Suboxone can stay in your system for up to eight days or even longer, depending on the extent of your Suboxone use and other individual factors. In most cases, people suffer from withdrawal symptoms for around a month after quitting.
Meanwhile, rapid Suboxone detox triggers the withdrawal process and compresses it within several hours. General anesthesia also helps reduce the pain and discomfort that usually accompanies opioid withdrawal.
If you’re looking to return to an opioid-free life, Suboxone rapid detox may seem like a silver bullet. Although it is often advertised as a fast and easy solution to opioid dependency—some rapid opiate detoxification clinics even claim they can cure patients within 24 hours—it is widely regarded as a controversial method, and not without good reason.
Rapid Suboxone detox is far from a comprehensive opioid dependence treatment. It simply cleanses the body of opioids but fails to address the root of the problem. Because of this, rapid detox from opioids usually leads to more relapses than recoveries.
With this in mind, let’s discuss the risks of rapid Suboxone detox in greater depth.
Rapid Suboxone Detox Risks and Considerations
Although Suboxone rapid detox may seem appealing due to its short duration, it entails several significant risks and considerations you should take into account. Namely, rapid Suboxone detox exposes patients to a high risk of persistent withdrawal symptoms, relapse, medical complications, and poor safety practices.
Here’s a detailed overview of the risks associated with rapid detox under sedation:
- Withdrawal symptoms. Opioid dependence is a neurochemical condition, but rapid Suboxone detox doesn’t treat it as such. While it removes Suboxone from the system, it does nothing to repair the chemical imbalance resulting from prolonged opioid use. Consequently, many patients are left with intense cravings and other withdrawal symptoms. A study by Özge Kalkan et al. suggests that nearly 10% of patients undergoing rapid detox experience severe withdrawal symptoms.
- Relapse. Since rapid Suboxone detox fails to address the underlying causes of opioid dependence and doesn’t eliminate withdrawal symptoms, it often leads to relapse. Researchers from the Tufts University School of Medicine found that only 18% of patients remained sober after undergoing rapid detox. Worse yet, relapse after detoxing from opioids can be lethal; it poses a high risk of a potentially fatal overdose due to lowered opioid tolerance.
- Complications. Rapid Suboxone detox is a one-size-fits-all treatment that puts the body through immense stress, making it unsafe—especially for those with co-occurring health conditions. There have been cases of exacerbated mental health problems, pulmonary issues, cardiovascular disease, and even death following rapid detox treatments.
- Poor safety practices. Not all detox centers have the proper facilities or medical staff to ensure patient safety. Therefore, the safety and quality of rapid Suboxone detox procedures may vary widely from one center to another.
Suboxone Dependence vs. Suboxone Addiction
While many use the terms “Suboxone dependence” and “Suboxone addiction” interchangeably, there’s a difference between them—even though these conditions may co-occur.
Suboxone dependence refers to the physical dependence on this drug, which is characterized by tolerance and withdrawal symptoms that occur in the absence of the drug. Anyone who takes Suboxone is, by definition, dependent on it, as they rely on it for opioid withdrawal management. In other words, they take it to prevent withdrawal symptoms and feel normal.
However, not everyone dependent on Suboxone is addicted to it. Yet, contrary to popular belief, it is possible to develop an addiction to this medication, even though Suboxone is used to treat opioid addiction. Taking it in any way other than prescribed—that is, abusing Suboxone—significantly increases the likelihood of becoming addicted.
Suboxone addiction differs from dependence in that it is predominantly psychological. Those addicted to Suboxone lose control of their impulses and cannot stop taking it, even when it destroys their careers, relationships, and so forth.
Suboxone Withdrawal Symptoms
Suboxone withdrawal symptoms occur when people stop taking this drug, especially abruptly. Like other partial opioid agonists and opioid antagonists, Suboxone can also trigger precipitated withdrawal symptoms when administered prematurely.
Suboxone withdrawal symptoms usually start within the first 48–72 hours after the last dose and may include:
- Chills
- Fever
- Anxiety
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Cravings
- Irritability
- Insomnia
- Sweating
- Headache
- Depression
- Runny nose
- Muscle ache
- Watery eyes
- Mood swings
- Lack of energy
Unfortunately, not all people are aware that getting off Suboxone is not that different than getting off other opioids. In fact, Suboxone withdrawal timeline tends to be longer than that of most other opioids. While the withdrawal symptoms from hydrocodone and other similar opioids last around a week, Suboxone withdrawal symptoms may persist for a month or even longer.
Seeking professional treatment for Suboxone withdrawal is crucial, as Suboxone withdrawal management without medical assistance considerably increases the risk of relapse, Suboxone overdose, and death.
Moreover, even though it may be possible to relieve some withdrawal symptoms with home remedies, some symptoms may lead to severe—and even life-threatening—complications without medical care.
Accelerated Neuro-Regulation for Opioid Dependency
With an average hospital stay of 36 hours, Accelerated Neuro-Regulation (ANR) is a groundbreaking opioid dependence treatment that can help you start living an opioid-free life within a matter of days.
Developed by Dr. Andre Waismann, ANR is the first and only treatment that repairs the neurochemical imbalance caused by prolonged opioid use. By re-regulating the endorphin-receptor system, ANR addresses the root cause of opioid dependence, contributing to its exceptionally high success rate.
Most importantly, ANR prioritizes patient safety by individualizing the treatment to each person’s needs and medical history. Therefore, it can be safely performed on virtually everyone—even those with complex health conditions.
Furthermore, ANR is carried out by a team of highly experienced board-certified professionals in an ICU setting of accredited hospitals with state-of-the-art equipment. Better yet, the treatment doesn’t involve any potentially addictive opioid-replacement drugs, such as methadone—once the procedure is completed, patients can resume a normal, healthy life without opioids.
ANR: Aftercare and Long-Term Support
ANR promotes long-term recovery by restoring the brain to its pre-dependence state instead of merely offering treatment for opioid withdrawal symptoms. To foster lifelong success, our team continues to work with patients throughout their recovery, facilitating the stabilization and optimization of the endorphin system.
The fact that ANR treats opioid dependence at a receptor level not only makes it superior to rapid detox and other traditional treatments but also helps patients attain lasting results.
By addressing the neurobiological causes of opioid dependence, the ANR treatment eliminates cravings and other withdrawal symptoms, allowing patients to leave the fear of relapse in the past. As of today, ANR has supported nearly 25,000 people worldwide in making a long-lasting recovery from opioid dependence.
If you, too, are eager to break the cycle of opioid abuse and dependence, contact us today for a free, 100% confidential consultation. We’re here to help you through every step of your recovery.
Key Takeaways
The bottom line is that rapid Suboxone detox is neither safe nor effective. While its safety may vary from one detox center to the next, even the best detox centers cannot guarantee a lasting recovery. This is because, ultimately, Suboxone rapid detox does not heal the nervous system—it only flushes the drug out of the system.
Now, let’s go over the key points we covered:
- Suboxone is an FDA-approved medication consisting of buprenorphine and naloxone that is prescribed for opioid addiction treatment.
- Rapid Suboxone detox is an anesthesia-assisted procedure that comes with greater risks than rewards; specifically, it carries a high risk for relapse and medical complications, both of which may be deadly.
- Everyone who takes Suboxone is physically dependent on it; however, abusing it can make you fall prey to Suboxone addiction, which is largely psychological.
- ANR is an ultra-modern opioid dependence treatment that can help you overcome Suboxone dependence safely, quickly, and effectively by re-balancing the endorphin-receptor system.
