Frequently Asked Questions

Does taking a medication like Buprenorphine replace one drug with another, keeping you from “true recovery”?

• Buprenorphine does not produce a high, which is what perpetuates craving and makes the heroin addictive, on buprenorphine you should feel “normal” all the time
• Buprenorphine replaces some of the effects of heroin which is why it takes away craving and withdrawal
• It is much easier to work towards the recovery if you are on the medication and you do not have to cope with incessant craving

How long do you need to take Buprenorphine? I head that if you take Buprenorphine for a long time you will become addicted.

• The longer you stay on buprenorphine the more it can help to improve the quality of your life and protect you against the relapse and overdose
• Over time, most people are taking lower doses and have no side-effects

At what point should I stop taking medication? Can I stop taking Buprenorphine once I start feeling better?

• This is a common misconception – feeling well means that the medication is a good choice for you and you should continue taking it
• Stopping the medication too soon puts you are a very high risk of relapse
• The most important things to consider in considering stopping medication is how much your life has changed since you stopped using illicit opioids.

There are no good medication treatments and in order to get better you have to have the willpower to want to stop, go to a residential rehabilitation program, and go to meetings afterwards.

• Medications are very effective, for many they are more effective and less expensive than going to a residential program
• The risk of relapse to opioids is high among people discharged from a residential program without medication; the risk of overdose is also increased
• The risk of relapse and overdose can be reduced by starting medication before leaving the residential program