Sublocade® makes your detox and recovery from opioid use disorder easier because you only need one monthly injection. Addiction medicine expert Sirisat Khalsa, MD, and the caring team at Clarity Medical Group in Sherman Oaks, California, have helped many people safely overcome an opioid dependency or addiction with comprehensive outpatient care with Sublocade. Call the office or an in-person or telehealth appointment today or connect online to seek help at any stage of opioid use, whether you just started to have urges or have painful withdrawal symptoms.
Sublocade is a once-monthly injectable containing a long-acting (extended-release) form of buprenorphine, a medication for treating opioid use disorder.
Opioids activate specific receptors in your brain, triggering a strong response that relieves pain and produces a euphoric high. Repeatedly taking opioids alters your brain chemistry, leading to dependency and addiction.
Sublocade works by binding to the same receptors. The medication produces a mild response while blocking opioids and preventing cravings and withdrawal symptoms.
You can begin Sublocade any time after your withdrawal symptoms have been controlled for at least seven days with another buprenorphine product. Your provider may prescribe Sublocade as part of your at-home detox or as a maintenance medication during recovery.
Though Sublocade isn’t prescribed until you start to detox from opioids, you don’t need to wait that long to seek help. Your Clarity Medical Group provider can begin effective treatment before you reach an advanced stage.
In the early stages of opioid use, you may try to reduce the amount you take and discover you can’t because the urge is too strong. Or you may spend so much time buying and using opioids that you withdraw from the rest of your life.
The caring specialists at Clarity Medical Group can create a treatment plan at an early stage and help you stop taking opioids before your brain gets used to the drug and overuse turns into dependency and addiction.
Though it’s uncommon, buprenorphine (the active ingredient in Sublocade) can cause breathing problems. You’re more likely to have that problem if you have a lung condition or take benzodiazepines or opioids while on Sublocade.
Buprenorphine may also affect your liver or cause an allergic reaction. Liver problems result in symptoms like yellow skin and eyes, dark urine, loss of appetite, and pain or tenderness in your upper right abdomen.
Signs of an allergic reaction include hives, a skin rash, wheezing, loss of consciousness, and swelling in your face or tongue. Dial 911 for emergency care at the first sign of an allergic reaction.
The most common side effects, which are usually mild and temporary, include:
Call Clarity Medical Group or book an in-person or telehealth appointment today to learn more about a safe outpatient opioid detox with Sublocade.