Suboxone Clinic in Sacramento
Suboxone Treatment
- Medically Reviewed By: Dr. Justin Altschuler
- June 10, 2023
- HOME
- ADDICTION TREATMENT
- SUBOXONE
Starting treatment for opiate addiction can feel scary— but it’s a huge step in the right direction.
Most fear comes from a lack of understanding about treatment (including medication assisted treatment), such as with Suboxone (buprenorphine).
During the first appointment, you can expect that we will listen to your story, and create a treatment plan with you that addresses your unique circumstances. This includes understanding your recovery goals and developing a comprehensive plan to fit your situation.
While everyone’s situation is unique, there are some questions that are common when looking at treatment. This provides an overview of our clinic’s approach, so you can feel more comfortable about making a change. We will discuss this in more detail at your first appointment.
How We Can Help
Our Program
Recovery
Medications
What is Medication Assisted Treatment?
When someone is using opiates (such as fentanyl, heroin, prescription painkillers, OxyContin, or other opioids), it is extremely hard to stop without help. Most people (90-95%) will not be able to stay off of opiates without additional help. Medication assisted treatment in Sacramento can help you get sober and stay sober.
What Medications Are Used For Opiate Addiction Treatment?
There are three primary medications used in opioid addiction treatment: buprenorphine (Suboxone, Subutex), Vivitrol (naloxone), and methadone. Suboxone (buprenorphine) is a partial opioid agonist that both blocks the effects of other opiates and decreases the feelings of withdrawal and craving.
Vivitrol (naloxone) is an injection that blocks the effects of opiates and decreases cravings. Methadone can only be prescribed from a methadone clinic (which is not us), so is not something we offer. While methadone can be the right choice for some people, methadone usually leaves people still feeling a little bit numb to the world and a little bit high.
This is not our goal— and not how Suboxone works. We want to help our patients be fully present and engaged in life and to help them develop the skills necessary for a lasting recovery.
Suboxone treatment is simply using Suboxone as a part of a comprehensive treatment plan for opioid use and opioid dependence.
What Other Support is Needed Along With Attending a Sacramento Suboxone Clinic?
There is not one answer to this question, because each individual is unique, each recovery plan for each person is also unique. Recovery is more than a prescription. When we see a person for the first appointment, we start the process of developing an approach that will meet your needs.
While there is no one-size-fits-all, additional parts of treatment might include counseling, attending groups or meetings, dietary changes, joining a gym, or additional medication to manage anxiety, depression, or other aspects of mental health.
At the end of the day, we treat our patients as adults, and this is your recovery from opioid use and addiction. You get to choose the path you follow.
What’s the Difference Between Suboxone, Buprenorphine, and Subutex?
Buprenorphine is the generic name for the medication that is the active ingredient in Suboxone and Subutex. Suboxone contains both buprenorphine and naloxone, while Subutex contains only buprenorphine. However, all are very similar, and all are effective opioid dependency treatments.
Is Suboxone (Buprenorphine) Safe? How Do You Ensure Patient Safety?
Opioid dependence is deadly— more than 100,000 people died of opiate overdoses in the most recent year for which we have data. Buprenorphine treatment (Suboxone, Sublocade or similar) along with methadone treatment and Vivitrol, all dramatically lower the risks of opiate overdose.
Simply put, this type of medication saves lives— the research has shown this over and over again. The best way we know to keep our patients safe and promote safety is to support your recovery. This is our mission, to help our patients live a healthy, happy, meaningful life.
Our standard of care is to take care and support our patients how we would want someone to care for and support our family members if they were struggling with addiction.
reach out now
Sign up for our services.
Do I Have to Do Go to an Inpatient Program?
No— most people (with the help of a Suboxone doctor) are able to start their opioid addiction treatment without the use of inpatient programs. At the first visit, we work with our new patients to develop recovery goals, determine the next steps for their recovery, develop a unique treatment plan, and prescribe suboxone (or other treatment) depending on their unique circumstances.
We want to support you in your recovery, and our providers understand that for many patients, an inpatient program (or a methadone clinic) is just not a good fit. Ready to take the next step? Sign up for treatment on the website here (link). We will reach out to you within one business day to get you scheduled and book you an appointment in our Sacramento outpatient rehab office.
What Is Different About Sequoia MD, Compared to Another Sacramento Suboxone Doctor?
If you have been to different methadone clinics, you may have an idea of addiction treatment as cold, impersonal, or scary. In fact, methadone clinics (in Sacramento and elsewhere) have to follow a series of federal rules about how to provide care.
We think a cold, impersonal clinic decreases the likelihood that a patient will engage in addiction care. Our office is warm, comfortable, and private, which leaves you free to engage with treatment in a confidential setting, following a program that is tailored to support your needs.
Everyone in our Sacramento, CA office is focused on helping you build a lasting recovery, with doctors focused on the whole patient, not just a Suboxone dosage.
What If I Want Suboxone Treatment in Sacramento, But Don't Want to See You?
We treat our patients as we would want our family members to be treated, and we come to work every day to help people At the end of the day though, we recognize we are not the right fit for everybody, and getting the help you need is the most important thing.
Consider calling SAMHSA’s national helpline (1-800-662-HELP/4357, which is available 24/7, 365 days a year. It is free and confidential and can direct individuals to further options. If you are looking for a detox or inpatient facility, a dual diagnosis program can be a resource to direct you to care.
We Make It Easy
How It Works
Sign Up for Care
On this free call one of our doctors will answer any questions you have about our practice and approach.
Personalized Healthcare
We’ll work together to identify the best care to fit your unique health concerns and craft a treatment plan that works for you.
A Happier, Healthier Life.
Our accessible approach to healthcare means you can stop worrying about your healthcare and start enjoying your life.
Do You Help With Other Addictions? What If I Have Opioid Dependency and Other Addictions as Well?
The first visit for all our patients at our Sacramento office includes an assessment of other factors that may be impacting your health.
This includes other substance use, health conditions, prescription medication, and other doctors you may be seeing.
This will allow your provider to develop a substance abuse treatment and recovery plan that offers you the support you need to live a healthy, happy, meaningful life.
How Are Families Involved in Treatment?
There is no one answer to this question. Research shows that when the family is involved in addiction treatment (including opioid dependence treatment), the likelihood of treatment success increases.
For some patients, the family has involved in a first visit and then plays an important part in their recovery. For other patients, they do not want their families involved at all, so our qualified physicians provide confidential service.
How Do Payment and Insurance Work?
All of our patients (regardless of health insurance) pay us a standard monthly fee for our services.
This means that the relationship between you and your provider is direct and that the insurance company (or government insurance program, such as Medicare) is not involved.
This also means that when you switch jobs or switch health insurance, there is no interruption in service.
It means we are free to develop a comprehensive treatment program that is based on your needs, not on the requirements of an insurance company (or Medicare).
Essentially everything we do is bundled into the monthly fee— office visits, phone calls, text messages, emails, and telemedicine visits. There are no additional co-pays or deductibles.
What Makes a Good Sacramento Suboxone Clinic or Suboxone Doctor?
A Suboxone doctor is really just a doctor. However, in order to prescribe buprenorphine for opioid dependency, there is some special licensing required (which all of our providers have).
Like all doctors, Suboxone doctors that focus on addiction are dedicated to improving your health— by focusing on treating drug abuse and addiction.
The provider you are seeing should make you feel comfortable, listen to your concerns, and work with you to develop a treatment plan that addresses your needs. We manage addiction like any other chronic health condition— one that requires care and empathy to manage.
There are several places you can find addiction treatment in Sacramento— but we are proud of the services we offer.