Online Suboxone appointments are becoming increasingly popular as a convenient way to access medication-assisted treatments for opioid use disorder. However, many individuals do not know what to expect when they attend their first online Suboxone appointment.
Confidant Health has online suboxone doctors to help patients with their specific concerns. Download the app, and we will help you get started. This article will provide an overview of the process and what you can expect during an online Suboxone appointment.
What is Suboxone?
It is a medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorder. It is a combination of two drugs, buprenorphine and naloxone, which work together to reduce cravings and withdrawal symptoms. Suboxone is a Schedule III controlled substance and must be prescribed by a qualified health care provider who is certified to prescribe it.
In addition, the medicine has been shown to help alleviate withdrawal symptoms and lessen cravings in people attempting to recover from an opioid or alcohol use condition. Most of the time, this drug must be prescribed by a medical expert, but many pharmacies have Suboxone on hand in case one of their customers has an overdose or severe symptoms of withdrawal.
The Online Suboxone Appointment Process
The online Suboxone appointment process is relatively straightforward. To start, your doctor will review your medical and treatment history, along with any lab tests that may be required. This information will help your doctor determine if Suboxone is an appropriate treatment for you. After this initial review, your doctor will schedule a virtual appointment to discuss the specifics of your treatment plan.
At the virtual appointment, you and your doctor will discuss the goals of your treatment, any potential side effects of taking Suboxone, and the dosing schedule that best suits your needs. Your doctor may also request additional lab tests or ask you to provide information about your current medications, drug use, and lifestyle habits.
Once your doctor has all the necessary information, they will provide you with a prescription for Suboxone and will set up a follow-up appointment to monitor your progress.
What to Expect During the Appointment
During the Suboxone appointment, be prepared to answer questions about your medical and treatment history, current medications, lifestyle habits, and any other relevant information. If you need help understanding something during the appointment, be sure to ask your doctor for clarification.
Your doctor will go over the following with you:
• The program’s standards and expectations
You can discuss how frequent drug testing helps patients stay on track with their goals.
• Your treatment specifics
Your therapy may involve other services and medications, depending on your requirements.
• Your medication
You may anticipate discussing buprenorphine/naloxone (Suboxone) treatment in depth with your doctor, including risks and advantages as well as other possible treatment choices.
• The starting procedure
Your doctor will instruct you on how to begin taking the medicine at home. You should be exhibiting withdrawal symptoms when you start, and your doctor will detail how that works, how long you should wait before taking your first dosage of Suboxone, and how regularly you should take future doses.
After the Appointment
This prescription will be replenished during your weekly, bimonthly, or monthly telehealth appointments. Once the appointment is complete, your doctor will provide you with instructions on how to properly take the Suboxone, as well as instructions on follow-up appointments. Prescriptions are often automatically transferred to a pharmacy near you.
Withdrawal Before the First Dose
If you are not undergoing moderate withdrawal symptoms, taking your first buprenorphine dose may cause severe withdrawal. This is referred to as abrupt withdrawal. The Clinical Opiate Withdrawal Scale recommends that patients be in “MILD Withdrawal.”
The amount of time you must wait between your previous opioid dosage and your first buprenorphine dose is determined not just by time but also by how long-acting the last opioid you took was and what dose you were taking.
For example, though heroin and other pain relievers are rather short-acting, methadone and some of the opioids added to street narcotics are long-acting and take considerably longer to leave your system. There is also a significant distinction between large and small dosages, and your threshold will influence how long you must wait before taking your first Suboxone dose (or other buprenorphine medication).
What Drugs Can Interact With Suboxone?
If you are on Suboxone or your doctor is considering giving it to you, it is critical that you understand how the medicine will interact with other medications. This is especially true for treatments that have a central nervous system effect.
Benzodiazepines, such as Xanax or Valium, are exceedingly harmful to consume while on suboxone therapy. Both benzodiazepines and suboxone weaken the central nervous system and, when combined, can bring impairment, unconsciousness, respiratory failure, coma, or even death.
Takeaway
Online Suboxone appointments offer patients convenient access to vital healthcare services, keeping them connected to their treatment plans with ease. As a result, it is important for patients to understand the processes involved in an online Suboxone appointment and ensure that they are comfortable with the virtual setting. Take time to research your doctor’s credentials and qualifications, read up on requirements for online consultation, and make sure you have a good internet connection. By preparing yourself adequately before an online Suboxone appointment, you can be confident that you will receive effective care from a knowledgeable healthcare practitioner.
Suboxone enables its users to take back control of their lives and gain access to necessary medical resources through safe and secure means—ensuring that everyone is free to seek out quality healthcare
