Opioid Addiction and its Treatment, Dr. Belis Aladag | UCLAMDChat

UCLA physician Belis Aladag, MD, MPH, discusses opioid (prescription pain killers, heroin, etc.) dependence and available treatments. Methadone maintenance and buprenorphine (Suboxone, Subutex) therapy will be discussed in detail as the two most successful treatment modalities for this prevalent public health issue.

[monikastouff]

Dr. Aladag is the most caring Dr. I have ever met! Thank you Dr. Aladag ❤

[sunnydaygina]

Dr. Aladag was my MD but not for addiction medicine. I just found out she left and I feel so sad. She was one of my favorite doctors.❤️😢

[stevenellerbee]

Regardless of what a lot of you commenters uninformed on this topic have to say, she is extremely knowledgeable on the subject. As a former opioid addict, suboxone has really been a miracle medication for myself. Honestly, at first I used it as a crutch when I couldn't get the painkillers I abused. But even then, I was able to function and it helped me not do very stupid things that serious addicts do when in severe withdrawal. Overtime, when I decided I was finally ready, I started taking it on a regular basis and cut the illicit drugs out of my life, which I honestly believe would not have been possible without suboxone. After I stabilized on it for a period of time and had the opportunity to build my life eliminating old bad habits and creating new good habits, I tapered down until I was eventually able to stop taking it. It wasn't easy, but Suboxone gave me a significantly easier pathway to take when I was ready, and when I was not ready it allowed me to still work, function, and planted a seed in my mind that there is hope. I had to see a doctor to get prescribed suboxone, and taking that step to get professional help allowed me to see the opportunities for help that I had been desperate for. If anyone is struggling with an opioid/opiate addiction, I highly suggest talking to a doctor about Suboxone. It will give you a path out, and at worst, it will give you the time and opportunity to think twice before you do some stupid shit that will land you in jail, in the hospital, or hurting the ones you love.

[AZEROONE]

I have confidence when she said 15:20 " unlike alcohol where withdrawal could be fatal, withdrawal from opioid heroin etc not fatal, think that way" 💯✌

[martinnibataan]

I have been on MATs for years (suboxone)
My quality of life is fantastic, I pay taxes, take care of my family, own a home and work for a living and recieve zero government support.
I may have to be on this medication for the rest of my life
So what?
The recovery community adds to the stigma when some nicotine use disorder, overly caffeinated glucose abuser starts whining about someone on MATs not really being 'clean'
Are diabetics 'clean'
Or hypertension patients taking blood pressure meds?
Or the numerous other conditions that require medication? often for life!
The recovery community needs to look in the mirror.
If someone is a functional member of society, contributing to that society with a high quality of life, what more can a person ask for?
We need every tool in the tool box to combat this epidemic
Stop the stigma and preconceptions
MATs save lives
Everyone wins when addicts get help, stop stealing, get their life together and start caring for themselves, their familys and their community's

[brookeshipman]

I hate Suboxone I've been on it for 10 years.. now I'm trying to come off and it's a nightmare.. pls don't get on Suboxone or methadone...

[griffisjm]

Man last time I relapsed I tried to go back to my subs while only in mild withdrawal, if you think going through withdrawal is bad precipitated withdrawal was HELL

[seanmckinnon]

Addiction and dependence are very different. Addiction is behavioral in nature and its symptoms include continuing a behavior inspite of negative consequences. Dependence is physical. Lots of people are dependent on medications without being addicted like a diabetic is dependent on insulin but not addicted to it.

[myrabae]

Thank you doctor. Very informative. Keep up the good work!

[sandymiller]

Need help been on  300 mg Morphine for 20 years and PM doctor said that CDC put out new guidelines so he sent me a Cert Letter describing how to Detox in 2 weeks. I have been abandoned by my doctor and left on my own to die.

[buzzerbill]

the pain from the slow pace of this talk made me want to self medicate

[laurenmahrie]

What happens if you are on suboxone and need to have a surgery that requires pain relief after surgery?

[UNOwen-ihmg]

Benzodiazepines do have severe withdrawals though. Who wrote this!?!

[IamNotaThreat]

there's a shot called vivitrol which is, naltrexone - the blocker in suboxone, that lasts 30 days and will put you into precipitated withdrawal, making you instantly horribly sick if you decide to use any opioids.

you can take it approximately 7-10 days after you've last ingested any opiiods/suboxone. it's used as a psychological deterrent and helps reduce cravings. it's like having someone watching your back at all times, greatly reducing the chance of relapse.

i'm pretty sure most insurances cover it and many places administer it for free. good luck!

[giovannisanchez]

Three years before that I find out a friend of mine Stacy who took the two lorcets and to Somers every 8 hours dyed her heart stopped she never had the opportunity to get on Suboxone or anything to help her stop taking pain medication she died as well

[TheJesussfreak]

Can somebody please answer me this question that is taking Suboxone when you take it do you swallow the saliva of the medication or do you spit it out?

[mattb]

I've been on Suboxone for 2 years now. I am prescribed the tablets because my insurance won't cover the film. It doesn't dissolve as well and I seem to waste a lot. So I've been breaking it up into a powder and guiding it under my tongue using a folded piece of paper. It dissolves much better and I get a lot stronger effect from the Beup 👍

[giovannisanchez]

Man you've been right on the Mark about everything you said. About to withdraw about everything that is exactly what people go through I am one on Suboxone and I'm trying to wean myself off of that I wish you would let other doctors know so that way they understand where we are coming from some of us come from knee injury some of us come from surgery some of us come from elbow or knee surgeries some of us come from shoulder surgeries and then they put us on narcotics and then sometimes we can't help it that we get addicted to this stuff and we need help doctors and understanding please help us please help us we need no threats from doctors we need nothing but help Ensure treatment and understanding I have a good job great job a job I can retire from but I need to be able to see my doctor every two months so I don't lose my job a lot of jobs do not understand that we need to go to the doctor once a month so doctors need to be real lenient with us and our careers

[andrew]

Com on.. you work at UCLA, you already talked about binding affinity on opioid receptors, so you understand how it works. you should know the Naloxone has a lower binding affinity than buprenorphine rendering it COMPLETELY useless, you can still IV suboxone. Its literally marketing practice so they can patent buprenorphine.

[dustinmiser]

I been addicted to pain meds for 8 years I'm 25 now I've been all over trying to get help in my area east tennessee an i been turned down everywhere even i went to the e.r i was withdrawing so bad an they they did is gave me a i.v an that watery stuff but anyways now its a month later i got a bill for athousand dollars i lost everything, i tried going to a subboxing doctor around here its 350 dollars before they will even see you an i ain't got it i don't know what to do even i thought about ending my life