FAQs
What are Medications for Addiction Treatment (MAT)?
MAT helps people with opioid or alcohol problems, including those who are not ready to fully stop using.
What is an opioid?
Opioids include both prescription narcotic medications and street drugs that can cause a calming high, can help with pain relief, and carry a high risk of addiction. For some people, taking opioids can lead to addiction, overdose, and death. Prescribed opioids include oxycodone (Percocet), hydrocodone (Norco, Vicodin), morphine, hydromorphone (Dilaudid), and tramadol. Street opioids include heroin and fentanyl.
What options are available to help individuals with problems related to opioid or alcohol use?
Medications for Addiction Treatment (MAT) help those with opioid or alcohol use disorders to use less, prevent overdose, and remain engaged in treatment. For patients interested in stopping their use of opioids and/or alcohol, these medications can be part of a recovery treatment program. Recovery treatment programs may also include counseling and receiving support from family and friends.
What is buprenorphine?
Buprenorphine is a medicine for people who have pain and/or problems with heroin or narcotic pain pills. Many people know it by brand names like Suboxone ® and Subutex ® although there are other brand names available like Zubsolv ®, Bunavail ®, and Sublocade ®
How does buprenorphine work?
Buprenorphine helps get rid of opioid cravings and withdrawal without making people feel high. Many people say that their cravings go away, they feel “clear in the head,” and their chronic pain gets better.
What is naltrexone?
Naltrexone is an oral pill taken once a day or as injectable medication (called Vivitrol) taken once a month that helps people drink less alcohol, although it does not usually stop people drinking alcohol entirely, and naltrexone won’t make people sick if they drink alcohol. Injectable naltrexone (Vivitrol) can also be used for people after they’ve totally withdrawn from all opioids (including buprenorphine) for at least a week to help prevent people with opioid addiction from returning to opioid use.
How can I get medication for addiction treatment?
You can make an appointment to see a provider at any of the clinics listed above. Tell your provider you would like to start taking medication to help with your opioid or alcohol use. They can prescribe the appropriate medication and follow up with you to make sure it helps you.
Do I have to be in withdrawal to start?
Your provider will let you know, but people don’t need to be fully withdrawal (or detoxed) off opioids to start buprenorphine or to have stopped drinking alcohol to start naltrexone. People do need to be fully withdrawal (or detoxed) off opioids for over a week to start naltrexone for opioid addiction.
Do I have to go to a substance use treatment program to start MAT?
No. Buprenorphine for opioid use disorder can be safely started by providers in medical clinics without requiring that people go to a substance use treatment program. Naltrexone for alcohol use disorder can also be safely started without requiring that people go to a substance use treatment program. For most people, starting naltrexone for opioid use disorder does require an admission for withdrawal management (detox) to safely start this medication.