What kind of opiate blocker are there?

Answer 1

methadone

also Narcan (right now used mostly in a pilot program in Massachusetts), Suboxone, and Subutex.

Methadone is a HUGE commitment -

you must get into a clinic (most have waiting lists)

have your insurance approved (even with insurance there can be a copay, some BCBS plans are $20/day copay.

go daily to a methadone clinic to receive your dose. It is a liquid dispensed by machine that you must drink and then drink water before leaving the clinic. If there is not a clinic near you, it could mean travel as well. Remember this is daily, so that means going to the clinic 7 days a week, on weekends, holidays, etc.

There is also mandatory counseling and group and random drug testing. If the program is followed people can earn "take home" doses for anywhere from one day to 7 days at a time. Depending on the clinic this can take over a year to earn (and it can be taken away for a failed drug test, missing group, etc). Most clinics are only open in the morning - 8am-10:30am are the ones around here. Obviously this can interfere with work schedules.

Vacations away require finding another clinic in that area who will accept a temporary person, getting approval and paperwork from both clinics and paying a set-up fee and daily fee to the temporary clinic.

Suboxone is comes in pill form and it is dispensed monthly from local pharmacies like other prescriptions written by a Dr. This is the most common pill but it is easy to fail with this approach. You have to take the pill on your own every day. Oftentimes addicts will sell them in exchange for drugs or will only use them as a back-up. If drugs can't be bought for whatever reason, Suboxone is a back-up for withdrawal until the next fix.

Subutex is a little less popular than Suboxone but many Dr.'s still prescribe it. It also comes in a 30 day pill prescription. This is commonly prescribed during pregnancy because it have the least amount of side effect to the baby.

There are more but those are the ones I know because of a family member.

Answer 2

Yes. Suboxone is for people who are trying to quit taking other opiates, like heroin or hydrocodone or oxycodone. Suboxone replaces the other opiate, so you can quit getting high without the pain of withdrawal. For someone who is already addicted to opiates, Suboxone won't get them high.

Suboxone also blocks the effects of other opiates, so that a person who is taking Suboxone cannot get high on other opiates. The Suboxone fills up the opiate receptors in the brain. Once those receptors are filled with Suboxone, all other opiates will have no effect.

Answer 3

Disulfirum (Antabuse) is the alcohol antagonist, and naloxone (Narcan) is the opiate antagonist. Heroin addiction is sometimes treated with Suboxone, a combination of naloxone and buprenorphine. However, Antabuse has no effect on opiates and Naloxone has no effect on alcohol.

An opiate blocker would not effect alcohol in any way.