Ali Safawi

Why Is Suboxone Taken Sublingually?

Many medications are swallowed, but Suboxone (buprenorphine/naloxone) is taken under the tongue (sublingually) or on the cheek (buccally).

A hospital corridor bustling with medical professionals in scrubs.

Can I Take Pain Pills While On Suboxone?

Just because you are taking Suboxone to treat an opioid addiction doesn’t mean that you have to suffer needlessly after surgery or injury. There are medications you can take to manage acute pain while on medication-assisted treatment (like Suboxone or other forms of buprenorphine) for opioid addiction.

Sign that says, "Exit Strategy". Answering questions about Suboxone withdrawal

We Answer Your Suboxone Withdrawal Questions

Are Suboxone withdrawal symptoms worse than heroin or an opioid medication detox? We answer your questions and put your fears to rest.

Hand holding a compass. How to know if you should moderate your drinking or quit

Struggling with Alcohol? How to Know If You Should Moderate or Quit

For many people with alcohol use order, changing their relationship with alcohol can take two paths: moderation or abstinence. Depending on your specific circumstances, one path may be better than the other.

Why Opioids and Naltrexone Don’t Mix

So you’re thinking about starting naltrexone for an alcohol use disorder, good for you! Before you start, your clinician will ask you about whether you use an opioid. Here’s why.

Why Governments Are Suing Drug Companies for Their Role in the Opioid Crisis

It is widely accepted that overly aggressive and deceitful marketing tactics by the companies that make oxycodone, fentanyl and other opioids helped start the opioid crisis in the 1990s. Now, thousands of lawsuits at both the federal and state level have been filed to hold these companies to account.

What’s this About Vaping Being Dangerous? Your Questions, Answered

Recent cases of severe lung disease in several states have been linked to vaping. Here’s what we know and don’t know about the vaping-related illness and how you can reduce your risk.

Are Opioids Safe for Postpartum Pain?

According to a new University of Michigan (U of M) study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), women who give birth and are prescribed opioids for postpartum pain are at risk for opioid addiction.

What Is Supportive Housing And How Can It Help?

Beating opioid addiction and other forms of substance use disorder takes time and requires various levels of support. Supportive housing can help people reach their recovery goals and live better lives.

A man behind a fence grips the chain links tightly. Prison system opioid epidemic

Opportunities for the Prison System to Fight the Overdose Epidemic

Approximately 50% of the US prison population has a substance use disorder. What role should the prison system play in fighting the opioid epidemic?

What Exactly Is Krokodil and Why Is It So Dangerous?

The street drug krokodil is an illegal preparation of the drug desomorphine, a semi-synthetic opioid derived from morphine.

6 Federal Laws for Substance Use

While opioid addiction and other substance use disorders are often thought of as medical issues, legislation passed in Washington, sometimes decades ago, can have a huge impact on your treatment experience.

To Vape or Not to Vape

“Vaping” is a term for when someone uses an electronic device (often called e-cigarette, e-cig or vape pen) to inhale a vapor that is often flavored and can have a psychoactive substance like nicotine or THC added. According to the CDC, over 9 million adults vape regularly. Vaping really took off about five years ago and since then there has been a lot of confusion over what they are and what they aren’t.

Is the Sinclair Method Too Good to Be True? Curb Drinking Without Giving up Alcohol

The idea behind the Sinclair Method is that you are not addicted to the actual alcohol, instead you are addicted to the pleasurable experience associated with drinking, that warm buzz you get after one (or more) drinks of your favorite hard beverage.

From Suboxone to Sublocade: 5 Different Types of Buprenorphine

Buprenorphine is a life-saving medication that helps people beat opioid addiction by easing withdrawal and reducing cravings. We explain five different types of buprenorphine, from Suboxone to Sublocade.

Aerial shot of construction workers laying rebar in a grid

Why Construction Workers Are at Higher Risk for Opioid Addiction, and What to Do About It

A recent study in Massachusetts illuminated what occupations carry a greater risk for opioid dependence and overdose death. Construction workers, fishers, farmers, material movers, repairmen, transportation workers, food service workers and healthcare support workers in Massachusetts all had significantly higher rates of opioid overdose deaths compared to the average.

Ali Safawi

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