Addiction Treatment

Compassionate Family Medicine

Family Medicine & Primary Care Practice located in Downtown, Syracuse, NY & North, Syracuse, NY

No matter which substance led to your addiction, intense cravings and withdrawal symptoms make it difficult and even dangerous to detox without medical help. At Compassionate Family Medicine, you can receive safe and effective addiction treatment, including Suboxone® from Ted J. Triana, DO, and Myles Howard, MD. For in-office addiction treatment for opioids, alcohol, tobacco, and other substances, contact any of the four New York offices: Downtown Syracuse, North Syracuse, Baldwinsville, and Lyncourt. To schedule an appointment, call.

Addiction Treatment Q & A

What causes addiction?

Substance use disorder is a psychiatric diagnosis that covers a spectrum of problems ranging from mild substance overuse to full-blown addiction. The diagnosis also includes 10 classes of drugs, such as:

Alcohol
Opioids
Stimulants
Tobacco

These substances stimulate the release of brain chemicals that produce feelings of pleasure, improve your mood, and alleviate pain. As you continue to use the substance, physical changes occur in your brain that cause uncontrollable cravings.

Before long, your brain builds up a tolerance to the amount you use, and you need to keep increasing your dose to satisfy the cravings. Once you have cravings, you experience withdrawal symptoms if you try to stop using the substance. That’s when you become addicted and need medical treatment to safely detox.

What type of opioid addiction treatment is available?

At Compassionate Family Medicine, Dr. Triana and Dr. Howard have certification to prescribe medications to treat opiate or opioid addiction, including:

Suboxone®

Suboxone contains two drugs — buprenorphine and naloxone. Buprenorphine reduces your withdrawal symptoms and stops your cravings, while naloxone blocks the impact of opioids in your brain.

You continue to take a Suboxone film that dissolves under your tongue until your body safely detoxes, and your doctor determines you’re ready to gradually reduce the dose.

Sublocade™

Sublocade is an extended-release form of buprenorphine that your doctor injects once a month. After you receive the injection, the medication releases at a steady rate, controlling your withdrawal and cravings for a month.

Your opioid addiction treatment program combines the use of both Suboxone and Sublocade with psychological counseling, so you understand how you became addicted and learn to develop coping tools to prevent a relapse.

What type of addiction treatment might I receive for alcohol abuse?

Treatment for an alcohol addiction follows the same path as for opioids, combining a medical detox and counseling. During detox, your doctor at Compassionate Family Medicine prescribes one of several possible medications that allow you to stop drinking alcohol without withdrawal symptoms.

Medical detox is often essential for alcohol abuse. Withdrawing from alcohol addiction is often extremely uncomfortable and potentially life-threatening, depending on the severity of your addiction.

What type of smoking cessation treatment can I receive?

Tobacco and nicotine are addictive, so they create cravings and cause withdrawal symptoms when you try to stop. Several smoking cessation treatments are effective. The best one depends on your individual needs.

Some patients find success with behavioral therapies or counseling, but many also use medications that eliminate withdrawal symptoms, such as nicotine patches, inhalers, or nasal sprays.

Your Compassionate Family Medicine provider may also recommend prescription medications to help you stop smoking. Your prescription options include nicotine replacement therapy with Nicotrol® or non-nicotine smoking cessation medications such as Chantix® and Zyban®.

If you need addiction treatment, call Compassionate Family Medicine.