naloxone Archives - The Painful Truth

Is Suboxone the New Kleenex®?

Confusion About Suboxone

There is an interesting recent article in MEDPAGE TODAY titled “Suboxone Underused, Opioids Overused in Medicine.” To me, that is an oxymoron.

As I’ll explain, the title does make sense if you’re trying to communicate to the lay public, but it is an ambiguous and seemingly contradictory statement. Since there’s already way too much confusion in the discussion of opioids, let me clarify what the MEDPAGE TODAY article most likely is trying to convey.

Suboxone is a brand name for a specific product that is used to treat addiction. It is a combination of buprenorphine and naloxone. The active ingredient to treat addiction is buprenorphine.

This Is How Prince’s Death Begins Conversation About Addiction

The Conversation Is About Compassion and Addiction

When I published my recent blog, Prince and Why We Need More Compassion About Addiction, I began by saying that we didn’t yet know why Prince died. The facts weren’t in, and I didn’t want to draw conclusions until I had more information.

I still don’t have all the facts about the circumstances surrounding Prince’s death. I wasn’t Prince’s physician during his lifetime, and I had no opportunity to look at his medical records either before, or after, his death.

Prince and Why We Need More Compassion About Addiction

We don’t yet know why Prince died. The facts aren’t in, and I don’t want to draw conclusions until I have more information.

That said, some entertainment media outlets (TMZ, Variety, and more) are reporting that Prince was treated with naloxone, which is the antidote for opioids including heroin, in the days before his death.

If that were true, it would mean that Prince was taking too much of a substance, whether it was prescribed or not.

But, if that turns out to be the case, it won’t change the fact that he was a musical icon, and it won’t change the fact that the world has lost an irreplaceable voice.