Get immediate help for opiate (pain pill, heroin) addiction by scheduling a confidential appointment with Dr. Lisa Alloju (817) 457-4646.

Dr. Alloju provides Opiate Detox within 72 hours of your request, including weekends and holidays.

To schedule an appointment, call Doctor Alloju’s office at (817) 457-4646 and follow the prompts for an Opiate Detox appointment within 72 hours. Dr. Alloju will return your call with available dates and times for your appointment.

Suboxone is private, in-office alternative to treatment with methadone.

In sharp contrast to methadone, Suboxone can be prescribed and taken on an outpatient basis, meaning you only have to see the doctor when a refill is due; there is no longer any need to stand in line daily at the Methadone clinic. Also, most methadone patients report that the methadone isn’t much less addictive than the opiates from which they were detoxified with the methadone; often, patients find that their methadone doses escalate in much the same fashion as did their opiates.

With the availability of Suboxone, there is no longer any reason for opiate-dependent patients to suffer through opiate withdrawals or to have to stand in line daily at a methadone clinic. Opiate detoxification with Suboxone is a relatively simple, comfortable process that takes only a few hours and can be done in the comfort of your own home through the guidance of a qualified doctor such as Dr. Alloju. Once you complete the detoxification process, you can be completely free from opiate withdrawals for the rest of your life, typically including the process whereby you are gradually weaned off of Suboxone, as long as you follow the medical advice of Dr. Alloju throughout the course of your treatment.

Is Suboxone addicting?

Unlike opiates (pain pills, heroin), long-term use of Suboxone does not cause detrimental changes to the brain. There is a mild physical dependence that develops, but only in the sense that the Suboxone must be discontinued gradually to avoid withdrawal symptoms. When done properly, most Suboxone discontinuations go very smoothly with no withdrawal symptoms.

Suboxone has a very low abuse potential because of the “ceiling effect” of the medication: Once a certain dose is reached (for most patients 16 milligrams per day), taking more medication does not provide any additional benefits. Also, Suboxone does not cause euphoria like that associated with opiate use.

The ingredients in Suboxone include Buprenorphine, which is the active ingredient, and Naloxone (Narcan). When the medication is taken as directed, the Buprenorphine prevents opiate withdrawals and cravings and the Naloxone is inactive; however if the medication is abused (e.g., if the patient attempts to grind the medication and use it intravenously), the Naloxone will become activated and will send a patient into severe opiate withdrawals, thus making Suboxone a safe medication choice for patients with a history of intravenous drug abuse.

Does Suboxone treat pain?

Suboxone treats pain via its effects on opiate receptors in the brain, much like opiates do. For some, particularly those whose pain pathways have been sensitized by overuse of opiates, Suboxone is more effective than opiates at treating pain. For others, it may be less effective than opiates, but can be augmented with non-addicting analgesics for improved pain control.

Dr. Alloju and Suboxone

Dr. Alloju’s primary sub-specialty is Addiction Medicine. Dr. Alloju treats all forms of drug and alcohol abuse on an outpatient basis, with referrals to inpatient chemical dependency facilities when appropriate. Dr. Alloju is licensed to prescribe Suboxone. Only those Physicians who have completed a course and passed an exam on Suboxone are granted a special license to prescribe the medication.

Treatment with Suboxone is very unlike treatment with methadone–there is no daily waiting in line for medicine at a public methadone clinic. Treatment with Suboxone involves private outpatient clinic visits at one-to three-month intervals, depending on your response to treatment. Most of Dr. Alloju’s patients who have been stabilized on Suboxone and are doing well follow up with her approximately every 1 to 3 months.

How long do Dr. Alloju’s patients usually take Suboxone?
Most of Dr. Alloju’s patients remain on Suboxone anywhere from 2 months to several years. She guides each patient throughout treatment, but allows the patient to tell her when they feel comfortable tapering (gradually lowering) the dose of the Suboxone and eventually discontinuing the medication. Many of Dr. Alloju’s patients have started and successfully tapered their Suboxone dose, and are now opiate-free without the need for Suboxone; some are in the process of gradually reducing their dose; others have preferred to remain on a maintenance dose to avoid opiate cravings. All are appropriate courses of treatment individualized for each patient. Suboxone has successfully been used for many years in Europe in the above manners for opiate detoxification and relapse prevention.

“Our goal is to provide you with personalized, thorough, effective Suboxone treatment in an environment that is professional, welcoming and private.”
~ Dr. Lisa Alloju D.O.

Is Suboxone covered by insurance? Does Dr. Alloju accept insurance for Suboxone treatment?

Suboxone is covered by most insurance plans, but for those without insurance coverage, Dr. Alloju has available a limited number of slots whereby patients can obtain the Suboxone free of charge from the drug manufacturer. In addition, Dr. Alloju has negotiated inexpensive rates with a local pharmacy for her patients without prescription coverage. Among those patients who pay for their Suboxone out-of-pocket, most indicate that the Suboxone and the visits with Dr. Alloju are much less expensive than the opiates from which they were detoxifed. Although Dr. Alloju does not accept insurance as a form of payment, you will be provided with an insurance-ready form at each visit that you may submit to your insurance company for reimbursement (for more information see the FAQ’s section).

Preparation for your Appointment with Dr. Alloju

Ideally, for short-acting opiates (heroin, oxycodone, hydrocodone, etc.), you should try to arrive for your appointment approximately 8 to12 hours after taking your last opiate dose (but this is not necessary if you’re unable to do so because of withdrawal symptoms). For long-acting opiates (methadone*, LAAM, long-acting oxycodone), the ideal time to arrive for your appointment is approximately 12 -24 hours of your last opiate dose.

*Methadone dose must be at or below 30 mg/day before outpatient Opiate Detoxification can safely be performed.

Who is Opiate-Dependent and Using Suboxone?

You’re not alone in your struggle with opiate addiction. Virtually every segment of the population is represented, including soccer moms, physicians, housewives, teachers, college students, law enforcement officials, businessmen/businesswomen, and grandparents.

Many people who are prescribed opiates (e.g. Hydrocodone, Oxycodone, Norco) for legitimate reasons become physically addicted to the medications due to the nature of opiates, which are appropriate long-term medications for some (those in whom pain is well-controlled and no increases in dose are needed). Many patients, though, quickly develop a tolerance to the effects of opiates, which results in escalating opiate doses. This can result in: Increased pain due to the sensitization of pain pathways of the nervous system by overuse of opiates, and inter-dose (between-dose) opiate withdrawals, which result in further escalation of opiate doses, often followed by desperate measures to attempt to obtain enough of the substance to just “maintain” and not become ill with withdrawals, which often involves obtaining the substance illegally. Another subset of opiate abusers are those who use pain medications recreationally and those who use heroin. Suboxone works well with all types of opiate addiction. In fact, it is one of the medications used by Dr. Alloju that patients consistently call a “miracle drug.”

“”Your Suboxone treatment at our clinic will be thorough, respectful, non-judgmental, and private.
~ Dr. Lisa Alloju D.O.

Schedule a private appointment with Dr. Lisa Alloju at (817) 457-4646.

Subosone is the first opioid medication FDA-approved for the treatment of opioid dependence in an office-based setting. Suboxone is dispensed for take-home use, just as any other medicine prescribed for other medical conditions.