Treatment

PHASE I:   Needle Exchange & Free Medical Care

CONGRATS!  If you are are using this syringe exchange, you are under the medical care of Drs. Marc Lasher and John Zweifler along with needle exchange director Dallas Blanchard.

 

By using the exchange you are:

  • Stopping the spread of HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis C and serious/deadly bacterial infections
  • Getting Narcan to prevent the overdose death of yourself, friends/strangers and the heartbreaking grief to family
  • Getting pipes to smoke fentanyl and fentanyl laced drugs instead of injecting it

These actions show respect for yourself and the others around you.

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PHASE II:   Jump-Start Medication-Assisted Treatment

Opioid Treatment
(for heroin, fentanyl, oxycodone/OxyContin, dilaudid, norcos, vicodins, percocets)

    Available at the Exchange Clinic:
    We can prescribe enough Buprenorphine/naloxone (Suboxone) to you for 3-7 days. This will allow you to get jump-started and transferred into a clinic/Dr’s office that provides Medication-Assisted-Treatment for opioids.

    Medication-Assisted Treatment is providing Buprenorphine/methadone to eliminate all withdrawals and cravings while you are receiving weekly counseling to identify triggers and work on relapse prevention skills.

    Getting Started:
    We will provide you a prescription for enough Suboxone film to get you feeling okay for 3-7 days until you can be admitted into a clinic or doctor’s office to continue care or continue care in our clinic.

    You need 2 things to start taking this medication:

      1)   At least 12-24 hours from your last opioid used (fentanyl longer)
      2)  Mild to moderate withdrawals (7 or more out of scale 0 to 10 with 10 being the worst)

    You need to feel moderate to severe withdrawals to start:

      • If you don’t feel these withdrawals, starting too early will throw you in the worst severe withdrawals ever
      • Instead of reaching and using your opioids, reach and place the film of Suboxone under the tongue
      • You already picked up the prescription from the pharmacy
      • Take it as directed by the clinic doctor

    By getting started this way, you avoid the precipitated withdrawals of Buprenorphine, your withdrawals resolve and cravings for opioids also go away.

    Do not inject this medication or snort it. If you do, the built-in safety feature of naloxone (Narcan) in the medication will activate and throw you into very severe withdrawals. Taken the prescribed way of letting it dissolve under your tongue, the naloxone just passes though you unactivated and you do not feel it. Try not to swallow it, it makes the medication less effective.

    Interested in treatment? Sign onto the Medical Care Sign Up List when you go to the exchange and wait to be seen.

    Methamphetamine Treatment

    Also available at the Exchange Clinic:
    You can be prescribed medication to help you quit using methamphetamine, if you want. The medications available help with cravings, getting a good night’s sleep, depression/anxiety and fatigue.

    Interested in treatment? Sign onto the Medical Care Sign Up List when you go to the exchange and wait to be seen.

    Treatment of Alcoholism

    Also available at the Exchange Clinic:
    You can be prescribed medication to help you quit drinking alcohol, if you want. The medications available help with cravings, getting a good night’s sleep, depression/anxiety, nausea/vomiting and tremors.

    Interested in treatment? Sign onto the Medical Care Sign Up List when you go to the exchange and wait to be seen.