Question by terrielea: I take Suboxone for opiate addiction. Is suboxone itself addictive?

Best answer:

Answer by Ladycat
With successful buprenorphine treatment as part of a complete treatment plan including counseling, the patient can put the addictive behavior into remission. The patient may still be “physically dependent” on opioids, (as they were prior to treatment) but this can be managed medically and reduced over time by a slow and gradual taper off of the medication. Physical dependence (often mistaken for “addiction”) is not a dangerous medical condition that requires treatment, addiction is. Addiction is damaging and life-threatening, while physical dependence is an inconvenience, and is normal physiology for anyone taking large doses of opioids for an extended period of time.    Read more...