MAT Opioid Treatment: How the Three FDA-Approved Medications Work

Three medications are FDA-approved to treat opioid use disorder: methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone. MAT opioid treatment pairs one of them with counseling and behavioral therapy so your body stabilizes while you do the work of recovery at the same time (NACo). At Faith Recovery Center in Beverly Hills, medication-assisted treatment is available when a physician decides it fits your situation. Our medical and psychiatric team coordinates it alongside detox, residential care, and outpatient programming in the same house.

What MAT Opioid Treatment Is at Faith Recovery Center

Medication-assisted treatment uses a prescribed medication to quiet cravings and withdrawal while therapy addresses the thinking, habits, and stressors behind opioid use. The medication alone is never the whole plan (New Season). Medication gives you enough steadiness to show up for therapy, and therapy gives you tools no prescription can supply.

Repeated opioid use trains the brain's receptors to expect the drug, and stopping sets off aches, sweating, vomiting, and cravings that can last for days. That is why willpower on its own fails so many people who genuinely want to quit. Medication can help restore more normal brain function and reduce cravings so a person can focus on building a steadier daily life (AHCCCS; Brown Health). We frame the goal as stability and a working life in recovery rather than a cure anyone can guarantee.

MAT vs. MOUD

MOUD stands for medications for opioid use disorder. Many clinicians now prefer that term because research shows the medications themselves produce measurable benefit even for people who are not in counseling, and "assisted" can make the drug sound like an optional add-on (NACo). Both terms describe the same approach, and at Faith Recovery Center counseling stays in the plan either way.

The Three FDA-Approved Medications Used in MAT

The practical difference among the three is how each one acts on opioid receptors. Methadone activates them fully, buprenorphine activates them partially, and naltrexone blocks them (NACo). The FDA's overview of MAT covers each one in more detail.

Methadone

Methadone is a long-acting full agonist. It occupies the receptors slowly and steadily, which prevents withdrawal and reduces craving without the rush an illicit opioid produces, and it can blunt the effect of other opioids taken on top of it (AHCCCS). Because it is a Schedule II controlled substance, methadone for opioid use disorder is dispensed only through licensed opioid treatment programs, where patients typically receive a daily dose on site (BHG). Faith Recovery Center is not an OTP, so if methadone is the right fit we say so and help you connect with one.

Buprenorphine

Buprenorphine, found in Suboxone and in long-acting injectables such as Sublocade, is a partial agonist. It activates receptors enough to relieve cravings and withdrawal but does not produce the euphoria and sedation of heroin, and it carries a low overdose risk (AHCCCS; IDPH). Unlike methadone, it can be prescribed in an ordinary medical office. The federal X-waiver requirement was removed as of December 9, 2022, so any practitioner with a DEA registration covering Schedule III medications may now prescribe it where state law allows (NACo). Older articles describing waiver training and patient caps are out of date.

Timing of the first dose matters, because buprenorphine can push other opioids off the receptors and trigger a sudden, severe precipitated withdrawal. Clinicians wait until a person is already in withdrawal before starting, commonly using the Clinical Opiate Withdrawal Scale. A COWS score of 13 to 24 indicates withdrawal is under way and the first dose is unlikely to make things worse, while someone scoring under 13 is usually asked to begin the following day (PMC).

Naltrexone

Naltrexone is an opioid antagonist. It produces no opioid effect of its own, has no potential for misuse, and blocks other opioids from binding, which removes the reward of using (AHCCCS). The extended-release injectable, Vivitrol, is given once a month. A person who still has opioids in their system should not take it, because it can bring on sudden withdrawal, so naltrexone usually follows a completed medical detox rather than replacing one.

Why MAT Does Not Replace One Addiction With Another

The most common objection we hear from families is that MAT swaps one drug for another (Choose Change CA). Addiction means compulsive use despite harm, chasing a high, and losing control over the dose. A stable, prescribed dose of methadone or buprenorphine does the reverse. The dosage used in treatment does not produce the high associated with misuse, and when the medications are taken as prescribed they do not create a new addiction (IDPH; Brown Health). Physical dependence on a medication and addiction are different things.

A closer comparison is a person with diabetes taking insulin every morning, which nobody describes as trading one problem for another. The National Institute on Drug Abuse and state health agencies report that these medications reduce illicit opioid use, overdose deaths, and transmission of HIV and hepatitis C while improving retention in treatment (IDPH). People taking prescribed methadone or buprenorphine are roughly half as likely to die of overdose as people in no treatment (NACo). Leaving medication too early is risky partly because tolerance falls fast, which is one reason we plan the taper, if there is one, with the same care as the start.

How Faith Recovery Center Delivers Medication-Assisted Treatment

Dr. Jason Giles, a board-certified physician with deep experience in addiction medicine, oversees our medical protocols from detox assessment through MAT. Dr. Julio Meza, our psychiatrist, handles co-occurring conditions such as depression, anxiety, PTSD, and bipolar disorder, which show up alongside opioid use more often than families expect. We cap the house at 8 patients, so the doctor adjusting your dose knows your history and how you slept last night.

Medication sits inside a full treatment plan that includes individual therapy using CBT and DBT, EMDR for trauma, group sessions, family therapy, and relapse prevention work. You can move from physician-supervised detox, which often runs 5 to 10 days, into residential treatment of 30 to 90 days, and then into PHP or IOP without changing buildings or clinicians. Admission usually includes lab work and a prescription monitoring check before medication begins, which is standard practice for programs that follow published MAT guidance (PMC).

How to Choose and Access the Right Approach

Which medication fits comes down to your history and what the examining physician finds. Methadone often suits people with long, heavy opioid use who do well with daily structure at a clinic. Buprenorphine fits many people who want office-based care and the flexibility to keep working or caring for family. Naltrexone suits people who have already finished detox and want no opioid activity in their body at all.

When you call any provider, ask which of the three medications they offer and which doctor manages dosing. Ask how often counseling happens and whether a psychiatrist is on the team for co-occurring conditions. You should also ask who continues the prescription after discharge and whether they verify insurance before you commit to anything.

No doctor's referral is needed to call us, and a family member can call on someone's behalf. Admissions verifies your benefits free of charge, our clinicians run an assessment, and many clients arrive within 24 to 48 hours of the first call. SAMHSA's medication resources are also worth reading for families comparing treatment options.

Frequently Asked Questions About MAT

Can you take MAT medications while pregnant or breastfeeding?

Yes, methadone and buprenorphine are used in pregnancy, and state health guidance reports that treatment improves outcomes for both mother and baby compared with untreated opioid use (IDPH). Decisions about breastfeeding on either medication belong with your obstetrician and prescriber, who can review your specific situation.

Does insurance cover medication-assisted treatment?

Many private plans cover it, and we work with Aetna, Anthem, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, Optum, and most major PPO plans. Coverage differs by plan and by medication, so we verify your benefits free and confidentially before admission.

What happens if you use opioids while on Vivitrol?

The blockade usually prevents any effect, and taking large amounts to push through it can cause a fatal overdose. Tolerance also falls during treatment, so a missed injection followed by use carries more overdose risk than the person may expect.

Can buprenorphine be started through telehealth?

In many cases it can, under federal telemedicine rules that the DEA has revised more than once. Those rules change, so confirm the current requirements with the prescriber you plan to work with.

How do you safely taper off Suboxone or methadone?

Tapers happen slowly, with your doctor lowering the dose over weeks or months while counseling continues. Stopping on your own brings withdrawal back and raises overdose risk sharply, so every change should go through the prescriber. Common side effects of both medications include constipation, nausea, sweating, and drowsiness, and your doctor can adjust the plan if they become a problem.

If you or someone you love wants to talk through medication options, our admissions team answers 24 hours a day at (844) 598-5573. We can verify your insurance on that same call and explain exactly what admission to Faith Recovery Center looks like.