Suboxone is a combination medication containing buprenorphine and naloxone. It is used as a treatment for opioid use disorder and helps prevent withdrawal symptoms and cravings while coming off opioids or as a maintenance treatment. Suboxone is long-acting and can be detected within the body for several days after use, which can help monitor medication compliance.
Different tests can be used to check for Suboxone, including urine, blood, or saliva tests, which have varying detection windows. Several factors can impact the clearance of Suboxone, including metabolism, frequency of use, and dosage.
- Suboxone is a medication used to treat opioid use disorder, to help during withdrawal or maintenance.
- Suboxone is long-acting, which is beneficial for treating opioid withdrawal and means it can be detected in drug tests for several days after use.
- If Suboxone treatment is discontinued, it is advised to follow professional advice and use a gradual taper.
Suboxone half-life: Metabolism and elimination
Suboxone is a medication containing buprenorphine and naloxone at a 4:1 ratio. Buprenorphine is a semi-synthetic opioid that works as a long-acting partial opioid agonist. Naloxone is an opioid antagonist that blocks or reverses the effects of opioids. [1]
Suboxone is available as a sublingual film in buprenorphine/naloxone doses of 2mg/0.5mg, 4mg/1mg, 8mg/2mg, and 12mg/3mg and a sublingual tablet in doses of 2mg/0.5mg and 8mg/2mg.
The half-life of Suboxone can be up to 42 hours. The half-lives differ significantly between buprenorphine (24-42 hours) and naloxone (2-12 hours). This means that half of the drug has been eliminated within this time. It usually takes four to five half-lives for complete elimination of Suboxone, meaning that it should have entirely left the body within 5 to 8 days. [2]
How Suboxone works in opioid addiction treatment
Buprenorphine is a long-acting partial agonist of the mu-opioid receptor. This action prevents other opioids from acting on the receptor, thereby preventing the abuse of other opioids. It also helps prevent withdrawal symptoms and cravings due to its long-lasting action. This helps people come off opioids, such as heroin, hydrocodone, or morphine, without experiencing dangerous withdrawal symptoms. [3][4]
As an opioid, buprenorphine carries the risk of dependence and misuse. Naloxone, as an opioid antagonist, helps prevent misuse of Suboxone, as it reduces the intoxication effects of buprenorphine. [4]
Buprenorphine without naloxone can also be used in opioid use disorder treatment, although the combined medication is preferred as it reduces misuse potential. Buprenorphine may be the preferred medication only in patients who are pregnant or breastfeeding. [3]
As such, Suboxone can be a helpful and effective medication in the treatment of opioid use disorder.
Suboxone onset and duration
Suboxone can begin working within an hour of the first dose, and effects tend to peak at around 100 minutes. Suboxone is long-acting, and the effects can continue for over 24 hours. Because of this, people using Suboxone for opioid dependence can feel the benefits within the first day of treatment and often only need one dose per day. [1][4]
Suboxone detection: How long does it stay in your body?
Suboxone can be detected in drug tests, which can be helpful for clinicians to monitor medication compliance and for the presence of illicit drug use during treatment. Various types of drug tests can be used to screen for Suboxone, including urine, blood, or saliva.
| Type of test | Peak detection time | Detection window |
|---|---|---|
| Urine | 1-3 days after use | Up to 7 days |
| Blood | 1-4 hours after use | Up to 2 days |
| Saliva | Any | Up to 5 days |
Urine testing detection
As Suboxone is metabolized slowly, it is not excreted in urine until after 24-72 hours of initial use. It may be detectable in urine for up to seven days after the last dose. [5]
Blood testing detection
Suboxone is detectable in blood tests for only one to two days and can be detected within 1-4 hours of the initial dose. [6]
Saliva testing detection
Suboxone can be detected in saliva for up to five days. [6]
Factors influencing Suboxone clearance
Various factors can impact how quickly Suboxone is eliminated from the body, including: [2][6]
- Liver function: Moderate to severe liver impairment can increase the half-life of Suboxone, which can mean that the substance remains in the body for up to 14 days.
- Dosage
- Frequency of use
- Metabolism
- Other medications
- Health conditions
How to safely get Suboxone out of your system
Suboxone should only be taken as directed by the prescribing doctor. If it is deemed necessary and safe to discontinue Suboxone treatment, a gradual taper is advised. Slowly reducing the dosage of Suboxone can help prevent withdrawal symptoms, as Suboxone use can cause dependence. Withdrawal symptoms are likely to be less severe than other opioids but may still require careful monitoring. [1]
A safe tapering schedule may depend on the individual and the duration and amount of Suboxone use. Often, a slower and more gradual taper is advised, such as dose reductions of up to 25% every two weeks. This can help reduce the impact of withdrawal symptoms.
If withdrawal symptoms occur, the prescribing doctor should be informed as they can provide advice or necessary treatment. Tapers can be slowed or paused to allow for withdrawal symptoms to be alleviated before continuing.
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