Suboxone has saved countless lives. This medication, which is a combination of naloxone and buprenorphine, helps people who have struggled with addiction to opioids to break free from their addictions. The combined effect of these two drugs makes withdrawals manageable, decreases cravings, and negates the effects of opioids in the body, thereby making them useless if used.
The goal of doctors who prescribe and patients who use Suboxone is to eventually wean people off this medication so they can go on to live lives that are completely free from opioids. Some people who use Suboxone to help them break free from their addictions ask, “How long does Suboxone stay in your system?” Read on to learn more about the answer to this question.
Factors That Affect How Long Suboxone Stays in Your System
Suboxone can stay in one’s system for up to seven days after cessation of use. However, there are numerous factors that can affect how long Suboxone stays in your system. Many of these factors are the same factors that contribute to the length that other drugs and substances stay in an individual’s system. The length of time that Suboxone remains in one’s body can vary from individual to individual.
Of course, factors like body fat content, weight and height, and age can all play a part in the length of time that Suboxone stays in one’s body. Furthermore, things like metabolism speed, size of the last dose taken, amount of time an individual has been using Suboxone, and overall liver health can also contribute to the length of time this drug remains in one’s system.
Suboxone Half-Life: Understanding Drug Breakdown in the Body
How long does Suboxone stay in your body? To truly understand this, we must look at the half-life of this drug. Buprenorphine has a long elimination of half-life, and since this drug is a big part of what Suboxone, is, it’s this drug that causes the lengthy Suboxone half life overall.
When wondering how long does Suboxone last, the simple answer of up to seven days is a bit more complicated due to the concept of half life. What is half life? Half life is the time for any specified substance to decrease by half in the body. The half life of Suboxone is somewhere between 24 and 42 hours. Once half of the amount is present in the body, it takes that same amount of time for that smaller amount to decrease by half, then the cycle continues until so little is present in the body that it can no longer be detected.
How Long Does Suboxone Stay in Different Parts of the Body?
Suboxone has a very long half life due to its buprenorphine content – its half life of 24 to 42 hours is much longer than other opioids. How is Suboxone metabolized? This drug is metabolized through the liver. Through the process of Suboxone metabolism, buphrenorphine metabolites are released. These metabolites, also known as norbuprenorphine, have a much longer half life than Suboxone itself. As a result, traces of these metabolites are present in one’s liver much longer than actual Suboxone.
People who have liver disease or who have damaged their livers through drug use will test postive for Suboxone for longer than healthy individuals with functional livers. People with liver problems who are taking Suboxone should be closely monitored by a doctor while taking the drug for this reason. People who have liver damage can still use Suboxone to help them break free from addictions to opioids, but they should be monitored due to the potential for additional strain on the liver as Suboxone is metabolized.
Does Suboxone Show On Drug Tests?
Subxone can be detected in a number of different drug tests, and it will show up for different lengths of time for each one. How long does Suboxone last in urine, saliva, and blood? It can be detected in urine tests for up to seven days, in saliva tests for up to five days, and in blood tests for one to two days.
Of course, hair tests can detect drug use for far longer than the tests listed above. Although experts and scientists agree that for the most part, Suboxone stays in an individual’s system for about seven days, Suboxone use can be detected in hair tests for as long as three months or more after cessation of use.
Does Suboxone show up on drug tests? The answer is yes. Whether or not Suboxone shows up on a drug test, however, is dependent on factors listed above like age, weight, metabolism and others, and is also dependent on the type of drug test used, and how recently the individual who is being tested has taken Suboxone.
How to Speed Up Suboxone Elimination from the Body
People who wish to stop using Suboxone should speak to their doctors to help them taper off the drug in a safe way. Again, cessation of use of Suboxone is a long term goal of anyone on the drug. This drug is supposed to help people to stop using more dangerous opioids and is used for maintenance in recovery. However, most people who use Suboxone plan and hope to not need Suboxone anymore in time either.
When the time is right, doctors will help people who are using Suboxone to stop using it by reducing the amount prescribed and taken step by step until the drug is not needed anymore. However, in some cases, and even with a proper taper, Subxone withdrawals can occur. In order to lesses the effects of these withdrawal symptoms, doctors may prescribe drugs like lofexidine or Clonidine. These are blood pressure medications that often help reduce cravings, nausea, vomiting, depression, irritability, and other withdrawal symptoms during a Suboxone taper.
Of course, there are ways to speed up the elimination of Suboxone or any other drug from the body. Following a healthy diet, exercising, drinking water, getting enough sleep, and limiting processed foods are all things that can help encourage faster metabolism of Suboxone or any other substance. The quicker the drug is out of one’s body, the fewer negative side effects one might feel. However, quitting Suboxone “cold turkey” can be dangerous, so again, it’s crucial that Suboxone cessation be done under the supervision of a medical professional – even for the healthiest individuals.
Transitioning Off Suboxone Safely
If you’re someone who is taking Suboxone who would like to stop, you can work with your doctor to plan a healthy transition off the drug. For most, this will be a slow process, but it’s important to take it slow for ultimate success.
A doctor will probably recommend that a patient cut his or her dosage of Suboxone by 25% over a two month period or longer at two-week intervals. For the first two weeks, he or she might suggest that the patient’s current dosage be cut by 25%. After two weeks have passed, he or she might recommend that the dosage is cut by another 25% – not by cutting another 25% of the original dosage, but by reducing the new dosage by 25%. The same reduction can then be done after two more weeks, and in another two weeks after that.
Eventually, the patient’s dosage will be so minute that it will make sense to discontinue the medication altogether.
For some, a 25% reduction in dose may be too much. In those cases, a reduction of 5%, 10%, or 15% at a time may be the best route. No matter what percent is right, in time, the individual can work his or her way down to nothing and can stop using Suboxone entirely.
The most important factors when it comes to transitioning off Suboxone safely are moving slowly, taking one’s time, sticking to the plan, and staying the course – all while following your doctor’s instructions.
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Suboxone has saved thousands of lives since it was developed to help people break free from opioid dependency several decades ago. Many people consider it to be a wonder drug and credit it with keeping them both alive and off opioids for the rest of their lives. However, it is still a drug, and most people who use it hope to stop using it eventually so they can truly live entirely drug-free lives moving forward. As explained above, it is possible to stop using Suboxone in time and under medical supervision, but some people still struggle with cessation of Suboxone use and worry that they will not be able to stop using this medication, or worry that if they do stop using it that they will simply return to opioid addiction.
That’s where an ibogaine treatment can help. Ibogaine is an innovative treatment that can help people who struggle with addiction in many ways – but primarily, it can help people to get to the root of their addictions so they can avoid ever struggling with active addiction again. At Transcend Ibogaine, our team is standing by to answer any questions you might have about this effective treatment. It can help individuals stop using opioids, Suboxone, and other drugs, and can keep them from struggling through withdrawals, too. We would love to host you at our facility in Cancun, Mexico, and help you to break free from addiction once and for all. Please call us today. We can’t wait to hear from you.
Suboxone FAQ
If I took suboxone yesterday, will it still show up in my urine?
If you took suboxone yesterday, the drug will still be in your system. Suboxone will be present in a person’s urine for about one week after his or her last use. In certain instances, suboxone may remain in a person’s urine for beyond a week based on his or her metabolism.
If I took suboxone yesterday, will it still be in my body?
Suboxone usually stays in the body for at least a few months after last use. However, the amount of time that suboxone stays in a person’s body varies.
Assorted tests are used to identify suboxone in the body, but as time lapses after a person’s last use of suboxone, the likelihood decreases that tests will show suboxone in the body. For example, a blood or saliva test shows suboxone in the body within a day of last use. Comparatively, hair follicle testing provides will show if suboxone is present in the body months after last use.
What is the best way to remove suboxone from my body?
A suboxone detox conducted under medical supervision is key. Suboxone detox can be long and arduous, and people who experience severe withdrawal symptoms are more prone to relapse at this point. As withdrawal symptoms persist, an individual may be susceptible to a suboxone overdose, too.
With medical personnel on hand, an individual can receive expert assistance at all stages of a suboxone detox. Medical professionals work closely with suboxone detox patients to ensure that these individuals can safely eliminate the drug from the body. Plus, they help suboxone detox patients manage withdrawal symptoms and explore ways to avoid a relapse.
What will happen to me after I use suboxone?
Suboxone causes mild or severe side effects; these side effects vary based on the amount of suboxone consumed and other factors. Generally, people who use suboxone experience headaches, body aches, and other physical symptoms. These side effects are usually temporary and disappear on their own within a few days of using suboxone.
In addition to the aforementioned short-term side effects, people who use the drug may experience breathing problems, liver damage, and other long-lasting health issues. Also, some people may be prone to an allergic reaction to suboxone that causes hives or swelling.
For people who experience long-term side effects after suboxone use, medical support is critical. Going to an emergency room allows an individual to receive immediate medical attention and get the help necessary to alleviate suboxone’s side effects as quickly as possible.
How can I tell if I am dealing with a suboxone overdose?
The symptoms of a suboxone overdose include seizures, anxiety, depressed breathing, and nausea. If an individual experience any of these symptoms, it is important to go to an emergency room immediately.
Symptoms of a suboxone overdose can escalate quickly. Thus, if a person experiences any suboxone overdose symptoms, immediate medical attention is required. Because if a person goes without medical treatment while coping with his or her suboxone overdose, the overdose could be fatal.