How Long Does Suboxone Stay in Your System?

As the opioid epidemic rages on, more and more individuals throughout the United States are struggling with opioid use disorders (OUD). Too often, limited access to information and treatment leads to emergency room visits, opioid overdose, and death.

One of the most helpful tools that have been proven effective in treating opioid use disorder is opioid maintenance treatment (OMT). This process uses a partial opioid, like Suboxone to help a person break their cycle of opioid abuse and minimize the risk of relapse in the future.

However, this semisynthetic opioid also carries a risk of addiction. As a result, it’s essential to understand how Suboxone impacts your body over time. Read on to learn how long Suboxone stays in your system and how you can commit to a life of recovery today.

What Is Suboxone Used For?

Suboxone was developed as an alternative to methadone, the long-term go-to drug for heroin treatment. Like methadone, Suboxone mimics the effects of opioids without the same high associated with opioid use. As a result, it has been proven effective in helping individuals with OUD manage withdrawal symptoms and cravings during substance abuse treatment.

The drug Suboxone is made from a combination of buprenorphine and naloxone. Both of these drugs block opioid receptors in the brain while also reducing relapse and overdose during rehabilitation.

But it is important to note that Suboxone is a Schedule III substance according to the Drug Enforcement Administration. This means it is approved as a prescribed medication by licensed medical providers, but it can also lead to addictive behaviors in those who use it recreationally. If you cannot participate in your daily routines and relationships without regular Suboxone use, it might be time for you to consider getting help for drug addiction.

How Long Do Suboxone Effects Last?

When a person first takes Suboxone, they will feel the effects within an hour. That’s why it’s important to be administered as part of treatment when a person is experiencing acute withdrawal symptoms. The results of Suboxone will last for at least a day, which makes it safe to give to patients in outpatient treatment. But several factors can play into exactly how Suboxone will stay in the body.

The process of metabolizing Suboxone is most impacted by where a person is in their recovery process and how much Suboxone they have taken. The buprenorphine in Suboxone has a longer elimination half-life than you might think. Elimination half-life refers to how long it takes half of one dose to be removed from the body after it is taken.

That means it can take 24 to 42 hours for half of the buprenorphine in Suboxone to leave a person’s body. In contrast, the elimination half-life of naloxone is only 2 to 12 hours. It’s the longevity of buprenorphine that means Suboxone can be detected in a person’s system for more than eight days after it is used.

What Factors Influence How Long Suboxone Stays in Your System?

Drug tests today are designed to detect the existence of a substance in a person’s system and any remaining metabolites that prove a person has recently ingested drugs. This is why a person can test positive for Suboxone use even a week after initial use.

Blood tests are the most ineffective in detecting Suboxone, as they will only work within two hours of a person taking the drug. Saliva tests can detect Suboxone within a week of use, and urine tests can detect it for up to two weeks. Then a hair test can detect any opioid levels for up to three months after use.

Several factors influence how long Suboxone stays in your system and how you feel its effects. These include the speed of your metabolism, overall liver health, or how long and often you’ve taken Suboxone over time. Suboxone retention and drug test results can also be impacted by other medications you might be taking on top of this drug.

Opioid Addiction Treatment

Because opioids directly alter a person’s brain chemistry, the withdrawal symptoms from these drugs can be especially painful. They can begin as nausea and insomnia but quickly escalate to heart pain, body chills, muscle and bone pain, and even suicidal thoughts.

This is why it’s critical to seek medical help when you are ready to break your cycle of addiction. With the help of our addiction treatment professionals at Skypoint Recovery, you can manage your withdrawal symptoms and set yourself up for a more successful road to recovery. Our treatment for opioid use disorder begins with a medication-assisted detox, which includes administering opioid inhibitors like Suboxone.

But Suboxone is just one of the many tools used in our opioid addiction treatment at Skypoint Recovery Ohio. We also offer creative outlets like art therapy, music therapy, and book therapy to help you better understand your struggle with addiction and develop healthy life skills you can turn to in place of substance abuse in the future. Our mental health services are focused on guiding you toward a more balanced life that is less likely to be shaken by substance abuse cravings or triggers to use drugs.

It all starts with the courage of one phone call. You never have to feel alone when struggling with your addiction, thanks to the helping hands of Skypoint Recovery!

The Skypoint Recovery Difference

At Skypoint Recovery Ohio, we will help you escape the noise and chaos of your daily life so you can focus on your individual mental and physical needs. Our main goal of Skypoint Recovery substance abuse treatment is to help you experience all the benefits of sobriety and develop daily practices to help you choose a drug-free life. We guarantee you get the individualized treatment you need to reclaim your desired healthy life.

Contact Skypoint Recovery today to learn how we can best help support you on your journey toward rehabilitation.