How Long Does Suboxone Stay in Your System? Duration & Detection Explained

Suboxone is a common medication prescribed for opioid use disorder treatment. Opioid use disorder is marked by the regular use of opioids (pain-relieving medicines) that can lead to addiction or misuse of the drug. Approximately, 2.5 million of the U.S. population struggles with opioid addiction. With the increased concern about opioid addiction and misuse, Suboxone is recommended as an effective treatment option. So, if you're on Suboxone for opioid addiction and are about to undergo drug tests at work, you need to understand that the effects of this medication might last for only 24 hours. However, it can be detectable for a much longer period. Wondering, "How long does Suboxone stay in your system"? Well, it all depends on a wide range of factors. So, read the article to learn the detectable window of Suboxone in your system, what factors determine its stay, and more! Let's start!

Understanding Suboxone

Before moving to how long Suboxone stays in your system, let's have a basic understanding of this medication and how it works in opioid addiction treatment!

Suboxone is a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved prescription medication that helps in opioid use disorder treatment. It prevents addiction to opioids such as heroin or hydrocodone, manages related withdrawal symptoms, and stops people from using these drugs. This medication has a combination of naloxone and buprenorphine which efficiently work collectively to block opioids' potential effects and prevent withdrawal symptoms. How do they work?

• Buprenorphine: It acts like a weak opioid that produces euphoric effects to relieve withdrawal symptoms.
• Naloxone: It blocks and reverses the overdose of opioids.

Though Suboxone is a great treatment option for opioid use disorder, it's crucial to remember that it is characterized as a Schedule III controlled product. Such characterization means this medication possesses some risk for dependence and misuse, causing addiction. The effects of Suboxone might last for 24 hours, but its stay can be much longer in your system.

Suboxone Half-life: What Does It Mean?

Many people who consume Suboxone are concerned about, "How Long Does Suboxone Stay in Your System? The duration of its stay in your system depends on certain factors and its elimination half-life is the significant determining factor. Elimination half-life is the amount of time taken by the drug to decrease its concentration in the system by half.

Well, the Suboxone half-life is between 24-42 hours which is determined by buprenorphine-the main active ingredient. Meanwhile, Naloxone has a comparably shorter half-life of about 2 to 12 hours. So, if you are wondering, "How long does it take Suboxone to leave your system", it might take 4 to 5 half-lives for the Suboxone to completely leave the system. This means it may take around 8 days for this drug to stay in the body.

Does Suboxone Show Up On a Drug Test?

"Does suboxone show up in a UA test? Suboxone consists of an opioid called buprenorphine. As buprenorphine is chemically different from other morphine-containing opioids, it won't be detectable on a regular UA drug test the way other opioids get. UA tests, also called “Routine urinalysis” can detect the presence of opioids through the presence of morphine. Most opioids such as heroin break down into morphine on absorption and hence are detectable on the urine screening tests. However, to detect Suboxone that doesn't metabolize into morphine, special tests are required to find out their presence in your system.

How Long Does Suboxone Stay in Your System?

As mentioned in the above section, it takes 4-5 half-lives for Suboxone to leave the system, this means this drug will stay for about 8 days. So, if you are going to have a drug test at work and are concerned about "How Long Does Suboxone Stay in Your System", it's important to learn about the drug detection time in different samples such as urine, blood, hair, and saliva.

How long does a suboxone stay in your urine?

The suboxone urine drug test is the most common test to detect this drug in the system. Suboxone can stay in your urine for about 7 to 10 days after the last dose.

How long does suboxone stay in your bloodstream?

Blood tests are very accurate if performed within two hours after the last dose intake. Suboxone can be detectable in your bloodstream for about 2 days following the last use.

How long does Suboxone stay in hair?

The detection time of Suboxone in hair samples is up to 90 days after the last dose. However, hair tests are hardly used as they are expensive.

How long does Suboxone stay in saliva?

Suboxone detection time in saliva is about a few days or weeks following the last ingestion. This testing method is fairly common as it is a non-invasive procedure (there is no need to enter the body spaces or cut the skin).

Note: The detection time of Suboxone can vary depending on the various factors which we have discussed in the next section.

Factors Influencing The Detection Time of Suboxone in Your System

The following are the factors that affect the detection time of Suboxone stays in your system:

• Dosage
• Frequency of use
• Metabolism
• Body weight
• Age
• History of drug misuse
• Other medications
• Liver disease

People living with liver disorders have a very slow capability to metabolize Suboxone, which, in turn, can increase its stay in the system.

Suboxone Withdrawal Symptoms: How Long is Suboxone Withdrawal Timeline?

Like other opioids, you can become addicted to Suboxone. Quitting this medication suddenly can cause some withdrawal symptoms such as:

• Nausea
• Insomnia
• Diarrhea
• Fatigue
• Mood swings
• Cold sweats
• Chills
• Muscle aches
• Irritability

So, the best advice is to always consult the doctors before quitting Suboxone. If these symptoms continue for a longer period, they can contribute to some health risks. Wondering, "How long do suboxone withdrawal symptoms last?", Well, you might experience the majority of the withdrawal symptoms in about 2-4 days following the last dose which may worsen within 3-5 days. The physical withdrawal symptoms of this drug may fade away after 1 month, however, psychological dependence may remain.

Treatment for Suboxone Addiction

If you are struggling with Suboxone addiction, there are several treatment options that can be helpful. Such as detox, medical therapy, addiction counseling, and aftercare. During the treatment, you will also be taught how to cope with everyday situations or problems following the addiction treatment. This can help you live a fulfilled and happy life during the recovery phase.

Summing Up

This article addresses the question of how long does suboxone stay in your system. You learn that Suboxone is a commonly prescribed medication used to treat individuals struggling with opioid addiction. Depending on certain factors like metabolism, age, frequency of use, etc., this drug can be detectable in your system for about 8 days. Some other tests can detect its presence for a much longer period. However, like other opioids, this drug is also addictive, and quitting without consulting doctors can result in withdrawal symptoms. So, it is always recommended to seek professional help if you experience any of the related symptoms.

Related Read: Does Suboxone show up in a drug test?