Suboxone is a drug prescribed by a doctor to patients with an addiction to opioids. It contains two active ingredients: buprenorphine and naloxone, both of which work to reduce opioid withdrawal symptoms and cravings. The most frequently asked question concerning Suboxone seems to be how long it can stay in one’s body system.
Factors Affecting Suboxone’s Duration in the Body
How long Suboxone remains in the system will largely depend on several factors, which include:
Dosage
The amount of Suboxone an individual ingests can have an influence on the duration within the body. High doses may take a lot longer for the body to get rid of than smaller doses.
Frequency of Use
The more frequently you have been using Suboxone, the longer it may stay in your system. This is because that drug accumulation in your body gets higher with time.
Metabolism
Everyone metabolizes medications at different rates, and thus Suboxone is no exception. This rate of breaking down and removal from the body system is variable from individual to individual. Factors that may influence metabolic rates include age, weight, genetic makeup, and general health.
How Long Does Suboxone Stay in Your System?
Suboxone is described to have a half-life of 24-42 hours, which clearly denotes that it takes one to two days before the body clears half of this drug. However, it may take up to 11 days to be fully cleared from the body.
Urine Tests
Urine tests are the most common means of detecting Suboxone in the body. The detection typically remains in urine for as long as four days after the last use of Suboxone.
Blood Tests
Blood tests will probably find traces of Suboxone in the body for less time than with urine. Suboxone is most frequently identified in blood up to two days after the user’s last dose.
Saliva Tests
Saliva tests can detect Suboxone for a much more short time than urine tests do. Usually, in saliva, Suboxone will be detected up to two days after the last use.
Hair Tests
Hair tests are also done to detect the presence of Suboxone in the body, and they are considered to be the most accurate. This type of testing, however, can detect the drug in a user for a longer time than other forms of tests. Suboxone can be traced in hair up to 90 days from last use.
Conclusion
How long Suboxone stays in your system is dependent on a variety of factors. Typically, it can be detected in urine up to four days after the last use. However, it may take 11 days for the substance to be completely cleared from the body. Therefore, take this into consideration when needing a drug test while using Suboxone.
If you or a loved one has a problem with addiction to opioids, seek help from a health professional immediately. Suboxone usually is effective in the treatment of opioid addiction if it is taken according to the directions of a health professional.
If you would like to research further regarding Suboxone, here is a Wikipedia article:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buprenorphine/naloxone
