Suboxone is a prescription drug that is often prescribed to treat opioid addiction. It can help relieve the symptoms of opioid withdrawal, and for this reason, it is often prescribed in the context of medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorders.
Technically, Suboxone is actually a combination drug. It contains two different medications: buprenorphine and naloxone. It may come as a surprise to readers to learn that both medications are, in fact, opioids, even though they are designed to treat the withdrawal symptoms of opioids.
However, even though buprenorphine and naloxone are opioids, they do not produce the same intense high as illicit opiates like heroin. While Suboxone is not as addictive as other opiates and is less frequently sought out as a drug of abuse, as an opioid, it does come with several risks.
Understanding how long Suboxone stays in the body is essential to using or quitting the drug safely and effectively.
On This Page:
How is Suboxone Metabolized in the Body?
The primary component of Suboxone, buprenorphine, has a particularly long half-life, especially compared to other opioids. Half life refers to the length of time it takes for 50% of a substance to be processed and eliminated by the body.
However, it is important to understand that the remaining 50% usually takes significantly longer than the first half does.
Suboxone is metabolized differently than other drugs or opioids and has a longer half-life than most other opioids. This means that the effects of Suboxone can last for up to 24 hours. For this reason, people taking Suboxone mustn’t take other opioids while taking this medication.
How Long Does Suboxone Stay In Your Body
How Long Does Suboxone Stay In The Urine
The presence of Suboxone in urine typically lasts between one and four days after taking it. However, this may vary depending on the individual’s metabolism and how much of the drug was taken. The time that Suboxone will remain detectable in urine is also affected by the sensitivity of the testing method used to detect it.How Long Does Suboxone Stay In The Blood
The presence of Suboxone in the blood usually lasts between 24 and 48 hours. The presence of Suboxone can also be detected in the blood up to three days after taking it using highly sensitive testing methods.How Long Does Suboxone Stay In Saliva
Suboxone’s active ingredients, buprenorphine and naloxone can be detected in saliva up to 48 hours after taking it. Saliva tests are not as commonly used for detecting Suboxone because they are less reliable than urine or blood tests.How Long Does Suboxone Stay In The Hair
Suboxone can be detected in hair follicles up to 90 days after taking it. Hair tests are usually used for long-term monitoring of drug use because they provide evidence of past drug exposure over an extended period of timeBuprenorphine Urine Detection Time
Buprenorphine’s half-life is approximately 37 hours. This means that it takes approximately a day and a half for a person to remove half of Suboxone from their system. Traces of Suboxone remain detectable in the body for roughly 8 days after they use the drug, as the body takes a bit longer to process the remaining 50%.
However, it is important to recognize that these are rough estimates. The amount of time it takes for a person to metabolize Suboxone varies considerably from person to person.
A variety of factors affect the rate at which an individual flushes Suboxone out of their system. Some factors that influence Suboxone metabolism include:
- Weight and height
- Body fat content
- Metabolism speed
- Age
- Liver health
- Amount of time the person abused opioids
- Size of the last dose taken
- Frequency of Suboxone doses
The health of the liver is of paramount importance since the liver is the primary organ that handles the processing of Suboxone. When Suboxone reaches the liver, the liver breaks it down into metabolites, chemical compounds that are formed as the body processes a drug.
These metabolites are excreted in the urine in the days after that. Suboxone metabolites remain in the body far longer than Suboxone itself does. These Suboxone traces can generally be detected from 8 to 14 days after a person last used Suboxone.
You’ve Already Survived 100% of Your Bad Days Tough days might come, but with our supportive sober community, you’re never alone. Whether transitioning from a rehab center or another sober living in Los Angeles, we’re here to help. Our success stories statnd testament. Contact us for a confidential chat and evaluation.
How Long Can Suboxone Be Detected on a Urine Test?
The most common type of drug testing kit used to detect Suboxone is the urine test. Urine tests are popular because they are affordable, widely available, and can be administered by just about anyone, including non-medical professionals. As such, they are the type of test most frequently used by employers and parents.
Suboxone becomes detectable on a urine test approximately 40 minutes after a person takes a dose of Suboxone. The amount of time Suboxone remains detectable in urine varies considerably from person to person. For someone who has only taken one small dose, it might be as short as 8 days.
However, for individuals who take heavy doses of Suboxone or who have taken Suboxone for an extended period of time, the drug metabolites may be detectable in urine for up to 2 weeks after their last dose.
Other Drug Tests for Suboxone
While urine test kits are by far the most common type of test kit used, a variety of other drug testing kits can be used to detect Suboxone use; blood tests, for instance, are fairly accurate. While they may be less liable to error, they suffer from a reduced testing window.
Blood tests are most effective 2 hours after a person’s last dose of Suboxone, but after much longer than that, the metabolites leave the blood to be processed by the liver.
Spit tests are also sometimes administered. These noninvasive tests are far simpler to administer, and while they do not have the same large testing window as urine tests, they can detect Suboxone use a bit longer than a blood test can.
How Long Does It Take Suboxone To Get Out Of Your System
The amount of time it takes for Suboxone to leave your system completely can vary greatly depending on factors such as the dose taken, how often it was taken and how long it was used. Generally, Suboxone can take between 1-8 days to leave your system altogether. However, in some cases, traces of the medication may remain in the body for up to one month. It is also important to note that Suboxone can be detected in a drug test for up to 72 hours after your last dose.
The half-life of Suboxone is 37 hours, meaning that it will take 37 hours for half of the dose to be eliminated from your system. But the second half of any drug usually takes longer to be eliminated.
Getting Help for Suboxone Abuse and Opioid Addiction
If you or a loved one is abusing Suboxone, it is important to get outside help. Design for Recovery, a structured sober living homes for men located in West Los Angeles, is the ideal place for anyone hoping to recover from a substance use disorder. Our safe, comfortable, trigger-free facility provides young men with strong social support systems, new tools, and opportunities to build a new way of life. At Design for Recovery, we believe that recovery starts at physical abstinence, but we believe that staying sober requires — and is in fact an opportunity for — immense personal growth. Residents at Design for Recovery not only work daily to stay sober, but they take steps every day to build new lives for themselves that are joyous, prosperous, and above all free.
If you’re ready for a new approach to life, and you’re tired of the endless cycle of substance abuse, reach out to Design for Recovery today!
Are You Looking for a Safe and Structured Place?
Join us at Design for Recovery sober living homes in Los Angeles, California.
Frequently Asked Questions
Generally, urine tests can detect Suboxone for up to 48 hours after last use, while hair follicle tests can detect Suboxone for up to 90 days. However, it is important to note that detection windows may be different depending on the individual’s metabolism and other factors. If you are concerned about Suboxone showing up on a drug test, it is best to speak with a medical professional.
The answer to this question depends on a few factors, including how much buprenorphine you have taken and how sensitive the drug test is. Generally speaking, it takes several days for buprenorphine to be completely cleared from your system. However, some sensitive drug tests may be able to detect traces of the drug up to a week after you have taken it. If you are worried about passing a drug test, it is best to avoid taking buprenorphine altogether.
There is a common misconception that Suboxone will show up as a positive result on drug tests. However, this is not the case. Suboxone is an opioid medication that is used to treat addiction and withdrawal symptoms. It does not contain any illicit substances and will not cause a positive result on drug tests. However, it is important to note that Suboxone can cause false positive results on tests for other drugs, such as buprenorphine. If you are taking Suboxone and are concerned about drug testing, be sure to inform the person administering the test that you are taking this medication.
Suboxone can be detectable in saliva for up to 48 hours after last use. However, the exact amount of time may vary depending on a number of factors, including how much Suboxone is taken and how often it is used. saliva tests are not as common as urine or hair tests, but they can still be used to detect the presence of Suboxone in the body.
Suboxone can be detected in hair for up to 90 days after last use. This is much longer than other drugs, such as marijuana, which can only be detected in hair for up to 30 days. Suboxone is detectable in hair because it is a long-acting medication and stays in the body for a long time.
- Welsh C, Valadez-Meltzer A. Buprenorphine: a (relatively) new treatment for opioid dependence. Psychiatry (Edgmont). 2005 Dec;2(12):29-39. PMID: 21124750; PMCID: PMC2994593.
- Velander JR. Suboxone: Rationale, Science, Misconceptions. Ochsner J. 2018 Spring;18(1):23-29. PMID: 29559865; PMCID: PMC5855417.
- Balhara YP, Jain R. A urinalysis-based study of buprenorphine and non-prescription opioid use among patients on buprenorphine maintenance. J Pharmacol Pharmacother. 2012 Jan;3(1):15-9. doi: 10.4103/0976-500X.92496. PMID: 22368411; PMCID: PMC3284030.
Suboxone Related Resources
