You could be wondering how long does suboxone stay in your system if you just consumed the drug or need to have it any time soon. Again, Suboxone might be a medical buzzword for you, and you must be wondering about its uses and side effects. Let’s first understand what Suboxone is and how it works.
It is a prescribed medication with a combined mixture of naloxone and buprenorphine. It is sold under the brand Narcan and Zubsolv. Suboxone is given to addicts who have an opioid addiction. These are sublingual tablets dissolved under the tongue or the inner cheek.
Suboxone contains buprenorphine which is a restricted opioid agonist, which means it releases the opioid effects. As it has a restricted agonist, it comes with a ceiling reaction, meaning the effect will fall off its increasing doses.
To treat opioid addiction, this is considered to be one of the best drugs as it is safe for effective maintenance. However, abusing Suboxone usage is not ideal, even if the risks are low.
Naloxone also reduces the risk as it can control life-threatening overdose effects. Especially it has no side effects when orally consumed. Suboxone dissolves in water and makes it easier to inject into your body for effective results.
Once you get high with buprenorphine dosage, it acquires through your bloodstream, resulting in withdrawal symptoms of opioids. The drug is designed to make it practical for deter diversion and fight against its misuse.
The combined ingredients in the drug help reduce the craving of your addiction against opioids like fentanyl, codeine, fentanyl, heroin, and oxycodone. However, this should be taken with supervision and with medical assistance.
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What does Suboxone do to you mentally?
Suboxone helps treat opioid disorders. Doctors recommend a patient Suboxone when there is a slight chance of addiction. Hence if you or someone in your circle is fighting with suboxone addiction, you should immediately seek help. Many rehabilitation centers are happy to help you return to your normal self.
Recently, Suboxone revised the contents of its dosage under the pharmaceutical packaging section containing information. Sometimes your doctor may prescribe you naloxone with a risk of relapse of opioid disorder. The physicians may prescribe you only 2mg-8mg of the drug per dosage.
In the 1970s, buprenorphine was a safer substitute for curing opioid pain. Since buprenorphine was approved as a pain killer, the misuse of this drug had low potential.
There were many substitutes available. It was the most effective and safe to treat such disorders. Clinics proved that buprenorphine dosage was the primary drug for opioid addiction.
With the growth in science and technology, scientists combined buprenorphine and naloxone together to reduce the additional risk involved in overdose. The result? Suboxone! In 2002, FDA gave a green signal to this medicine.
Still, wondering how long does suboxone stay in your system? Well, Suboxone addiction is not very common compared to other habits. However, it can become an opioid disorder.
One might need treatment for consuming this medicine if one chooses to abuse it and use it for addiction. Several specialized facilities can help treat such disorders.
If you know someone who might need rehabilitation from Suboxone addiction, you must seek help. Consuming this medicine can become a potential addiction in the long run.
As soon as you suspect an addiction, you must consult the doctor and reduce the dosage as per recommendation.
It might shock you, but withdrawal-driven medicines have a strong emotional impact on our bodies. When we consume medicines to help us free from opioids, it makes us have behavioral disorders. Depression and mental trauma are common byproducts of consuming drugs like these.
Your doctor must know how your body reacts to the medicines.
How long does Suboxone stay in your system
Now, Suboxone is a drug that can stay in your body for almost 10 days. You have to consider several factors to eradicate it from the system. It depends on each individual on how the drug reacts and stays in the body. Below are the factors that summarize how long does Suboxone stay in your system:
Weight and Age
The weight and age of a person can change how the individual absorbs the drug. Younger individuals with ideal weight absorb Suboxone faster than older or obese ones.
Metabolic rate
If you have an excellent metabolic rate, you can process Suboxone quite faster than a person with a slow metabolism. Hence if it takes 10 days to process the drug for an average individual, it may take only seven days for you with better metabolism.
Frequency of dosage
If you take large doses of Suboxone, the substance might start building in your body. However, taking it only once will leave your body sooner than regularly.
Healthy liver
You would be surprised to know how long does suboxone stay in your system if you have a liver problem. It can last almost a month or more from the last dosage date if you have underlying health issues related to liver disorders.
If you have a healthy liver, you will tend to urinate more often and take the drug out of your body quicker than people with liver issues.
Suboxone combination
When Suboxone is combines with other medications, it may result in staying in the body for a longer time. It depends on how it reacts with different combinations.
Since the drug is a mixture of two elements, the body metabolizes buprenorphine which breaks down into metabolites known as norbuprenorphine.
Norbuprenorphine can stay up to 160 hours and will eventually flush out of your body. However, buprenorphine traces can remain up to two weeks from the day of consumption.
What side effects does Suboxone have on your body?
As everything you feed your body has an effect, suboxone also impacts the body and its functioning. Respiratory depression resulting in death is very uncommon with suboxone. However, breathing problems may happen due to its combination with sedatives, benzodiazepines, alcohol, or tranquilizers. Below are the common side effects of suboxone:
Sleeping disorder
You might face a sleeping disorder as you are new to this drug, and the body might take time to get used to it. However, if it persists, try consulting your doctor.
Headache
Mild headaches may be experienced when the drug is injected into your body.
Swelling
Everybody reacts differently. The medicines can seem reactive to some resulting in swelling of feet and hands.
Sweating
You may get sweaty while injecting this drug as it may give your body a hot rush.
Nausea
Since it’s a shock to your body, you may feel nauseous with its application. You might also have the urge to puke.
Constipation
Suboxone may result in constipation and dehydration, so it is essential to hydrate yourself.
Numbness and burning
When taking suboxone orally, you may feel numb or burning in your mouth or cheeks.
Other severe effects
- Low blood pressure
- Compromised liver functioning
- Adrenal changes
- Breathing issues with sleep disorders
- Allergic reactions in case it doesn’t suit you
How long does a suboxone strip stay in your system to cause addiction?
In humans, everything used long-term tends to become a habit that may become an addiction. As for suboxone, addiction is not entirely uncommon.
Being an opioid in nature, it can result in an addiction depending on the length of the recommended dosage. This is also the reason why you cannot source this drug without a prescription. However, it can lead to withdrawal symptoms in you.
Stopping suboxone, as your doctor recommends the same may cause you pain. When someone prescribes this drug, healthcare providers carefully monitor its effect on your body.
Suboxone dosage will be controlled by the physician as and when required depending on your body’s reaction. Hence, deciding whether to stop or increase the dosage will solely depend on your doctor.
The buprenorphine ingredient of Suboxone is the primary reason people misuse the drug. The opioid agonist in it has a profound euphoric effect which is lesser than the common opioid drugs like oxycodone and heroin. While naloxone limits the misuse of this drug, it cannot diminish it entirely.
Suboxone helps treat addiction disorder but uses addiction that is less harmful to the body. It is merely the substitution of habits. Hence Suboxone influence you to control the previously dangerous and compulsive addiction to opioid, allowing you to live a healthy and everyday life. However, if you get withdrawal symptoms, you need assistance detoxifying the body with the help of a doctor.
Does Suboxone come under insurance?
When you think about how long does suboxone stay in your system, you must also consider the cost and whether the insurance company covers it.
The good news is suboxone is under insurance, but it depends on the plan you get. Hence, be careful about filling up the form whenever you go in for health insurance.
When you get insurance, you need to check the health plan, benefits, the provider, and the consequences. Your insurance plan’s terms, rules, and substance must be known. The coverage you undertake must be examined to get appropriate benefits when needed. Hence, when you are admitted to a rehabilitation center, you should check with your center and the insurance company.
You must be thinking about whether you need any detoxification or not. But if you need to detoxify, go ahead and do the needful. Sudden quitting of alcohol and drugs may be uncomfortable and throw withdrawal symptoms that can turn out to be dangerous.
Some rehabilitation centers can take admission immediately, depending on the condition. Many admission navigators can get you connected with a suitable nearby center. There is also an option to check if the center avails your insurance benefit and coverage before you get admitted to have a hassle-free detox experience.
I hope this section clears your doubt on whether suboxone is under insurance, as paying a hefty amount for the treatment may sometimes stop you from doing the treatment. Please check your coverage while taking insurance and utilize the benefits.
Advantages of suboxone
While we discussed the side effects of suboxone, you must also know the advantages of suboxone. The most significant advantage of this drug is that your addiction to a particular opioid gradually cures.
Once you cease your cravings, the next step is to focus on an alternative therapy that works on your behavior and cognitive therapy. With the help of suboxone dosage, the addiction will decrease.
It has also been proven under a lot of study and research that with the use of suboxone, people get relief from their addiction. However, stopping suboxone may result in a return to the cravings. Hence, you will need medical assistance to determine dosage control.
Returning to the addiction may sometimes cause damage that may be lethal. However, the cravings may be way lesser than before.
Even before suboxone came into the picture, methadone was used for treating opioid disorders. The primary medication used to treat opioid use disorders.
Methadone was initially introduced in 1947 and became popular because of its success in opioid replacement. Methadone, because of its highly addictive quality, caused the death of many individuals, and by 2012, it had been stopped from being used as a drug for treating opioid disorders.
Suboxone was discovered in 2002 to assist people with drug addiction primarily. It was also proved to have a low-risk level for treating patients with opioid disorders under DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency). Below are the three significant benefits of suboxone:
- Easy accessibility and permit to use
- Low ability to abuse
- High success in freeing people from opioids
Now that you know how long does suboxone stay in your system, you can assume how long it will take to flush out from your body entirely. The best part of suboxone is that it successfully treats the disorder and leaves its own traits, eventually freeing you from every form of addiction.
I hope this now clears all your queries on suboxone. It is okay to seek assistance if you need help, so turn to a doctor today!