Suboxone Archives » Ask Our Doctors

Question 1

How long does Suboxone stay in your system?

Accepted Answer

Suboxone is a combination drug commonly used to help manage opioid addiction. It reaches peak blood concentration levels in most users within 3 hours of taking a dose. The effects of the drug slowly taper off from there, lasting up to three days. Even after the effects fade, the medication remains detectable on drug screenings.

Does Suboxone show up on a drug test?

Drug tests that detect Suboxone are available, but most over-the-counter drug tests do not test for Suboxone (including the at-home drug tests that you can buy at the pharmacy). Even some of the more advanced opioid drug screenings are not designed to test for Suboxone.

You can find Suboxone drug tests online, or you can go to a laboratory that does drug screenings and take the test in person. To be sure that a drug test will detect Suboxone, make sure that Buprenorphine is listed specifically. Even though Suboxone is technically an opioid, it will not trigger a false positive for other opioids.

How long does Suboxone stay in urine?

On average, Suboxone is detectable in urine for up to seven days after the last dose. The exact amount of time it remains detectable will vary based on several factors. Factors that can impact the detection timeline include:

Age
Sex
BMI
Metabolic rate
Organ health
Acidity of urine
Hydration levels

How long does it take for Suboxone to kick in?

Most people feel the effects of Suboxone within an hour of taking the medication. Suboxone levels reach peak blood concentration levels in as little as 40 minutes up to 3 hours depending on body chemistry.

People who take buprenorphine should be cautious during this roughly 4-hour window during their first doses of the medication, as this is when side effects and problems with the medication are most likely to manifest.

How long does Suboxone block opioids?

Suboxone will block the effects of opioids for about 1-3 days, but this can vary between individuals. Patients should work closely with their doctors to determine the window of effectiveness and work out a safe dosing schedule.

What are the most common Suboxone withdrawal symptoms?

Suboxone is an opioid, and that means that if you stop taking it abruptly, your body will react to its absence. The most common Suboxone withdrawal symptoms are:

Irritability
Muscle Aches
Fatigue
Nausea
Diarrhea
Chills
Cold Sweats

Suboxone should not be stopped cold turkey. If someone is taking the drug but wishes to stop, they need to work directly with their doctor to taper off safely.

How long can Suboxone withdrawal last?

For most individuals, withdrawal symptoms emerge 2-4 days after taking their last Suboxone dose. The worst symptoms typically are felt between days 3 and 5. The majority of the physical symptoms will fade within 7 days, though some symptoms can linger several weeks more.

This timeline may vary based on how the individual’s body responds and how gradually they taper. A gradual taper will help manage uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms and cravings that lead to relapse.

Is Suboxone effective for treating opioid addiction?

Suboxone is considered one of the safest, easiest, and most effective forms of opioid addiction treatment.

One disadvantage of Suboxone is that it relies on the user being diligent in taking their medication as prescribed without skipping or doubling-up on doses. However, with correct use and ease of access, it is just as safe as any other option for managing opioid addiction.

How long should I take Suboxone?

There are two ways to take Suboxone:

Short-term, – taken for the duration of detox to help ease withdrawal symptoms (6-10 days)
Long term – taken daily to stabilize and prevent relapse

Short-term and long-term suboxone regimens accomplish different goals. No one style of treatment is better than another. At JourneyPure, we work with the individual patient to find out which method is most appropriate. Those who have struggled with relapse in the past especially benefit from long-term suboxone programs.

Often, doctors prefer Subutex instead of Suboxone for short-term use. Subutex contains the same active ingredient as Suboxone but does not contain the additional opioid blocker. Suboxone is preferred for long term use because it has the blocker as an added safety measure.

When I start people on a long-term suboxone regimen, I usually ask them to commit to taking the medication for a year in conjunction with outpatient therapy and support groups. As part of a comprehensive treatment plan, Suboxone can help people overcome the challenging first 90 days of sobriety and maintain their sobriety in the long run.

Question 2

Is Suboxone an opiate?

Accepted Answer

Suboxone is an opiate, but it’s in a different category than other opiates like oxycodone or heroin. The opioid component of Suboxone is called buprenorphine. Buprenorphine is a partial agonist that affects the opioid receptors in the brain, but to a lesser extent than other common opioids.

Suboxone serves a dual purpose, it alleviates withdrawal symptoms and prevents other opioids from interacting with opioid receptors. In combination with therapy, suboxone can reduce the chance of relapse by lowering the motivation to abuse opiates.

Do people consider Suboxone a narcotic?

Generally, no. Most people, including the medical community, view Suboxone as a medication, not a drug.

Suboxone is technically an opioid, and the DEA considers opioids narcotics. However, when most people mention narcotics, they are referring to a substance that produces a high and is commonly abused. Suboxone abuse does happen, but it’s not nearly as common because the high is weaker compared to heroin and other prescription opioids.

Can you overdose on Suboxone?

Although it’s technically possible to overdose on Suboxone, it doesn’t happen very often because it contains an opioid-blocking ingredient called Naloxone. Naloxone is inactive when taken orally. However, if someone tries to inject the drug, Naloxone will block opioid receptors in the brain to prevent an overdose. Other medications for opioid dependence, like Subutex and methadone, do not contain this blocker (see What is Subutex?)

The risk of overdose becomes greater when other substances are used in conjunction with Suboxone. People that take Suboxone should avoid any substance that can interact with the medication. The following are just some drugs that could increase the risk of overdose:

Alcohol
Antidepressants
Barbiturates
Benzodiazepines
Cocaine
Dextromethorphan
Hormonal contraceptives
Ketamine
Meth
Opiates, such as heroin and hydrocodone
PCP
Phenobarbital and other epilepsy treatments
Synthetic cannabinoids

Can you get high on Suboxone?

Since Suboxone is an opiate, it does have the ability to produce a high, but it’s typically only felt by those who are not already accustomed to opiate use. Since most patients who are prescribed Suboxone are opiate addicts and already have a tolerance for opioid medication, they are unlikely to get the feel-good effects from taking Suboxone.

A person with a tolerance to opioids won’t feel the same euphoria that they do when they use heroin or oxycodone.

Is it possible to withdraw from Suboxone?

Yes, it is possible to withdrawal from Suboxone, especially if you stop taking it abruptly. The effects of Suboxone withdrawal are the same as other opioids, including:

Muscle Aches
Chills
Insomnia
Irritability
Fatigue
Drug Cravings

but are generally milder than heroin withdrawals. Never stop taking Suboxone cold turkey. You should always make a plan with your doctor to taper down carefully or else you will make your withdrawal symptoms worse.

How long after taking Suboxone can you take opiates? Why is that waiting period recommended?

Doctors recommend waiting at least 36 hours after stopping Suboxone before you can take other opioid medications. The whole point of Suboxone therapy is to stop using opiates, but in some cases like after an accident or surgery, someone who takes Suboxone will need to take pain medication. Opiates, even prescription ones, increase the risk of overdose while on Suboxone. You should not overlap suboxone with any other opioids. Some options your doctor might consider include:

Adjusting the dosages of Suboxone and the prescription pain medication to make use safer
Giving you smaller doses more frequently
Wean off Suboxone in advance of surgery
Switch to methadone in emergency situations to stave off acute withdrawal.

Only a medical professional can determine what is safe.

Does Suboxone help with pain?

Yes, Suboxone can help with pain relief, but it’s less effective than other opioids like Vicodin and Oxycontin.

Instead of Suboxone, doctors prescribe buprenorphine as a transdermal skin patch called Butrans. Butrans does not contain the opioid blocker naloxone, and it is designed to safely and slowly deliver the medication.

When physicians do prescribe Suboxone off-label for chronic pain, it is usually because the patient has a high risk of diversion with regular opioids. to people who have struggled with opioid addiction in the past and need a less addictive alternative to manage pain.

How to get Suboxone treatment for opioid addiction:

Not every doctor can prescribe Suboxone. The best way to get it is through a clinic or treatment center that specializes in addiction. JourneyPure has 13 outpatient and Suboxone clinics in Tennessee, Kentucky and Florida that can help you get real help for your addiction while staying close to home.

The best Suboxone clinics offer counseling and therapy along with the medication to not only treat the dependence but also address the underlying causes of addiction.

Question 3

Subutex vs. Suboxone &#8211; What’s the Difference?

Accepted Answer

Subutex and Suboxone are medications that share an active ingredient: buprenorphine. The difference is that Suboxone has an additional ingredient called naloxone. Naloxone is the same medication that first responders use to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.

Subutex can be taken immediately after drug use, whereas the blocker in Suboxone can make immediate withdrawal symptoms worse.

	Suboxone	Subutex
Active Ingredients	Buprenorphine, Naloxone	Buprenorphine
Includes Opioid Blockers	Yes	No
Generic Available	Yes	Yes
Delivery	Oral, Sublingual	Oral, Sublingual, Monthly Injection, Implant
Brand Names	Suboxone, Zubsolv	Subutex, Sublocade, Belbuca, Probuphine
Most Common Uses	Outpatient treatment or at home (with prescription)	Detox/Inpatient treatment

What is Subutex?

Subutex is a medication used to treat opioid addiction. The generic name for Subutex is Buprenorphine. Subutex satisfies the opioid receptors in the brain that are craving drugs, which alleviates withdrawal symptoms.

Doctors use Subutex during the detox process to get the patient off of opioids without sending them into full withdrawals. Usually, this is done in an inpatient detox facility, where staff can monitor the patient as they taper off of the medication over a few days. The goal is to slowly lower the level of opioids in the patient’s system so that they don’t experience the overwhelming withdrawals that lead to relapse.

While buprenorphine doesn’t take away withdrawal symptoms entirely, it makes it much easier to convince people to get help. Detoxing from opioids is uncomfortable, but it doesn’t last forever, and medications like Subutex can help get you through.

Does Subutex do the same thing as Suboxone?

Yes. The point of both medications is to alleviate withdrawal symptoms and reduce cravings. The active ingredient in Suboxone and Subutex is buprenorphine, a partial opioid agonist. Buprenorphine satisfies opioid cravings but produces less powerful effects than other opioids like heroin or Oxycontin.

Why do doctors prescribe Subutex and Suboxone?

Suboxone and Subutex are used to treat opioid addiction because they lessen the effects of withdrawal while satisfying the brain’s craving for the drug. The idea is to reduce the individual’s desire to use, which is especially strong in the first few days without opioids.

Once we address the physical symptoms, the patient can fully engage in their recovery by attending therapy, going to meetings and forming connections with other sober people.

When is Subutex used?

For the most part, Subutex is used in a clinical setting, like a drug detox or addiction treatment center. At treatment facilities, Subutex is administered under the supervision of medical staff. Suboxone, though, can be taken at home.

Can any doctor prescribe Suboxone?

No, physicians must be registered with the Food and Drug Administration and obtain a waiver to prescribe Suboxone or Subutex. Even though buprenorphine is safe when used appropriately, it is still a powerful opioid medication. Buprenorphine is listed as a Schedule III controlled substance by the FDA and is tightly restricted to prevent the medication from being abused or falling into the wrong hands.

Is Suboxone more expensive than Subutex?

The retail price of Suboxone is about $200 for (30 day supply) and Subutex is $160 for 30 days. Suboxone offers this coupon to significantly reduce the price per month.

Health insurance (including Medicaid) covers both medications. If you have insurance, it is just a copay- usually $25 per script. Most insurances require therapy to authorize the medication, which would be a separate cost.

You can’t substitute Subutex for Suboxone just because it’s cheaper. Unlike Suboxone, Subutex would rarely be given at-home or long-term.

Why do doctors prescribe Subutex if it has no opioid blocker?

Subutex is the best medication to use when beginning treatment for opioid addiction. This is when withdrawal symptoms are at their worst. Suboxone contains naloxone, and taking it too early in the detox process can make withdrawal symptoms worse. Subutex does not contain the opioid blocker Naloxone, so the patient can begin taking the medication as soon as withdrawal symptoms occur.

After they are stabilized, I typically switch them to Suboxone to take advantage of the opioid blocker as a built-in safety measure. If they aren’t going to use buprenorphine as a maintenance medication long-term, we titrate the individual off while they are still in treatment.

Are Subutex and Suboxone dangerous?

Research shows more people are willing to accept treatment only if these medications are included because they significantly improve withdrawal symptoms and reduce mental cravings. It’s a way to get more people help and meet the struggling person where they are at.

While there is potential for abuse, Suboxone and Subutex are only partial opioids. That means there is a ceiling effect, which:

will not get you high like other opioid medications
is less likely to cause overdose
does not increase effects with higher doses

Suboxone is safer than Subutex because naloxone further blocks the full opioid effects.

Why is there naloxone in Suboxone?

Suboxone adds yet another layer of safety with the addition of naloxone. When suboxone is injected, the opioid-blocker naloxone activates and prevents the individual from feeling the full effects. This is meant to discourage patients from using the medication to get high. Subutex, on the other hand, does not contain naloxone.

Can you become addicted to Suboxone or Subutex?

It is possible to get addicted to Suboxone or Subutex, but it’s not common. Here’s why:

Buprenorphine is a partial-agonist opioid, so Suboxone and Subutex have less intense effects compared to typical opioids.
People that are prescribed buprenorphine already have a tolerance to opioids.
The Naloxone in Suboxone adds another layer of safety by helping to prevent overdose

People who are already addicted to opioids won’t feel high from buprenorphine because they are already opioid-tolerant. Because the effects less intense, taking Suboxone and Subutex satisfies the craving without reinforcing addictive behavior.

Is Suboxone safer than Subutex?

Suboxone is considered safer than Subutex when it comes to the potential for overdose. If someone tries to inject Suboxone, the naloxone will partially block opioid receptors and reduce the chance of overdose less than Subutex. However, both are generally considered safe, especially when administered under the care of an accredited addiction treatment facility.

Do Suboxone and Subutex work for opioid addiction?

Yes! Both Suboxone and Subutex are considered effective treatment options for opioid use disorders. It does need to be said, though, that they are not perfect. Some people who take Suboxone continue abusing opioids or other medications. In my experience, the greatest treatment success stories come not from medication alone, but a holistic approach that includes appropriate individual and group therapies.

Question 4

Suboxone vs. Methadone &#8211; is it the same?

Accepted Answer

While the two are similar, Suboxone and methadone are not the same medication. The active ingredients in Suboxone are buprenorphine and naloxone. For methadone, the active ingredient is methadone hydrochloride.

Both medications are opioids, which means they act on the body in similar ways. Both suboxone and methadone are indicated for the treatment of opioid dependence, and in some cases, chronic pain.

Is suboxone more effective than methadone?

Both medications are effective for treating opioid addiction. However, most physicians (including myself) prefer to prescribe suboxone. The combination of buprenorphine and naloxone makes suboxone a safer and more flexible medication. And, Subutex and Suboxone can be used both in the short-term during detox and longer-term with maintenance programs.

One study comparing the effectiveness of methadone and buprenorphine (the main ingredient in Suboxone) found that they are equally effective for treating opioid addiction.

Does anyone still use methadone?

Yes, methadone is still used for treating opioid addiction, and to a lesser degree, chronic pain. While it isn’t talked about as much as it once was, use is actually on the rise, likely because opioid addiction and treatment are increasing. Doctors have been prescribing methadone for decades, long before I started practicing medicine.

Most of the time, I prescribe buprenorphine-based medications because they are better for the short term. Where it can take weeks to wean off of methadone, buprenorphine can help someone overcome the initial opioid withdrawal symptoms in the short term. Medications like Suboxone and Subutex are more flexible, and therefore more practical for clinical use.

Another reason Suboxone and other buprenorphine-based medications are the better choice is that they can be prescribed by approved doctors during an outpatient visit, like you do with other prescriptions. Methadone, on the other hand, requires individuals to travel to a specialty clinic where they take the drug under supervision. Now, people in recovery can treat their opioid addiction by taking medicine at home, without the additional step of traveling to the clinic.

Does Suboxone cost more than methadone?

Yes. Suboxone is a brand-name medication; methadone is a generic. As such, it costs more. Generic versions of Suboxone have been on the market since 2018. These are less expensive than the brand-name drug. But, the price of the medication isn’t the full story. Several other factors influence the price of treatment:

Almost all health insurance plans, including Medicaid, cover both medications. You may be responsible for co-pays, and these costs will vary depending on your policy.
Opioid treatment programs that prescribe methadone and Suboxone usually offer additional services, like counseling and medical check-ups. Some programs require these extra services.
When you start taking methadone, you have to take it at the clinic. Making regular visits to the clinic to receive medication and counseling can increase the cost of treatment.

These numbers reflect the total cost of treatment, not the out-of-pocket cost to the patient. Most private & Medicaid insurance policies cover methadone, buprenorphine & Naltrexone.

Can you overdose on Suboxone and methadone?

Methadone overdose can occur and is well documented. However, that doesn’t mean that the medication is unsafe or ineffective. Most methadone overdoses happen to non-prescribed users, often when someone takes more than they are prescribed or mixes the medication with other substances.

Suboxone overdose is possible, but it’s rare. This comes down to two factors. One: it is only a partial opioid agonist. Two: it contains naloxone, which is designed to reverse opioid overdose. Because of the lower potential for abuse and overdose, suboxone is usually considered the safer medication.

Is Suboxone harder to get off than methadone?

Both are opioids, and withdrawal symptoms may occur when you discontinue taking the medication. Suboxone and methadone have a reputation for causing difficult detoxes, but the truth is that all opioids can cause these symptoms, and neither suboxone nor methadone is worse. Anyone who is discontinuing these medications should consult with their doctor to help them gradually and safely lower the dose. Following the advice of medical professionals will help reduce withdrawal symptoms and ensure a safe transition off of the medication.

Because suboxone is a partial opioid agonist while methadone is a full opioid agonist, the latter is more likely to cause dependence. Keep in mind that every person will respond to these medications in their own way, so while one is more likely than the other to be harder to stop, there are no guarantees.

Is suboxone safer than methadone?

Suboxone is considered a safer medication because it contains naloxone, an opioid blocker. Naloxone blocks the feel-good effects of the opioid while the buprenorphine diminishes withdrawal symptoms. Methadone, on the other hand, does not contain an opioid blocker to counter its main ingredient.

Because the risk of overdose is lower with suboxone, patients can take their medication home with them instead of reporting to a clinic like they do with methadone. As a result, suboxone makes medication-assisted treatment accessible to more people, especially those in rural areas where daily visits to a clinic are unrealistic.

Does suboxone interfere with methadone?

Suboxone is not prescribed alongside methadone- it’s one or the other. Taking both at the same time could cause an adverse reaction and send an opioid-dependent person into full withdrawals. Although methadone and suboxone are entirely different medications, they are both opioids, and taking them together will significantly increase your chances of overdose. Both of these medications should only be taken as prescribed by your physician.

Category: Suboxone

Subutex vs. Suboxone – What’s the Difference?

Suboxone vs. Methadone – is it the same?

Is Suboxone an opiate?

How long does Suboxone stay in your system?

See New Suboxone Questions

Suboxone Quick Facts

Suboxone Myths

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