Suboxone can block opiates and opioids for about 24–60 hours, depending on what is your Suboxone dose, weight, and metabolism. With more than 2.1 million people living with opioid use disorder in the United States, it’s natural to have questions relating to Suboxone’s working and how it can help in beating addiction.
Opioid addiction is a national epidemic. If you or your loved one is also trapped in opioid addiction, know that ChoicePoint is here to help. From detox to therapies, we offer holistic solutions to help our patients overcome addiction. Call us 844.445.2565.
Highlights
- Suboxone is a partial opioid prescription medication for treating opioid addiction treatment.
- The primary component of Suboxone is Buprenorphine which determines how long does Suboxone block opiates.
- Suboxone works differently for individuals, so it’s important to know what is a suitable dose for you to block opioid effects.
Table of Contents
What Are Opioids and Opiates?
Let’s first understand what are opiates and opioids. Opiates and opioids are used interchangeably, but they are not the same in their origin. Opioids are pain-relieving substances obtained from natural sources, i.e. the poppy plant. Some of the common opioids are:
Whereas, opiates are synthetically made in the lab. Like opiates, they also exhibit sedative and analgesic properties. Some of the common opiates are:
How Do Opioids and Opiates Work?
Both opiates and opioids work similarly. When ingested, smoked, or snorted, they travel from blood to the brain. Within the brain, they bind to opioid receptors to relieve pain and induce sedation. At lower doses, prescription opioids are safe to use, but taking higher doses for the long term can result in physical and psychological dependence causing:
- Euphoria
- High heart rate
- Slowed breathing
- Comma
- Death
Opioid Withdrawal Symptoms
Once you have developed physical dependence, quitting opioids becomes hard, as it brings a myriad of withdrawal symptoms, with their intensity ranging from mild to severe. Opioid withdrawal symptoms can last for weeks to months, depending on:
- The type of the drug abused
- How much you have been consuming the drug
- The rate of your metabolism
- Your health status
Some of the common mild and severe withdrawal symptoms that make the opioid detox difficult are:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Fatigue
- Mood swings
- Constipation
- Dilated Pupil
- Changes in heart rate
- Change in appetite
- Anxiety
- Hallucinations
- Seizures in severe cases
That’s why it is important to contact a medically supervised opioid detox near you for help. These facilities help you manage withdrawal symptoms using FDA-approved medications, such as the Suboxone round orange pill.
How Does Suboxone Work?
Suboxone is prescribed under a medication-assisted treatment program as it helps in:
- Dealing with withdrawal symptoms
- Reducing cravings
- Preventing a relapse
- Blocking opioids and opiates
How long does Suboxone block opiates depends on how long Buprenorphine stays in your system, which is the primary component of Suboxone.
Buprenorphine
Buprenorphine is a partial opioid agonist which means it can also attach to the opioid receptors like opioids and opiates do. In fact, buprenorphine has more affinity for opioid receptors than opiates or opioids. As a result, it helps block the opioids, reducing drug dependency.
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Since Suboxone is also an opioid, taking it with opioids can precipitate the withdrawal symptoms that can result in overdose, coma, or even death. It’s important to wait for about 12–72 hours before you start your opioid treatment.
How Long Does Buprenorphine Block Opioids?
When taken orally, Suboxone gets dissolved within a few minutes and travels to the brain to block the opioids. During this process, Naloxone is not activated, so it does not play much of a part in blocking opiates. In fact, blocking of opioids and opiates takes place owing to the presence of buprenorphine.
Suboxone will block opiates for around 24-60 hours and sometimes more than that depending on the following factors:
Weight And Metabolism
Having a non-ideal weight can affect how your body breaks down (metabolizes) Suboxone, changing the duration of how long Suboxone stays in your system. For instance, a slower metabolism can take longer for Suboxone to get activated and block opioids. Likewise, a faster metabolism can activate and break down quickly, blocking opiates for a shorter time.
Frequency Of Opioid Use
If you just started using opioids, and haven’t developed a full dependency on them then it will require a lesser amount of Suboxone to block opioids and for a shorter time. However, long-term physical and mental opioid dependence can require Suboxone to block opioid receptors for a longer time.
Suboxone Dosage
Suboxone dosage also plays a critical role in determining how long will it block opiates. For instance, a lower Suboxone dose of 2 mg Suboxone will block opiates for around 24–30 hours. However, if your Suboxone dose is 6 mg, then it might block opioids for longer than 30 hours.
Half-Life of Buprenorphine
Half-life is the time it takes your body to break down half of the substance (buprenorphine, in this case) and eliminate it. Buprenorphine’s half-life is as little as 24 hours and as long as 72 hours, which means buprenorphine can stay in your body for months and can help block opiates for more than a day.
Current Health Status
If you are dealing with insomnia or anxiety, you might be taking sleeping pills that can interact with Suboxone and might even delay its action. Similarly, taking tramadol with Suboxone can also result in undesirable results, so always share your health status with your addiction professionals.
Find a Suboxone Doctor Near You In NJ
Now that you know how long does Suboxone block opioids, it’s important to get help from a doctor. ChoicePoint, an addiction treatment in New Jersey, consists of DEA-certified Suboxone doctors near you who can provide you a personalized Suboxone treatment depending on your requirements. You can enter one of the following programs to get your opioid addiction treatment plan:
- Intensive Outpatient Program
- Outpatient Substance Abuse Treatment
- Partial care
- Inpatient Program In NJ
Whether you want to visit us in Fair Lawn or want an online prescription, we have got you covered. Contact us today to begin your recovery 844.445.2565.
FAQS: How Long Does Suboxone Block Opiates
Suboxone is a popular treatment for opioid addiction treatment so it’s natural to wonder about the treatment timeline, effectiveness, and precautions. Let’s learn from people’s queries relating to opiates and Suboxone.
How Long Does Naloxone Stay Active?
Naloxone has a very short half-life of about 30-90 minutes. When used alone, it’s a quick solution to opioid overdose and helps prevent coma and death. That’s why naloxone is not a controlled substance. However, when used in combination with buprenorphine as in Suboxone, the effects of Suboxone for opioid blockage remain much longer.
How Long Does Suboxone Peak Last?
Suboxone hits the peak in almost four hours from the time the pill or film is taken. Suboxone peak timeline is dosage dependent. If the dose is lower, the peaks end quicker whereas if the Suboxone dose is higher, the peak lasts longer.
How Long Does Buprenorphine Take To Work?
Buprenorphine does not take long to start working. It usually starts working within 1-2 hours if administered in the form of tablets. However, buprenorphine patches can take a day or so to provide pain relief.
How Long Do You Let Suboxone Dissolve?
Suboxone films take no more than 10 minutes to dissolve when placed under the tongue. Once dissolved, Suboxone quickly migrates to the brain where it binds to the opioid receptors to help people dealing with opioid addiction in managing withdrawal symptoms and curbing opioid cravings.
When Do Opioid Receptors Come Back To Normal
Since buprenorphine has a high half-life, it can take a few days for opioid receptors to get back to normal after the last dose of Suboxone. Generally speaking, you can expect to have them normal in about 7 days. That’s why Suboxone treatment consists of months, and sometimes years, to allow the patients to have full control over drug cravings.
How long does it take Suboxone to clear out of your system?
The duration of Suboxone in your body depends on its half-life, which is 24–42 hours, approximately. It means that it can take about 5 half-lives to eliminate Suboxone from your system, which is equivalent to about 7 days.
Additional Resources
- Signs Suboxone Dose Is Too Low
- Subutex Orange Pill
- Does Blue Cross Blue Shield Cover Sublocade
- How To Sober Up Fast
- How Long After Suboxone Can I Get High
- What Medications Can You Not Take With Suboxone
- Belbuca VS Suboxone
- Can You Overdose On Suboxone
- How To Start An IOP Program In NJ
- Online Suboxone Doctors That Accept Medicaid
- Alcohol and Drug Detox Centers Near Me That Accept Medicaid
References
- Springer Link. Opioids and Opiates
https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-59259-654-6_3 - National Center For Biotechnology Information.Opium Consumption
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK586388/ - National Center For Biotechnology Information. 2009. Buprenorphine Is a Weak Partial Agonist That Inhibits Opioid Receptor Desensitization
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2752300/
Medical Disclaimer:
ChoicePoint aims to improve the quality of life for people struggling with substance use disorder and mental health issues. Our team of licensed medical professionals research, edit and review the content before publishing. However, this information is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. For medical advice please consult your physicians or ChoicePoint's qualified staff.