Subutex, or suboxone, is used in treating addictions to prescription opioids or heroin. Many drug and alcohol addiction treatment center programs offer subutex to patients when helping them overcome an addiction. The medication has an active ingredient called buprenorphine. This is a type of opioid agonist drug that creates effects similar to that of opioids such as heroin or oxycodone. While the effects of buprenorphine are weaker, they are still sufficient enough to help some get off from drugs. Subutex also has naloxone in it. This is another type of opioid antagonist. This reduces the chance of abusing drugs.
However, despite the safeguards, subutex can still be abused. Many of those who abuse this drug will snort or inject crushed tablets. This drug has been smuggled in the state prisons including those in Vermont, Pennsylvania, New Mexico, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Maine. There are an increasing amount of ER visits dues to buprenorphine abuse as well, according to SAMHSA.
There are many people who want to know how long subutex stays in the system after taking it. For a urine test, this drug can show up around 7 to 10 days after using it. On saliva and blood tests, it can show up for around 24 hours after.
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Time in the System and Half-Time
The half-life of a drug is the time it takes for the concentration of the drug in the blood plasma to drop to 50{b340406b661c1e5732b86e4172a84f651d0df9d8967334cfa4a3aae0d4c8bfbd}. The half-life with buprenorphine is around 24-42 hours. However, this does vary based on the person who is using it. When comparing this to other types of drugs, the half-life is quite long. For example, the half-life of oxycodone is around 3 hours.
It is common, in this day and age, for employers to run tests for any buprenorphine in the applicant’s or employee’s system. However, it should be noted that using buprenorphine won’t create a positive test result for opioids such as methadone or heroin. If you are addicted to or abusing subutex, you can get help right away.
Interference and Body Composition
Subutex is a drug that will remain in your system for some time. However, there are some factors about the length of time it will stay in your system. Your metabolism rate, dosage, and some other factors will affect the time it remains in the user’s system. The metabolism of the drug changes from one person to the next. This rate of metabolism also affects how the time that someone will take to detox from the drug. It also impacts the length of time the liver and kidneys take to process it as well. Once the liver and kidneys process the drug, it can be excreted.
Those who have a slower metabolism will take a bit longer to excrete the drug from their body. Those who have a faster metabolism will excrete the drug from their body much quicker. As you can see, there are always exceptions to the time frame.
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Other Substances in One’s System
Another one of the factors that will affect how long subutex stays in one’s system is whether there are other substances in that person’s system. Having other substances in your system can change how the body gets rid of this drug. This can be a big problem for those who have multiple substances in their system. In fact, it is common for those who are abusing opioids, alcohol, or other drugs to also abuse subutex. According to the Journal of Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 67{b340406b661c1e5732b86e4172a84f651d0df9d8967334cfa4a3aae0d4c8bfbd} of French people attending treatment for buprenorphine had used some type of benzodiazepines.
It is important to note that there are treatments for subutex abuse and addiction. While subutex is available to help treat other addictions, there are unfortunately, still people who abuse this drug as well. Recovering from abuse or an addiction to subutex can be tough. However, it is very similar to the recovery to other types of substances. You may need to start with medical detox, attend therapy, and attend an addiction rehab center as well.
Do you have an addiction to subutex? Maybe you have just been abusing this drug and need some help to get off of it. Now that you know more about the drug and how long it stays in your system, you can get the help you need. The detox process can be uncomfortable. However, you should know that a detox program can help you to feel better during the detoxing process.
Want more information about how Chapters Capistrano can help? Feel free to call 949-276-2886 and one of our addiction specialists will help get the information and help you need.
