Medically speaking, Suboxone has what is known as a “half-life” of 37 hours! A half-life refers to the time it takes your body to metabolize or use up half of a single dose of a drug.
So, if the time it takes to remove half of one standard dose of Suboxone is 37 hours, then it can take up to 8 days for all of the Suboxone to leave your system!
When it comes to withdrawal symptoms, our article on this reports that the time it takes to feel the withdrawal from Suboxone can be a few as one single day and as long as three days!
So, while the Suboxone is metabolizing or being used up by your body, you can still potentially experience some withdrawal symptoms.
If you are curious about the process of withdrawal or what it means when someone says withdrawal from Suboxone versus withdrawal from other substances, we recommend you read our informational page.
Another thing to consider when looking at the amount of time that Suboxone is in your body is to remember that everyone is so different that it can range pretty substantially. Some factors that influence the long term lasting effects of buprenorphine and naloxone, or Suboxone are:
- Body fat or weight
- Height
- Age
- Metabolism
- Dosage
- Amount of time since last taken
- History of abuse/how long have opioids been used
- Liver health
Liver health is particularly important because Suboxone is mainly metabolized or used in the liver. This is why specific drug tests can detect buprenorphine even after the eight-day metabolism time.
Does Suboxone and Buprenorphine Show Up on a Drug Test?
Suboxone can and often will show up on drug screens with a positive result for opioids. There are a few different specific tests that can be used for testing for substances like opioids or other drugs.
These include but are not limited to:
- Saliva tests
- Blood tests
- Urine tests
- Hair follicle tests
Blood tests typically have the smallest window of time to show a positive result when testing for buprenorphine. This usually produces a positive if drawn shortly after the dose of Suboxone.
Usually, though, most of us will opt to avoid the invasive procedure of a blood draw for a drug screen when we can since there are other options like urine and saliva that don’t require a trip to your doctor or a local blood draw office.
Urine tests are the most frequently used. This is the traditional test of choice for almost all employers, so it helps to know how and when it may detect buprenorphine. Suboxone can be seen on a urine drug screen as soon as 40 minutes after taking it, and it can show up for extended periods for those of us with a strong history of drug use.
Hair follicles tests are rare, like saliva tests, and they most often can show results for 24 to 42 hours up to 1-3 months! Since these are so unreliable, it is more likely that you will either be getting a blood draw or a urine screen.
What If Suboxone Shows Up on the Test? What Are My Rights and Who Do I Have To Tell?
When it comes to Suboxone potentially popping up on a drug screen, it can be kind of scary to think about and stressful to find out what to say. Interviewing for a job, or following up with a probation or parole officer, that requires a drug screen can add a lot of stress to our lives. This is especially true when we are in recovery and working too hard to remain level headed during stress.
So what do you do when your interviewer or probation officer asks why you are positive for a drug on your drug test?
First, you need to remember you are not alone. A whole lot of Americans are on medications that show on drug screens. In Arizona alone, in February 2020, there were over 137,000 prescriptions written for opioids alone!
Typically, when a positive result comes back and at some labs before even getting a positive result, someone will ask you if you have taken anything that will come up positive on the test.
This is your opportunity to disclose to the lab, probation officer, or employer in a safe and classified way that you are currently on Suboxone and will test positive for that. Labs are allowed to ask for verification of a positive and legal prescription, whereas employers are not.
The reason for employers being unable to ask too many questions is thanks to the ADA. When it comes to your addiction treatment and journey through recovery, it is crucial to know that The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) separates those who use drugs into two categories. These are those who use illegal drugs casually and those who have an addiction to drugs.
Those with addiction or any history of drug addiction but are not currently using illegal drugs or substances are covered as having a disability under the ADA. In comparison, those without a history of drug use or those casually using illicit substances are not protected by the ADA.
More specifically, those who meet any of these three criteria are covered by the ADA:
- Those who are in recovery and no longer engage in the use of illegal drugs
- Those who are currently participating in an addiction treatment program and are no longer using illegal drugs
- Those who are regarded, in error or by mistake, as using drugs on an initial drug screen
Also, this only applies to those struggling with addiction and does not apply to anyone who casually used drugs but never addicted.
This is super important because, as a covered entity or person under ADA, there are some things that employers are NOT able to ask and are NOT entitled to know about you if you are not comfortable with telling them.
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Once a job offer or conditional offer of employment has been offered, these rules change, and the employer is allowed to ask further questions to provide you with accommodations that match your needs. They cannot fire you because of your addiction as it is a covered disability. We recommend that you reach out to the Human Resources (HR) team at your new place of employment if the ADA covers you as they are best suited to help you navigate work life and your benefits with accommodations.
Suboxone is NOT Replacing One Drug for Another
One common misconception that unfortunately follows Suboxone, in and out of the world of addiction recovery, is that it merely “replaces one drug with another.” Any reputable team or professional in the field of addiction treatment will tell you that this is not the case.
Suboxone is unique because it works to treat opioid addiction by combating withdrawal symptoms and muffling those overwhelming craving urges. It does this by binding to particular receptors in the brain.
If you want to learn more about the science behind Suboxone and what it is, we recommend that you check out our post What is Suboxone?.
Pinnacle Peak Recovery is Here to Help Your Treatment
Here at Pinnacle Peak Recovery, we recognize that there are a LOT of different questions and thoughts that rush through your brain when considering seeking treatment.
“Is this treatment right for me?”
“what does it mean to be in treatment?”
“how do I know if it’s working?”
“what treatment options are there?”
“what are my rights when it treatment and seeking employment?”.
We are here to help answer those questions and ease your mind. Our quality, compassionate team is focused on providing clinical excellence with a caring hand.
If you are ready to learn more about our treatment program, we recommend that you call us today for a confidential discussion at 866-377-4761.
–How long will 1mg of Suboxone stay in urine?
This quantity and dosage of Suboxone could remain in the urine for up to 8 days at maximum.
–Can naloxone be detected in urine?
Naloxone is one of the active ingredients in Suboxone and can be used to treat alcohol addiction on its own. Therefore it can be detected in urine like other drugs used in medication-assisted treatment for addiction.
–How long does buprenorphine show up in a urine test?
Buprenorphine, also known as Suboxone, can show on a urine test for up to a maximum of 8 days.