Johnson City, Tenn. — ReVIDA Recovery®, an opioid use disorder treatment center based in Johnson City, Tenn., has published a blog post detailing how long Suboxone® stays in the body. The center hopes their post will help more people understand that this medication, also known as buprenorphine, is a safe and effective method for treating opioid addiction.
According to the blog post, medication-assisted treatment (MAT) is a vital component of any approach to combating the opioid epidemic. Unfortunately, the issue is that some believe buprenorphine’s use may in fact be no better than opioid misuse, especially considering that the cause of the epidemic has its roots in the overuse of opioids as a pain-relieving medication. The post seeks to correct this perspective, firmly stating that buprenorphine has shown very promising results when used in this capacity.
While the center confirms that buprenorphine is safe, they also ask their community to consider the advantages of a medication that is administered with medical supervision — as Suboxone® is. However, they acknowledge that many will have more questions that need to be answered since buprenorphine’s involvement with MAT is a rather recent addition to the struggle against opioid addiction.
ReVIDA Recovery® compares buprenorphine to methadone, which they expect to be much more recognizable. Methadone is also a medication used in MAT, and it is used to reduce the severity of withdrawal symptoms in patients undergoing detox from opioids. Buprenorphine has a similar function, and it allows the body to remain more stable. What many are concerned with is the fact that buprenorphine is an opioid, but the center reassures their community that one of the drug's vital components is naloxone, which neutralizes the opioid effect. A person who is already dealing with an addiction will not experience a "high" due to their increased tolerance for opioids and the presence of naloxone. However, the center does caution people against consuming buprenorphine if they do not have a prior addiction or tolerance to opioids — this may indeed lead to an addiction.
When used in medication-assisted treatment, buprenorphine takes anywhere between 40 minutes to 3.5 hours to reach peak blood concentration after a dose (though the effects will endure for at least three days). Everyone reacts to medication at a different pace, based on their height, weight, age, length of prescription, and so on. According to the post, buprenorphine can take 4 to 10 days to leave the body (or 96 to 240 hours). Due to the way the drug breaks down during metabolism, an individual is likely to pass most workplace drug tests because they do not test for this particular substance. Since some drug tests do screen for it, however, ReVIDA Recovery® always recommends that patients inform the administrator of the test that they have a prescription for Suboxone®.
If screened for, the center says buprenorphine can be detected in urine for as many as six days after the last use. Saliva tests may detect it for three or more days after use. Blood tests, while infrequent due to their relative cost, will only be able to detect it for two days. Notably, ReVIDA Recovery® says hair follicle tests are likely to detect buprenorphine for quite some time, especially if the patient has been prescribed Suboxone® for several months. The window of detection here is at least three months long.
ReVIDA Recovery® Johnson City is a behavioral healthcare provider that utilizes medication-assisted treatment in the treatment of opioid abuse disorder. To learn more about their services, visit their website or call (423) 455-9321.
We are committed to our patients’ well-being. Every day at ReVIDA we challenge ourselves to continue building your trust as you travel the path of recovery.
3114 Browns Mill Road,
Johnson City, TN, 37604
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